top 20 alternative albums - as rated by spin magazine's alternative record guide

ramones
ramones

public enemy
it takes a nation of millions to hold us back

velvet underground
the velvet underground & nico

husker du
zen arcade

nirvana
nevermind

patti smith
horses

big star
radio city

rem
murmur

sonic youth
daydream nation

x
wild gift

madonna
the immaculate collection

wire
pink flag

funkadelic
one nation under a groove

neil young
tonight's the night

gang of four
entertainment

pavement
slanted and enchanted

buzzcocks
singles going steady

modern lovers
the modern lovers

x-ray spex
germfree adolescents

blondie
parallel lines

how many do you have?

It's a Thursday night. That's about halfway between basketball practice on Tuesday night, and playing the game on Saturday morning. A little more than halfway actually. I'm aware of it moving past half way between practice and the game.

There's a line in T.S. Eliot's lovesong of j alfred prufrock, something like:

i have measured my life in coffee spoons

Since 13 or so, every winter, I have measured my life by basketball. The rhythm of practice and game, practice and game. Thinking how many days to one or the other. And then on the day, how many hours to go. That in 8 hours, or 2 hours, I'll be playing. I don't really visualise how I'll be playing, it's more I bask in the knowledge that I will be playing soon. It keeps me sane sometimes.

It's official. The weather in New Zealand has changed over the past 20 years. In general it's got warmer. Some parts wetter, some drier. And Wellington has got windier. This has been in the media today, as a study has just come out. Those who did the study are stopping short of blaming global warming, but I suspect that's more to do with the arcane hoops scientists go through in the pursuit of truth, rather than the fact that it isn't true!

I've noticed the changes though. The cycle of the seasons has changed. It doesn't seem as cold. The southerlies aren't as intense, and the northerlies come more often. They aren't changes I like.

One day Deb and I will go and live in New England for a year at least. I want to have four distinct seasons. I want snow on the ground and a white Christmas and leaves turning and falling in autumn.

The last week has been drifting a bit. In a rut. Sleep, work, home, baby. Spending too much time at the computer. Not listening to enough music. Not breathing enough fresh air. I've been thinking of starting to cycle into work each day. Been over two years since I did that.

Life passes by quickly sometimes.