White like milk.

Hello everyone,

I'm slowly migrating posts from this blog to my new blog and in the mean time I'm going to switch off the comments function as I won't be responding to stuff here, I'll be responding to stuff on my new blog.

Make sure you update your bookmarks & catch up with stuff over there!

See you soon!

Ben.x

I once took communion in a little church somewhere small, somewhere remote when I was younger (helps keep it all a bit abstract) and instead of using Ribena (which they'd run out of) they used really diluted blackcurrant jelly.

Needless to say, it set in the weeny thimbles they were served in and to take it fingers had to be inserted and rude slurpy noises made.

Still makes me smile.

This made me laugh like a drain.

Maybe it's a "living in Birmingham" thing for people to take the mick out of Deirdre, so many people seem to do it. Or maybe it's just the Brum Bloggers...

It's official: the Selly sausage in Selly Oak is one of the top ten places in the UK to get breakfast.

They do awesome breakfasts.

When working at the Guild of Students many a happy one to one meeting/birthday lunch/team meeting/any excuse we had was spent at the Selly.

Well done on featuring on the list!

Here's what the Guardian wrote:

The Selly's homemade pancakes (from £3.15) - topped, American-style, with endless combinations of bacon, maple syrup, fresh fruit or Nutella - are legendary among Birmingham's student population. This quirky independent insists on quality basics, too. If you go for the big breakfast (£4.80), rest assured you will find HP sauce on the table and Heinz beans on your plate.
• Opens 8am; 9am weekends; prices from 75p. 539-541 Bristol Road, Selly Oak, Birmingham, +44 (0)121 471 4464; www.sellysausage.co.uk

Just so people don't try to claim that I got this wisdom from turning 30 in a few weeks time I wanted to demonstrate I'd already had the thought...

I'm actually quite optimistic about my 30's. I used to be quite traumatised by it. Turning 20 was weird, turning 25 was also odd. I used to refer to 30 as social death. Within the gay community (whatever that means) there's a sense that young=best/attractive. I've chatted to some younger gay guys and they refer to 30 as old. One said "I don't know many old people, you know, your age Ben". Which usually gives me the impulse to go and kill myself.

I can confirm for the younger people amongst my readers, 30 isn't social death. I know plenty of 30somethings who are very social. And I won't be confining myself once I turn 30. I imagine I'm going to continue with my book group and my film group.

In my 20's I did all my dream jobs (teaching & theatre company) and that was fun. Didn't put money in my bank or food on my table but you can get away with doing that in your 20's. There's stuff I did in my 20's I just can't get away with any more.

Am now working on finding out what my new dreams are and making those happen. And it's nice that I don't think of dreams as being something I have to do during my working hours. Most of the really interesting stuff happens outside of my working hours.

This is a two for one offer in the things that make me cry.

Good music coupled with good writing.

It's the episode from Scrubs series one where JD has to deal with an old lady dying. She's ready to go but he's not really ready to let her go.

Kathryn Joosten will probably crop up a few times more when we eventually turn to all the episodes of the west wing that reduce me to a weepy mess. Here she plays a delightful old lady who reminds us that being mortal isn't so bad. And the way she offers a simple moment of grace to JD by hugging him. So lovely.

So here's a thought for the creative types in the city to mull over.

I was talking at work to a colleague about the Welcome Wagon service that's available across the USA & Canada.

Welcome Wagon is a nationwide business who contacts new homeowners after relocation, providing them with coupons and advertisements from local businesses.

I was wondering if there'd be a slightly more British/Brum expression of this sort of idea.

Companies across the city could contribute "things" rather than just coupons and it'd be a great way to meet your new neighbours.

Usually when you move you've done a bit of research to find out more about where you're moving to but getting a personal reccomendation would be much better.

People often complain about a lack of community spirit or of feeling isolated from their neighbours.

Does Birmingham need a welcome wagon? Could the community/council support this kind of project?

My last fm profile is here: http://www.last.fm/user/Benjaminbrum

Feel free to have a bit of a browse around... if you're on last.fm feel free to add me as a friend.

What I was wanting was this:

Are there songs you think everyone should hear before they die?

What are they?

Suggest them below and I'll have a listen.

And it can be anything. I'll tell you if I've already heard it or not.

This is quite an easy list for me so I'll crack on with number two.

This is a scene from the TV series Brothers and Sisters. (Awesome show)

Here we see Kevin propose to Scotty.

You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be moved.

I was thinking about starting a new series of posts regarding things that make me cry.

I know there's several things out there that do make me cry but I've never collected them together. I often wonder what the shape of something will be in the process of collecting them together.

This will mainly end up being TV, film and music I imagine as I tend not to break down looking at art. Am open to that experience but I've not had it happen yet.

So here's number one:

Angels in America.

It's this section particularly that makes me cry. Around 4 mins 30.
*wipes eyes*

I love how they destroy the reality of the show and talk directly to the audience. And I love the message of hope tinged with sadness. The programme is beautiful and the stage play is wonderful but doesn't get staged often.

I've seen that scene many many times and it never loses it's impact on me.