A couple of articles from The Atlantic on Elvis Presley.
Another one, from Spiked.

I like this, well, it's a list isn't it. Lots of peoples favourite lyrics. Some of em are barking.

Talking of barking....Burning Man

There has been a bit of a hoo hah this week about class and how we define ourselves. It seems lots of people define themselves as working class even though they are not horny handed sons of toil, nowhere near in fact. For years I have heard people say there is no such thing as class, but in Britain notions of it seem to be ingrained deeply into ones psyche. Most people who claim a classless society have never suffered ridicule on account of poor confidence and an incomprehensible accent I imagine.
In terms of education, I suppose I have moved away from my class origins; in terms of income and geography I haven't. I earn about the same as a postman and significantly less than a train driver. Most people of my aquaintance consider me a snob though, mainly because I don't shop at ASDA and I read the Guardian. Mind you back in Brum I was the same but without a degree and post grad and vocational qualifications, and no one thought I was a snob. They just thought I was a twat.
Anyway, Roy Greenslade writes well on the subject. I find the bit about not being accepted by the working or middle class quite resonant. Not that I would want to be accepted by the middle class; I despise the bastards, but his general point is good.

Postcards of American Motels. Beautiful.

Birmingham v Blackburn tomorrow. Our first home game of the new era, but I cannot get very excited and I don't know why. Lots of people are assuming we will win and I can't figure that out at all. Last time we were in the same division they beat us twice, the second time in an absolutely vital game and they did us basically. I think they have moved on apace since then, I am not sure we have, even though the team and management have changed. Good news for us that Jansen is crocked; that only leave the likes of Cole, Yorke, Tugay, Duff, Dunn, Hignett, Mahon and Grabbi to worry about, not that they will all be playing, but you see my point. I suspect that Berg and Short spent their formative years having wet dreams about the prospect of facing someone like Horsfield in the premier league. I expect it to be quite dull, roll on the half time raffle.
I should have a soft spot for Blackburn but I haven't. For a start it's not Manchester. Moreover we have them to thank for Howard Kendall (sort of) our greatest manager, Jim Smith and Mick Rathbone (they took him off us). There is Alan Ainscow as well, but I think he might just have a sort of north west thing going. Not forgetting Howard Gayle whose greatest achievement was very bravely shagging the daughter of Ron Saunders (our worst ever manager), he was involved with Blackburn somewhere along the line. My gaffer is from Blackburn and I hate the fucking bitch, so I suppose we will lose so she can carry on with the ritual humiliation.

For such a big and important game many people were surprised that yesterday 2000 tickets were still on sale. I wasn't. Days after our play off win new prices were announced which were surprisingly high. There was some debate on the message boards with the consensus being we were now up among the big boys, mixing with a better class of person and would have to pay. That's supporters with internet access for you, money no object. The consensus was, if you are not prepared to pay, fuck off, regardless of maybe decades following them through thin and thinner; the market rules and if you can't afford it you don't belong anyway.
Some good people tried to argue that familys with kids would struggle, anyone on a low income would struggle and that some compassion might be in order. But no. Especially on Planet Blues which used to be the best of all message boards regardless of team but is now populated by shallow office workers indulging in poor parodies of Ricky Gervais banter. Our loyal and articulate internet supporters said fuck the hoi polloi, we don't like em they stink the place up; we like the new prices, keeps the place clean for the likes of us. Let the market decide.
Well the market is thinking about it. I have no doubt the game will be sold out tomorrow. I also have no doubt there will be empty seats, left vacant by season ticket holders who will be there when we play Manchester United or Chelsea or Arsenal.
I wonder how the market will respond if we lose a few. As suspected all along, tickets are going to be easy to get hold of outside of about 6 games.