I like to try a different newspaper on a Saturday. It's usually one of big English papers such as the Guardian, Times, or Telegraph with enough sections to keep me reading for most of the week.
Last week I went for The Daily Telegraph. An article called “100 Songs That Defined the Decade” caught my eye.
Ah yes, a chance to remember some of the songs that saw us through the Celtic Tiger days and out the other side. I wondered how many of the songs I would recognise, as I have not been taking too much notice of what's been going on in the charts for a few years now.
I'm afraid names like Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, DJ Pied, And The Master Of Ceremonies or Eric Prydz mean nothing to me, but they all have made it into the Top 100. There are about 40 in total that I've never heard of, which does not help when it comes to the music round in a pub quiz.
Our Irish bands and singers don't make much of an impression, with U2 the only representative. They make the number 14 spot with 'Beautiful Day'. The list is not of the best or biggest selling songs, but of the ones that you find yourself humming on the street or in the shower.
'Is This The Way To Amarillo' is there, along with 'Hallelujah', a song that has been murdered by numerous singers over the years. I first heard it sung in Cleeres by local singer Stephen Murphy and thought it was a great song at the time. Now it Is one that has me switching radio stations whenever I hear another version of the song.
Kylie, Johnny Cash, Coldplay, and The Arctic Monkeys make it into the top 10, so what is Number 1? It's ‘Rehab’ by Amy Winehouse, according to The Telegraph.
“They tried to make me go to Rehab, but I said no, no, no” she sings. There it is, the top song of the last 10 years is about going in to dry out after a drink and drugs binge, but it is a good tune, almost as good as 'Is This the Way To Amarillo?'
Another list
As I said, there's enough reading in these Saturday newspapers to get you through the whole week. The Telegraph has another list called ‘50 things that are being killed by the internet’. I've given my opinion before on Facebook, Twitter, and all the other sites that are out there wasting our time. How often do you go into a shop or office and see someone busily typing away at a computer screen? You can be fairly sure that it's probably Facebook or some holiday site that is up on the screen.
Some of the items on ‘50 things that are being killed by the internet’ include:
Letter writing
I cannot remember when I last got a 'real' letter.' ESB bills, bank statements, and junk mail are not real letters. The e-mail has replaced the real thing.
Watches
I had given up wearing a watch long before the internet arrived, but the mobile phone, although not as classy looking as a watch, gives me all the time updates I need.
Photo albums
We all have hundreds of family photos lying in boxes at home, but now most of our photos are sitting on a computer. You can call me old fashioned, but having files of photos on the computer is not the same thing.
Sports results
I remember when we used to wait on High Street on a Saturday evening for the late edition of the Evening Press or Herald. The front page had a section where the English football results were typed in, hot off the presses. They say that we are never more than a few yards away from a rat. The same can be said for the iPod and there is always someone ready to check it and give the latest score, whether you want to hear it or not..
Reading telegraphs/cards at weddings
An e-mail from Tommy in Thailand or Breda on Bondi Beach is not the same as the old wedding card, but I suppose you can argue that it is more environmentally friendly.
News while on holiday
A foreign holiday used to mean no news from home for a week or fortnight, but now it is hard to go even a couple of days without heading into an internet cafe to get the latest update on NAMA or your almost worthless bank shares.
Respect for doctors and other professionals
The internet must be heaven for any hypochondriacs. You can diagnose every itch and cough and then go along to the doctor and tell him or her what you think is wrong.
Trust in Nigerian businessmen
And finally, either they are the most generous nation in the world or else have the highest number of con artists. The amount of money I have been offered from various Nigerians must run into tens of millions at this stage. All I have to do, it seems, is just send on my bank details and untold riches will be deposited into my account. So far I've resisted the temptation, all that money might not be good for me.
