I'm back, and I'm sorry...

I know it's been a long time but, honest, I ran outta gas. I had a flat tyre. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from outta town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locust's. It wasn't my fault!!

How is everyone? It's been a long time since I last entered the world that is blog but Christmas being Christmas I was busy with the usual parties, families and Christmas cakes, puddings and food in general. Since then things have settled down a bit but our lovely new wireless internet at home has, when it's actually working at all, been doing it's best impression of an early 90's dial-up connection. So I'm sorry that it's taken so long to actually write anything. My Christmas was good, caught up with a lot of friends and was wonderful to see all the Coles clan briefly back in Britain. Got some great presents (the 'Conversations with Bono' book is highly recommended) and got to spend some time with my family, my girlfriend and my friends which was all good.

The new years really been and gone and various lists of top 5's of the year that have been appearing all over the various blogs (although strangely as far as I'm aware only on the ones written by the male bloggers) and there's no need for any more. Then again, there's probably no real reason to add any more blog entries in this blogful world but that hasn't stopped anyone so here are my top 5's of 2005:

Music:
For me, it's not been a great year for albums. A lot of bands have written some good singles and some of the albums I've listened to most were actually released in 2004 and just slowly burnt their way into my life in 2005. That said, my top 5 albums of 2005 are:
1. Come on and feel the illinoise - Sufjan Stevens
2. Get Behind Me Satan - The White Stripes
3. You Could Have It So Much Better - Franz Ferdinand
4. The Back Room - Editors
5. Employment - The Kaiser Chiefs

And my top 5 songs of 2005:
1. Fix You - Coldplay
2. Sometimes you can't make it on your own - U2
3. My Doorbell - The White Stripes
4. Photograph - Jamie Cullum
5. I bet you look good on the dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
Now I'm not saying these are the best albums or songs in terms of musicianship, but they are the ones I've listened to the most and the songs/ albums that have meant something to me, or excited me over the last year.
As for the worst, most annoying music of the year, for the first time in years someone has supplanted the consistently evil westlife. Congratulations James Blunt, I didn't think it was possible to mix the sheer crapness of westlife, the whinyness of David Gray and the lyrical shallowness of the pussycat dolls, but you managed it. May your huge advertising royalties provide some sort of comfort as you lie in bed knowing that you annoy as many people as seem to, for no logical reason whatsoever, buy your records.

Film:
Again, not a great year for films. There's some films I've enjoyed at the time but will never watch again (the lion the witch and the wardrobe, King Kong). There's some films that have been huge disappointments (King Kong again) but unlike with the albums and songs my top 5 of last year is actually fairly easy to write:
1. Batman Begins
2. Sin City
3. Crash
4. Serenity
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Of course, with a new trilogy Star Wars film coming out it was going to be difficult for any other film to win the prestigious honour of most disappointing film of 2005. That didn't stop many trying, with special mention going to the Fantastic 4 which only managed to stay ahead of Star Wars by having Jessica Alba appear in various states of 'highly amusing and embarrassing' undress as she came to terms with her invisibility powers (having mastered these though, I fear for the sequel). So despite other films best efforts, and despite revenge of the sith being easily the best of the new trilogy, it still is so disappointing to see a star wars film bereft of humour, character and any lasting sense of excitement that only this film could rightly be named the most disappointing film of 2005.

TV:
Unlike film and music, this year has been a wonderful year for television. I watched lots of this on DVD so to say some of it is the best of 2005 may be unfair, but this was the year that the west wing came back from its disappointing 5th season. It was the year of Doctor Who's return. But most of all it was the year that I discovered Scrubs. Therefore my top 5 are:
1. Scrubs (all 4 and a bit seasons of which I've seen for the first time this year)
2. The West Wing Season 6 (and beginning of series 7)
3. Doctor Who
4. QI
5. 24 Season 4.
And the worst thing on TV? Anything with the word celebrity in the title or that includes a public phone vote.

Other 2005 Stuff:
I'm not going to get into any top 5's here, but there are some things worth mentioning about 2005. The Make Poverty History campaign and Live8 concert is something that will stand out in my memory, as is the incredible U2 concert I went to in June.
2005 was also the year I left Scotland to return to London where things seem to go from good to better at the moment.
2005, as ever, was also a year that I managed to get over excited about some stuff that, in retrospect, wasn't really worth it (see the Hitchhikers movie and Star Wars posts for evidence of this!).
My sister and my best friend got married, I only moved house twice (which isn't bad going for me) and I got a real, proper, grown up job.

So that was 2005. Let's hope that 2006 is a great one, which so far, it has been. Already there's been an album that eclipses all of last years, the arctic monkeys - 'Whatever people say I am, that's what I'm not' which will probably be confirmed today as the biggest selling debut album ever. If you've not heard them (and where have you been if you haven't?) they're a Sheffield band that write lyrics like Jarvis Cocker, write music somewhere between the strokes, the futureheads, franz ferdinand and the libertines and are as exciting as Oasis were when definitely maybe first showed up.
And 2006 has also already got a contender for the funniest quote of the year. Lizzy, like her sister Jenny (whose 30th was happily celebrated this Friday) has a tendency to mix up their sayings whenever they try. Please post what you think she was actually trying to say when she uttered the immortal phrase: "there's no point snogging a dead donkey".

I promise to post more often this coming year. Honest!