Category: microblog


  • We had seen similar posters in the Peak District so it was good to see them appearing nearer to home.


  • After seeing Manton’s singular follower post on micro.blog I was delighted to receive a letter from the NHS with a “your data have..”

    I fear it is too little too late.


  • Farewell Minecraft

    I don’t play games much but I have had a Minecraft account for many years without any problems. After Microsoft took over Minecraft I put off moving to a Microsoft account for as long as possible – fearing the worse. Once the day came and they insisted I moved to the dark side it was as bad as it could possibly be. Anyone else would just move the Minecraft account details but being Microsoft to get from A to B you have to go via C and F having ticked boxes D and E on the way.

    Having successfully moved the account I did manage to use it once. But attempting to log in to the new account today for the second time I am greeted by:

    To which the obvious solution is to give up, close the account and move on vowing never to touch anything bearing the Microsoft name again. But this is Microsoft so even closing the account becomes a labyrinthian chore which is going to take some time.

    It is the inability to access the account as usual which is the problem. But this being Microsoft they are able to utilise their full computing power and will get back to you in thirty days. Bizarre.


  • 101 of my favourite recordings – 2

    Dododo (Ekassa No. 1) – Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes

    Cover of Ekassa album by Sir Victor Uwaifo.

    It is the never changing repeated two notes throughout, which both constrain and liberate the piece, that fascinates and delights. As it builds to a crescendo, as though it might be heading somewhere, there they are again pulling it back. At the start of this sample I faded the other instruments for emphasis…

    Victor Uwaifo was born in Benin City, in the Edo State of Nigeria in 1941. He studied graphics at college and, having played guitar since childhood, would sit in with Victor Olaiya‘s band at weekend in the early sixties. He developed a technique of seeing colours in sound and sound in colours. He used this technique to utilise the traditional patterns of Akwete cloth in his music. This Akwete sound was used to create his song Joromi in 1965 which became a hit across east African countries and eventually earned him the first African gold disc.

    By 1968 he had outgrown the strict limitations of Akwete so he developed other forms which eventually evolved into Ekassa itself evolving from the traditional Benin Ekassa dance.

    By the 1970’s with the growing influence of American soul and Jamaican reggae his music had once again evolved into what came to be marketed as Edo Funk.

    Listen:

    Dododo (Ekassa No. 1) – Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestroes (Apple MusicSpotify, YouTube)

    In the sixties – Victor Olaiya. (Apple MusicSpotify, YouTube)

    Joromi – Victor Uwaifo. (Apple MusicSpotify, YouTube)

    Sakpaide No. 2 – Victor Uwaifo and his Titibitis. (Apple MusicSpotify, YouTube)

    Obviemama – Victor Uwaifo and his Titibitis. (Apple MusicSpotify, YouTube)


All original content may be freely copied. Illustration on packaging may not match content.
Batteries not included. Suitable for vegetarians. Open at the other end.