Today we lost our cat Saffey :*-( We got a call this morning from a local veterinary nurse who had found her on her way to work. Always the adventurous one, she’d wandered too far and didn’t use her green Cross Code. Very sad day. Lots of great memories of her; she would often sit on my desk all day long right next to my keyboard when I worked from home, and many a time I’d have fight her for my office chair! She make us all laugh with her hilariously mad moments, running around the house chasing her brother Harley! We’ll miss her everyday.

Today was Fin’s 3rd Birthday! How time flys! He had a great day; lots of cards, lots of presents, and way too much birthday cake! Some photos from the day are in my photo album here.

This story was sent to me today via email. I think it is amazing, and so true.

Washington DC Metro Station on Friday January 12th 2007. A violinist played six Bach pieces of music for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later: the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes: a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes: a 3 year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly, as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.

45 minutes: the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace.
He collected $32.

1 hour: he finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised: in a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be; if we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ….

How many other things are we missing?

Now we are 4 (or 9 if you count all the pets!)! Baby Xavier Martin arrived on the 14th of July at 01:07 weighing 7lbs 8oz! He was born at home (planned) in super quick style; things got started around 22:30 ish and he was here less than 3 hours later! Chez was amazing! We all managed to squeeze in 3 hours sleep before Fin woke up; result! Fin was quite surprised to wake up and find baby brother had arrived, but the boys hit it off immediatley when Xav. presented Fin with some new Lego and the Yellow Power Ranger!   Photos of our new arrival are in my photo album here.

A few years ago I found somebodies wallet in a club. I made sure it found it’s way back safely to a very relieved owner! The other day I lost my wallet! I put it on the roof of the car whilst helping Fin in to his car seat…and drove off with it on the roof! Somebody saw it in the road and stopped and picked it up. They phoned my bank (my cards were in there) who in turn phoned me with the name and phone number of the chap who had found it. I went round to his house to collect it – after buying him a lottery ticket with the change I had on me as way of thanks! A very grateful chap and a very relieved me!

Last Wednesday (15th April) marked 20 years since the Hillsborough disaster. Liverpoolfc.tv contacted some of the relatives and friends of the fans who died that day in 1989 to ask if they would like to write a few words to their loved ones on the 20th anniversary of the disaster. The letters were posted on the club website here – some of the most heartrenching words I have ever read in my entire life. Puts everything in to perspective.

Last Tuesday I went to see Liverpool away at Chelsea in the 2nd leg of of their Champions League Quarter Final! It turned out to be the best game I have ever been to see and one of the greatest Champions League matches of all time!

Liverpool were trailing 3-1 form the first leg and needed to win 3-0 to go through. Mission improbable became mission impossible before kick off when we heard in the pub that Gerrard wasn’t even on the bench! Liverpool started well and we found ouselves 2-0 up at half time! I’ve never experienced a half time like that before! The excitement was incredible – although I had to contain it as I was sitting in the home end! In the 2nd half Chelsea came back to make it 3-2; despair and disbelief!! Then Liverpool got 2 goals in 3 minutes to make it 3-4 and leave us only needing 1 goal in the last 7 minutes to qualify; excitement again, jangling nerves! Then Lampard scored his 2nd in the dying minutes to seal it for Chelsea; despair again! What a rollercoaster! Brilliant!!

Last weekend Angela and Morgan came to stay. On the Saturday we had an Easter egg hunt in the garden for the boys!

I got a mention on Radio 1 last Friday night! I was home listening to Annie Mac’s Mashup when she asked ‘are you raving or behaving?’ – I text in and she read out my message on air You can here the shout here.

It was the 3rd time I’ve made it on Radio1. Back in 2001 the lads and I phoned in to the Dave Pearce show and took part in “Pukka or Pants?” where we reviewed 3 new releases live on air! The best was back in 2004. I produced a mashup of Mogwai’s track “You Know Y” with the Usher track “Yeah”. One Friday night I went to see Judge Jules DJ and I took a copy of my track to give to him. The following Saturday, October 9th 2004, he opened his Saturday Night Warm Up show with my mashup. I couldn’t believe it! Just goes to show, anything’s possible! You can see the tracklistsing for that night here.

Went to the cinema last night to see “Watchmen“. Quite a complex plot I thought, bits of which I didn’t entirely follow, but nonetheless a fantastic movie; some great sub plots, superb characters and absolutely brilliant fight scenes! Gets a 7/10 form me