Dedication this Sunday.

Well, nearly 8 months after we tried to do it the first time, this Sunday at 10am at Carmel Church, Plymouth, Rocky is going to be dedicated. That means that Alex and I will be making serious promises to God that we will try to raise Rocky right and raise him to know and understand our faith.

If you are reading this as a friend and you would like to come, you're more than welcome and there's going to be a buffet afterwards.

Silly McCain Gaffes

So, in any political campaigns, you want some gaffes. Not controversial statements that candidates should not have said, but proper flat out silliness and malapropisms. McCain is pulling ahead in these states.

This is fun. Especially Palin's reaction.



But this is just perfect. Bravo Senator McCain.

Going to see sigur ros. WOO HOO

Just found this video of a recent sigur ros concert, which is just getting me giddy again about seeing them next month. Even though Sæglópur isn't one of my most favourite sigur ros songs, this is awesome.

Happy Birthday to Rocky

A year ago yesterday, Rocky joined the family. We're still both amazed by that.

Anyway, he celebrated his first birthday with a massive teething bout which left him uncomfortable and puke-y. But he likes his new toys and birthdays can only get better.

Feist on Sesame Street

Ant, a friend from uni, sent me this clip. It is so groovy it should be illegal.

X Factor Ruminations

So the live shows start next week and the final 12 has been announced. Time for some X factor ruminations.

Firstly. Here's something i would like to change. Instead of those who make it to the judges houses being sent home, how about if there was an extra live show where each of the 12 not to be picked by the judges gets 1 chance to sing live, the winner of the popular vote gets a people's wildcard entry into the final 12 and then you have a double eviction the week after.

Anyway, that's never going to happen, so lets stay in the real world. Most of the final 12 was predictable. Felt a bit sorry for Hannah who is clearly a great singer although a little scary. Which is probably why she wasn't picked. Was commenting to alex that this year there seemed to be a lot less camp-ery going on, until JLS did that silly foot move on the 'we're in the finals' close up. (At which point it might be interesting to note that Eton Road are still going, although Anthony the high pitched one has gone solo and so has his replacement and Same Difference World is here)

So it all seems like it might be a bit less panto this year. Although we're already sick of the crying.

Time for some predictions.

Out by big band week...

Daniel Evans - The one who looks scarily like Ricky Gervais. Good backstory but dull voice.

Scott Bruton - Odds on to get caught in the karioke trap trying to make an impression with a song that's too big for him.

Girlband - Often a group goes early. JLS are more talented, Bad Lashes have a better name and probably a bit more personality.

Muddled Middle...

Eoghan Quigg - Will get votes for being cute, but is too young.

Laura White - Her X factor is that she is very 'now' in a Duffy/winehouse/adele sort of way. Has talent but might not connect with public.

Bad Lashes - Glad they beat Desire. May well fall for the same trap Hope did last year of trying to be too sexy too soon. Two things they (and girlband) need to remember. 1) Mums and daughters votes win x-factor not nuts readers. 2) On a similar theme, you have to be both sugar and babe, both spice and girl, both banana and rama, if you really want to be a successful girl group. 

JLS - Guaranteed to get picked a rubbish song by Louis at some point in the competition.

Top Five...

Rachel Hylton - Who will either blow it or make the final. But has the talent to make the final.

Ruth Lorenzo - Who was stunning in both bootcamp and judge's houses auditions, but needs to be careful not to overplay the spanish card.

Diana Vickers - Who we like and will probably vote for.

Austin Drage - Because Simon Cowell says so.

And the winner will be...

Alexandra Burke - Couple of reasons for this. Firstly, the tone of what they seem to be looking for is female and soul this year. All through the auditions, that's what's really been doing it. Secondly, when it comes to the final few weeks, you need to crack open the big songs, and she's got a voice that can handle big songs. Thirdly, she's probably more consistent and at least as determined as the others in the top 5. Fourthly, the editors of the X Factor seem to think she's the favourite. Last person to perform and last person to be put through on the Judges Houses programme = First person you remember.

So, we'll see how desperately wrong these predictions are. We didn't get Leon at all last year, so what do we know? 

So, although we'll probably vote for Diana, I think Alexandra can probably beat anyone in a straight out sing off.

fivethirtyeight.com

With the US presidential race very much in mind at the moment, a really good resource for daily comment and opinion polls is fivethirtyeight.com

The people who run it started off doing detailed baseball statistics, so it's politics, but with from a sport's geek angle. As such, it's excellent, detailed and entertaining.

And for those who are wondering, if the election were tomorrow, fivethirtyeight say Obama would have an 87% chance of winning.

Big crisp alert

In what seems to becoming a regular feature of this blog, Alex found this hula hoop in her packet last saturday and she let me eat it after we'd taken a photo. Greater love hath no woman...

Climbing upstairs

Rocky can now climb upstairs as long as one of us is supporting his bottom. This is both scary and brilliant. He is also learning more and more about the art of a strop when he doesn't get his way. However, like a good Travers, he's learning to wear his heart on his sleeve so it's usually fairly easy to tell the difference between strop and something more important.

The Hurlers / Cheeserings

Had a day off yesterday, so decided to enjoy the gorgeous weather and take the boy down into Cornwall for a walk. We went to a place known as either the Hurlers or the Cheeserings or both. It's just by the little village of Minions, which makes me laugh because I used to have a year 9 group that called themselves 'Travers'es Minions' for a while.

Anyway, we walked, saw horses and rocky climbed up his first hill before we decided it was all a little windy and came home. But if you're ever in that part of Cornwall, you should go because it's stunning.

Matt

I'm not sure that there are many reasons to read the Daily Telegraph. However, for many years, since the days I would sit in the school library at lunchtime and read the paper, I have been an admirer of their front page cartoonist, Matt. Wry, gentle and English to the core, Matt finds most of his humour in everyday people's reactions to the news events of the world. As such, today's cartoon is a fantastic example of his work.