Saturday, 9 February 2013

Preparations...

Okay before I start today's blog I quickly want to say that I am not depressed or unhappy or anything like that even though this topic may be considered slightly morbid.

Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with someone about music and the conversation somehow went off on a tangent about what piece of music should be played at our funeral. At the time it seemed quite funny because one piece of music mentioned was the Imperial March theme from Star Wars. Talking about this made me think however, that if for some reason, something happened to me tomorrow, no one would really know what I'd like to happen.

If you think about it it's not really an odd subject, its just one of those that you don't tend to talk about. With that in mind I'm going to but the weirdness aside for this blog and try to talk normally. So if for any reason this information is needed, then its all here written down.

To be honest I only really wanted to write this blog because I wanted decent music to be played at my funeral, but as i'm doing it I may as well include some other details as well.

Firstly, buried or cremated? Buried please, don't really like it when it gets too warm in the summer so don't thing being put in n oven would be a great way to end things. Plus if theres anything suspicious about the way that I'm taken out, you can always dig me back up.

I don't really know how much choice you get about location, but perhaps somewhere down south, preferably around where I was born and grew up, Milton Keynes. Maybe under a nice tree, somewhere not too crowded.

Again I don't really know what the protocol is with head stones but please no artsy complicated ones, just a plain one with usual name, date, etc, then perhaps a witty quote on it something I'd have said just to lighten the mood. Or maybe if we're pushing the boat out, one of those new high tech ones where you can record a message and it plays when someones walks by, again with a video that's quite funny.

Now on to the most important thing, music...I have a few requests, in the order or most want to be played (top to bottom):
  • Alexi Murdoch's - All My Days
  • Enterprising Young Men - From the Star Trek soundtrack (preferably played as I'm being lowered down, would suit the track, have to get the timing right tho)
  • The Violin track from Band of Brothers (Check either my MP3 player)
  • You Can't Always Get What You Want - The Rolling Stones
  • Vanilla Twilight - Owl City
  • A Window To The Past - Harry Potter Soundtrack (Check my MP3)
  • Violin Concerto No. 3 Straussburg K.215 3rd Movement - Master and Commander Soundtrack (Check MP3)
  • After You've Gone - Hugh Laurie
  • Blue Skies - Ella Fitzgerald
  • To Build A Home - Cinematic Orchestra
  •  I Will Go Sailing No More - Randy Newman (From Toy Story)
Hopefully this didn't seem to weird to read about, its something that people have to talk about eventually though, and it doesn't have to be that serious. If it did seem weird tho its over now, and I can't see me returning to this topic in the near future. This info's out there now tho, and I've been able to have my say, just in case its ever needed. (I say 'ever', it will eventually but I mean soon, or unexpectedly).

Sunday, 3 February 2013

Favourite Books 2012

Now that I have a bit of time spare I thought I'd go back and continue with another of my favourite blogs. I know that it is now February, but it is still early on in the year. Having looked at last years favourite blog I only listed my top five books, this time however I'm going to extend the list to 10 books. As well as this if I mention a series of books, say Harry Potter I'm only going to write down my most favourite book of that series, so that this list doesn't get clogged up with books all from the same series.

This list is encompasses all of the books I've ever read, and shows out of all of them which are my top ten favourite ever. Ii may have forgotten some, its hard to keep track sometimes, but I like the ten I've chosen, so here it is:

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K Rowling
2. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
3. Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
4. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
5. Looking For Alaska - John Green
6. The City of Ember - Jeanne DuPrau
7. Alice In Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
8. Player One - Douglas Coupland
9. The Crystal Skull - Manda Scott
10. The Great Gatsby - Scott Fitzgerald

With my ever growing pile of books to read, and me continually adding to this pile by buying new books every few weeks, I'll hopefully have read a whole heap of new books by this time next year, and perhaps find some new books to add to this list.