Turn It Up To 11


What do you listen to while you work?

I’ve been retired now for eight years. So work is perhaps not the right word. Perhaps the question is really, “What do I listen to while doing my chores ?”

The simple answer is Radio Paradise.

I stream this station, up to eight hours a day, sometimes more. They are the soundtrack to my life. The primary reason for my choice is the eclectic mix of music played, followed closely by the distinct lack of babble.

Music is the priority, no inane chatter from self-indulgent DJs. Below is a snapshot of the music that has been playing while I type this post.

In their own words …

RP is a blend of many styles and genres of music, carefully selected and mixed by two real human beings. You’ll hear modern and classic rock, world music, electronica, even a bit of classical and jazz. What you won’t hear are random computer-generated playlists or mind-numbing commercials.

Our specialty is taking a diverse assortment of songs and making them flow together in a way that makes sense harmonically, rhythmically, and lyrically — an art that, to us, is the very essence of radio. We hope that you’ll enjoy RP so much that you’ll want to share it with your friends, family, co-workers, neighbours, Facebook buddies, Twitter followers, etc.

Bill and Rebecca Goldsmith

Notably absent from the RP airwaves are the typical pop chart fodder. There is a distinct lack of breathy blondes, boy bands and rappers. What you will find is rock, prog rock, folk, jazz, classical, reggae, and pretty much every other genre. A veritable musical stew whose ingredients have been intelligently curated.

I have never been bored by the music they share. Sometimes, a track will be aired that I don’t particularly like, but just like with life, I grin and bear it. There is always the next track to look forward to.

Every so often, RP plays that classic track, work/chores stop, and I ….

Turn It Up To 11

Where Did The Time Go ?


Which activities make you lose track of time?

The primary activity that I engage with is reading. Once I am locked into a good read I have no idea where time goes.

Ask my wife, she will confirm. Two days already, this week, I have spoilt our evening meal.

Just last night I virtually incinerated a beautiful gammon steak while my nose was buried in the latest Lindsay Buroker offering. She may not be a challenge for the Hemingway buffs but her books are a good read with enough pace to keep the adrenaline flowing and great dollop of humour too.

View From The Conservatory


Or rather, within the conservatory.

Aglais io – European Peacock Butterfly

This beautiful butterfly decided to pay me a visit.

Certainty !


List 10 things you know to be absolutely certain.

Here is my list of things I know to be absolutely certain.

    • Death – The one inevitable thing that none of us can avoid. The ultimate destination
    • Taxes – Only the very wealthy come close to avoiding personal taxation. The wealthy or crime-lords.
    • Utility Bills – Gas, Electric, Water, Sewage, Refuse Collection …. etc … etc. Unless you live totally off the grid you have to pay to maintain your living standards.
    • Hunger – We all have to eat. Hunger pains are our body’s way of reminding us to eat.
    • Thirst – We all need to drink to survive. Whilst we can survive quite a long time without food, we really can’t survive without water. Personally, I prefer to dilute my water with alcohol in the form of beer or wine.
    • Dust – If we do no cleaning, our homes fade away under a pile of dust. It’s in the air we breathe and settles everywhere. I read somewhere that if you leave dust alone for seven years, it doesn’t get any deeper. Good enough reason not to clean. Just don’t move the ornaments.
    • Politicians Only Lie – How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips are moving. When has any government ever fulfilled their election promises ?
    • Old Age – Like death, old age is inevitable. Old age come with lots of baggage. Just when you have time on your hands, you don’t. Your body becomes like that old rusty bicycle in the shed. It still works but reluctantly whilst noisily complaining via creaking and squeaking and groaning.
    • Weeds Always Win – No matter how hard you try, you can never totally eradicate them. Just you pull out that bothersome bramble. But leave one single smidgen off root in the soil, and it is guaranteed to return. Grass grows out of every little crevice from seeds delivered by birds and the wind. Remember, a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.
    • Music Solves Everything – Good music makes you happy, can calm you down when you are angry. It makes you feel like dancing, alone or, better, with other people. Music can transport you to far off places without the bother of packing a suitcase or the tedious queues at airports. For example, close your eyes whilst listening to Echoes by Pink Floyd and you can be standing on a clifftop looking out over a vast landscape with nothing but the sound of the wind and the cawing of the crows.

    Adventure ✔️


    Are you seeking security or adventure?

    I think that I have reached the point where visiting a new restaurant is an adventure.

    So I look forward to more adventures.

    St. Swithuns Day ?


    Well, after yesterday’s rain drenched day, today is dry. But it is blowing a hooley with the British forecasters issuing a yellow alert.

    What then are we to make of the St. Swithuns day prediction ?

    It makes no mention of wind. Hopefully, the next forty days will be dry but free from the wind that is expected to gust up to 50 mph today.

    Dinner Party


    If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?

    On first read of this question my mind went straight to the typical historic and celebrity figures.

    Most of my historic choices like, Ghandi, JFK, Churchill etc. are dead. So that would be a very macabre setting indeed. But I’m guessing the food and drinks bill would be cheap. Given the journey they themselves took through some of the most turbulent times in our history. I wonder what they would make of the world that we now live in.

    As for the celebrity option, I would lean towards those of a musical bent. No deep philosophical thinking is required. Dinner with the likes of David Bowie, Jeff Beck, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, Manitas de Plata, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, and the list goes on, and on, and on. What tales they could tell. What a dinner party that would be. No after dinner speeches, just a huge musical jam. What a blast that would be.

    But, descending rapidly back to planet earth and reality. When all is said and done, I would truly only want to invite my friends and family. Historic and celebrity figures don’t know me, they would only be there because I asked. Friends and family would be there because they want to be there. They are the people who I feel most comfortable with. The ones who know my back story, who truly know me. The ones who will come back time and again.

    Maturing ?


    What do you think gets better with age?

    Aside from beef, cheese, and wine ? Why, me, of course.

    Who doesn’t prefer a 25 – 35 day aged steak. So tender and full of flavour.

    Or, how about a mature, vintage cheddar, complimented with a nice wine.

    And then on to me. As I have aged, my palate has improved, allowing me to appreciate the aforementioned beef, cheese, and wine.

    But, as I have aged and my palate improved, so my confidence has also grown. In part, this is down to my own life experiences but also my years at IBM, where they nurtured and encouraged me to be more self reliant.

    Ageing has, in turn, led to my growing intolerance, of idiots, and of loud, rude people with an enlarged sense of self-importance. I’m not sure if this is actually a positive result of ageing, but I have convinced myself that it is.

    Chandrayaan-3: Lift Off


    Congratulations to India on the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 and best of luck for the completion of its mission to place a lander and rover on the moon, close to the south pole.

    BBC News – Chandrayaan-3: India’s historic Moon mission lifts off successfully https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-66185565

    90 Dwellings – Official


    More profiteering and no concerns for Waterlooville or its residents.

    See my recent post on this subject