My Favourite Records

As a music fan - I like lists. Pick up any magazine and you will find it full of the "Best 50 x", or "Worst 100 y". This is becasue fans of music like to make lists of music. They also like to make mix tapes. I think it's the same part of the brain that is responsible for compiling music onto either tape or paper. It's fun! Anyway - I often mentally try to compile alist of my favourite CDs. This is impossible. Favourites change on a weekly basis and it always gets really hard at the end when you have toleave something great out. This is demonstrated in my list of all time favourite eleven CDs. It's 11 becasue I couldn't get my shortlist down to 10. I really couldn't decide which CD had to make way to make the list neat. Similarly the CDs are in alphabetical order of title of artist becsue sorting them into a top 5 and then top 3 and top 1 is just not going to happen. So here, mostly for my benefit, is Steve's (current) top 11 CDs of all time ever. They are not (by any stretch of the imagination) what I think are the BEST CDs of all time, in some cases not even the artists best CDs, they are just my favourites - that makes sense to me and if it makes sense to you too then I think we would get on great!

1. Air - Moon Safari
2. Alabama 3 - Exile on Coldharbour Lane
3. The Beautiful South - Blue Is The Colour
4. Eels - Beautiful Freak
5. James - Millionaires
6. Massive Attack - Mezzanine
7. Moby - Play
8. Ocean Colour Scene - Moseley Shoals
9. Primal Scream - Screamadelica
10. The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
11. The Supernaturals - It Doesn't Matter Anymore
    

Dell

I don't really talk about work in my blog because

• I don't think it's prudent
• It's mostly boring to everyone except me
  

but I think it's worth mentioning that the company for which I work, ACS, has been bought by Dell. I work for Dell now. ACS will cease to exist in February 1997, nearly 17 years after the founder, Eddie Young, started the company. It is a sad time but also one that I hope will give me greater opportunities for progression in my career. It is uncertain times but as I say, the bigger company has more room for career progression and faster.

Dell hardly ever acquire any companies. They have obviously seen something in ACS that will help them move into services, and it is great to be there in the beginning. I am hopeful and optimistic!

I am now really looking forward to the ACS Christmas party!

If you are interested then just search Google News for "ACS Dell". Here's the report in The Herald...

http://www.theherald.co.uk/business/74473.html

Guy Fawkes

So last Saturday we went to the fireworks display at Broadwood. It was Alisdair's idea and a damn fine idea it was too. We watched fireworks then went to the pub. Cool.

See all the photos on my new Photos link on the right hand side.

Tracy's Wedding

This blog died a few weeks ago. It wouldn't update with new posts until I deleted the original Tracy's Wedding post. I have no idea why. Anyway - I can't really be bothered typing out the whole thing again, so in summary...

• My cousin tracy got married
• It was in Wales
• Hotel was great
• Wedding was great
• Everybody looked great
• Reception was great
• Great to see all the family again
• Generally a great weekend
• Thanks to Mr and Mrs Matthew Ryder and congratulations!

Here are some photos...

Halloween 2006

This blog started off with a post of my Halloween party in 2005. I have come full circle.Kenny had a Halloween party this year in his flat in Kildrum. Of the usual crowd there were Pamela and myself, Colin, Alex, and Fiona. There were also about 500 other people there. It was a great party (much respect to the hosts Kenny and his flatmate John) of the type that you see in American Teen Movies™. I would never dare hrow a party like it myself but it was good fun to be a guest. I pity the fool that cleaned up in the morning!Pamela and I were pirate and pirate wench. Just so there is no confusion it was pamela that was the wench. I didn't have a parrot but my impromptu chicken holding a flower that I sewed onto my waistcoat at the last minute was a great hit.Alex was a fantastic zombie. If there was a prize I would have given it to him, although special mention goes to Steve Irwin with his inflatable crocodile and John who was the Dodgeball dude.
Excellent party. The pressure is on for next year! All the photos can be seen at my new online photo album. I have also added a link to it under my blog favourites.