I just wanted to say thank you to all my family for making this Christmas a very happy one. I love you all.
I received some fabulous gifts this year, so thanks to:
Mum and Dad for the Le Creuset cookware, very nice indeed, add to that a TomTom sat nav from my Dad. I must have been a very good boy indeed at some point this year but I can't think of when for the life of me .
Thanks to Sharon and Damien and the kids for a great day being Uncle Tony and having so many hugs I lost count, and for my Hugo, I never leave home without it.
Thanks to John for my Blu-ray copy of This is England. I can't wait to see it.
Most of all thanks to my hubby, he gave me a new sound system for my iPod, a cosy M&S bath robe, some jim jams and best of all he is going to record all of my old vinyl over to my laptop and my iPod. Thank you babe, I love you.
To everyone reading this I hope you had a great Christmas filled with all the things you wished for, and to a very happy, peaceful and prosperous new year. Here's to a great 2009 - Cheers!!
About Me
- bugboys69
- 41, (how the fuck did that happen?) Married to Bart two dogs Kira and Cooper (white German Shepard's) two brothers one sister 1 niece 2 nephews. Live in Milton Keynes.
Sunday 28 December 2008
Thursday 25 December 2008
Saturday 20 December 2008
Thursday 18 December 2008
new trance for 2009
This track is Rob Richards - Dreamer.
It come from the stable of Robert Brown. He is friends with my very good friend Emma's younger brother Shaun. We all attended the same school and are friends through Stantonbury Campus Facebook group, so I thought I would give him some support. He has started his own record label (Inner City Records) based here in MK. Check out more here on YouTube.
Trance is not really my thing but I am more than happy to support a local artist. Good luck Rob.
Only 79 views so far be one of the first.
It come from the stable of Robert Brown. He is friends with my very good friend Emma's younger brother Shaun. We all attended the same school and are friends through Stantonbury Campus Facebook group, so I thought I would give him some support. He has started his own record label (Inner City Records) based here in MK. Check out more here on YouTube.
Trance is not really my thing but I am more than happy to support a local artist. Good luck Rob.
Only 79 views so far be one of the first.
Sunday 14 December 2008
Northern Soul
I was bored this morning so I hooked up YouTube and off I went on one of those journeys that could take you anywhere.
Well I ended up here. Northern Soul, a particular musical movement from the 70's the main base was in the north of England. More particularly for this post anyway at the Wigan Casino, not a casino but a dance hall. The owners got an all night licence so that punters could dance all night. Well from 12.00 to 06.00 am. No alcohol could be served to keep within the licensing agreement, so these kids danced all night on a high, fueled by the music of black America the other dancers and maybe a little speed.
The first clip will give you an idea of what the scene was all about. The documentary from the 70's the middle clip gives a bit more background but I felt it was missing something I want to know more about the people, and what the music from a different place and time meant to them.
Apparently there is a movie in the making that documents the rise and fall of a particularly English party scene. So maybe I will get the answers that I need from that when it is released.
I am from the south and just a little to young to have been a part of this incredibly interesting scene, so I mainly missed out, though I was aware thanks to some northern friends at school (Marie B in particular).
Looking back it strikes me that there are some strong similarities between the Northern Soul scene of the 70's and the rave scene in the late 80's early 90's a scene that I spent so much of my time and sweaty energy following .
I too had a church to worship at each Friday and Saturday night (Labyrinth at the 3 aces club). Where too no drink was sold (apart from water) and everyone there was in it for the music the dance and the excitement of being directly involved in a form of expression that was truly ours and no one else's, at least at that time. It was also a time of strong friendships bonding myself and my fellow ravers. Imagine a train load of excited teenagers and early twenty somethings off to London to one of the most hardcore clubs in existence at that time. We were all paid up members and regular faces and we all reveled in those moments of realization of what we were doing. I don't remember this specifically but the Prodigy played their first live PA here and were regular members themselves, I must have been there as I was always there every Friday or Saturday without fail. It was as hard as it got. These clips bring back those same feelings. Memories as hard as they get and then some.
I am looking forward to the film next year, I will post more info when I have it. In the mean time enjoy some classic Northern Soul.
Well I ended up here. Northern Soul, a particular musical movement from the 70's the main base was in the north of England. More particularly for this post anyway at the Wigan Casino, not a casino but a dance hall. The owners got an all night licence so that punters could dance all night. Well from 12.00 to 06.00 am. No alcohol could be served to keep within the licensing agreement, so these kids danced all night on a high, fueled by the music of black America the other dancers and maybe a little speed.
The first clip will give you an idea of what the scene was all about. The documentary from the 70's the middle clip gives a bit more background but I felt it was missing something I want to know more about the people, and what the music from a different place and time meant to them.
Apparently there is a movie in the making that documents the rise and fall of a particularly English party scene. So maybe I will get the answers that I need from that when it is released.
I am from the south and just a little to young to have been a part of this incredibly interesting scene, so I mainly missed out, though I was aware thanks to some northern friends at school (Marie B in particular).
Looking back it strikes me that there are some strong similarities between the Northern Soul scene of the 70's and the rave scene in the late 80's early 90's a scene that I spent so much of my time and sweaty energy following .
I too had a church to worship at each Friday and Saturday night (Labyrinth at the 3 aces club). Where too no drink was sold (apart from water) and everyone there was in it for the music the dance and the excitement of being directly involved in a form of expression that was truly ours and no one else's, at least at that time. It was also a time of strong friendships bonding myself and my fellow ravers. Imagine a train load of excited teenagers and early twenty somethings off to London to one of the most hardcore clubs in existence at that time. We were all paid up members and regular faces and we all reveled in those moments of realization of what we were doing. I don't remember this specifically but the Prodigy played their first live PA here and were regular members themselves, I must have been there as I was always there every Friday or Saturday without fail. It was as hard as it got. These clips bring back those same feelings. Memories as hard as they get and then some.
I am looking forward to the film next year, I will post more info when I have it. In the mean time enjoy some classic Northern Soul.
Saturday 13 December 2008
Dump Road - Socal Bombing
What a feeling. I love this video 5.05 of pure bliss.
Once more with feeling.
Once more with feeling.
Thursday 11 December 2008
Sign language taught to deaf dog
Todays ahhhh dog story.
Sign language taught to deaf dog
Zoe is gaining confidence as she masters more sign commands
A deaf dog has been taught sign language by an animal charity in order to help find her a new home.
Zoe, an 18-month-old Dalmation, is being cared for at the RSPCA's Little Valley Animal Shelter in Exeter.
Staff at the shelter were worried Zoe, who is almost completely deaf, might be overlooked by prospective adopters.
But they say she has taken to the new routine "like a duck to water" and has already learned seven sign commands, including "sit", "stay" and "lie down".
Gill Hodge, an animal behaviour assistant at the shelter, said: "When she came to us, Zoe was very timid and lacked confidence, and it soon became apparent she was deaf.
"Her deafness meant we could not train her with voice commands in the usual way, so we came up with the idea of sign language."
The RSPCA hopes the dog's new-found confidence will help her find a suitable home.
Tuesday 9 December 2008
Test reveals dogs' jealous side
Any of you out there with two or more dogs will know full well that they get jealous. For instance, Cooper will not allow Bart and I to kiss or hug in the kitchen without leaning against me so hard that we have to stop before I fall over. One dog can not be cuddled, stroked or brushed without the other being obviously put out. Hora it has been proven, dogs get jealous. Now we can all get on with our lives. Interesting story just the same.
The dog handshake is initially rewarded with food
Scientists in Austria say they have found a basic form of jealousy in dogs.
The Vienna-based researchers showed that dogs will stop doing a simple task when not rewarded if another dog, which continues to be rewarded, is present.
Writing in the journal PNAS, the scientists say this shows a sensitivity in dogs that was only previously found in primates.
The researchers now plan to extend their experiments to look at co-operative behaviour in wolves.
The experiment consisted of taking pairs of dogs and getting them to present a paw for a reward. On giving this "handshake" the dogs received a piece of food.
One of the dogs was then asked to shake hands, but received no food. The other dog continued to get the food when it was asked to perform the task.
Reward value
The dog without the reward quickly stopped doing the task, and showed signs of annoyance or stress when its partner was rewarded.
To make sure that the experiment was really showing the interaction between the dogs rather than just the frustration of not being rewarded, a similar experiment was conducted where the dogs performed the task without the partner. Here they continued to present the paw for much longer.
The dog sees its partner rewarded
Dr Frederike Range from the department of neurobiology and cognition research at the University of Vienna, says this shows that it was the presence of the rewarded partner which was the greater influence on their behaviour.
"The only difference is one gets food and the other doesn't, they are responding to being unequally rewarded." she said.
The researchers say this kind of behaviour, where one animal gets frustrated with what is happening with another, has only been observed in primates before.
Studies with various types of monkeys and chimpanzees show they react not only to seeing their partners receiving rewards when they are not, but also to the type of reward.
The dog study also looked at whether the type of reward made a difference. Dogs were given either bread or sausage, but seemed to react equally to either. Dr Range says this may be because they have been trained.
"It's through the fact they have to work for the reward, this confers it with a higher value," she said.
Evolution
The researchers say this behaviour, reacting to others receiving rewards, may represent an earlier stage in the evolution of co-operative behaviours seen in human and primates.
"I think it's a precursor, simpler than in humans, it's a selfish behaviour, they don't react to seeing others treated unfairly. With humans they react, say it's unfair, we can't see anything like that in the dogs," said Dr Range.
The dog soon refuses to raise a pawThe researchers say the type of behaviour exhibited in the experiment is probably due to the dog's close association with humans. Dr Range says other animals need to be studied to really show how animals naturally exhibit jealousies or cooperate.
"I'm sure that it's not something that evolved with the dogs, we will have to test it in wolves and other cooperating species," she said.
Dr Range is currently rearing wolf cubs in order to perform similar experiments. She says the wolves will be able to do the paw test, but that it is really the wrong experiment. She regards this as something unnatural, that dogs are taught by their owners.
"They can give the paw, but it's not the right test. We must take the human out of the equation, then we can compare directly wolves with dogs."
The dog handshake is initially rewarded with food
Scientists in Austria say they have found a basic form of jealousy in dogs.
The Vienna-based researchers showed that dogs will stop doing a simple task when not rewarded if another dog, which continues to be rewarded, is present.
Writing in the journal PNAS, the scientists say this shows a sensitivity in dogs that was only previously found in primates.
The researchers now plan to extend their experiments to look at co-operative behaviour in wolves.
The experiment consisted of taking pairs of dogs and getting them to present a paw for a reward. On giving this "handshake" the dogs received a piece of food.
One of the dogs was then asked to shake hands, but received no food. The other dog continued to get the food when it was asked to perform the task.
Reward value
The dog without the reward quickly stopped doing the task, and showed signs of annoyance or stress when its partner was rewarded.
To make sure that the experiment was really showing the interaction between the dogs rather than just the frustration of not being rewarded, a similar experiment was conducted where the dogs performed the task without the partner. Here they continued to present the paw for much longer.
The dog sees its partner rewarded
Dr Frederike Range from the department of neurobiology and cognition research at the University of Vienna, says this shows that it was the presence of the rewarded partner which was the greater influence on their behaviour.
"The only difference is one gets food and the other doesn't, they are responding to being unequally rewarded." she said.
The researchers say this kind of behaviour, where one animal gets frustrated with what is happening with another, has only been observed in primates before.
Studies with various types of monkeys and chimpanzees show they react not only to seeing their partners receiving rewards when they are not, but also to the type of reward.
The dog study also looked at whether the type of reward made a difference. Dogs were given either bread or sausage, but seemed to react equally to either. Dr Range says this may be because they have been trained.
"It's through the fact they have to work for the reward, this confers it with a higher value," she said.
Evolution
The researchers say this behaviour, reacting to others receiving rewards, may represent an earlier stage in the evolution of co-operative behaviours seen in human and primates.
"I think it's a precursor, simpler than in humans, it's a selfish behaviour, they don't react to seeing others treated unfairly. With humans they react, say it's unfair, we can't see anything like that in the dogs," said Dr Range.
The dog soon refuses to raise a pawThe researchers say the type of behaviour exhibited in the experiment is probably due to the dog's close association with humans. Dr Range says other animals need to be studied to really show how animals naturally exhibit jealousies or cooperate.
"I'm sure that it's not something that evolved with the dogs, we will have to test it in wolves and other cooperating species," she said.
Dr Range is currently rearing wolf cubs in order to perform similar experiments. She says the wolves will be able to do the paw test, but that it is really the wrong experiment. She regards this as something unnatural, that dogs are taught by their owners.
"They can give the paw, but it's not the right test. We must take the human out of the equation, then we can compare directly wolves with dogs."
Monday 8 December 2008
Milton Keynes is on the up
We have been the butt of many jokes over the years. You can say what you like about my dear city, "it's just full concrete cows and roundabouts". True these things do exist here but there is much more than just these two things to Milton Keynes. Though they do seem to be the most common landmarks associated with the city from the outside. Here are a few facts to put that straight.
So tell me where else in the UK can you live in a city of close to 300,000 people and ride a bike to work from one side of the city to the other and not cross a main road? We have over 120 miles of redway (a cycle network that goes through city parks and estates but hardly cross any main roads). For most Journeys the redway network is faster than using the grid road system
There are supposedly 20 trees for each resident planted throughout the landscaped conurbation. This is great if you are a dog owner as I am or a parent as many residents are. Milton Keynes has one of the youngest populations in Europe. So much open space on your doorstep no matter where in the city you live.
We also have lakes for fishing as well as some set a side for more active water users. We have the wakeboard centre at Willen Lake for instance.
For the more cultural there is the Japanese Peace Pagoda the first in the UK. There is the art gallery in the theater district and the theater where Henry Winkler is just about to start playing in panto, Oh yes he is. To top all of this off we are only 45 minutes from central London by train.
Did I mention that we are also home of the WW2 code breakers and the birthplace of the modern computer at Bletchley Park.
I was reading something on MSN news today that listed the top 50 destinations in the UK for a day out. MK came near the top.
How about some indoor real-snow skiing and simulated skydiving to liven things up? According to research by VisitBritain, the Xscape entertainment complex in Milton Keynes was one of the nation’s most-visited attractions last year, drawing 6.9m people – that’s over three times as many as the Tower of London. A striking modern building, the second-tallest in Milton Keynes, Xscape contains a real-snow ski slope, a climbing wall and even a new wind tunnel that imitates the experience of freefall skydiving.
So if you fancy a great weekend out there are worse places to visit 6.9 million people cant be wrong can they? See you soon.
So tell me where else in the UK can you live in a city of close to 300,000 people and ride a bike to work from one side of the city to the other and not cross a main road? We have over 120 miles of redway (a cycle network that goes through city parks and estates but hardly cross any main roads). For most Journeys the redway network is faster than using the grid road system
There are supposedly 20 trees for each resident planted throughout the landscaped conurbation. This is great if you are a dog owner as I am or a parent as many residents are. Milton Keynes has one of the youngest populations in Europe. So much open space on your doorstep no matter where in the city you live.
We also have lakes for fishing as well as some set a side for more active water users. We have the wakeboard centre at Willen Lake for instance.
For the more cultural there is the Japanese Peace Pagoda the first in the UK. There is the art gallery in the theater district and the theater where Henry Winkler is just about to start playing in panto, Oh yes he is. To top all of this off we are only 45 minutes from central London by train.
Did I mention that we are also home of the WW2 code breakers and the birthplace of the modern computer at Bletchley Park.
I was reading something on MSN news today that listed the top 50 destinations in the UK for a day out. MK came near the top.
How about some indoor real-snow skiing and simulated skydiving to liven things up? According to research by VisitBritain, the Xscape entertainment complex in Milton Keynes was one of the nation’s most-visited attractions last year, drawing 6.9m people – that’s over three times as many as the Tower of London. A striking modern building, the second-tallest in Milton Keynes, Xscape contains a real-snow ski slope, a climbing wall and even a new wind tunnel that imitates the experience of freefall skydiving.So if you fancy a great weekend out there are worse places to visit 6.9 million people cant be wrong can they? See you soon.
Facts about England
I can confirm this is completely accurate.
Guess who was mostly on YouTube tonight.
Guess who was mostly on YouTube tonight.
Sunday 7 December 2008
Tuesday 2 December 2008
Lowkey - In My Lifetime featuring Wretch32
In My Lifetime is the first official single off Lowkey's new LP Dear Listener and features Wretch 32 of The Movement.
"Lowkey's dope! Definately representing for the UK"
Ghostface Killah (Wu-Tang Clan)
"One of my favourite rappers right now"
DJ Semtex (BBC 1Xtra + Dizzee Rascal's DJ)
Ghostface Killah (Wu-Tang Clan)
"One of my favourite rappers right now"
DJ Semtex (BBC 1Xtra + Dizzee Rascal's DJ)
Thanks to Ian from 7Thirty Entertainment Management, Marketing and Consultancy. Who emailed this to me today and asked if I would put it up on the blog. There was no doubt that I would. A video is to follow but this is so hot off the press it hasn't been filmed yet. I will post it as soon as I can get my hands on it.
I am hoping to get tickets to a gig a bit closer to MK than Manchester where Mongrel are playing on Saturday. If you are one of the lucky ones please let me know how it went. So jealous!
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