Cloudbusting

I consider myself privileged to have been alive when the Michael J Fox Sci Fi Romantic Comedy Back to the Future appeared in cinemas. I was about ten years old when I went to see it with my cousin while visiting him in London during the holiday, and I vividly remember the excitement and awe of watching that film.

I also remember the video* for 'Cloudbusting' by Kate Bush which was shown at the beginning:

At the time, I couldn't quite understand why they showed the whole thing - this was a cinema showing films, not Top of the Pops! I just wanted to get on with watching the movie.

Having said that, I did have some appreciation for the steampunk cloudbusting contraption (not that I had any idea what steampunk was back then), as well as the story involving mysterious men in black coming to kidnap the mad professor-type dad (kinda fitting for the film that followed, I guess).

All this was, however, wasted on my impatient youth. It wasn't until I'd grown up that I came to appreciate the song for what it was. It's one of my favourite Kate Bush songs - Bush's haunting voice and the rousing orchestration make it one of those anthemic, epic songs that is timeless.

So even though, at the time, I was frustrated by having to sit through seven minutes of warbling, the marketing pulled off. The seed had been sown, and over time I grew to love a song that once I had resented.

Who would ever employ a marketing strategy like that these days? No-one, because nobody is prepared to wait that long anymore.

*points of interest: the father was played by Donald Sutherland and the song is based on the true of story of some fruitcake psychoanalyst who believed in a cosmic energy called Orgone

On being follically challenged...

It's time for a change.

A few years back I shaved my head to raise money for Soul in the City, and while Wifey was less than keen she let me it do it because it was, you know, for 'charity'. I soon let my keratin-based growth return to normal but must confess I missed the freedom of a dome-shaped bonce. Not having the wind transform my hair into some form of ungainly shrubbery or spending ten minutes each morning glooping sticky gel or wax into my mane was great - it let me focus on more important things in my life like curing cancer, negotiating peace talks with Iran or coming up with alternative new words for 'fickle'.

Unlike most normal people, my hair grows like it's on steroids so ideally I need a cut every fortnight, but as a compromise I aim for once a month. Trouble is, my hairdresser has been off work for a few weeks after breaking a bone in her foot, and I've been really busy so my hair has just been getting longer and longer having not had a cut for at least two months.

So tonight I decided to take the plunge and shave it all off again. Not for charity this time, but just for the hell of it (I know, I really live life on the EDGE don't I?).

Less insulation on top makes the summer just that bit bearable, but no doubt I'll be back to see my hairdresser soon. After all, I'll have a full head of hair in no time and it'll need chopping again.

Change is good - but only for a short while.

Someone shoot the graphic designer

I saw this logo for 'Total Filtration' on the back of a van while driving to work.

When I think of filtration, I don't necessarily picture a man carrying his suitcase and a Cuban cigar walking past the terrifying 'Tunnel of overflowing Turds'.

Maybe I'm wrong ... but if I've missed something here, please tell me....