I voted for you. My father has this theory that if he buys some stock it immediately goes down the toilet, because he has the doomed touch. So maybe it's genetic. Maybe I have the doomed touch too. Next time I'll vote for someone else okay?

No - no. I need all the cursed touches like yours I can get. Fourth is encouragement, not failure. Remember those chlorine soaked kids who dream, are crushed, dream, are crushed...that is me.

I voted for you.

I never voted. But I've a good excuse. I was pre-occupied with defining standards for non-blogging unblogging commentary commenting relative linking tagged stuff... so...

Next question?

<small><small>I feel quilty, particularly after your call to arms</small></small>

I wasn't eligible.

I voted for you too!

Alan, think about how Mr. Second must feel.

Umm...about 100% better than me?!?!<p>Good thing I didn't leverage any debt on my expectations of the outcome.

Just in case you are wondering - the Gen X at 40 flag is the one shown at this post.

Welcome to the crowd. Imagine how I feel losing out to two sailors!

I like the flag, but what about the aforementioned anthem? Can you post the lyrics, or is it strictly instrumental?

Hmmm...what is the Gen X at 40 anthem...anthems must be from the teen years...teen anthem from 25 years ago...1980..."London Calling"???...no, too grand and comprehending...perhaps something from the Undertones <i>Hypnotised</i>...gotta be "There Goes Norman".<p><a href="images/movies/02 There Goes Norman.wma">Here is a .wma file of it [2.2 MB]</a>...and here are the lyrics:<blockquote class="smalltext">Oh watch a man - there goes Norman<br>
He'll get you if he can - there goes Norman<br>
He's always hiding in the dark<br>
Be sure to wander past the park at night<p>

Oh what a surprise - there goes Norman<br>
He'll poke out your eyes - there goes Norman<br>
he never let's himself be heard<br>
Too busy running after girls at night<p>

There goes Norman<br>
There goes Norman<br>

Mother tell me what can I do ?<br>
The girls are laughing they're very cruel<br>
Don't worry Norman your time'll come<br>
And you can mean them and bring them home<p>

He's out to night - there goes Norman<br>
He'll slain tonight - there goes Norman<br>
meanwhile the cops are on the heat<br>
Cos Norman's waiting in the street tonight<p>

There goes Norman<br>
There goes Norman</blockquote>I think the best reason for "There Goes Norman" to be the anthem is that it is about a creepy older guy being watched by kids, the kids I used to be among when I first bought the album. Now I am among the creepy older guys. Similar to the Madness song "In the Middle of the Night". Feargal Sharkey had the best angsty teen voice and the frantic straight guitars framed the real point of the band, bopping of the bass and drums. It is as happy a song about a creepy older guys as there was and a good guarantee for po-going. Nice feedback tail-off. Music of the spheres for teen nerd boys.

I for one think 4th place is very respectable, and am proud to be associated with Gen X at 40 through the august body know as the Great Lakes League of Bloggers.

Party on, Alan!

P.S. Mr. Marmite is mailing you a congratulatory parcel tomorrow.

Respectable? I suppose I am well-known for my ingratitude. If this package is good enough, can I send Mr. Marmite tapes of my punk lps? It's about the right age, isn't it? I mean I was 14 when I got the Sex Pistols. Time for some spiked hair and a faked foul-mouthed east-end London accent, isn't it. Ah, the boyhood teen years...

You need a better PR Team. Hire the one that managed to convince the Oscar voters that Shakespeare in Love was a better choice for the 1998 Best Picture Oscar than Saving Private Ryan.

Mr. Marmite's only 11, but he's a fast-tracker. We've been playing rock'n'roll trivia with him for years (he gets a quarter for every correctly answered question). Sort of like the Home School of Rock.

In our opinion, mastering major musical genres and trends of the last 40 years is at least as important, not to mention as useful, as any of the stuff they teach in schools.

Your comment reminded me it's high time I broke out my Public Image tapes for his approval.

And if Robert sees this, he'll blow me in for having a faked London accent for about two years after I returned from my supposed junior year semester abroad (which stretched to three years).

But I do come by my foul mouth honestly.

OK, then, you make the call, guys, and The Stranglers will be shipped. Work him in with some ska maybe.