Results tagged “music” from Birmingham Post - Lifestyle Blog

So, it's 50 bumps for my old mate michael jackson, self-proclaimed king of pop. Meanwhile, former monarch of all things shakin', elvis presley, has been a-mouldering in the grave for 30 years. Both have been on my mind this week since they have "new" records out.

I love getting stuff through the post, I stockpile books so I always have poorly-wrapped second hand novels dropping through the letterbox. So much so that the cleverer of the two cats has decided it definitely won't sit on the mat, despite what cliché might say. I haven't been looking forward to a letter from Virgin Media though, because despite my best efforts I'm sure I've downloaded something I shouldn't over the past few years.

It's normal for people who write about illegal downloading to give all sorts of reasons why the record companies are out of touch, out of time, monolithic and wrong, to say that piracy actually results in more sales not less ­ and then say that, of course, they buy all their music legally from iTunes. I won't, I'll admit that sometimes I've download albums, the odd TV or radio show and once ­ because I was absolutely desperate to watch a film involving penguins yet to reach the UK - a whole film. The film took ages and wasn't worth it, it was obviously recorded on a camcorder, the colours were washed out and someone went out for a wee right during a crucial squawk.

So this week I was expecting to be notified of the first of my "three strikes", with a kindly letter reminding me of the illegality of downloading, advice to keep my wifi connection secure and informing me that Feargal Sharkey was on to us.

What links that highly-publicised missed penalty for Man U in Barcelona (by Ronaldo, above) and the number of girls taking up the harp?

Stereotyping.

I come from a generation who actually knew the original meaning of the word. It was a mechanical way of reproducing exact copies (usually illustrations) for print and publishing operations.