I didn’t actually get him Coco the monkey, but I was tempted.

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Started the morning annoyed with the BBC Breakfast show’s discussion of video games.  They asked for people’s thoughts on video games asking do they have no impact or do they have a negative impact on children.

There was no option for positive impact on motor skills, hand-eye coordination, literacy and I seem to recall a study of multi-player online games leading to transferable skills for management in the workplace. Yet all video games were being tarred by the same brush.

It seems what they’re really concerned about is clueless parenting. Consenting, responsible adults should not be penalized and required to consume strictly content sanitized for children’s protection. Not everyone draws the line in the same place, so there needs to be room for a multiplicity of community standards…none of this was discussed.

In better television news, I am thoroughly excited for the new series of Misfits to be starting.

After a bizarre day at work, went to the MFC shop to purchase a Boro Brick in honour of my friends coming to visit from Chicago. I’m taking them to a match and now we will have a permanent souvenir of the occasion. : )

Stopped off at the new Caffe Nero in Middlesbrough before heading to the train.

Getting home tonight was misery. Took my usual 5.32 train only to hear an announcement saying we would have to get off one stop later at Thornaby to transfer to a bus which was of course not waiting for us. A very cold over an hour later we finally got on a bus. We stood at the side of the road waiting as empty buses drove past mocking our misery. Finally made it home a little over 2 hours after I started. Good mass transit is really the thing I miss most about NY.

The sad part was my plans for the evening were back in Middlesbrough again!

All’s well that ends well. We missed the first few opening acts but caught a really good mellow set by Billy the Kid and then new band The Vaccines at the Westgarth Social Club in Middlesbrough. The Vaccines reminded me of James crossed with a bit of the Ramones and a random folk singer. Julie thought they sounded a bit like the Editors.

A nice way to end the day. Here’s a vid of them playing Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) on Jools Holland last week.

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Enjoy this Halloween special for Transylvania TV that I helped to fund via Kickstarter.

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Kev and I caught the tail end of The Andrew Marr show…extremely amusing to watch the Carolina Chocolate Drops performing Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style.”

Andrew Marr getting really into it, Harriet Harman uncomfortably tapping along to the rhythm with her hand, William Hague who you could see from behind sitting completely still and possibly stonefaced.

Thank you Andrew Marr for that inspired bit of television.

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Will post a proper post at some point but for those who are interested in the list of performers from last night – I believe i have chased up all the names:

Robin Ince – Stand-up plus host

Martin White – Did the attempt at a random catchy tune – DaNgErous! (Helen Arney helped with keyboard)
Helen Arney – Also performed songs on ukulele
Marcus Chown – Did awards show for scientists (author of We need to Talk about Kelvin)
Matt Parker – Standup maths on homeopathy and ancient civ of Woolworths
Joanna Neary – Did the two characters (olde worlde housewife diary and psycho children’s entertainer)
Darren Hayman – Did the protons and neutrons song
Simon Singh – Bit on Katie Melua song
Helen Keen – It is Rocket Science – satanists andnazis oh my!
Baba Brinkman – Rap on creationists….for the people in the room who couldn’t understand what he was wanting you to respond with (like someone I was with) – it was “We off that”

Is there anyone I missed?

This is the program we caught one late night on TV that made us want to go:

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