Pollyanna Cowgirl Records Podcast.  Your weekly hour of great music!  Hosted by Tony Pucci

(01:22) 01 – SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU, BORIS YELTSIN – Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin

(04:10) 02 – JULIANA HATFIELD – Shining On

(08:58) 03 – SEEKER – Higher

(13:12) 04 – KARMACODA – Something

(16:40) 05 – THE CHURCH – Sealine

(21:44) 06 – MEG HUTCHINSON – Home

(28:44) 07 – THE URBANE DECAY – All Summer Crush

(30:53) 08 – THE LIKE – Release Me

(33:53) 09 – SWAN DIVE – Trouble

(37:14) 10 – WOLF MOTHER – What Did My Lover Say

(44:23) 11 – SOJO GLIDER – Distant Lovesong

(47:57) 12 – SOJO GLIDER – Easy Way Out

(51:49) 13 – SOJO GLIDER – The Slow Damage

(56:34) 14 – MIRA – Window Seat

Links from the Show:

Simply Syndicated Podcast Network

http://www.simplysyndicated.com

MUSICAL MOUSE MAT (The Simply Syndicated Store!)

http://www.musicalmousemat.com

SONGS FOR JENNY ALS Charity Music Project

http://www.songsforjenny.com

And as such, it is important that I choose my words very carefully. As this is not about what I think of the government’s decision to increase fees. However, the fallout from the protests seemed to unlock a prejudice from some that is still tolerated in the UK. That is the prejudice towards the upper classes.

For those not in Britain, class is often a secondary social issue. For example, it’s said that most events in America are filtered through the prism of race – which given its past is not that surprising. Well in Britain, the same can be said about class. And this has only been magnified by David Cameron becoming Prime Minister in May.

Cameron & his Chancellor, George Osborne are both products of the public school system (that’s private school for those not in the UK). Essentially they were born with silver spoons in their mouths. And there are certain section of society that won’t let them forget it. In ‘Prime Minister’s Questions’ this week, one Labour backbench MP (Kerry McCarthy) took to the floor to call out David Cameron for his apparent liking of the British indie band, The Smiths. You see, both Morrissey & Johnny Marr had recently stated that they ‘forbid’ Cameron to be a fan of theirs.

Now this is such a non-event to barely justify a mention. But this relates to the perception of class. Whether Cameron is a genuine fan of The Smiths is irrelevant. But claiming that he’s a lover of a band that are regarded as working class – and were formed in Manchester (annoying as it is, the North of England is still regarded as ‘salt of the earth’) is an attempt to give him credibility with ordinary members of the British public who are not as privileged as himself.

And Morrissey, Marr & McCarthy pulling Cameron up on this is sends a clear statement, “You’re not one of us. Go back to your opera nights and your caviar.”

I’m still yet to comprehend what it is about being born into money that riles others less fortunate. But it does exist. For the most part, when I’ve heard criticism of Cameron or Osborne from the public, their upbringing is often mentioned rather than their policy decisions. I wasn’t publicly schooled myself, but I fail to see why it’s still used by some as a pejorative.

And during these protests in London, it became painfully apparent that those who hold such a prejudice have hijacked the issue of student fees from those who had a justifiable gripe. While many exercised their right to protest respectfully, others used it as an excuse to vandalise property, set off flares, and light fires in the street. The whole event was crystallised when people threw missiles at a car carrying the Prince of Wales & The Duchess of Cornwall. “Off with their heads” and “Tory Scum” was also shouted.

Now putting to one side the fact that we are in 2010 Britain and not pre-revolutionary France, the “Tory Scum” chant was telling. I don’t know whether Charles & Camilla are in support of the government’s financial policy, or even if they are supporters of the Conservative Party, but the actions of the vandals spoke volumes. “You’re privileged, the Conservative Party are privileged. You’re all the same!”

Now I’d think no decent person would condone the actions of these idiots. But what’s far worse than their rabble-rousing is that they’ve taken the actual issue out of the public domain. Read any newspaper or (if you can stomach it) the comments sections of the online editions of said newspapers. This has now turned into Rich vs Poor/ Working Class vs Upper Class/ Young vs Old. Anger (justified or not) is supplanting rational response and this not also causes polarisation but is also anathema to any kind of progress. The students who are going to be left in potentially crippling debt have been forgotten. And now the story focuses on The Prince of Wales and the moronic behaviour of those who attacked Nelson’s Column.

What saddens and frustrates in equal measure is that I fear Pandora’s Box has now been opened. The class war is back in the forefront of the public consciousness and while it makes great copy for journalists and causes plenty of heated debate online, what good does it actually do?

To be frank, I don’t care about any of it. I don’t care where George Osborne went to school. I don’t care if David Cameron is being disingenuous about his music tastes. I care about my three younger sisters deciding against going to university because they’re put off by the potential expense. I care about how the government are focusing on cutting spending while they seem uninterested in saving money by clamping down on benefit cheats or the millions of pounds lost each year in unpaid tax.

And while every person under the age of 25 is now being tarred with the same brush as the guy who hung off the Union Flag on the Cenotaph Monument, there has been minimal coverage of police officers who took advantage of the chaos to abuse their power and injure many innocent protestors. Personally I’d happily take the violent elements of both police and protestors, stick them in a cage and let them wipe each other out.

Because so much of what happened was wrong. The vandalism was wrong, the attacks on protestors were wrong. And the way the media has changed the narrative is wrong.

Some have said that a positive to come from this is that it has politicised a new generation. Well in and of itself, that’s not necessarily a good thing. Causing a generation to think that being born into money instantly disqualifies you from having morals is not good. Neither is thinking that violence is acceptable because you disagree with government policy. I see no positive coming from a Britain that turns into an absurd contest with the rich upper classes on one side and the poor working classes on the other. It’s both reductive and insulting to anyone with a brain.

Just look at America in the past decade. Watching conservatism in the U.S be plundered by Roger Ailes and his minions at Fox News is a clear warning sign to what can happen when the actions of the extreme swamp those who are genuinely irked by the actions of those in power. What many have neglected to mention is that university tuition fees were going to increase regardless of the result of May’s General Election. There was a reason why the issue was seldom mentioned during the campaign. Both Labour and the Conservatives had agreed to leave the subject of tuition fees off the table as they both knew that an increase was inevitable. It seems obvious that the reason Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats were so firm about not increasing fees was because they never dreamed that they’d actually be in a position to make policy decisions. It’s easy to promise the earth when you don’t think you’ll have to follow through on those promises.

I’ve always liked how in comparison to other countries, Britain is relatively restrained when it comes to political & social issues. Disagreeing without being disagreeable is a noble and decent trait. But because of a minority of idiots, I worry that this may no longer be the norm.

I dearly hope that those who take issue with the policy of this current government continue to protest and write to their MP’s. And I equally hope that the people who have a chip on their shoulder regarding someone’s upbringing are shut out of the debate. If you disagree with David Cameron, that’s fine – I consider myself to be one of those dissenters. But the second one decides to behave like a hooligan, they lose the right to have a say.

Because shouting louder doesn’t increase the clarity of your voice. It just causes others to want to get away from the noise.

Shane Thomas – Greatest Events In Sporting History

This week the gang discuss what, if any, was the golden age of speculative fiction.

(01:16) 01 – CRAIG BEVAN – Feelings I Find Hard to Show

(05:52) 02 – THE LIKE – Fair Game

(08:19) 03 – MOS DEF – Casa Bey

(12:42) 04 – LUCY WAINWRIGHT ROCHE – Starting Square

(15:54) 05 – ERIC ADDINGTON – Feeling Sound

(18:57) 06 – PRETTY POP with FRAU – Stolid Uneasiness

(24:10) 07 – THE RENTALS – Stories of a Thousand Seasons Past

(27:27) 08 – DONNETTE THAYER – Bali Hai

(32:53) 09 – TEN DOLLAR FIST – Kicking and Screaming

(35:01) 10 – JANELLE MONAE (feat. Big Boi) – Tightrope (Organized Noise Remix)

(39:53) 11 – SUPERPOP – Yo-Yo Daddy-O

(42:07) 12 – NATALY DAWN – Play the Game

(46:29) 13 – BIG K.R.I.T. – Country Shit

(49:38) 14 – AMANDA BLANK – Make It Take It

(52:03) 15 – FLORENCE and THE MACHINE – Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) – (The Lionheart Mix)

(57:39) 16 – MIKE DIXSON aka MORTON’S TOE – Finding Love

In the first episode of the revamped and relaunched Books You Should Read, we’re joined by some special guests for a look at the first novel in the late Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy. This leads to a discussion of translated works and includes reaction from journalists who read this story of a reporter on a mission, a decades-old mystery and a rather unusual young woman. Don’t forget to visit the forums to keep up to date with the books we’re reading … and, as always, weigh in with your reviews, either in audio or written form.

To fill the gaping void that we are sure is left by our little absence from the network, we have decided to raid the archives.

This is the first show to ever feature our beloved Casey, see how shy he was back then

Enjoy

So we are finally back and addressing your emails, and getting a bit silly, too.

Food to accompany beer. Well, ‘food’ to accompany beer.

In true HGN style we hijack yet another shows MO.

Introducing this week the HGN ‘mysterycallerline’ who is on the phone?

Its a long one this week as we return to our quiz challenge (they always run long)

Links:

Mystery guests website

Allison and Nigel talk about nicotine, one of the world’s most used drugs. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast please visit the Hooked section of our forums or http://www.injectingadvice.com.

This week Will is joined by special guest Cartbozman of the Here Goes Nothing show.

I caught Santa kissing the Crimes Against Food girls under the Christmas Tree. He was lured in by their exceedingly good biscuits and milk!

Gloria and Mia talk everything short, flaky and filo.

I hate to be the one to say this but were fast approaching the end of this year. Before we know it we wont be able to decide what to buy loved ones and I wont be able to get my car through the Haworth snow.

With that in mind I thought Id start thinking about the gadgets that have actually made a difference to my life through the year. Every new piece of tech promises that its going to be the one that changes the world forever, yet very few actually manage it. I say few manage it, because some of them actually do and I think its worth taking a look at them. What follows are some nominations for my gadget of the year. They dont have to have been released this year, they just have to had made a significant difference to my life. I may add to this list but looking at whats coming between now and 2010 its unlikely.

So without further a do Ill get on with it.

Sky+ HD

I wrote a post about this little beuty just after it arrived. It was clear at that point that it was going to be a game changer. Until the box arrived I had all but given up on television. They didnt show things when I wanted to watch them, sometimes I missed things all together and worst of all the solution to all the problems I had was BitTorrent. Th problem with piracy is that its free and thats a very difficult thing to compete with. Luckily Apple discovered the solution a few years ago when they opened the iTunes store. First you make things so cheap that people dont have to think before they buy something, then you make it easier to work than the illegal option. Since I got my first iPod several years ago I stopped downloading music over night. It just stopped. However, much like starting to eat more when you give up smoking I started on th tv shows. Pretty much all of our weekly TV viewing came via the Internet, so much so it was taking up more than 100GB of my net connection each month. Then the day came when Sky+HD arrived and the downloading stopped.

The move from VHS to DVD was a tricky one. We gained in areas like picture quality, sound quality and amount of content, but we lost out on things too. Gone were the days of quickly taping something to watch later, and so was the ritual of setting the damn thing to record a week’s worth of shows before a holiday. The point is, if you weren’t there to see the show when it was on, you were going to miss it. There are recording DVD players but they never really seemed to take off, I don’t know anyone who has one. Sky+HD gave the recording power back again. See something on the program guide you want to watch? Just hit the record button and it’ll be there. Want to record something on another channel while you watch something? You can do that too. Beyond that the box does some very clever things.

It constantly records up to an hour of any channel you’re watching all the time. So if you’re in the middle of a show and the doorbell rings you can pause it. If you just missed a bit you can rewind to watch again. The bit that impresses me the most is if I’m watching a show from the beginning and decide half way through that I’d like to record it, then Sky+ will record the entire show, not just the bits on after I press the record button.

Sky even offers a service it calls Anytime TV which is available to everyone with a Sky+ or Sky+HD box. It’s basically a selection of the last week of shows automatically stored on your viewing box for instant viewing. It’s a long way from total TV on demand, but it’s really not a bad effort. I expect I’d get even more out of it if I subscribed to the movie channels.

All that and I haven’t even touched on the HD part of the device. Sky offers more HD channels in the UK than any other provider. Right now if you want to see television in high definition in the UK you’ve got a choice of Freesat, Virgin Media and Sky. As I said Sky has the best choice offering lots of HD movie channels, documentary channels and a selection of general entertainment channels including Sky 1, the channel with all the big shows like 24 and Lost. Freesat offers the next best choice but falls short of Sky’s channels by a long way. Because it’s a free to air service you only get the free HD channels. That’s BBC HD, which is shockingly bad, ITV HD, Channel 4 HD and Channel 5 HD. If you don’t like the idea of a monthly subscription then this might be the one for you. Virgin Media should be ashamed of their HD package. For starters the box costs twice as much as the Sky box and offers one HD channel. You get more for free. To make matters worse, the one channel they do offer is BBC HD which only starts showing content at around 7pm.In a nutshell, if you want to see HDTV then you need to get Sky+HD. At £49.99 plus installation you can’t really go wrong.

Apple iPod Touch (Not an iTouch, please don’t say it like that)

Of late my interest in iPods has started to dwindle a little. I’m starting to see the positives in having just one device in my pocket that does everything, much like people would have you think the iPhone does. I’m not an iPhone fan so getting all my portable devices inside the same box would involve trusting everything to a phone that as yet doesn’t exist. However that isn’t the only thing that’s stopping me actually going through with it. The main reason I can’t dump my iPod is simply that I can’t imagine not having an iPod. You’ve got to have an iPod haven’t you? It’s just one of those things people have like a phone, watch or wallet. I generally won’t leave the house without an iPod in my pocket, I can see two of them from where I’m sat right now. The iPod Touch is the absolute top of the iPod range and possibly one of the best devices ever made. Only last week Apple were bragging that the iPod is one of the most sold products in the history of products. I’d like to see that list to find out how iPods sell compared to things like cans of Coka-Cola or Big Macs but it’s still an impressive thing to be able to say.

At the same time as bragging about the sales Apple also released the latest version of the iPod Touch, the third generation. To be honest I expected a great deal more, but that’s actually a bit unfair. The Touch is a computer, not a feature packed iPod. That’s the iPod Nano in case you were wondering. No, the Touch is a computer. That means that all the functionality depends on what you decide it should be. Most portable devices come with a selection of software that the manufacturer thinks you will need, phone makers are especially good at that. But the iPod Touch has the App Store. While I have mixed feelings about the quality of most apps (98% are rubbish) it’s certainly possible to find the odd one or two that will make your day go with a swing. At the moment I’m onto one called Things.

Apple are now pushing the Touch as a gaming device and to be fair the is a great selection of games. However very few of them are what I’d call proper games. They aren’t as deep as software you’d find on the Nintendo DS or PSP, but they generally cost £2.99 so I suppose it’s not the end of the world. Occasionally a big game will slip onto the App Store like the new version of The Secret of Monkey Island. When I sat playing that game for the first time on the Amiga I never imagined that I’d be able to play it in the car (whilst stopped) or even on the toilet.

As with any device you have to get used to the extra functionality in your life and that’s something that I’m only just beginning to get into. For example when we first got Sky+ it was a couple of weeks before we remembered that we could pause or rewind television and a couple of months after that we started to do it regularly. So it follows that you can’t just add all these usefull apps to your pocket and expect to remember that you’ve got them. I’m working harder at doing that now and I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.

I wrote the start of this blog post on it and I use it for Twitter and web browsing. To be honest it makes me see the appeal of an iPhone which offers all the same applications but with a connection to the internet always available. The Touch offers Wi-Fi which in principle is amazing, but now isn’t as special as it once was. There’s Wi-Fi in everything now.

There is a downside to the Touch. I’ve had mine since November 2008 and it’s the second one I’ve had. The first big iPod I had was an iPod with video. In the year that my guarantee lasted I went through five of them. That’s one every two and a bit months, remember that the next time you talk about XBox360 failure rates. After that I switched to Nanos. I had two models of them and both still work as well as they did the day I brought them home. I assumed that the problem was mainly to do with the hard drive that the iPod with video used and the Nanos did not so I expected no problems with my iPod Touch. So like I said, the first one arrived broken. They were good enough to swap it for a new one right away in the Apple Store. Now the one they replaced it with is starting to show a few problems. The speaker now distorts, and the glass front wobbles like it isn’t stuck on properly. I don’t expect either of those things from a device that cost over £200. On the other hand it could be said that as I’ve got my iPod with me 24/7 that I just get through them. Nothing lasts forever and maybe I make my iPods go quicker than most. But if that’s true then why do my nanos still work?

The new iPod Touch has a faster processor and is now available in a larger 64GB size.

As the end of the year grows closer I’ll be adding to the list of nominees.

When will i see you again……?

Gloria and Mia talk about the most important meal of the day. I like Frosties.

Gloria and Mia tell you exactly what’s wrong with restaurants. The last time I went to a restaurant they arranged the chips like a mini game of Jenga. Fortunately I won and was allowed to keep them.