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The Persistence of MySpace
A correspondent alerted me to the fact that MySpace is still there, and the page for the ElectroPlankton Quartet is still there and you can still listen to our special, only, performance at Interesting 2007.
Walking Football
I started playing Walking Football a few weeks ago. I've always been more of a football player than a fan and I've always assumed that eventually I'd have to stop due to failing eyesight/knees/ability to move. It's excellent fun. All the satisfactions of a kick-around, none of the muscle tearing.
But it's also fascinating culturally. It's really made me conscious that I'm entering a demographic. I was welcomed into walking football by an outreach worker. The club is funded, in part, to tackle social isolation. I've spent most of my life as a person of total privilege; white, straight, male, middle-aged is the default setting for most organisations, starting to slip out the back end of some of that is illuminating.
It's also interesting being around something that's still nascent, still codifying.
The FA have recently started moving their tanks into position, using rule standardisation as a way to draw Walking Football into their ambit. A classic, old school power play. You can feel the various clubs bristling and unsure how to react. Being able to agree the rules for tournaments would be useful, on the other hand, we like our rules, they're what we play. It's localism vs globalism. AFC Wimbledon v MK Dons. Fascinating.
And my immediate thought was of naked capitalism - there's a Rapha opportunity here. Older men with money to spend on kit who can't be arsed with bikes. Make some t-shirts Russ, you'll clean up. But. Couldn't be bothered. I just like playing.
Anyway.