I've won a prize*

It's been a while (2007), so I've decided the time is right for Angry Since 1967 to win another award. And The Professor Stanley Unwin Prize was born. This award is in recognition for those whose clarity of thought is articulated in plain, concise English. It also acknowledges the contribution any blog called "Angry Since 1967" has made to the overall "blogosphere". Naming such an esteemed award in honour of an individual renowned for their incomprehensibility seems not only right, but entirely appropriate. The selection panel, made up of me, pondered as to which of the qualifying blogs should win this auspicious prize. However it quickly became clear only one filled the key criteria - being called "Angry Since 1967". This, taken together with the fact that the actual content (largely) consists of baffling rants, sentence construction bordering on the incomprehensible, and punctuation which takes the appearance of being randomly scattered around the page, renders "Angry Since 1967" as the obvious choice. I mean read back that last sentence. It's horribouncy incobobblybole.  

*I actually did win something though. A Budvar branded memory stick and a fleece. Let the festivities commence! 

Is the Fat Nipper Singing?

There have been a few occasions when I've thought that being, or seemingly at least, proved right is of little consolation. The news released today of HMV's spiralling sales decline suggests, sadly, they are facing the abyss. I want to make one thing absolutely clear. I don't want HMV to go bust, I don't want them to vanish off the High Street, but it looks like that is now a distinct possibility. As I've said before HMV doesn't know what it is any more. Music shop? Clothes Shop? Games Shop? Electronics store (I was in one the other day and they were selling headphones for £269.99. HMV trying to sell headphones at £269.99? Have they taken leave of their senses?) or a DVD Shop. As I said here "rather than work out what they do and what they are for, they, like a three year old with some fuzzy felt, are throwing things in the hope what sticks makes a nice picture."  

Things look grim. And while a turnaround is always possible, it's difficult to see where it is coming from. Perhaps a return to what they used to do might work, although unfortunately I suspect it might already be too late.  

 

A Week Without Mp3....Believe In Better. Or Closed.

Last October I blogged here about Sky Songs, a download / streaming service Sky had started. It seems my scepticism was well judged, as according to the BBC, it will be closing down in February. And here is the thing. As far as I can tell this a rare example of Sky getting something completely wrong. Their entire business model is predicated on consumers paying for third party content they deliver from within a paywall. Sky are many things, most of them not very appealing, but they do know how to run a subscription service. That they couldn't make this work sends a very clear message - streamed music services simply aren't viable, as consumers simply will not pay for them. How Spotify react to this is going to be very interesting. 

Meanwhile here is some "more" music

Welcome to Fear. Part Three

And another one. 
Death by Sunday roast