robwoolford.com

I should perhaps start by saying it’s been a while since I’ve “blogged” on this website. I’ve had robwoolford.com nearly a year now, a year next week infact, but when September came around so did my 3rd year of uni so I’ve really had to knuckle down. And knuckle down I have done. But I just wrote a lengthy e-mail to my dad about boxing day, and I’m going to share the same story with here. Basically, a good friend of mine works at Sunderland football club and supports Manchester United (as I do). His bosses said if he made his way up here on boxing day with his dad, they’d take us around on a tour and stuff… so we did. Here’s the story in a bit more detail… (more…)

A couple of brilliant hip hop albums to fill your digital stockings.

First off, Lupe Fiasco, who follows up the highly-acclaimed “Food & Liquor” with “The Cool”. Personally I think “The Cool” is a much better LP than Lupe’s debut, but at the same time there’s some whack shit on there too. To download click the album cover below.

Secondly, Joe Budden, who finally puts out some new material in the shape of “Mood Muzik 3″. I’m a big Budden fan and MM3 is as good as MM2 once you give it a few listens. Stand out tracks include “Send him our Love” (the tribute to Stack Bundles), “Dear Diary” and my personal favourite “All of Me”. Listen carefully to that track. Download the album by clicking on the album cover below.

Merry christmas. Two of the best records of the year drop just a week before Santa’s coming to town. Get them on your Xmas lists if it’s not too late and support these two amazing artists.

I just found this on my travels across the interweb. This is The “Ocean Dome”, the largest indoor water park in the world, located in Miyazaki, Kyushu Island, Japan. The Guiness Book of World records lists it as measuring 300m in length and 100m in width. The temperature is 30 degrees celsius all year round. More impressive is that there is a mini village within the dome containing shops and restaurants. It is basically a sea side resort in a building! Loving the tacky cloud ceiling too… Jokes aside it is very impressive, if I’m ever in Japan it might be on my list of things to visit.

There’s something about architecture in forests that really impresses me. Perhaps it’s the fact that the houses look better surrounded by trees and vegetation than they do tarmac and cars? Whatever it is this tree house, designed by Steven Isaacs and Lisa Saville, is a great example of how we should be building houses. Instead of ploughing down forests we should be making environmentally friendly properties - and no, I don’t mean we should all live in tree houses with squirrels as pets.

Back to the house… A retention of a 30-meter-high eucalyptus rises through the rear and forms a frame to the treetop. Other eco-friendly traits on offer include the home’s butterfly roof that provides shade, draws in morning light and channels rainwater into 9000-liter water tanks. Supplies are used for toilets, laundry and garden.

Some photos from Kanye West last week. I won’t go into the story but for a number of reasons it wasn’t the most enjoyable gig I’ve ever been to, however, it was without a doubt the best live show I have ever seen - be it football, theatre, whatever… Kanye put on a show that was out of this world. Common and the GOOD music family were in support… Common put on a performance equally as brilliant and gripping as Mr West meaning I went home having seen two of my favourite acts for the price of one. My camera and phone both died when I got to Notts so props to Lizzie (a girl we met at the show) for letting me steal her photos.

I toyed with doing an in-depth review of the show but if you cared that much you would have got yourself to one of the gigs. “Hey Mama” was without a doubt the song of the night, and I was fighting back tears for the first time in years. Kanye rolled through atleast 30 songs (somehow) so I couldn’t pick out any other highlights, they were all outstanding if I’m being honest.