Sunday, March 30, 2008

One of those half-hearted posts...

...that's little more than a collection of links I couldn't be bothered to work up into anything more coherent, plus a particularly silly YouTube clip.

1. According to the BBC, my favourite breakfast haunt in the known universe, Tsukiji fish market, is restricting access to tourists because they're getting in the way of the traders. Spokesman Ihei Sugita says that visitors like to photograph fish that come from their own home countries.

2. In The Times, Mark Edwards investigates the cultural chasm between music critics and the poor bastards who actually have to buy music: "Go up to each person in turn and ask them to name their favourite Beatles track. The music journalist is the one who chooses Tomorrow Never Knows... It’s the law. If they choose Penny Lane or Let It Be, they’ll be drummed out of the union."

3. And thanks to the New Yorker, which alerts us to the news that film producer Bryan Grazer is looking for a personal cultural attaché: "Grazer may ask you to read any book he’s interested in."

4. Oh yeah....

10 comments:

Rimshot said...

If you watch the UTube vid with the sound off it's great fun to make up your own story as to why the poor youths are flailing about.

And just what is YOUR favorite The Beatles song?

Geoff said...

I've had enough of the Trouts peddling stuff which I just know I won't like. But at least you can avoid them, unlike the Bats. And the Trouts do come up with the odd gem which would be easy to miss if you completely ignore the Trouts.

Saying that, Penny Lane is probably my favourite Beatles track - it just takes me straight back to where I once belonged.

Betty said...

Oh God, that was the Double Deckers' acid road movie, wasn't it? They got to hang out with Sly & The Family Stone and George Clinton, y'know.

Tim F said...

Whatever story you make up, Rimshot, it can't be as bizarre as the real thing. 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' of course.

He does make a good point about recent singles that are Bat/trout hybrids, Geoff. And I like Penny Lane too, but don't tell anyone.

Doughnut joined the Manson Family, Betty. And Tiger became a Plastercaster.

Billy said...

I was going to claim Happiness is a Warm Gun was my favourite but now I'll have to pick another.

Helter Skelter?

amyonymous said...

oh, wait. i was going to pick helter skelter. i still have to, it is my favorite.

and i want that job with Brian whatever - i am willing to read any book he wants!

Spinsterella said...

But surely everyone appreciates that Tomorrow Never Knows is a great song whereas Let It Be is utter cack?

Because I like making lists I must report that I own four trouts (2,7,12 (the orchestral version, not the original though), and 19) and one bat (Billy Joel, obviously)

I do actually listen to Slint and big Star, can't say the same about the others though. One day Mark E Smith's gonna announce that it was all a big joke and a lot of music critics are going to feel pretty stupid.

Tim F said...

We can share Happiness, Billy. I'll have the mother superior bit, and you can have the doo-wop outro.

Which means Amy can keep Helter Skelter. Hurrah!

Now I was a Fall sceptic, Spin, until I saw them play live (in about 1987, when they were as huge as they've ever been) and they were blimmin' brilliant. The stage collapsed, which is always a good sign, I reckon. Oh, and Trout: 1, 3, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19; Bat: nowt, although I wouldn't turn my nose up at 12.

llewtrah said...

When I'm a tourist I can think of much more interesting things to photograph than fish at a fish market!

Tim F said...

They're pretty impressive fish, llewtrah. Photogenic, even. But what I don't get is the need to photograph a fish from your own country...