This month has turned out to be one of mixed emotions. From happiness and excitement in one moment to another of anger and frustration.

The new house has been ok at times, but on occasions I can feel confined to a certain space with no possible means of escape for a certain period. It also seems that there is still a lot I need to do, but just don't have enough time to do everything that needs to be accomplished. There is also a bit of an uneasy vibe at work at the moment, because of the early Easter this year it meant that I had to spend two weeks inside the office, doing an archiving task. It was going alright until the two colleagues who were helping me were assigned to something else, and after finishing the remainder of what needed to be done I felt that enough was enough and at present, am being less co-operative than usual. This may have had a knock-on effect on my spirituality, but thankfully here I have taken a normal, laid-back approach and that at least continues to go on just fine.

Thankfully, there has been just as many ups as downs to help restore the balance. As well as the flash mobs that took place at the beginning of this month, the spring TV schedules have helped to bring in the returns of Doctor Who, Have I Got News For You, and the second series of Heroes which should hopefully bring in some further character development. In the weekend just gone, I undertook my first ever expedition with the tubewalkers, walking from Crossharbour to Mudchute via the Thames (where there was the unusual sighting of a small beach) and then on the following day I had a meal with the family over at Essex, at the venue where my sister's wedding recpetion will be held next year. Quite a pleasant and secluded venue, I have to say.

The last couple of days have also brought some amusing writings - first up, after a little while away and a job reshuffle, Steve Ainger was back in Metro's letters column yesterday:

"So, Esther Rantzen says people are ruder than they were ten years ago. As people are much more likely to be rude to Esther Rantzen than they are to anyone else, I think we can take this with a pinch of salt."

And also worth mentioning is this picture I saw at West Ealing this morning, in reference to demand for the new Grand Theft Auto 4 game (which, I'm pleased to say, I won't be buying).

After all of that, it is time to bring this month's events to an end. May, in the first few days at least, could be promising, taking into account that it can set out my future if things turn out a certain way....

As most of you are aware, I have been quite busy on the flash mob scene and this footage collective shows what happened on those days (those filmed by myself marked with a *).

First of all, the Flash Pillow Fight at Leicester Square. Unfortunately, my own footage here didn't upload successfully, but if you want a good detailed accounnt of what happened on the day, then this video is definitely ideal - you can even see me make a cameo appearance at around 7:02 where I had begun to join in the mass brawl myself!

Now here's where the fun really begins....

*01.04.08 @ 17:00 - World Freeze Day at Paddington Station*
This is the whole five minutes of the freeze from my point of view. Although I was moving around a fair bit (mainly to catch as many people as possible who were holding their position!), it soon becomes clear which people at the station were keeping still and who had the bemused looks on their faces. Being there for those few minutes was almost as if it were a real human life-like version of Madam Tussauds, and this video provides an alternative view of the goings-on, featuring an interview with some of the freeze participants, and my own cameo at 1:18 where filming paths seemed to cross!

*11.04.08 @ 18:00 - Rickmob at Liverpool Street Station*
Here, the station was crowded with people for just a few minutes, so that they could pay homage to a Rick Astley classic. Perhaps not as good as the other two (I do apologise for swearing at the end of my video), but then again it was the first time something like this was ever done, and can only get better with practice. I also filmed myself making my way from end of the station to the other after the Rickrolling had ceased (*video clip here*) so that you could get an idea of who was singing that day, and my other recommendation is this video which neatly blends other footage from the day's events with a great reworking of the song in question!

Hope that keeps you amused for a little while. There could well be other flash mob events in the future, but for now I must turn my head round to other matters that need attention....

Well, I'm pleased to announce that the broadband's been activated at the new place, which means that I'm fully online again. Although I really need to cut down on my internet usage since I have a million and one other things that need to be completed....

A recap of the past week's events, then. On Monday I went to my old quarters for the last time so that I could return the keys to my landlord, who was sorry to see me go. I explained to him fully why I decided to move on, and gave advice on when the irregularities were happening should he ever want to check on them for himself. Tuesday was another Flash Mob, this time it was at Paddington station where a World Freeze was occurring (nothing like the freeze that descended upon us this morning however), where people had to stay in the same position for five minutes without moving a muscle. Although I didn't actually take part, I took video footage with my camera phone and will get round to uploading it later on in the week. I also stopped off for mass at Westminster Cathedral and then onto Tottenham Court Road to buy some new equipment for my PC.

The rest of the week has been spent either working or sorting out other items for the new place. I'm now pretty confident that I've bought everything I need now, so the free time that is available in this month will be getting things organised and adapting to my new lifestyle.

One other thing that needs to brought up before I finish this entry, and that's the new series of Doctor Who, which commenced last night. Having read episode previews in the Radio Times and watched the opening "Partners In Crime", it looks set to be an interesting series with an array of guest stars set to feature. Catherine Tate reprising her role as former runaway bride Donna Noble could work well, who has made it clear she doesn't want a love story with the Doctor, and being older and considerably more mature should give this year's run more of an edge compared to previous series. Although it was worth noting that Bille Piper made a non-speaking cameo return as Rose Tyler, before mysteriously disappearing into nowhere. Add the forthcoming return of other previous assistant Martha Jones into the mix and it could well explain why I've got very high hopes for these series, not forgetting to mention of course the Steven Moffatt-written double bill....

Here is where I stop for now, and this month looks set to provide a few treats as well as whatever progress reports are worth taking note of....

I'm looking back at what has been a very busy month indeed. I'm resorting to internet cafes until the internet connection has been sorted out at the new place, and the change of location has been a key factor in the month's events.

The move itself has gone incredibly well which admittedly, was something I didn't expect. What was originally intended to be a quick fix action plan to get out of the noise from the restaurant beneath my original surroundings could well have turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I've gained a very friendly housemate, and the new landlady is a really great person to know as well. Being that I now live in a house, I'm also taking responsibility for some things that I have never really undertaken before, such as doing my own washing, and now I'm starting to take an interest in garden maintenance too (whether this is something that's rubbed off from Mother and her partner remains to be seen). There's still a few more things that need to be tweaked, like any other new location one moves to, but I feel so confident and able to do whatever needs to be done that it's as if nothing would dare oppose my plans to progress right now.

Besides the house move, the early Easter this year has played its part in helping to improve my spiritual wellbeing. Of course, there's also going to be the odd trial or two that will try to knock me back, but in this instance, if you feel that you are able to rebound fighting, then nothing can really stop you. Work has also been fairly local, and again the early Easter has meant that I've also been able to take a vast amount of time off - it's a combination of both these things that has helped me too feel even more relaxed.

The last two weekends have also been very entertaining and productive. Last week, not only being Easter Weekend, also saw me witness another flash pillow fight that took place in Leicester Square. The massive crowd that particiapted in the fight ensured that it lasted as long as one hour and twenty minutes. I originally went to film some video footage, and this will be uploaded when internet connection is set up at the new place. Unwittingly though, I didn't spot poggs and severe_delays amongst the melee, both of them also have their own individual accounts of the day's events, though there's one thing we all agree on and that it was a great time indeed.

And last night I went to a school reunion that was organised by one of the ex-pupils I was more familiar with from my time at secondary school. Okay, a lot of people at the reunion were three or four years above me, but thankfully there were two faces I recognised from my year, and it was superb to catch up with them again and hear what they've been up to in the ten years since I last saw them. Whilst I openly admit that secondary school hasn't exactly been the most enjoyable time of my life, it's great to know that conflicts between people can be pacified over a length of time, as was demonstrated by others at this reunion.

All in all, it's been a top month and has almost matched the highs of March last year. But this time around, I'm feeling increasingly more confident with each passing day, I just want to keep going in everything that I do, and no-one right now would even think about trying to stop me....

This will be my last entry before the move up the road. As of tomorrow, I'll be informing the ISP that I'll be changing address, as well as cancelling any direct debits that are no longer required. There is also the task of sorting out a van to transport the TV and this computer later on this week.

In the space between my last LJ entry and this one, I have mostly been winding down my use of the internet and boxing things up so that they can be transported to the new place. And that, as you might have guessed has pretty much been it, apart from the fact that all my work this week has been local which has been of immense help.

All that remains to say is to wish you all a Happy Easter for next weekend and see you again when I've adapted to my new surroundings....

A couple of years ago, I made this entry on the subjects of moving and marriage. Those two subjects just happen to be the subject for today's entry, though I will start with the latter to get things off.

After 6 years as a couple, my sister and her partner have finally made arrangements to get married next year. They've booked a church and function room in Wickford, Essex (which probably isn't too far from perhaps one reader of this LJ), and when I met them yesterday, they showed me all their lists and arrangements of what they've planned so far. Nothing distasteful as yet, thankfully. One of the parts where I've been asked to participate in, is to be an usher at the sevice, which I've agreed to, though it may result in myself dressing up even more smart than ever. Still, the church they've picked looks very fascinating, and if I get a chance, I'll probably have a look around to investigate it further nearer the time (be it in usher dress code or not).

And then's the matter relating to myself. Later on this month, I'll be moving location, though it's not a drastic change like it has been the last couple of times. The new place is only ten minutes up the road from where I am now, though of course, I do have such reasons for going ahead with this move.

For almost two years, since I began to start living independantly, I have been living above a shop, whose premises has been generally used as a restaurant. Last year some new owners came in, and revamped the place - unfortunately one of the things they've since brought in is the introduction of live entertainment. Although it only happens on certain nights, the music that is played as a result of this "entertainment" is so loud that on one occasion I could hear it half a mile away when I was walking back to my lodgings from the tube station. Worse still, said "entertainment" goes on until very late at night, which is more frustrating when I have to get up at 5am the next morning to commence an early shift at work.

However, I found this new place last week, and met up with the new landlady the next day to have a look at this alternative houseshare. Although the room I'll be using is smaller, it's on a more pleasant road - and it's a proper house as well! I decided to take up these new surroundings, and on Wednesday I met up with the landlady again to sign contracts and pay the deposit. As I've already said, this new house looks really promising with nearly everything I could wish for in a residence, and it's within walking distance from around three different tube stations in Harrow as well. I'll post more on this when I've settled in the new place and got my computer back up and running over there.

For now though, I have to concentrate on getting everything in my current location ready for the move, and this could take most of next week, though there'll certainly be at least one more entry on here before the move goes ahead....

As mentioned before in my last entry, the last two nights have been spent going to gigs (one band featured in both of them).

Friday it was the Shepherd's Bush Empire, where it was the third in a series of farewell gigs from
The Mission, with support coming from both Dragons and Balaam and the Angel. Dragons opened the show in fine form (arrived just in time to see them!), and Balaam were pretty good as well. Of course, the night was going to belong to The Mission, who in a series of themed nights, played all the tracks from one particular album each night. The night I went to focused on the album "Children" - admittedly I wasn't familiar with many of the songs played, but it was still good to have the chance to seen them live. They did play a few I recognised though, classics such as "Beyond The Pale", "Like A Child Again" and a stunning set closer in "Tower of Strength". The highlight of the night came when someone jumped from the crowd to perform a stage invasion, but as he was being pulled away by security, lead singer Wayne Hussey intervened to stop them, and afterwards embraced the invader with a great show of affection, before allowing the guy to crowdsurf his way back into the pit! A good night, perhaps marred by the fact that "Wasteland" wasn't played, but oh well, you can't have everything.

Last night's gig at the Camden Underworld had nearly everything - riff-led indie, chilled laid back ambience and finished off with some fantastically gothic dark rock. The first act I saw that night were
The Fluids, a girl-fronted act who I wasn't really that bothered with at first, but as their set developed, the lead singer worked up the crowd and really got everyone going. Particular highlight was their cover version of Skunk Anansie's "Hedonism", making it sound just as anthemic as the original. Top act, and I even nabbed a discarded setlist left on the stage! The next act that night was Ulrich Schnauss, who is probably better known as a remixer, having worked his magic on tracks by bands such as Depeche Mode and Long-View, but last night he spent half an hour utilising his laptop and keyboard to create perhaps some of the most beautiful instrumental music I've ever heard, the sort of melodies that would be perfect in dreaming one's vivid landscape, an atmosphere where I can dance away in his presence and not give a care in the world to anyone else around me. There were even some guitar-driven melodies towards the end, and his entrancing themes were just wonderfully sublime, maybe one day I'll get to see him headline his own magnificently crafted set.

And so on to the headline act of the night, I said that I had seen them perform the night before, and who were they.... none other than DRAGONS!!!! I've said it before, they're set to become my band for 2008, and last night's performance demonstrated why that title could already be well and truly claimed. From the moment lead singer Anthony Tombling Jr walked on stage and uttered the words "We're Dragons!" the next 45 minutes or so were spent headbanging at the front of the stage to their powerfully menacing songs. Ever since I got round to purchasing their album "Here Are The Roses" last week, it's hardly left my CD player ever since, and anthemic greats such as the album's title track and "Trust" were complimented by new stormers such as "The Law" which really bodes well for the studio-recorded version when it gets done. Got a setlist again too, and it was as follows:

( Dragons Setlist, Camden Underworld - 1st March 2008 )

What also made it a great night was that not only did a buy a Dragons T-shirt and remix EP for the first time, but I also got to meet and shake hands with the band's two core members, Anthony and drummer David Francolini! Generally helped when Anthony announced at the end of the set "Come and say hello to us", but for me that was a chance to say how I really like their music and live performance. Anthony said that he really liked playing on the big stage at Shepherd's Bush the previous night, and David was perhaps the main influence into how I really got into Dragons, being only the second person ever to leave a personal comment on my Myspace page!

David is also known for having previously played in a band called Dark Star, and for another minor Knightmare reference, you may want to go to the band's Myspace page (admittedly linked twice in this entry!) and listen to "Here Are The Roses", before answering the question: "Does the opening few seconds sound similar to the Series 6 to 8 Knightmare theme?"

Enough for now, I've think I've gone on far enough, though one thing's for certain, Dragons could well be breathing more fire into this LJ come later on in the year....

Now today only happens once every 4 years. It's February 29th, also known as "Leap Day".

It's been a long wait for this LJ to personally experience such a day, as it was started in 2005, having just missed the previous one in 2004. And have I got an exciting and all-guns blazing entry to commemorate this special day? Er, no.

I was hoping to write something a bit more witty and interesting, but alas, it has become one of those increasingly regular times where once again words have escaped me. Nothing really to say except that I've got two consecutive nights worth of gigs to look foward to (Now, THAT wil be something to write up about in the aftermath).

Oh well, enjoy the rest of today while you can everyone, see you once again when normalities have been restored in March....

One of the best TV shows I've seen in a long while finished it's current run last night, a program that has occasionally been discussed between myself and aristophains within the comments section of this LJ....

Primeval is the show in question, and has been part of ITV1's family schedule over the last few Saturdays. This has been one show that has got better with each programme. Unlike it's BBC contemporaries in Doctor Who and Robin Hood, it hasn't suffered from second series syndrome by bigging up it's main characters, and by keeping everything down to earth whilst ensuring that the action has remained consistent, has in my opinion made it very worthwhile watching. The actors were all on top form and very easy-going to understand, more notably Ben Miller's senior official, who has a slick wit and very dry humour. One one occasion he delivered the memorable line: "So to summarise, we're looking for a deadly skin-shedding aquatic predator with a neat line in Charlotte Church impressions." Miller also has to be the most active actor outside the show, having starred in a few ITV1 programmes recently as well his own BBC series with Alexander Armstrong last year.

But to conclude, the whole of Primeval was excellent viewing, be it the creatures (usual prehistoric terrors or the even more sinister future monsters brought in by the villains - the anomalies that form a core part of the program were a key instrument for time travel) or the action sequences that generally followed. The final scenes of last night's show really ensured that the series finished on a high, and not just because they were set in a cemetery! What's even better, a third series is underway for next year, something definitely worth looking out for and ensuring that Primeval is not one of the ITV shows heading for extinction.

Also worth mentioning is Harry Hill's TV Burp (which has preceded Primeval). A programme that has formed a staple TV viewing diet for a few people who regularly read this LJ. I myself enjoy the programme, and Harry Hill's alternative perspectives are very good, although I wish he'd try to do something a bit different from all those soaps/dramas/reality documentaries. However if there's one thing that's compulsive viewing here, it's the fight scenes that precede the ad break, last night with the rat against the mine clearing machine being especially noteworthy.

Primeval may have finished for now, but there's still a few more weeks of TV Burp, although there's not much else I watch on TV at the moment. Maybe the introduction of the spring TV schedules could introduce an exciting and intuitive program that can offer something delightfully different....

At last, an entry for my first Metro letters of the year (again, partly delayed due to an ongoing busy hiatus).

The first entry of they year (published exactly a fortnight ago) focused on David Beckham's exclusion from England's first international match under new manager Fabio Capello. I don't really like to talk about football in this LJ, so I'll try and keep this to a minimum. The published letter went as follows:

"David Beckham needn't worry about being dropped from tomorrow's match against Switzerland. He should just relax at home and watch the match on his television - ideal practice ahead of Euro 2008."

Ah yes, Euro 2008 - where England (or any other British football team for that matter) will not be featuring in this year's tournament. Interestingly, at a family meet-up last weekend, there was a discussion on who'd people would support instead. Most people have opted for Spain, although I'm inclined to back the Germans for whatever reason....

Moving on to today's published letter, it followed up a celebratory article on a long existant comic character. "Big-Boned" Billy Bunter celebrated 100 years on Friday just gone, and on the day itself Metro contemplated what might have happened if he had actually become thin. Of course, every comic character (be it Dennis The Menace or Desperate Dan) has a certain characteristic about them which will always remain and if someone were to change that, it would almost certainly create a huge outcry of protest. Hence my decision to write in to Metro explaining why Billy Bunter should remain the way he is, and my letter went something a bit like this:

"Billy Bunter may have turned 100 but it would be absolute madness if he were to slim down. I mean, whatever would be next - The Billy Bunter Book Of Dieting followed by The Billy Bunter Body Workout DVD?"

A case for the defence of keeping Billy Bunter as he is now, and a sly dig at the fitness programmes made by minor celebrities into the bargain! Of course, the boy Bunter is known for loving his food, and the subject of food neatly ties in with yesterday's Metro letter from Steve Ainger, who I'm glad to say is still at large. Here then, is his spotlight on the over excessive use of garnish in a certain foodstuff:

"Why do so many pre-packed sandwiches, especially 'gourmat' ones - have such an abundance of leaves in them? I don't mind a slice of lettuce but why half a rainforest?"

Any answers to the above question, feel free to post them here. Or to anything else that may have caught your eye in this entry. For now though it seems, be it Aukett or Ainger, there's still going to be more Metro musings from this Gene/Olympians board duo for a long time to come....