The Opinionated Diner

Moods for Moderns Just made contact again with one of my first net buddies, Danielle. Way back in early days of the net, I felt as if a new world had opened to me, and (we are talking pre-www) mailing lists...the email variety... were quite a wonder. In fact, email itself was quite a revalation and a life changing revolution. I used to tell people about this amazing thing I'd discovered and they'd look at me as if I was some sort of bloody idiot (don't say a word please). Anyway, those of us in the know felt like some sort of elite, like we had a special secret. The first mailing list I joined was an acid jazz list, lots of trainspotting and I think I was one of two New Zealanders (the other was my buddy Nigel Horrocks). Shortly after I signed up for the Elvis Costello one. I'd been a fan since 1977, when I first heard the first snarl of "Less Than Zero" on the Bunch of Stiffs album I'd been sent by my ex-girlfriend in London, more or less, since then I've been a completist, even the crappy bits and pieces that we've had to endure in recent years. I even got to meet the bugger a few years back (and did a phone interview)..didn't like him at all but you never like your heroes (although I reckon I'd have got on with Joe Strummer...I'll just pause now to wipe a tear...) Anyway, there was also another New Zealander on the Costello list (and believe me I really got to know anorak level trainspotting on that list...I used to wonder what all these strange letters were in the posts..it took me a while to figure out that they were shorthand for albums and songs..I mean, what else would TAWTWMRS mean but "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes"). That was (the kiwi, not the anorak wearer, just to clarify) Danielle, and although we never really got to know each other, we did.....online. And then she went off to the USA, got married and the moment when we communicated was gone. So the point of all this is that, through the beauty of the ever evolving and still (despite the best efforts of the corporates) untamed net, we've touched base again, and she has a great blog. And that is the point of this whole post...a shameless, no strings, plug for shake that cola drag