Wedding Reflections

Well, I've been back in Oxford for over a week now following Garry and Rosa's wedding. Prior to this I didn't know it was possible to have a hangover from smiling too much. The return home certainly plunged me back into the mediocrity of everyday life which the long weekend away was completely lacking, and left me wallowing in the loneliness of my life down here.

What struck me most - apart from the sheer volume of alcohol consumed - was how thoroughly great all the people were, no matter whether they were Garry's workmates from Dundee itself, or Rosa's friends and family who jetted in from around the globe. Everyone I had the pleasure of speaking to was great fun, got on with everyone else, and most importantly at least appeared to enjoy themselves thoroughly.

The example that perfectly encapsulates the friendly atmosphere for me though was when Rosa's brother and sister-in-law, Ed and Marika, offered to spare me the horrors of the return trip on the train (I had been delayed by 95 minutes on the way up because some inconsiderate person threw themselves in front of a train south of Birmingham, causing me to miss my connection) by ferrying me down to Oxford (essentially door to door) in the car they had hired to get to London on the same day I was due to leave. I had only met them on the Friday evening, although I believe I chatted at (rather than to, I blame the booze!) them some at the reception on the Saturday and Sunday's adventures in beach cricket and pubbage offered plenty of further chance to chat and get along.

Basically it felt like I was smiling all day every day from the moment I stepped off the train on Thursday evening until sometime during the lift back on Monday (which I was grateful to receive) when tiredness kicked in and overwhelmed my sense of well-being. Credit must go to all those I met, those I'd met before and those I met for the first (and likely last) time alike. Garry and Rosa somehow manage something that not many people I have ever met can do: they make me feel at ease, such that the real me can shine through; such that I can relax and enjoy myself; such that I don't feel the need to whinge (all the time, anyway) or curse existence and such that I can come out of my shell and talk to the fine people they surround themselves with; in truth there was more than just the alcohol to that.

For that I owe them a debt of thanks: a thanks for being good friends, a thanks for inviting me to attend their wedding and share in the joy that the event brought them, and their guests. A thanks for putting a smile on my face, even if it was just for a long weekend.

Congratulations!

I just want to quickly put up a congrats to Garry and Rosa on their wedding. My reflections on the weekend away, the plethora of people and the event can wait, but whilst I was too busy drinking to take many pictures (let alone good ones) I thought I'd throw up these few (none of that posed stuff, either - I was always too late for that):

The happy couple with the Bride's parents and brother, and the bridesmaid.

This one captures the joy of it for me; Rosa's smile was reflected in all the guests.

And here... embarrassment(?) as Garry starts the "skanking"

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the Tragic Events That Overshadow It

I must admit that my interest in this year's World Cup has not been maintained. I was very excited by the prospects heading into the tournament when Australia's status as runaway favourites was knocked by events in the CB series loss to England, and the subsequent 3-0 thrashing they received from the Kiwis. But whilst individual games have lightened up this tournament (Bangladesh beating India soundly, Ireland pulling out a thrilling tie off the last ball against Zimbabwe) the general feeling for me has been one of apathy. I suspect a large part of this is the time zone difference and the lack of significant TV coverage on free-to-air stations. I have been following live scorecards for every match on Cricinfo every afternoon whilst at work (if only to break the tedium of playing about with XML in Wordpad all day; publishing is very dull!), and when I get home I will, depending on the match, hook up to the BBC's radio commentary - either via their webfeed or by tuning to Sports Extra through digital TV but I don't feel excited by the competition. I understand why the TV highlights are so late - the games have to finish first and the package be put together - but now that I'm working again I'm often too tired to sit and watch highlights that stretch past midnight. Besides which, I've never been that enamoured of TV highlights packages for cricket - its not the individual shots or wickets that intrigue me about the game but the whole passages of play, which is never adequately conveyed by cramming a whole day's play into 30 minutes of "key moments". It all means the competition just isn't leaving much of an impression. I hope, from the sporting side of things, that will change, either today with England's crunch match against Kenya or with the progression to the second phase - the super eights - where finally the big teams will play each other. Oh, and Ireland and Bangladesh who produced the shocks to scrape through (assuming the latter overturn Bermuda tomorrow, which they really should).

However, since the news of Bob Woolmer's death (now known or believed to be murder) my interest has gone through the floor; the competition goes on but it all seems very hollow now. Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, was a much loved figure, an innovator in coaching and was even being touted as one potential candidate to replace Duncan Fletcher coaching the England side after the World Cup (his contract was up with Pakistan after the tournament). There are all kinds of rumours flying around regarding the events that lead to his death but I'm not about to dip into them. I cheered Ireland's victory over Pakistan last week as the unbelievable result it was, but the St Patrick's day magic washed away when news broke the next day first that Woolmer had been hospitalised, then that he had died. His loss is a tragedy for the sport he gave his life to; the folks that knew Bob Woolmer are convinced he would have wanted the World Cup to continue - and continue it shall, by all signs - but despite that (and I think continuing is the right thing to do, anyway - at least until more of what really happened is firmly established) I doubt I am alone in having all enthusiasm for the event swept from me by this dark and saddening surprise.

Whomever wins, it will be overshadowed by Bob Woolmer's loss; I just hope that one of the two sides still in it that Woolmer had strong ties to - South Africa, whom he coached, or England, whom he played for - can win it, and pay him fitting tribute.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen

Damon Albarn has done it again. He is commonly described by the press as Britpop's most significant surviver - after huge success with Blur his work with Gorillaz ensured that his name lived on where others have fallen by the wayside. After deciding to end the Gorillaz project in the wake of Demon Days, and following the Mali Music project, his latest work hit the shops on Tuesday. Albarn teamed up with some high-profile colleagues - Tony Allen, Paul Simonon and Simon Tong along with Gorillaz producer Danger Mouse - and The Good, The Bad & The Queen is the result. The album has been hotly anticipated as the group has been in the public consciousness since October 2006 and the BBC Electric Proms and indeed that was when my interest was piqued. I enjoyed the catalogue produced by Gorillaz and, whilst Blur were not my cup of tea (at least at the time; I've warmed to some of their stuff since) I have long held Damon Albarn in high regard.

Financially I should never have bought the album this week nor would I have done, but for having to order my brother a birthday present: a second purchase was needed to get free shipping and the opportunity was too much to pass up. Music has long appealed to my baser nature and in many ways it is my chief vice - certainly it is my most expensive hobby - and so the album arrived through my mailbox this morning. It's currently getting its third and fourth plays as I type these thoughts.

Overall, this is an album with a dark yet engaging tone. At times both very simple and yet with rich depth and several audible layers it never feels over-complicated, self reverential or beholden to the back-catalogues of those involved. Its melodies, beats and harmonies all strike the listener as deliberate, precise and exactly appropriate: this is music crafted by true artisans. Albarn's voice lends itself perfectly to this type of project too - at times cracked and dry, others warm and engaging, or soft, or distant but always sounding smoke-y, dusky and unique. It shares the properties of the music and lyrics it conveys. What strikes me though is that while the overall tone is fairly dark, the album ends with an uplifting feeling: perhaps it is not as dark as all that. There is fun and funk in the eponymous closing track with its long, upbeat lead out and once you've heard the whole work once you begin to hear similar nuances in the other eleven tracks when you revisit them.

The album opens with an (semi-)acoustic guitar riff and a dark and vaguely threatening tone but one that demands aural attention. History song is a bit of a hotch-potch, an introductory piece, showcasing some of what is to come. When 80's Life kicks in it has a brighter sound, cleaner and lighter with harmonies that remind me a touch of some of Angelo Badalamenti's score to Twin Peaks; the vocals come across somewhat darker and the contrast holds the attention with a pervading sense of wistfulness. The third track, Northern Whale, mixes sporadic electronica with some fine piano chords and then insertions from the other musicians as a complex of overlaid themes, riffs and ideas meshes together to lend an interesting backdrop which - at times - threatens to swallow the vocal, so fully does it hold the ear.

Then come the singles - Kingdom of Doom and Herculean - back to back. The opening of the former reminds me very much of the intro to the Thea Gilmore song Saint Luke's Summer (from Rules for Jokers) which itself makes me think of Tom Waits for some reason. The rest kicks in though and the similarity ends in seconds. The pitch and tone of the song mesh with a fragile, yet old and knowing, vocal and make a fine listen. Herculean follows immediately much warmer than the previous track, a fine contrast: where the vocals on Kingdom of Doom are close and the tone of the track more cold and bleak, Herculean is warm but with distant-sounding vocals. It is the beats that draw the ear though and as the track progresses through the vocal sections it evolves into a rich sound with repeating loops and plenty of sustained interest. This couplet is the heart of the album, without a doubt.

It's not downhill from there, but the pattern is set: elements in each piece evoke similar feelings of warmth or chill, distance or claustrophobia as covered by these two tracks. There are influences or similarities to others to be heard, too; Nature Springs brought to mind the distinctive use of electronica and rhythm-heavy nature that has permeated Radiohead's more recent work (and especially Thom Yorke's album The Eraser) whilst going beyond that and adding more melody over the top of it (especially in vocal comparison). Later, Three Changes opens with a carnival-like sound which immediately brought Tom Waits to mind and Albarn lends his voice in different ways - shorter phrases, more staccato delivery and a snappiness that is foot-tappingly good. There are definite hints of fun here, which go from hint to blaring declaration by the time everything kicks off in the title track.

The Good, The Bad & The Queen is my favourite track on the album. It starts with a stark piano and not much else, vaguely dischordant and somewhat melancholy; that all changes when the vocal and rhythm kick in. There is certainly an edge to the pace and a driving power hidden in the bass. The vocal finishes almost as soon as it starts and then the tempo ratchets up and sends you into aural heaven: pure gold; pure fun; pure happiness.

A fine album to be sure. Not a mind-blowing one in the sense that it leaps into the psyche and will not be budged but one that grabs you at every opportunity and demands listening - demands repeating. It will end as one of the albums of 2007, to be sure - and it's only January. The only shame is that it will probably be a one-off.

Mayor Clarkson?

Now this is interesting, if by interesting I mean amusing. Jeremy Clarkson, him of Top Gear fame with the big head and big mouth has been suggested as a possible Tory candidate for Mayor of London. OK, so this came out last year - and Clarkson himself wrote a column on it last August - but it only reached my ears on Monday when I was out chatting with a friend.

Actually, it's not interesting: I, frankly, care little for London or who is mayor of it as I avoid that city altogether for the most part and whomever is mayor affects me little-to-none. However I do have time for Clarkson for various reasons, mostly because I find him funny and occasionally pertinent and well observed. Clarkson may give off the air of an ignorant brute and he makes no effort to hide his very un-PC views - paid, as he is, by the Sunday Times to espouse them in print. I don't read the Sunday Times but I have, of late, been reading the first of the books compiled from his column, The World According to Clarkson, as I trundle to and from Bicester on the bus every Wednesday. These columns cover the early years of this decade and while those that were topical are dated most are just Mr Clarkson running his mouth off. And therein lies the charm - he shows wit, humour, astuteness, but also bullheadedness, chauvinism and myopia. In short - he shows humanity; it has dispelled my view of him as ignorant or bigoted.

But most of all the book has made me laugh, even on the bus, and its format makes it a perfect companion in this type of short journey. I shall be seeking later volumes, given the opportunity.

And in other, completely unrelated, news: I walked down to town today in shoes I hadn't worn for a couple of years or so. Gave myself a blasted blister and am currently hobbling about like a one-legged man. Joy of joys!

The Future is Now

And I don't mean for Australian cricket, not this time.

This time I mean for me, as the arduous task of recovering begins, having fallen off the end of the academic conveyor belt when I submitted the final version of my PhD in mid-December. Christmas being Christmas (and bah humbug to it!) I've not really had the time or energy to think too much about jobs since the thesis was finally rid of. Nor have I had any significant "me" time, time in which to relax after the weight of getting it done has been lifted or to get my head straight and ready for the "real world" of work; my financial situation means I won't get that, at all.

I need an income and fast. It was the 1st of July 2005 when I last got paid - the final installment of my stipend - and in the 17 months since I have been living solely off what I'd saved in the meantime., which means now I'm very close to the line and out of any wiggle-room. It also means that I will have to find a way to write the two papers I think my Thesis will yield whilst working Temp jobs or other low-paid, short-term positions to balance the books. Why? Because I could not get them done in the two weeks before Christmas descended and, despite my objections, I was commandeered to help with the sundry chores that make up hosting Christmas.

I have never had to find a job before as I was always been following a clear path; a path which ended on December 12th. My current situation finds me needing to do three things at once: find an immediate source of income, apply for longer-term jobs and lastly (but not least) get two papers written so that I can enhance my chances of getting a desirable longer-term job.

All of this when I do not really know what I want to do - in the short or longer term. I owe it to myself to give research another try as the horror show in Bath was not representative of what life would be like in a decent size lab with other people about and a consistent output. I also like the idea - first posited to me by my external examiner during a lull in my viva voce - of branching out into science writing, although I have no idea how or where to go about such a move.

I am intrigued with the prospect though as I do love writing, which may be obvious from posts here of late. I guess my ideal "job-that-I-could-never-really-have" would probably be writing about cricket or music. Or both: Tim de Lisle, a former editor of Wisden, has my dream job and writes for Cricinfo.com and newspapers on cricket, and a Sunday paper as a music reviewer. I have no pedigree in either that goes any deeper than being a fan, although I was once asked if I was interested in writing music reviews; I (perhaps mistakenly) laughed the suggestion off as a joke - it was an unsolicited email from an unknown sender called "Lisa Simpson" that arrived after I had submitted a customer review of Beth Orton's third album, Daybreaker, on Amazon.co.uk.

Science, on the other hand... well, I have the papers to prove my credentials there, but nothing concrete to support my ability to write - short of one comment from an examiner and remarks from a few friends who have read what I post here. If only that were enough to glow in the context of a CV!

However it ends up, 2007 will be a year of changes; I just hope they'll be for the better.

Ashes 2006/2007: Warne out for 700+

Today saw Shane Warne - the most successful bowler in Test history - announce his retirement from international cricket as of the end of the current Ashes series. He will almost certainly end with more than 700 Test wickets, a simply staggering amount; his current tally of 699 means that unless he goes wicketless for 4 innings and 2 whole matches he will reach the landmark - with all likelihood he'll get there on Boxing Day if England bat first in Melbourne, or the day after if Australia open with the bat. He will retire as Test cricket's greatest bowler, but his wicket haul will, in all likelihood, soon be passed by his close rival Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, who has never been far from Warne's shoulder and has (relative) youth on his side.

His announcement today was foreshadowed. Rumour it was coming had circulated for the last day or two - it is clear that winning back the Ashes was his goal, and he said that had Australia won the last Ashes series he would have retired in 2005. That they didn't win that series was, on one hand, no fault of Warne's: he took 40 wickets in the 5 match series. On the other hand he was famously said to have "dropped the Ashes" when he shelled a chance of Kevin Pietersen in the fifth Test at the Oval (KP went on to make 158 and bat Australia out of a chance at a victory that would have tied the series an retained the urn).

Warne's retirement will bring to an end 13 years of torment for English batsmen that began with his first Ashes delivery - the "Ball of the Century" that knocked over Mike Gatting at Old Trafford in 1993 - and was typified by both England's disastrous collapse at Adealaide and, to a lesser degree, the fourth innings at the WACA when Australia captured back the prize they lost last year. Warne will honour his county cricket contract with Hampshire, but will no longer take part in internationals or Australian domestic cricket. His decision begins to usher in a new era in Australian cricket, however much many Aussie fans might with to disagree; this goes double if Glenn McGrath follows in Warne's footsteps as expected. Together these two talismanic bowlers, both genuinely deserving of the "world class" label, have led Australia's attack for more than a decade; and they have beaten all comers.

Without them Australia will not be toothless, but anyone who denies the uniqueness of a situation which allowed the team to have two genuine world-beaters in tandem for a decade is kidding themselves. Statistics do not always lie: Warne is Test cricket's all-time leading wicket taker, and McGrath is third on that list - the highest placed fast bowler, and unlikely to be caught any time soon; Shaun Pollock is the next highest pace bowler still playing and he has a measly 402 wickets compared to McGrath's 555. This is a true mark of their quality; Murali may pass Warne soon but he virtually carries the Sri Lankan bowling attack on his own, and has done all his career (though I'm sure Chaminda Vaas would beg to differ). Warne carried the Australian attack in the 2005 series, and it showed: one man does not make a team, and the Ashes were lost. This shows in equal measure why Australia will be weaker without him, and why it is not going to decimate their side. One man does not make the team, but when that one man is as skilled as Warne he makes the difference between a "good" side and "great" one. The same is true of McGrath. With both fit Australia were nearly unstoppable; without one, and possibly even both, the team will look mortal again - at least on paper.

The future is now, and Warne's decision marks not just the end of a great career but the end of an era. It does not mean that future series will see Australia wilt or fail to knock England (or other nations) over, but it is the beginning of the end of a golden age for Australian cricket. With McGrath's days looking numbered and with Langer, Hayden and Gilchrist all over 35 it is likely that the team they send to fight the 2009 Ashes will look very different to the one that won the 2006/7 series and I'm sure that however strong the replacements are many in England will be very glad of that. The game is losing a great servant but perhaps gaining a new era of competitiveness that the power of Australian cricket, with Warne and McGrath in tandem, has simply not allowed for 10 years and more. That, in my view, can only be good for the game, even as Warne's retirement from it is the loss of a special talent.

Ashes 2006/2007: Gilo's hate caller?

In another twist... OK, OK, just a wrinkle in the procession that is the 2006/7 Ashes, Ashley Giles yesterday revealed he had received a "nasty phone call" from a disgruntled England fan.

Now, as much as I have been vocal here - and just about everywhere else where I have discussed the Ashes - against the selection of the King of Spain this is clearly something that cannot be condoned. It is, however, most amusing that the same bloke then rang again the next morning to appologise - presumably it was all a drunken rant that got out of hand. This comedic twist doesn't make it any better though - it should never have happened.

Giles should not be playing, I cannot state it any clearer than that, but not because he is a "disgrace to the country" as he said he'd been called when revealing the call to the world. Rather it is just because Panesar is the better spin bowler. However, Gilo was picked so he played. He gave his best, and certainly didn't drop Ponting on purpose. The whole team wasn't good enough, not just Ashley Giles. For the team to be good enough to even compete (let alone win) requires the team to be capable of taking 20 wickets in a match, and frankly the team picked for Brisbane and Adelaide does not look capable of that. Changes are needed, without a doubt, and swapping Giles out would be one such change (though on the evidence of the 2-day game against Western Australia this weekend the priority change must be Read for Jones /broken record). But Giles has been a fantastic servant to England through the last 10 years when we've had a paucity of spin options and to brand him a "disgrace" now that someone genuinely talented has emerged is shortsighted and wrong. Not least because it isn't Giles' fault he was picked.

Ashes 2006/2007: A mid-series retirement

Well, that was unexpected. Australian batsman Damien Martyn announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday, with immediate effect.

While he was undoubtedly a stylish and important player for the Aussies, his impact on this Ashes series, and the 2005 series loss after which he was dropped, was minimal. His reasons for going and tributes to him are scattered all over the web already so I shall not dwell on it too much.

There does appear to be an element of going before he was pushed though: repeated failures in a team performing well stand out (actually, repeated failures stand out per se; please take note Duncan Fletcher re Geraint Jones) and Michael Hussey was promoted above Martyn in the run chase at Adelaide. Then again who can blame him for going on his own terms - especially if the failures are down to him not feeling it is right for him any more. What of its effect though - how will Martyn's unavailability change the series?

Well, it probably wont. Chances are he would have played in the third Test at Perth (starting on Thursday) from which he will now be absent and so the selection will change. However it seems likely he would have lost his place again for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne - contingent on the fitness of all-rounder Shane Watson, who would have played the entire series but for an injury picked up just prior to the first Test. Admittedly that would have been in place of Michael Clarke and not Martyn, but where Martyn has failed in his side's successes, Clarke has played himself into some form over the two matches, with a 50 in Brisbane and a stylish century in Adelaide and so the order of replacement would likely have changed - especially given Clarke has youth on his side while Martyn is firmly in the "Dad's Army" bracket with which the Aussie team has been branded.

Watson will return when fit, barring a miracle performance from whomever comes in for next week's match. In the meantime it seems the final spot in the Australian team for Perth is between an uncapped batsman Adam Voges and one-day stalwart (and Brummie-born) Andrew Symonds who can be lethal in one-day matches but has never established himself to the same degree in the Test arena. Symonds is more of an all-rounder and would probably weaken the batting and provide a stronger fifth bowling option, whilst Voges would be a straight batting replacement. Neither strengthens the side particularly - not that the Australian team is weak or in need of strengthening.

I suspect that England, given the choice, would rather Australian select Voges: a debutant is perhaps more likely to suffer nerves and fail, and his selection does nothing to ease the load on the veteran bowling attack. I also suspect that the Australians are more likely to use this opportunity to get Voges used to being in and around the squad (going double as he plays for Western Australia and the ground is his home turf) whilst picking Symonds for the match. Symonds offers more as a one-off - the potential for truly explosive batting (increased in effectiveness against a demoralised bowling attack) and another option in the bowling department. Besides, if Shane Watson is set to return for the fourth Test then whomever plays here is likely to be the one missing out in Melbourne - and a debut under such circumstances is hardly ideal; would failure mean casting into the international wilderness? Either way, I doubt Martyn's retirement has sent shockwaves through the Australian camp so there is unlikely to be any uncertainty for England to capitalise on - this going double since Martyn was failing against them.

Any hopes of this proving a turning point are unfounded, and there will be no weakness in the Australian camp as a result. All this retirement means in the context of the series, to anyone but Martyn himself, is a blip of interest whilst paying tribute to a stylish batsman. Business will continue as normal and the Australian team will not be affected by his decision - which means barring an unnatural turn around from England (selection and performance), the series will continue as it has done - in abject failure to enthrall.