I passed my second grading today, and got my orange belt. Although I did a lot more than my yellow belt grading it didn't seem as hard, perhaps because I had an idea of what was coming this time. I have another lesson tomorrow, but hopefully it'll be something unrelated to the syllabus as I'm sick of doing katas right now.
One thing I forgot to mention in my last post was that on Feb 26th I went to see the incomparable Daniel Kitson. This chap is possibly my all-time favourite comedian, and this is the only the second time I've ever seen him. The first was back at uni, in 2000. I'd never laughed so much in my entire life...until tonight, that is. His humour ranges from the crude (he says c**t more than anyone I've ever known), to the intellectually fulfilling (the guy has a vocabulary the size of Encyclopedia Britannica). Gems included a 10 minute hysterical rant on the dangers of smoking, and a deconstruction of reality TV shows that encourage cruelty, such as Pop Idol:
"What did you do today, daddy?"
"I shattered someone's dreams."
The show was about 2 and a half hours with a break, but I could have listened to him for twice that. Quite simply, Daniel Kitson is a genius and if you get chance to see him live, you need to go. Even if it means stabbing someone in the face with a blunt pencil to get a ticket. I hope I don't have to wait another 6 years to see him again.
A few films I've seen recently:
A History of Violence - excellent little thriller, where a smalltown diner owner (Viggo Mortensen, minus a sword) becomes a hero when he fends off two armed robbers who break in and threaten his staff. This sets off a chain of events that affect him and his family, right up to an interesting and original final scene. Whilst quite gory in places, the film asks questions such as "How much violence is too much?" and "Is it right for good guys to be violent, and bad guys not to be?". I've been deliberately vague about the plot, since even reading the smallest spoiler could ruin it for you. It's well worth watching though.
Rounders - No, sadly not a gratuitous, "no holds barred" look at the all-girl UK team who play the game of the same name; this film's about poker. Not so interested? Well, it'd be a shame to miss out as this one's a treat. Mike (Matt Damon) is a law school student paying his tuition by winning poker games; that is, until he loses everything on one game against a Russian mobster, Teddy KGB (John Malkovich). 9 months on and going straight, his friend and old poker partner Worm (Edward Norton) gets out of prison with debts to pay, and soon drags him back into the game. It's an effective, gripping little comedy-drama with great acting, but Malkovich steals every scene he's in. I've not seen a supporting actor put so much into hamming up a role since Alan Rickman's Sheriff of Nottingham. His accent is ridiculous: what is that? Ukraine? Uzi? Yet, it matters not, because the film is worth watching for him alone.
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Gilly's choice (it has Robert Downey Jr. in it...), this was an entertaining and very funny film noir tribute, complete with narrative. The plot is far too complicated to explain and has more twists than I can remember, but even if you don't fully understand what's going on, you'll still enjoy it.
Timecode - There's not many films I've given up on. Creep was one of them, and that lasted about 45 minutes. With Timecode I managed 26. No, it's not a wacky time-travel film, nor is it about a bomb. If only. This is one of those pretentious "arthouse" movies that look interesting, until you realise that if you keep watching you may actually slip into a coma. The screen is split into 4, similar to the way 24 lays out its different stories. The main difference is that with 24 the scenes that are happening simultaneously are shown on screen together for a maximum of five or six seconds. With Timecode there are 4 different continuous shots of four different stroies going on all the way through the film, with the volume being raised in the section of the screen that the director wants you to pay attention to. When you consider that each of the sections was done in one continuous take with improvisation by the actors all the way through, it all starts to sound impressive. The main problem is that every one of those four stories is deathly dull. They all apparently converge near the end of the film but in order to get the viewer hooked, there needs to be something to grip them. There was nothing. It says something about the state of a film when Salma Hayak making out with another woman still doesn't keep my attention. So there you have it - 26 minutes. Maybe you'll like it and last longer than I did. Good luck to you.
I finished my first Philip K Dick book recently, Vulcan's Hammer. It was an interesting short story (only 150 pages or so), and so I decided to buy a compendium of five more of his best. Should be here in a few weeks. Meanwhile, I've got the last book of Phillip Pullman's series to read (thanks Gilly!) and then I think I may finally start Chainfire by Terry Goodkind. His new one - Phantom - is out in June.
Started playing a really freaky point-and-click adventure today: Sanitarium. When a game's installer gives me the creeps, I know I'm on to something a bit disturbing. 2 chapters in, and it's not bad. The voice acting's a bit dodgy but the general weirdness is refreshing and makes it a lot easier to play than Syberia 2 (which I'm still struggling through).
Right, that's about all for now. After a weekend practicing and then performing Bushido, I'm in need of some gaming time.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Saturday, March 11, 2006
The Passage of Time
Almost two months since my last post...wow. Things have been busy; perhaps a little bit too busy for my liking. So here's a quick summary of the most important things that have happened since I last started typing here.
Ray Meredith, James's father, unfortunately died from a heart attack in February aged 83. A lovely man who I had known for almost 20 years, he will be sadly missed.
Bushido: it looks like my hip is fine, so it's lots of painful stretching that is needed in order for me to kick higher. I went to a weapons seminar last weekend and did 4 hours of bo staff training which was good fun, although my left leg decided it didn't want to work too well for the next couple of days. I've got two weeks until my orange belt grading, and I think I should be OK, but lots of practice and stretching will be needed.
My car cost £250 to get through the MOT. But it's still alive, thankfully. I really can't afford another car at present. I may even get round to washing it sometime. After 3 years without a soap sud near it, even the birds are giving it a wide berth.
Gilly is appearing in Iolanthe at Portsmouth's New Theatre Royal on the 15th-18th March. I'll be there for the final night. Go and see it (if only to see the costume she's being forced to wear...) ! :o)
Oh yeah, I guess there was the small matter of my birthday in January too. I went up to Castleford to check out Neil's new house with almost a dozen other Miltonites and we went for bowling and a curry in XScape. It's a pretty cool place, there's a bar overlooking an indoor ski slope so you can watch people falling over as you drink your pint. Marvellous.
Wayne and I are both trying to brush up on our writing skills, so I cunningly came up with a writing "challenge" where one person would pick a topic, and we would both then write something around that topic. I chose "Thief" to start with, and you can see my effort by clicking here. It wasn't a bad first attempt, the overall setting could have used some more atmosphere as it basically could have been set anywhere. Wayne chose "The Pilot" as the next topic, and I opted for something a little different. This will probably mean nothing to those of you that don't visit the DVD Forums but I've added it for the sake of inclusivity. This month's topic is "Fairy Tales", and I've got something even more interesting planned. Whether I can pull it off effectively or not is a different matter.
Speaking of writing, I've worked my way through a few books recently. I didn't mention finishing The Dumas Club but it was a good read, and far, far better than the film that was based on it - The Ninth Gate. Since then I've read Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman, and am now onto book 2: The Subtle Knife. I also finally got round to finishing A Feast for Crows, which was a little bit more padded out than George R R Martin's other books, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I assume book 5 will be similar, as it will be building up the story of the other half of the cast which didn't feature in this book. Then hopefully books 6 and 7 will round things off with a bang (when they're published in the year 2020, or something). There was even time to squeeze in The Rule of Four which was little more than a clone of The Da Vinci Code but without the exciting parts. The ending was limp too, but then so was Dan Brown's book. So in that respect at least, it was a successful replica.
From time to time, I even manage to dip into The Complete Calvin and Hobbes which my lovely girlfriend bought me for my birthday. Cartoons never get old. I say "dip", because this collection contains every single cartoon that was published in syndication; 10 years worth of material exquisitely bound into three huge volumes (450+ pages each) and stored in a sturdy illustrated box. Absolutely fantastic - thank you Gilly :o)
On to television...here's the rundown:
24 - Wow. This season kicked off with a stormer of an opening episode, perhaps the most intense yet, and the pace has certainly kept its momentum through the 12 episodes shown so far. Last week's double header (in the US) ended with a jaw-dropper, and nicely set up the remaining half of the series. Ignore the fact that Jack has a pocket teleporter, and enjoy the most exciting series on TV at the minute.
House - After watching the first couple, the show got me hooked. I devoured the first series in the space of a week, and I've now caught up to the current series. As expected, the rest of the cast were developed nicely and there's usually an interesting twist each episode with regards to the personal lives of the staff to keep things bubbling.
The Thick of It - Only seen one episode of this political comedy and the satire was bone dry, unsurprising since it was penned by Armando Iannucci. It's less immediately accessible than Absolute Power but I think, like a good wine, it will mature nicely to give a more rounded flavour in the end.
The IT Crowd - Slated by critics, Channel 4's new geek comedy had me in stitches through the first two episodes but the third and fourth were pretty awful. When you have lines delivered by Chris Morris such as: "That's the kind of place this is, Jen. Lots of people not doing much, and having affairs." then it's hard not to laugh. It's just a shame he's hardly in it.
Lost - Finally getting its act together and realising that back story, whilst necessary, can't actually divert the viewer away from the fact that people are stranded on an island. You can only ignore it for so long. I hope the end of the series actualy gives us something of interest to make up for all the filler.
Alias and Commander-In-Chief are out till April, Prison Break is back on the 20th, Everwood returns next week, and The West Wing resumes tonight, so there's lots to look forward to. Bones is still trundling along in the category of "drama that's worth watching if there's nothing else on", and Joey really needs to get canned as soon as possible. If it makes it to a 3rd series, it will be a disgrace, especially when Firefly didn't even get the benefit of a full run.
Which leads nicely on to Serenity - the DVD sales of which have pushed the film into the black, and made up for its (relatively) poor theatrical release. Good news? Possibly. Fox still own the rights to Firefly so a new series is unlikely. But I don't think fans will want another film if there is any sort of chance of a new series. So I guess it will depend if Fox and Universal discussions take place, which will most likely depend on how Joss's next films (including Wonder Woman) turn out cash-wise.
A few films I've seen recently:
Robots - amusing animation, pretty much carried by Robin Williams, but good fun for a night in.
The I Inside - Decent psychological/time-travel flick in the same mould as The Jacket, but actually better even if it does star Ryan Phillippe, and it has an ending that makes you go back and re-evaluate the little clues that were left for you to find. Well worth watching.
Bushido grading is in two weeks time, so I suppose I better go and get practicing.
Toodlepipski!
Ray Meredith, James's father, unfortunately died from a heart attack in February aged 83. A lovely man who I had known for almost 20 years, he will be sadly missed.
Bushido: it looks like my hip is fine, so it's lots of painful stretching that is needed in order for me to kick higher. I went to a weapons seminar last weekend and did 4 hours of bo staff training which was good fun, although my left leg decided it didn't want to work too well for the next couple of days. I've got two weeks until my orange belt grading, and I think I should be OK, but lots of practice and stretching will be needed.
My car cost £250 to get through the MOT. But it's still alive, thankfully. I really can't afford another car at present. I may even get round to washing it sometime. After 3 years without a soap sud near it, even the birds are giving it a wide berth.
Gilly is appearing in Iolanthe at Portsmouth's New Theatre Royal on the 15th-18th March. I'll be there for the final night. Go and see it (if only to see the costume she's being forced to wear...) ! :o)
Oh yeah, I guess there was the small matter of my birthday in January too. I went up to Castleford to check out Neil's new house with almost a dozen other Miltonites and we went for bowling and a curry in XScape. It's a pretty cool place, there's a bar overlooking an indoor ski slope so you can watch people falling over as you drink your pint. Marvellous.
Wayne and I are both trying to brush up on our writing skills, so I cunningly came up with a writing "challenge" where one person would pick a topic, and we would both then write something around that topic. I chose "Thief" to start with, and you can see my effort by clicking here. It wasn't a bad first attempt, the overall setting could have used some more atmosphere as it basically could have been set anywhere. Wayne chose "The Pilot" as the next topic, and I opted for something a little different. This will probably mean nothing to those of you that don't visit the DVD Forums but I've added it for the sake of inclusivity. This month's topic is "Fairy Tales", and I've got something even more interesting planned. Whether I can pull it off effectively or not is a different matter.
Speaking of writing, I've worked my way through a few books recently. I didn't mention finishing The Dumas Club but it was a good read, and far, far better than the film that was based on it - The Ninth Gate. Since then I've read Northern Lights by Phillip Pullman, and am now onto book 2: The Subtle Knife. I also finally got round to finishing A Feast for Crows, which was a little bit more padded out than George R R Martin's other books, but very enjoyable nonetheless. I assume book 5 will be similar, as it will be building up the story of the other half of the cast which didn't feature in this book. Then hopefully books 6 and 7 will round things off with a bang (when they're published in the year 2020, or something). There was even time to squeeze in The Rule of Four which was little more than a clone of The Da Vinci Code but without the exciting parts. The ending was limp too, but then so was Dan Brown's book. So in that respect at least, it was a successful replica.
From time to time, I even manage to dip into The Complete Calvin and Hobbes which my lovely girlfriend bought me for my birthday. Cartoons never get old. I say "dip", because this collection contains every single cartoon that was published in syndication; 10 years worth of material exquisitely bound into three huge volumes (450+ pages each) and stored in a sturdy illustrated box. Absolutely fantastic - thank you Gilly :o)
On to television...here's the rundown:
24 - Wow. This season kicked off with a stormer of an opening episode, perhaps the most intense yet, and the pace has certainly kept its momentum through the 12 episodes shown so far. Last week's double header (in the US) ended with a jaw-dropper, and nicely set up the remaining half of the series. Ignore the fact that Jack has a pocket teleporter, and enjoy the most exciting series on TV at the minute.
House - After watching the first couple, the show got me hooked. I devoured the first series in the space of a week, and I've now caught up to the current series. As expected, the rest of the cast were developed nicely and there's usually an interesting twist each episode with regards to the personal lives of the staff to keep things bubbling.
The Thick of It - Only seen one episode of this political comedy and the satire was bone dry, unsurprising since it was penned by Armando Iannucci. It's less immediately accessible than Absolute Power but I think, like a good wine, it will mature nicely to give a more rounded flavour in the end.
The IT Crowd - Slated by critics, Channel 4's new geek comedy had me in stitches through the first two episodes but the third and fourth were pretty awful. When you have lines delivered by Chris Morris such as: "That's the kind of place this is, Jen. Lots of people not doing much, and having affairs." then it's hard not to laugh. It's just a shame he's hardly in it.
Lost - Finally getting its act together and realising that back story, whilst necessary, can't actually divert the viewer away from the fact that people are stranded on an island. You can only ignore it for so long. I hope the end of the series actualy gives us something of interest to make up for all the filler.
Alias and Commander-In-Chief are out till April, Prison Break is back on the 20th, Everwood returns next week, and The West Wing resumes tonight, so there's lots to look forward to. Bones is still trundling along in the category of "drama that's worth watching if there's nothing else on", and Joey really needs to get canned as soon as possible. If it makes it to a 3rd series, it will be a disgrace, especially when Firefly didn't even get the benefit of a full run.
Which leads nicely on to Serenity - the DVD sales of which have pushed the film into the black, and made up for its (relatively) poor theatrical release. Good news? Possibly. Fox still own the rights to Firefly so a new series is unlikely. But I don't think fans will want another film if there is any sort of chance of a new series. So I guess it will depend if Fox and Universal discussions take place, which will most likely depend on how Joss's next films (including Wonder Woman) turn out cash-wise.
A few films I've seen recently:
Robots - amusing animation, pretty much carried by Robin Williams, but good fun for a night in.
The I Inside - Decent psychological/time-travel flick in the same mould as The Jacket, but actually better even if it does star Ryan Phillippe, and it has an ending that makes you go back and re-evaluate the little clues that were left for you to find. Well worth watching.
Bushido grading is in two weeks time, so I suppose I better go and get practicing.
Toodlepipski!
Sunday, January 15, 2006
2006!
Another year trundles on. So what have I learned from 2005? Well, natural disasters were the "in" thing for the Earth, which hopefully means that the globe will choose something different for this year's fashion. And of course, the usual nonsense of people killing other people in the name of "religion". Give it a hundred years or two, and the human race might actually start to see sense and abolish the whole notion of religion.
The first thing I've taken from 2006 though is this: Super Size Me is one of the most important documents produced in the 21st Century thus far. It should be made required viewing for ALL prospective parents, and any children over the age of 12. The eye-opening portions of the film aren't so much the effect that fast food has on Morgan Spurlock, but the way that companies like McDonald's and GMA operate in order to a) keep people coming back and b) make as much profit as possible. The imprinting at a young age has more psychological significance than one would think possible.
New shows I've been watching recently:
Arrested Development - Recently cancelled by Fox to the outcry of millions (TV networks tend to do that, I've noticed), I watched the first couple of episodes of this quirky comedy. I'm not sure what to think; it's quite amusing but is missing the sharpness of Scrubs or the good nature of My Name Is Earl. I might give it another go sometime soon.
Prison Break - One of the best "action" dramas I've seen since 24, this one had me hooked through every one of the 13 episodes broadcast so far. An architect whose brother is on Death Row and who is due to be executed in a month gets himself locked away into the same prison in order to break him out. The twist? He designed the prison, so knows it in detail. Helpfully though, he also has the blueprints tattooed on his body (in a gothic-type design, that won't attract attention), and he also has enough information about some of the prisoners to get them to help him do what he needs. Once you've bought into that plot device - which Prison Break subtly convinces you to do - the show rattles along and breakneck pace. To counterbalance prison life, you also have the girlfriend of the Death Row inmate fighting to get him freed (which is handy as she's a lawyer), and who tracks the "framing" of the accused to a rather surprising place. This returns in March for the back 9 episodes, and I'll be glued to the screen. How they can come up with a second series, I have no clue, but I'm sure if the show's a hit and enough money changes hands, it may be around for a while.
House - I caught 5 minutes of this on Channel 5 a few months back and the only thing that registered was Hugh Laurie's astonishing American accent. Aside from that, I thought it the usual run-of-the-mill medical drama. I came back to it this weekend, and two episodes later I'm impressed. The writing for Laurie's character is excellent, and he is totally convincing. The other characters are OK and will surely develop as the series progresses, but it's Laurie that makes the show watchable. It's certainly a far cry from his days as George in Blackadder.
Absolute Power - Hugh Laurie's old comedy partner Stephen Fry starred with Rory Bremner's pal John Bird in this painfully near the knuckle satire about the machinations of a PR company with a finger in every public pie. It goes more for sly chuckles than outright laughs, but it's one of those shows that makes you feel smart if you understand the jokes. So that's good enough for me.
Boston Legal - Watched the pilot for this show purely to see the great William Shatner in action. I came across this purely accidentally after seeing it on a billboard; I've never been a fan of legal dramas, I never watched Perry Mason and I've never seen the show that spawned this spin-off: The Practice. However, after watching this episode...I still don't like legal dramas. Shatner's managed to tone down the ham, and James Woods is excellent. But the whole "law firm" premise just doesn't do anything for me.
Going back to superb shows, 24 season 5 starts tonight in the States with 2 episodes, followed by another 2 tomorrow. So I'll have plenty to digest this week.
I have my orange belt Bushido grading in March to look forward to. That, of course, was sarcasm. I'll be finding out in tomorrow's lesson whether I actually have a hip problem that prevents me from kicking at a certain angle, or whether it's just muscle tightness.
Also this week, I need to get an MOT booked before Feb 1st. The car will be in a Fiat garage on Wednesday in order to get its brake pipes replaced for free (since it's been recalled), and after that I'll just be hoping that it gets through the test without too much wallet impact. Otherwise I may just have to eBay it and get another. Not ideal.
Fingers crossed!
The first thing I've taken from 2006 though is this: Super Size Me is one of the most important documents produced in the 21st Century thus far. It should be made required viewing for ALL prospective parents, and any children over the age of 12. The eye-opening portions of the film aren't so much the effect that fast food has on Morgan Spurlock, but the way that companies like McDonald's and GMA operate in order to a) keep people coming back and b) make as much profit as possible. The imprinting at a young age has more psychological significance than one would think possible.
New shows I've been watching recently:
Arrested Development - Recently cancelled by Fox to the outcry of millions (TV networks tend to do that, I've noticed), I watched the first couple of episodes of this quirky comedy. I'm not sure what to think; it's quite amusing but is missing the sharpness of Scrubs or the good nature of My Name Is Earl. I might give it another go sometime soon.
Prison Break - One of the best "action" dramas I've seen since 24, this one had me hooked through every one of the 13 episodes broadcast so far. An architect whose brother is on Death Row and who is due to be executed in a month gets himself locked away into the same prison in order to break him out. The twist? He designed the prison, so knows it in detail. Helpfully though, he also has the blueprints tattooed on his body (in a gothic-type design, that won't attract attention), and he also has enough information about some of the prisoners to get them to help him do what he needs. Once you've bought into that plot device - which Prison Break subtly convinces you to do - the show rattles along and breakneck pace. To counterbalance prison life, you also have the girlfriend of the Death Row inmate fighting to get him freed (which is handy as she's a lawyer), and who tracks the "framing" of the accused to a rather surprising place. This returns in March for the back 9 episodes, and I'll be glued to the screen. How they can come up with a second series, I have no clue, but I'm sure if the show's a hit and enough money changes hands, it may be around for a while.
House - I caught 5 minutes of this on Channel 5 a few months back and the only thing that registered was Hugh Laurie's astonishing American accent. Aside from that, I thought it the usual run-of-the-mill medical drama. I came back to it this weekend, and two episodes later I'm impressed. The writing for Laurie's character is excellent, and he is totally convincing. The other characters are OK and will surely develop as the series progresses, but it's Laurie that makes the show watchable. It's certainly a far cry from his days as George in Blackadder.
Absolute Power - Hugh Laurie's old comedy partner Stephen Fry starred with Rory Bremner's pal John Bird in this painfully near the knuckle satire about the machinations of a PR company with a finger in every public pie. It goes more for sly chuckles than outright laughs, but it's one of those shows that makes you feel smart if you understand the jokes. So that's good enough for me.
Boston Legal - Watched the pilot for this show purely to see the great William Shatner in action. I came across this purely accidentally after seeing it on a billboard; I've never been a fan of legal dramas, I never watched Perry Mason and I've never seen the show that spawned this spin-off: The Practice. However, after watching this episode...I still don't like legal dramas. Shatner's managed to tone down the ham, and James Woods is excellent. But the whole "law firm" premise just doesn't do anything for me.
Going back to superb shows, 24 season 5 starts tonight in the States with 2 episodes, followed by another 2 tomorrow. So I'll have plenty to digest this week.
I have my orange belt Bushido grading in March to look forward to. That, of course, was sarcasm. I'll be finding out in tomorrow's lesson whether I actually have a hip problem that prevents me from kicking at a certain angle, or whether it's just muscle tightness.
Also this week, I need to get an MOT booked before Feb 1st. The car will be in a Fiat garage on Wednesday in order to get its brake pipes replaced for free (since it's been recalled), and after that I'll just be hoping that it gets through the test without too much wallet impact. Otherwise I may just have to eBay it and get another. Not ideal.
Fingers crossed!
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Happy Christmas!
My last post for a few weeks, since I'll be splitting my time between Bromsgrove and Harrow over this holiday period. Have a great Christmas, and let's hope the human race gets through 2006!
Bon Nöel.
Bon Nöel.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
John Spencer: 1946-2005
A sad time for fans of The West Wing - and I count myself as one of them, if only during the first 4 series. John Spencer, who played Leo McGarry - Bartlett's Chief of Staff, and more recently the Democratic VP - died of a heart attack yesterday. It's sad for many reasons; firstly because Spencer was an accomplished actor who appeared on the small and big screen (from LA Law to The Rock), secondly because the similarities between Spencer and his character were acute - both were recovering alcoholics, and in series 6 of The West Wing McGarry suffered a heart attack and survived - and thirdly because John Spencer was the only thing worth watching during these later, tepid years of the show. Whether it was the embarrassed smile or the casual shuffle of a walk, his mannerisms made Leo a human figure in a show that had seemed to have more and more actors simply sleepwalking through their roles as it progressed. I hope the writers do his character the courtesy he deserves and give Leo (and John) a fitting send off over the coming weeks.
It's been over a month since my last entry...time flies, eh? I finish work on Monday until Jan 3rd. It's going to be a hectic Christmas period. I'm at Lou and James's 24th - 27th, then on the 28th I have the Bushido Turkey Burn-off where I'll most likely pass out from 2 hours of solid “exercise” (read: Hell on earth), then I'm at Gilly's from the 29th to the 2nd for New Year.
TV:- I'm on to series 3 of Everwood, a series that is becoming more and more like a comfort blanket - something to slip into when you just want to chill out and let a small town wash over you.
West Wing seems to have hit the "mundane" button on the keyboard. Series 4 is where this show should have ended. Familiarity with the characters, a will to see it out to the end and now the unhappy loss of Leo is the only thing that's keeping me watching.
Commander in Chief is still finding its feet, whilst Bones feels a little ancient now, even with all the high tech and improbable gizmos on display. The real surprise is Alias which just kicked into an unexpected plot twist in its final series. I doubt much of the Rambaldi plot will be explained but at least it will go out on a high. Hopefully. Joey has been put on hiatus until March, and since the recent episodes have been pretty lackluster, I can’t see it staying for a 3rd series. Lost had a slow start but is finally kicking into a decent plotline. Unfortunately, I’ll have forgotten what it is by the time the Christmas period is over. Thank goodness for recaps, eh?
I finally completed The Longest Journey and am now working through Syberia 2. Gilly’s already completed it, but then that’s because she cheats and looks at online solutions. Pah. Some people have no willpower.
I’ve started studying Zen philosophy (not to be confused with Zen Buddhism, which has a more religious aspect). I’m currently reading “Nothing Special – Living Zen” by Charlotte Joko Beck. She has an interest take on life, but as any Zen philosopher would tell you, Zen can’t be learned by reading a book – all it will do is give you some background to the general concept. But if you’re interested, it’s well worth a read. It ties in well to the philosophy I’ve also started looking at in Bushido.
All my Christmas presents are bought, all the wine and chocolates are ready to go, and I have one more day left at work. I beat Nadeem 5-4 at table tennis today, which surprised me since I haven’t picked up a bat for 6 months, and he’s something of a regular. Henbury Leisure Centre is new, and the paint fumes were starting to get to me after an hour, not an experience I’ll be repeating weekly, but a rematch is in order in January.
On Tuesday it’s the Christmas do of the people that run our offices, they invite all the resident buildings down to the main office for wine and a buffet. I’ll be heading in for that despite my holiday, firstly because I wouldn’t dream of turning down free wine and secondly because I’m lining up a 4 player game of LOTR Risk straight after in our office. Nadeem, Lucy and Mark are the other contenders, but I am determined that Middle Earth will be MINE. Mwahaha. Gilly’s pretty good at it too. I think she's a closet geek.
Last Friday we had the WHA Christmas do. We went 4x4 off-roading in Chew Magna which was great fun (link to photos to follow soon), and that was followed by a great meal at The Hunter’s Rest. It looks like a great place to stay for a quiet break too.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Tis the season to be...ill
Ah, the approach to Christmas. Coldness. Not being able to breathe through my nose. Incessant sneezing. No, this really isn't my favourite time of the year. It makes me thankful that my room is so small, it keeps the warmth in nicely.
New shows ahoy! I've been catching up with some of the new US shows released this fall (sorry, autumn):
Bones - David Boreanaz in "not typecast" shocker! OK, so he basically does what he did in Angel but he gets to wear cool shades and walk around in the sun. The show's not bad either, a refreshing change to the glut of CSI sequels and clones hanging around of late.
Commander In Chief - I tried not to compare it to The West Wing. I really did. But 7 episodes in, and it just seems like West Wing Lite. Rod Lurie is certainly no Aaron Sorkin. It's also a miracle you can understand Geena Davis as she mumbles through her clenched teeth and trout lips. All said though, it's growing on me. The West Wing would have you believe that the White House occupants did nothing but have meetings, work late and look stressed. This show seems to have the president hanging around the kitchen sipping tea and going out on lakes, whilst doing that official-type stuff in her spare time. I'm not sure which to believe, but my relief at Donald Sutherland managing to get a role and not ham it up has been tempered by his character's insistence on saying "Bloody hell" every episode. William Hill should set up the "Nathan Templeton Sweepstake" - person closest to the minute he says it each week, wins.
Everwood - Not strictly new, but new to the UK (although we decided inexplicably to change the name to "Our New Life In Everwood"). This one is intriguing - a "family drama" where very little happens each episode, but it still manages to get a grip without resorting to melodrama. That said, I've only seen two episodes thus far, and both have brought tears to my eyes. I can't think of another show that's ever done that, but then I guess there isn't another show that has a family situation so close to my own. It's well-written, funny and moving.
Aside from this, there's the usual weeklies of Lost (this week's episode was a bit of a shock - at least to me, since I avoid all spoilers), Alias (improving slightly now that we have some sort of boo-able bad guy), The West Wing (the live debate episode was excellent), and Joey (umm...never mind).
I also found time to watch William Hartnell's second Time Lord appearance in Doctor Who and the Daleks. Unfortunately, the show was appalling. I can't imagine who would willingly want to watch the black and white Doctor Who shows now, since they are so ridiculously dated. But onwards, I must press, if only to get some decent backstory.
On the bookshelf these days? Well, Wayne recommended me "The Dumas Club" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and in return I pointed him to "A Game of Thrones" which he seems to be enjoying very much. In between illness, TV and work, I've not had much time to read Dumas but I'll be sitting down with it soon enough.
Games-wise - GTA: San Andreas is a big improvement over Vice City. I know I had my reservations at first, but it's so much better in every respect that I'm really not sure where they can take the series from here.
Anyway, my bed awaits and I have Bushido tomorrow night. Toodle pipski.
New shows ahoy! I've been catching up with some of the new US shows released this fall (sorry, autumn):
Bones - David Boreanaz in "not typecast" shocker! OK, so he basically does what he did in Angel but he gets to wear cool shades and walk around in the sun. The show's not bad either, a refreshing change to the glut of CSI sequels and clones hanging around of late.
Commander In Chief - I tried not to compare it to The West Wing. I really did. But 7 episodes in, and it just seems like West Wing Lite. Rod Lurie is certainly no Aaron Sorkin. It's also a miracle you can understand Geena Davis as she mumbles through her clenched teeth and trout lips. All said though, it's growing on me. The West Wing would have you believe that the White House occupants did nothing but have meetings, work late and look stressed. This show seems to have the president hanging around the kitchen sipping tea and going out on lakes, whilst doing that official-type stuff in her spare time. I'm not sure which to believe, but my relief at Donald Sutherland managing to get a role and not ham it up has been tempered by his character's insistence on saying "Bloody hell" every episode. William Hill should set up the "Nathan Templeton Sweepstake" - person closest to the minute he says it each week, wins.
Everwood - Not strictly new, but new to the UK (although we decided inexplicably to change the name to "Our New Life In Everwood"). This one is intriguing - a "family drama" where very little happens each episode, but it still manages to get a grip without resorting to melodrama. That said, I've only seen two episodes thus far, and both have brought tears to my eyes. I can't think of another show that's ever done that, but then I guess there isn't another show that has a family situation so close to my own. It's well-written, funny and moving.
Aside from this, there's the usual weeklies of Lost (this week's episode was a bit of a shock - at least to me, since I avoid all spoilers), Alias (improving slightly now that we have some sort of boo-able bad guy), The West Wing (the live debate episode was excellent), and Joey (umm...never mind).
I also found time to watch William Hartnell's second Time Lord appearance in Doctor Who and the Daleks. Unfortunately, the show was appalling. I can't imagine who would willingly want to watch the black and white Doctor Who shows now, since they are so ridiculously dated. But onwards, I must press, if only to get some decent backstory.
On the bookshelf these days? Well, Wayne recommended me "The Dumas Club" by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and in return I pointed him to "A Game of Thrones" which he seems to be enjoying very much. In between illness, TV and work, I've not had much time to read Dumas but I'll be sitting down with it soon enough.
Games-wise - GTA: San Andreas is a big improvement over Vice City. I know I had my reservations at first, but it's so much better in every respect that I'm really not sure where they can take the series from here.
Anyway, my bed awaits and I have Bushido tomorrow night. Toodle pipski.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Or is it "Acapella"?
I quite enjoy a capella, there's something a bit special about it. Even more so when the music covered is a little bit different.
Another musical discovery made this weekend - The Sweet. I can't believe I've overlooked these guys, especially as Def Leppard were big fans. They're probably best known for "The Ballroom Blitz" but their Greatest Hits had a few surprises. For instance, I didn't know they did "Wig Wam Bam", a classic party tune that takes me back to my birthday parties when my mother would used to slam on my "Party Party!" record by Black Lace which covered this and many more gems - including "Locomotion", "The Conga", and the utterly despised "Agadoo". Still trying to understand why the last of these was voted worst song ever. Interestingly, a Beatles song topped an online poll with "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" and this song was also on that treasured bit of vinyl from my younger years. People really surprise me sometimes, hasn't anyone heard "Mr Blobby"?
Another musical discovery made this weekend - The Sweet. I can't believe I've overlooked these guys, especially as Def Leppard were big fans. They're probably best known for "The Ballroom Blitz" but their Greatest Hits had a few surprises. For instance, I didn't know they did "Wig Wam Bam", a classic party tune that takes me back to my birthday parties when my mother would used to slam on my "Party Party!" record by Black Lace which covered this and many more gems - including "Locomotion", "The Conga", and the utterly despised "Agadoo". Still trying to understand why the last of these was voted worst song ever. Interestingly, a Beatles song topped an online poll with "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" and this song was also on that treasured bit of vinyl from my younger years. People really surprise me sometimes, hasn't anyone heard "Mr Blobby"?
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Odd
I've felt odd all day. My head feels really light, and I have no idea what's causing it. I don't have any other symptoms, just...light-headedness. Maybe I've caught bird flu from the chicken sandwich I ate this lunchtime. Apparently when it hits these shores, bird flu will target people aged 20 - 40. How they came by this statistic I have no idea, since it hasn't even mutated into a disease that is spreadable by humans yet, let alone one that chooses its prey based on age. Also, we have to wait 6 months after the first infection before a vaccine is created. So that'll be 6 months worth of deaths will it? Why exactly is no-one going to the countries already infected and seeing what it mutates into over there? Maybe they are, and I'm being ignorant, but on the whole the government of this isle seems to prefer the "wait till it gets here" approach rather than the "stop it even getting close to here" mindset.
Looks like it's David vs David in the final of the Tory slugfest. Personally, the two people I thought might make good Tory leaders (if this isn't considered an oxymoron) are now out. Clarke's certainly got enough experience, and Fox had some interesting ideas. Seems like the choice is now either a Tony Blair clone, or another monotonous IDS replicant. I think Labour may yet stay in power for a few years, at least until someone in the Lib Dem party actually gets off their arse and decides to do something.
Anyway, the room is swaying so to bed I must adjourn.
Looks like it's David vs David in the final of the Tory slugfest. Personally, the two people I thought might make good Tory leaders (if this isn't considered an oxymoron) are now out. Clarke's certainly got enough experience, and Fox had some interesting ideas. Seems like the choice is now either a Tony Blair clone, or another monotonous IDS replicant. I think Labour may yet stay in power for a few years, at least until someone in the Lib Dem party actually gets off their arse and decides to do something.
Anyway, the room is swaying so to bed I must adjourn.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Serene
A while since my last post, it seems. So much for twice a week. Hell, I can barely manage twice a month. Anyhoo... Serenity kicked ass. Admittedly, you're going to get far more out of it if you have seen Firefly but if you haven't, then you'll still enjoy it - as my boss and his fianceé would tell you, along with my flatmate and a couple of other people I've convinced to see it. For fans of the series, it pulls no punches. There are some nasty moments in there, and I came out reeling from one particular turn that set up the final half hour to be the most heart-clenching 30 minutes I've seen on screen for some time; I've never felt as tense watching a film since Phone Booth. Joss certainly did a great job transferring the characters to the big screen, but it's just a shame that he was forced to condense a full season's worth of story into two hours. The potential is right up there, every plot thread, every possible arc, all of it. It's just a shame that (it looks like) it's not going to generate the box office sales needed for either a sequel or a new series. I hope I'm proven wrong. Damn you, Fox.
Since it's Autumn, all the big shows are making a return to the small screen. Here's a rundown of what I've been watching (spoilers ahead):
The West Wing - the seventh and final series is an improvement of last season's mundane storyline, but then that's not saying much. Toby's betrayal in the last episode seems a bit too easy for my liking, especially since he makes an appearance in the first episode AFTER the new president is elected. We shall see. There's mutterings of Rob Lowe coming back for the final few episodes, and Aaron Sorkin too - but I think both of these are wishful thinking on the part of those people that remember when The West Wing was actually must-see TV.
Lost - Talking of must-see TV, the show that gripped me earlier this year is back, advancing its plot as slowly as ever yet still making for compelling viewing. Little wonder it's been a hit in the UK. I really hope they advance beyond the "pushing a button for no apparent reason" storyline sometime soon, though.
Joey - Still dumb, still fairly funny.
Alias - Now there's a quandry. Garner gets knocked up after dumping her co-star boyfriend and getting together with Ben Affleck, then gets her co-star ex-boyfriend removed from the show. Result: one less bland character on an increasingly band show. She probably did him a favour. Not really sure what happened after series 2, but the changes were not good.
Ah, for the good old days...
Gilly took me to see my first ever Gilbert and Sullivan play on Saturday - Pirates of Penzance. Superb. She's going to be appearing in Iolanthe with her drama and music group at uni next March. Can't wait to see that! Hopefully she'll get a big part, and I can be the proud boyfriend when I watch her on the final night. :)
George R R Martin's latest book A Feast for Crows is in stores - I'm waiting for it to get stocked at Play.com. Even Borders can't match the £10.99 inc. delivery price.
On the gaming front, I'm up to Chapter 8 in The Longest Journey, trying to catch up with Gilly who is racing ahead. Curses. I also finished Vice City and moved on to San Andreas - a grittier game, but I'm still undecided whether it's an improvement. Time to find out!
Bon nuit.
Since it's Autumn, all the big shows are making a return to the small screen. Here's a rundown of what I've been watching (spoilers ahead):
The West Wing - the seventh and final series is an improvement of last season's mundane storyline, but then that's not saying much. Toby's betrayal in the last episode seems a bit too easy for my liking, especially since he makes an appearance in the first episode AFTER the new president is elected. We shall see. There's mutterings of Rob Lowe coming back for the final few episodes, and Aaron Sorkin too - but I think both of these are wishful thinking on the part of those people that remember when The West Wing was actually must-see TV.
Lost - Talking of must-see TV, the show that gripped me earlier this year is back, advancing its plot as slowly as ever yet still making for compelling viewing. Little wonder it's been a hit in the UK. I really hope they advance beyond the "pushing a button for no apparent reason" storyline sometime soon, though.
Joey - Still dumb, still fairly funny.
Alias - Now there's a quandry. Garner gets knocked up after dumping her co-star boyfriend and getting together with Ben Affleck, then gets her co-star ex-boyfriend removed from the show. Result: one less bland character on an increasingly band show. She probably did him a favour. Not really sure what happened after series 2, but the changes were not good.
Ah, for the good old days...
Gilly took me to see my first ever Gilbert and Sullivan play on Saturday - Pirates of Penzance. Superb. She's going to be appearing in Iolanthe with her drama and music group at uni next March. Can't wait to see that! Hopefully she'll get a big part, and I can be the proud boyfriend when I watch her on the final night. :)
George R R Martin's latest book A Feast for Crows is in stores - I'm waiting for it to get stocked at Play.com. Even Borders can't match the £10.99 inc. delivery price.
On the gaming front, I'm up to Chapter 8 in The Longest Journey, trying to catch up with Gilly who is racing ahead. Curses. I also finished Vice City and moved on to San Andreas - a grittier game, but I'm still undecided whether it's an improvement. Time to find out!
Bon nuit.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
"Take my love, take my land...."
Firefly. Why was this show cancelled??? WHY???
Old Joss can't seem to get a break with TV these days. With this superb series not being given the recognition or support it deserved, and then having to cope with Angel getting canned, despite being the joint winner of the Saturn "Best Network TV Series" award alongside CSI, Mr. Whedon could have been forgiven for calling it a day. Thankfully though, he didn't - and now Firefly is destined to live on in the upcoming movie Serenity. The reason the movie got made? Fans of Firefly snapped up DVD boxsets to the tune of 200,000 units. So, think about this. The show is pulled because it had poor ratings (nice one, Fox). Why did it have poor ratings? Let's see.
1.) Fox played the series episodes out of order. Yes, they skipped over the 90 minute pilot which had the minor inconvenience of introducing the characters and there was that small matter of establishing a plot, and went straight to episode two about a train heist with little backstory. No wonder people didn't have a bloody clue what was going on. Fox's excuse for this absurdity? "There wasn't enough action in the pilot." Ahhh, of course. Who wants to have that pesky 'exposition' nonsense when you can dive straight into a series with NO CLUE AS TO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON. Good one. Maybe that's why every single episode of 24 (that I can recall) has someone in it being shot or dying. It all becomes clear. Plot = bad. Death = good.
2.) Fox didn't advertise the show. This is a program by Joss Whedon. He is responsible for those minor TV shows Buffy and Angel. So of course, Firefly was destined to be insignificant too, I guess. Why these networks don't advertise new "cult" shows is beyond me. Warner Brothers scrapped Angel despite the most ridiculously huge fan appeal seen for a TV show on record. We're talking mobile billboards and sending cakes to the producers. Perhaps they're so busy making CSI spin-offs, they believe that something a bit more original than another cop show won't be of interest. Can't wait until CSI: Scunthorpe hits the screens. Fact: 200,000 DVD sales can't be wrong.
3.) Fox kept moving the timeslot. Hey, we've got a new show! What's the best way to attract viewers? Move the timeslot so they don't know when the F**K it's going to be on. Nice one. That'll establish a regular base of ... umm ... channel hoppers. I really despair sometimes.
Interesting isn't it. You sell 200k of boxsets, and suddenly people are interested in your show again. So interested in fact, that they're willing to give you $45 MILLION to make a film. A sum that could easily have made two more series. The figures don't add up. The reviews certainly do though - I've not seen an SF magazine/site that has given it less than a 5 star rating. Here's an example. And (thank the gods), it has a 15 rating so we can actually see more adult themes. I, for one, will be heading to the big screen to watch this. That's assuming the cinemas don't class it as a "cult" movie and portion it off to a one-week, one-screen showing, leaving independents to laud its efforts. Now, if only I can convince Gilly to come along. Well, I sat through Pride and Prejudice and was forced to look at Keira Knightley for 2 hours so I think she owes me. She may even be surprised and like the film, as I did with hers.
What else has been in the news recently? Well, it looks like Michelle "all chin, no talent" Rodriguez of SWAT and Resident Evil infamy will be a new recurring character on Lost. Why? WHY? (I ask that a lot these days). There are things in my fridge that could act better. I really hope she doesn't put me off the show - the first episode of the new season was stonking, and she hasn't appeared yet. Episode 3 is the one to watch out for apparently. Can't wait.
Also, I'm writing a sitcom with my good friend Wayne. Highly top secret and highly hilarious, it will take about likely 2 years to write the first episode, put together as it is via the medium of emails and ideas hastily written over every lunch break. More detail to follow. In about 6 months, probably.
Old Joss can't seem to get a break with TV these days. With this superb series not being given the recognition or support it deserved, and then having to cope with Angel getting canned, despite being the joint winner of the Saturn "Best Network TV Series" award alongside CSI, Mr. Whedon could have been forgiven for calling it a day. Thankfully though, he didn't - and now Firefly is destined to live on in the upcoming movie Serenity. The reason the movie got made? Fans of Firefly snapped up DVD boxsets to the tune of 200,000 units. So, think about this. The show is pulled because it had poor ratings (nice one, Fox). Why did it have poor ratings? Let's see.
1.) Fox played the series episodes out of order. Yes, they skipped over the 90 minute pilot which had the minor inconvenience of introducing the characters and there was that small matter of establishing a plot, and went straight to episode two about a train heist with little backstory. No wonder people didn't have a bloody clue what was going on. Fox's excuse for this absurdity? "There wasn't enough action in the pilot." Ahhh, of course. Who wants to have that pesky 'exposition' nonsense when you can dive straight into a series with NO CLUE AS TO WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON. Good one. Maybe that's why every single episode of 24 (that I can recall) has someone in it being shot or dying. It all becomes clear. Plot = bad. Death = good.
2.) Fox didn't advertise the show. This is a program by Joss Whedon. He is responsible for those minor TV shows Buffy and Angel. So of course, Firefly was destined to be insignificant too, I guess. Why these networks don't advertise new "cult" shows is beyond me. Warner Brothers scrapped Angel despite the most ridiculously huge fan appeal seen for a TV show on record. We're talking mobile billboards and sending cakes to the producers. Perhaps they're so busy making CSI spin-offs, they believe that something a bit more original than another cop show won't be of interest. Can't wait until CSI: Scunthorpe hits the screens. Fact: 200,000 DVD sales can't be wrong.
3.) Fox kept moving the timeslot. Hey, we've got a new show! What's the best way to attract viewers? Move the timeslot so they don't know when the F**K it's going to be on. Nice one. That'll establish a regular base of ... umm ... channel hoppers. I really despair sometimes.
Interesting isn't it. You sell 200k of boxsets, and suddenly people are interested in your show again. So interested in fact, that they're willing to give you $45 MILLION to make a film. A sum that could easily have made two more series. The figures don't add up. The reviews certainly do though - I've not seen an SF magazine/site that has given it less than a 5 star rating. Here's an example. And (thank the gods), it has a 15 rating so we can actually see more adult themes. I, for one, will be heading to the big screen to watch this. That's assuming the cinemas don't class it as a "cult" movie and portion it off to a one-week, one-screen showing, leaving independents to laud its efforts. Now, if only I can convince Gilly to come along. Well, I sat through Pride and Prejudice and was forced to look at Keira Knightley for 2 hours so I think she owes me. She may even be surprised and like the film, as I did with hers.
What else has been in the news recently? Well, it looks like Michelle "all chin, no talent" Rodriguez of SWAT and Resident Evil infamy will be a new recurring character on Lost. Why? WHY? (I ask that a lot these days). There are things in my fridge that could act better. I really hope she doesn't put me off the show - the first episode of the new season was stonking, and she hasn't appeared yet. Episode 3 is the one to watch out for apparently. Can't wait.
Also, I'm writing a sitcom with my good friend Wayne. Highly top secret and highly hilarious, it will take about likely 2 years to write the first episode, put together as it is via the medium of emails and ideas hastily written over every lunch break. More detail to follow. In about 6 months, probably.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
And it was all yellllllllllow
That would be my shoulder, after being shot about fifteen times in the same place with paintballs. I still love paintball though. I just can't see how other similar war games like airsoft (with plastic pellets) or laser games can compete with the actual thrill of paintball. With the former, there's no "marks" left, so it's quite easy to get shot and pretend you weren't hit. With lasers, there's no danger and no adrenaline rush. Anyway, a good time was had by all, and Chris got suitably drunk so the mission was accomplished. He really needs to get to uni though, and harden up his alcohol system ;o)
Friday was fun. I went to Oxford for the Deal or No Deal audition. To start, we watched the French version, which to be honest, was bloody good TV. Very tense, but also enjoyable - a word I never thought I'd use to describe French media. Anyway, after that the first thing they made us all do was charades - I pulled "skydiver" out of a hat, and expertly acted it out by hurling myself on the floor. They got it straight away. Maybe I should go into film. Then there was "Wheel of Doom" where you played a version of Russian roulette on a cardboard wheel (hole in one wheel, 16 symbols underneath, 15 good, 1 bad) - you had to decide whether to move it on one place or stick where you were. I played a woman, and she lost. Yes, it was that exciting! Then we had a psychology questionnaire to find out if you are a team player. Then there was a general knowledge paper (20 questions) with such taxing queries as "What is the capital of Australia?", and "In what book did Captain Nemo pilot the Nautilus?" The only one I got stuck on was "What is number 1 in the charts?" - didn't have a clue. To be honest, I'm quite proud of that. Then there was a 30 second interview where you have to talk about yourself. I hate doing that. Luckily, I got prompted - "what do you enjoy doing?" - so was able to prattle on for the remaining time. No idea if I got on the show - the last thing they ask is "Are you likely to be available for a 3 or 4 week period?" Erm, yes - I like nothing better than sitting in a hotel for a month, waiting to see if I MAY have got on a show. They said they knew it was unlikely for most people - I think they were looking for people to cover pull-outs.
On the train back to Bristol, I arrived at Bristol Parkway and asked three staff when the next train to Temple Meads was. "Oh, this delayed one - should be here at 17:35." So I jumped on it. After 20 minutes, we were still going, so I was getting a bit concerned. I asked a woman next to me what the next stop was. "Newport". Superb. How difficult is it to work out where a train stops? I wouldn't mind but there were THREE PEOPLE on the platform and they had a big discussion about it before telling me to get on the wrong train! So I then got off at Newport and luckily there was a direct train back to Temple Meads. But on the way back, two miles from the station, a group of 10 kids on an embankment hurled a brick at the train, and the window 3 places in front of me got hit. Luckily it was tough so it splintered and took the brunt, and only a few pieces of glass fell onto the inside. For a minute though, it was quite worrying. I thought someone had splattered themselves on the top of the train after jumping off a bridge. The train dropped to a crawl and I managed to get back to Bristol about 2 hours later than intended. Joy.
So now it's a case of waiting for a call from Endemol, which probably won't come (I like to be pessimistic; there's more chance of being pleasantly surprised). In the meantime, I've gotten hold of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City so I'm working my way through the missions. The radio controlled helicopter mission is possibly the most frustrating thing I've ever seen on a PC game though. Some Playstation ports really need to be thought about a bit more carefully.
Ok, time to whack some scum. Later!
Friday was fun. I went to Oxford for the Deal or No Deal audition. To start, we watched the French version, which to be honest, was bloody good TV. Very tense, but also enjoyable - a word I never thought I'd use to describe French media. Anyway, after that the first thing they made us all do was charades - I pulled "skydiver" out of a hat, and expertly acted it out by hurling myself on the floor. They got it straight away. Maybe I should go into film. Then there was "Wheel of Doom" where you played a version of Russian roulette on a cardboard wheel (hole in one wheel, 16 symbols underneath, 15 good, 1 bad) - you had to decide whether to move it on one place or stick where you were. I played a woman, and she lost. Yes, it was that exciting! Then we had a psychology questionnaire to find out if you are a team player. Then there was a general knowledge paper (20 questions) with such taxing queries as "What is the capital of Australia?", and "In what book did Captain Nemo pilot the Nautilus?" The only one I got stuck on was "What is number 1 in the charts?" - didn't have a clue. To be honest, I'm quite proud of that. Then there was a 30 second interview where you have to talk about yourself. I hate doing that. Luckily, I got prompted - "what do you enjoy doing?" - so was able to prattle on for the remaining time. No idea if I got on the show - the last thing they ask is "Are you likely to be available for a 3 or 4 week period?" Erm, yes - I like nothing better than sitting in a hotel for a month, waiting to see if I MAY have got on a show. They said they knew it was unlikely for most people - I think they were looking for people to cover pull-outs.
On the train back to Bristol, I arrived at Bristol Parkway and asked three staff when the next train to Temple Meads was. "Oh, this delayed one - should be here at 17:35." So I jumped on it. After 20 minutes, we were still going, so I was getting a bit concerned. I asked a woman next to me what the next stop was. "Newport". Superb. How difficult is it to work out where a train stops? I wouldn't mind but there were THREE PEOPLE on the platform and they had a big discussion about it before telling me to get on the wrong train! So I then got off at Newport and luckily there was a direct train back to Temple Meads. But on the way back, two miles from the station, a group of 10 kids on an embankment hurled a brick at the train, and the window 3 places in front of me got hit. Luckily it was tough so it splintered and took the brunt, and only a few pieces of glass fell onto the inside. For a minute though, it was quite worrying. I thought someone had splattered themselves on the top of the train after jumping off a bridge. The train dropped to a crawl and I managed to get back to Bristol about 2 hours later than intended. Joy.
So now it's a case of waiting for a call from Endemol, which probably won't come (I like to be pessimistic; there's more chance of being pleasantly surprised). In the meantime, I've gotten hold of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City so I'm working my way through the missions. The radio controlled helicopter mission is possibly the most frustrating thing I've ever seen on a PC game though. Some Playstation ports really need to be thought about a bit more carefully.
Ok, time to whack some scum. Later!
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Frantic...
...is the only way to describe the coming week. On Tuesday, I'm going to Poole with Mark for training on a new CMS that we've bought for the company. I'll be staying in a hotel until Thursday, and then driving back Thursday night. The following morning I've got a trip to Oxford, for a quiz show audition. Yes indeed, Gameshow Rob is looking to top his current winning quiz run of 2 for 2 by auditioning for Endemol's new quiz imported from Australia: Deal or No Deal. It looks like a cross between Millionaire and Take Your Pick - a more detailed breakdown of the Oz version is here.
The top prize for the UK show is, I believe, £100,000. This amount would sit quite nicely in my bank account, or so my financial advisor tells me. Anyway, unlike Brainteaser and Memory Bank where I answered 20 questions on the phone, this is a full blown audition with
up to 50 people. My chances of getting on to the show are therefore slim, and the chance of winning is even slimmer. But still, can't hurt to try.
After that, I'll be travelling back to Bristol to pack up some things before heading down for a weekend in Plymouth. It's Chris's 18th, so we'll be paintballing from morning to evening on the Saturday. Then I'll be travelling back to Bristol on the Sunday. I am going to be utterly knackered.
I started playing Shining Wisdom this weekend on the Saturn. Not a bad little Zelda clone, and it still has the unique feel of the Shining series thanks to Team Sonic. I think it's going to be a little bigger than I originally thought, though. My intention was to play through the 5 RPGs I have on the Saturn and then sell it off and make enough cash on eBay to fund a Playstation 2. But now that Sony have announced that the Playstation 3 will be backwards compatible with both PS2 and PS1 games, I may just have to hold out and get one of those. Hopefully by that time I'll have won £100,000 so a new console will be but a drop in the ocean. One can dream, no?
The top prize for the UK show is, I believe, £100,000. This amount would sit quite nicely in my bank account, or so my financial advisor tells me. Anyway, unlike Brainteaser and Memory Bank where I answered 20 questions on the phone, this is a full blown audition with
up to 50 people. My chances of getting on to the show are therefore slim, and the chance of winning is even slimmer. But still, can't hurt to try.
After that, I'll be travelling back to Bristol to pack up some things before heading down for a weekend in Plymouth. It's Chris's 18th, so we'll be paintballing from morning to evening on the Saturday. Then I'll be travelling back to Bristol on the Sunday. I am going to be utterly knackered.
I started playing Shining Wisdom this weekend on the Saturn. Not a bad little Zelda clone, and it still has the unique feel of the Shining series thanks to Team Sonic. I think it's going to be a little bigger than I originally thought, though. My intention was to play through the 5 RPGs I have on the Saturn and then sell it off and make enough cash on eBay to fund a Playstation 2. But now that Sony have announced that the Playstation 3 will be backwards compatible with both PS2 and PS1 games, I may just have to hold out and get one of those. Hopefully by that time I'll have won £100,000 so a new console will be but a drop in the ocean. One can dream, no?
Sunday, August 28, 2005
The Things You Do For Your Art
I passed my yellow belt Bushido grading today. Three and a half hours of torture. Luckily, the actual grading was only 30 minutes, but that only stopped just on the point where I was about to collapse. After performing the yellow belt kata (Bushido Sho) and the Geri Waza for the 7th time, my legs almost fell off. Well, they felt like they did, anyway. Unfortunately, I arrived home fully intending to sleep...but found myself too tired to do so. I'm probably still too psyched up, which is going to be fun, since I'm up at 7am tomorrow for a trip back to Whitchurch.
Today's post title is also a reference to The Machinist - a film where Christian Bale literally starved himself and lost almost 4 stone of weight to play a factory worker who may or may not be losing his mind. The film builds up to a revelation that was more "ohhhhh, ok" rather than "Wow!", but it's worth seeing just for Bale's performance - even better than American Psycho. It's a grimy, bleak picture painted in assorted greys, browns and blacks, but it has imagery that will burn itself indelibly into your memory.
I would write more, but I am far too tired right now. My bed awaits.
Today's post title is also a reference to The Machinist - a film where Christian Bale literally starved himself and lost almost 4 stone of weight to play a factory worker who may or may not be losing his mind. The film builds up to a revelation that was more "ohhhhh, ok" rather than "Wow!", but it's worth seeing just for Bale's performance - even better than American Psycho. It's a grimy, bleak picture painted in assorted greys, browns and blacks, but it has imagery that will burn itself indelibly into your memory.
I would write more, but I am far too tired right now. My bed awaits.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Unfeasible!
If you haven’t already checked it out, take a look at Beaver and Steve – thanks to Gilly for the link to this superb strip. While we’re on the subject, also check out Penny Arcade and CtrlAltDel, two excellent gaming strips.
A few more records made it into my search for the “Perfect Album”:
ELO – Time
A true classic, not only was it ahead of its time in terms of both sound and production, but it still holds its own brilliantly today. ELO’s best album, it was a move away from their prog-rock roots and into the territory of popular music – incredibly, this album is almost 25 years old but seems as fresh today as it was back then, mainly because of the quality of its tracks. When you have hook-laden offerings such as Twilight, and Hold On Tight mingled with more poignant songs like Ticket To The Moon, Rain Is Falling and the oddly affecting Yours Truly, 2095 (about the future of man’s "relationship" with computers), and with a dash of political statement (Here Is The News), you have an album that is both well-written, exquisitely produced and ultimately satisfying.
Feeder – Echo Park
Like Ash, 2001 was the year for creating something a little bit special – and for Feeder, it was Echo Park that finally kicked them into the spotlight. Creating a sound unlike anything they’d produced before, and coupling it with some atrocious lyrics (example - “Get up, shut up, give me Nurofen Plus”), the album worked. Why? Because it was so damn catchy. Every single track on this record is a stonking achievement of sound over substance. Melodic riffs and punk pop abound, with more table-banging singles than you can throw a small horde of students at. Do the lyrics make sense? No. Does it sound like the band exhausted every page of the Acme™ Rhyming Dictionary? Yes. Do we care? Hell, no. Ask yourself when you’re manically jumping up and down and screaming “CD PLAYER-PLAYER-PLAYER!!!” in the Student’s Union whether you stopped to think about the words coming out of your mouth. I’d bet the answer would be “no”. That, my friend, is why this album is utterly superb.
More to come soon.
What else has happened recently? Well, last weekend Gilly took me to see some of London's...umm..sights, including the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Natural History Museum and Science Museum. This was followed by a Sunday lunch at the Duck in the Pond, where the staff succeeded in providing me a roast chicken dinner (including potatoes, stuffing, beans and Yorkshire Pudding). I didn't want carrots or parsnips, so I asked for everything except that. Easy enough, eh? No, they forgot to give me the stuffing. Or the Yorkshire Pudding. Or, get this, the chicken. So I sat there dumbfounded, staring at my plate of potatoes and green beans, trying to comprehend what must have gone through the head of the kitchen worker who was piling my plate up. "Wow, so he ordered a roast chicken dinner, but he doesn't want anything but potatoes and green beans? OK, no problem." What I'd actually said was "The only veg I want is potatoes and green beans." It's tough sometimes. Still, the Pinot Grigio took the edge off the situation.
My Bushido yellow belt grading is on Sunday. It's amazing how different this martial art is to the Kung Fu I did at university. It's a lot more involved, and I've learned far more in the 5 months I've been doing this than I did in the whole 2 years I did Kung Fu. In fact I probably learned more in the first month. Hopefully the grading will go OK, fingers crossed. I better go practice some more.
Ciao.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
On The Jukebox Tonight:
This Kiss - big props to Faith Hill for managing to write a song that rhymed "centrifugal", "perpetual", "pivotal" and "subliminal". Shame she's not done much else since. I also think I deserve some praise for using the phrase "big props" in that first sentence. Props, as you all know, is a US term meaning "proper respect". I'm trying to resist the urge to append the word "innit".
I've been thinking recently about music and more importantly, The Perfect Album. That is to say, an album so incredibly good that it has not one single track that could be labelled either "filler" or "crap". It's a hard task to find such an album, and I've heard many in the short quarter of a life I've lead thus far. But I've come up with a few candidates. This is of course, hugely subjective. Then again, a blog is just that anyway, so I'm not going to apologise.
1.) Pearl Jam - Ten
An album so utterly well produced, that it sends shivers down my spine each and every time I listen to it. Not a single track is wasted, from the stunning opening of Once to Even Flow, Garden, Black .... hell, they're all good. Not only that, but it is without a doubt the greatest debut album of any band in the history of the world, ever. There would be nothing Pearl Jam could do that would ever top this phenomenal record, and though they tried, Ys and Yield just couldn't match it. If I'd have been them, I would have retired then and there.
2.) Jon Bon Jovi - Destination Anywhere
Taking a break from their strutting arena pop-rock, Jon and Richie went their separate ways for a while to record solo studio albums. Jon certainly should have stayed away. This is far and away the most brilliant thing he has ever created. It's not your usual big lickin' riff-happy crowd-pleasin' amalgamation. Indeed, it's a lot darker and moodier than anything Bon Jovi ever produced and may be the reason why it was criminally rejected by the mainstream crowd despite critical acclamation. Tracks like August 7, 4:15 (a song about the murder of his manager's daughter). Midnight in Chelsea and my personal favourite Little City give you a brooding feeling of small-town depression, whilst the pick-me-ups such as Queen of New Orleans and the title track balance things out nicely. Even non-Bon Jovi fans should like this album, and that's a big statement to make.
3.) Ash - Free All Angels
2001 - the year that Ash finally got things right, before saying "sod this" and flitting back into relatively heavy Indie rock territory. But the brief hiatus from their normal guitar slamming allowed Tim Wheeler and Co. to create one of the best pop-punk albums of the last 10 years. Not even Green Day have an album that can match the infectious freshness that Free All Angels washes lovingly over your CD player. Kicking off with possibly one of the best opening tracks on any album (yes, yes, Smells Like Teen Spirit was pretty good too...) Walking Barefoot was clearly a winner of a single. Except, it didn't get released. Wheeler didn't seem to think a song about summer would sit too well in the charts around the Christmas period. Personally, I'd have held off on the album for 6 months before pumping that baby out there. Still, Burn Baby Burn, arguably one of the most infectious guitar pop tracks ever produced, made it into the top 3. And when you're a band like Ash, who will never make it big in the UK singles chart, that's pretty good going. They can take heart from the fact that Bon Jovi have never gotten past number 2 either, and they're not short of a bob or two. Even the (comparably) weaker tracks such as Shark and Candy are eminently catchy. It's an album that lifts you up and fills you with summer joy...something that seems to be missing these days amidst the constant covers and droning R+B.
Anyway, that's three that spring to mind. I have a couple more that I'm considering labelling as Perfect Albums, but I think I need to give them another listen first.
Until next time, pop-pickers!
I've been thinking recently about music and more importantly, The Perfect Album. That is to say, an album so incredibly good that it has not one single track that could be labelled either "filler" or "crap". It's a hard task to find such an album, and I've heard many in the short quarter of a life I've lead thus far. But I've come up with a few candidates. This is of course, hugely subjective. Then again, a blog is just that anyway, so I'm not going to apologise.
1.) Pearl Jam - Ten
An album so utterly well produced, that it sends shivers down my spine each and every time I listen to it. Not a single track is wasted, from the stunning opening of Once to Even Flow, Garden, Black .... hell, they're all good. Not only that, but it is without a doubt the greatest debut album of any band in the history of the world, ever. There would be nothing Pearl Jam could do that would ever top this phenomenal record, and though they tried, Ys and Yield just couldn't match it. If I'd have been them, I would have retired then and there.
2.) Jon Bon Jovi - Destination Anywhere
Taking a break from their strutting arena pop-rock, Jon and Richie went their separate ways for a while to record solo studio albums. Jon certainly should have stayed away. This is far and away the most brilliant thing he has ever created. It's not your usual big lickin' riff-happy crowd-pleasin' amalgamation. Indeed, it's a lot darker and moodier than anything Bon Jovi ever produced and may be the reason why it was criminally rejected by the mainstream crowd despite critical acclamation. Tracks like August 7, 4:15 (a song about the murder of his manager's daughter). Midnight in Chelsea and my personal favourite Little City give you a brooding feeling of small-town depression, whilst the pick-me-ups such as Queen of New Orleans and the title track balance things out nicely. Even non-Bon Jovi fans should like this album, and that's a big statement to make.
3.) Ash - Free All Angels
2001 - the year that Ash finally got things right, before saying "sod this" and flitting back into relatively heavy Indie rock territory. But the brief hiatus from their normal guitar slamming allowed Tim Wheeler and Co. to create one of the best pop-punk albums of the last 10 years. Not even Green Day have an album that can match the infectious freshness that Free All Angels washes lovingly over your CD player. Kicking off with possibly one of the best opening tracks on any album (yes, yes, Smells Like Teen Spirit was pretty good too...) Walking Barefoot was clearly a winner of a single. Except, it didn't get released. Wheeler didn't seem to think a song about summer would sit too well in the charts around the Christmas period. Personally, I'd have held off on the album for 6 months before pumping that baby out there. Still, Burn Baby Burn, arguably one of the most infectious guitar pop tracks ever produced, made it into the top 3. And when you're a band like Ash, who will never make it big in the UK singles chart, that's pretty good going. They can take heart from the fact that Bon Jovi have never gotten past number 2 either, and they're not short of a bob or two. Even the (comparably) weaker tracks such as Shark and Candy are eminently catchy. It's an album that lifts you up and fills you with summer joy...something that seems to be missing these days amidst the constant covers and droning R+B.
Anyway, that's three that spring to mind. I have a couple more that I'm considering labelling as Perfect Albums, but I think I need to give them another listen first.
Until next time, pop-pickers!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Henry Porter and the Incredibly Obvious Ending
Book 6 of Henry wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be, despite the fact that it was an awfully big book for 500 pages of sod all to happen in, followed by a climax signposted so brazenly that you may as well only read the first three chapters and then skip to the final two. JK still hasn't managed to capture the magic (groan) of the first three books though, which were tightly plotted and with far less exposition than the next three. The final book will undoubtedly decide whether she's made of sterner stuff than I previously gave her credit for; I'm hoping Harry gets the chop. I love unhappy endings.
I went to Swindon yesterday to visit Nick who I've not seen for over 3 years since leaving Intel. It's quite worrying, he's now engaged and has a mortgage, a dog and a vegetable patch. I was expecting him to dress in tweed and run the local golf and country club, but thankfully that slice of suburbia hasn't settled on him. Yet. It was great to catch up - Swindon's still full of the type of nightlife I had no regrets about leaving behind, but it's definitely improved in a lot of places. I've invited him and his girlfr...fianceé... over to experience Bristol hospitality, so when Gilly comes over, we can do the whole "going to dinner as two couples" thing. Wow, I feel old.
On our return last night to his newly built house, we found time to fit in 2 Fast 2 Furious and I impressed myself by managing to stay awake for at least a quarter of it! I think Mr. Diesel knew a bad thing when he saw one. The same can't be said for Samuel L Jackson, in SWAT. The alarm bells should have started ringing when he heard the film tagline, which has to rank as one of the worst in the history of cinema: "Even cops dial 911". Pur-lease. With a twist so obvious that even JK will be taking notes and, in Colin Farrell, a performance so bland it makes Seagal look charismatic, SWAT was one of those generic action films that had the chance to be so much better but ultimately played it safe. And most of the time, incomprehensible. Case in point 1: the chief in charge of the SWAT team wants it to fail, just to score points against Jackson's character. Ummm...ok? Case in point 2: It takes HOW many days for one of the world's most wanted criminals to sit in a police cell, before someone realises who he is? Great policework, guys! Throw into the team some generic white guys (one has a moustache so you can tell them apart), a rapper trying to act (what IS it with that these days?) and a latino woman who does little but snarl and stomp round whilst glaring at her colleagues menacingly (Michelle Rodriguez, reprising the exact same role from Resident Evil), and you have the perfect ingredients for wasting a lot of studio dollars. Ah well Sammy, you can't win them all.
Here's a little game I'm hooked on, in between FF8 stints: Acrophobia. Fiendishly simple, I used to play this during the second year of uni before it simply disappeared into a void. But it's been resurrected by Uproar (set pop-up blocker to "Kill"), and the format is exactly the same. So go and make up some funny definitions of acronyms and earn the respect of your peers.
TTYL.
I went to Swindon yesterday to visit Nick who I've not seen for over 3 years since leaving Intel. It's quite worrying, he's now engaged and has a mortgage, a dog and a vegetable patch. I was expecting him to dress in tweed and run the local golf and country club, but thankfully that slice of suburbia hasn't settled on him. Yet. It was great to catch up - Swindon's still full of the type of nightlife I had no regrets about leaving behind, but it's definitely improved in a lot of places. I've invited him and his girlfr...fianceé... over to experience Bristol hospitality, so when Gilly comes over, we can do the whole "going to dinner as two couples" thing. Wow, I feel old.
On our return last night to his newly built house, we found time to fit in 2 Fast 2 Furious and I impressed myself by managing to stay awake for at least a quarter of it! I think Mr. Diesel knew a bad thing when he saw one. The same can't be said for Samuel L Jackson, in SWAT. The alarm bells should have started ringing when he heard the film tagline, which has to rank as one of the worst in the history of cinema: "Even cops dial 911". Pur-lease. With a twist so obvious that even JK will be taking notes and, in Colin Farrell, a performance so bland it makes Seagal look charismatic, SWAT was one of those generic action films that had the chance to be so much better but ultimately played it safe. And most of the time, incomprehensible. Case in point 1: the chief in charge of the SWAT team wants it to fail, just to score points against Jackson's character. Ummm...ok? Case in point 2: It takes HOW many days for one of the world's most wanted criminals to sit in a police cell, before someone realises who he is? Great policework, guys! Throw into the team some generic white guys (one has a moustache so you can tell them apart), a rapper trying to act (what IS it with that these days?) and a latino woman who does little but snarl and stomp round whilst glaring at her colleagues menacingly (Michelle Rodriguez, reprising the exact same role from Resident Evil), and you have the perfect ingredients for wasting a lot of studio dollars. Ah well Sammy, you can't win them all.
Here's a little game I'm hooked on, in between FF8 stints: Acrophobia. Fiendishly simple, I used to play this during the second year of uni before it simply disappeared into a void. But it's been resurrected by Uproar (set pop-up blocker to "Kill"), and the format is exactly the same. So go and make up some funny definitions of acronyms and earn the respect of your peers.
TTYL.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Finally...
Wow. That was a long break. Finally moved in to the new place and, incredibly, condensed all of my stuff into a room half the size of my old one. The new place is great. Far, far less "studenty", this place actually has carpets in the living room and hall! It's also nice to get away from a house that consistently stunk of smoke due to Kasia's habit of lighting up in the kitching and living room. And it's CLEAN! Not a mouse in sight, awesome. No more Polish meals using up 3 pans and thirty plates; I'm in heaven. I will state here for the record: I will never, EVER live with an Eastern European again. And congratulations Kasia, you've put me off ever wanting to visit your country.
So life continues ever onward. Once I've got my finances in order and the bond is back in my account from the old house, I've decided to start fencing. No, I don't mean with hammer and nails, I mean with a sword and a sieve on my face. For £30, I get 6 lessons followed by a month's membership. Bargain. If I hate it, it's cost me the same as two Bushido lessons. Speaking of which, my first Bushido grading is on August 27th. I am pretty sure I won't be ready for it. It's a mere 4 weeks away! Last Monday I got taught a little Aikido which was awesome. I much prefer it to the karate side of Bushido - a big guy can take a few kicks without pause, but if you get him in a wrist lock and he weighs 20 stone, he is going DOWN (and a lot faster than a smaller person).
Tonight I'm taking Gilly to San Carlo on Corn Street. It's supposed to be a quality Italian restaurant, with all the staff and owners having moved over from there. My experience with shrimp in Skiathos has given me the taste for seafood, so I'll probably end up choosing something fishy...but they are also supposed to do a great steak too. Ah, the choices.
Final Fantasy 8 progresses, disc 2 and counting. I'll soon be looking to play the next one, but instead of getting a PS1, I'll probably just skip a generation and get a PS2. They're backwards compatible so it makes more sense. And I've not seen a console churn out more quality RPGs than the Playstation, not since the Megadrive/SNES days anyway. So if anyone has a PS2 for sale, let me know. They'll be coming down in price soon anyway with the imminent release of the PS3. Wonder if the PS3 is going to be backwards compatible too?
Toodle-oo.
So life continues ever onward. Once I've got my finances in order and the bond is back in my account from the old house, I've decided to start fencing. No, I don't mean with hammer and nails, I mean with a sword and a sieve on my face. For £30, I get 6 lessons followed by a month's membership. Bargain. If I hate it, it's cost me the same as two Bushido lessons. Speaking of which, my first Bushido grading is on August 27th. I am pretty sure I won't be ready for it. It's a mere 4 weeks away! Last Monday I got taught a little Aikido which was awesome. I much prefer it to the karate side of Bushido - a big guy can take a few kicks without pause, but if you get him in a wrist lock and he weighs 20 stone, he is going DOWN (and a lot faster than a smaller person).
Tonight I'm taking Gilly to San Carlo on Corn Street. It's supposed to be a quality Italian restaurant, with all the staff and owners having moved over from there. My experience with shrimp in Skiathos has given me the taste for seafood, so I'll probably end up choosing something fishy...but they are also supposed to do a great steak too. Ah, the choices.
Final Fantasy 8 progresses, disc 2 and counting. I'll soon be looking to play the next one, but instead of getting a PS1, I'll probably just skip a generation and get a PS2. They're backwards compatible so it makes more sense. And I've not seen a console churn out more quality RPGs than the Playstation, not since the Megadrive/SNES days anyway. So if anyone has a PS2 for sale, let me know. They'll be coming down in price soon anyway with the imminent release of the PS3. Wonder if the PS3 is going to be backwards compatible too?
Toodle-oo.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Housetastic!
It's been a while, as the last week has been so damn hectic. We've finally got a deposit down on a house. Whilst not perfect (one of the rooms is pretty small, so it'll be in the lap of the gods as to who gets it), it's really nicely decorated and with the absence of any Polish hurricanes this time round, it may well stay that way. Moving in date: next Saturday, if all goes well. That will then give us another week to shift remaining stuff over there, and clean up the existing place. God knows what Kasia's room is going to look like...from the outside looking in, you can barely see anything thanks to the perpetual fog of cigarette smoke lingering in the room like a Jehovah's Witness who just won't take a hint.
Decided to boot up Final Fantasy 8 again, and instantly lost myself for 2 and a half hours this afternoon. They could easily make a spin-off based around the card mini-game in it, that alone could eat up hours of your life. Then again, maybe they have. I'm not as up to date on the gaming scene as I once was. Maybe when I finally get enough cash saved for a new PC, things will be different. But along with a PC, I could really use around 6 months holiday a year. That would be nice.
A Clash of Kings progresses well. The start was a little slow, as Martin is trying to re-introduce all the characters again. I'm sure it'll kick in soon though. The new Henry Porter book was released yesterday to gaggles of screaming teenagers, some of whom had been queueing for up to 18 hours. Yes, EIGHTEEN HOURS in a queue, just to get a damn book. Now THAT, my friends, is the power of marketing. By all accounts, the reviews are not pretty. "Chundering", "stale" and "disjointed" are what I've heard so far, which tallies up with the state of the last book. Luckily, I won't need to buy it as Gilly pre-ordered hers about 3 months ago. Still, old J.K. can rest assured in the knowledge that even if the last book bombs, she'll still have over half a billion quid tucked away for a rainy day. Not bad for someone who has had just 6 books published. Apparently Book 7 may be some time because the movie franchise needs to catch up (they are currently 2 books behind, if you take into account that film 4 is out this year). Methinks a change of cast may be needed, unless you want 17 year old Henry to be played by a middle-aged chap with drooping jowls and a water retention problem. OK, so the actors may not be that old by then, but I've developed a taste for hyperbole and I'm going to wield it like a member of the Opposition.
Anyway, I think I may head up to the White Bear with Andy for the quiz a bit later and see if I can inject some monetary adrenaline into my flagging bank account.
Toodle pip.
Decided to boot up Final Fantasy 8 again, and instantly lost myself for 2 and a half hours this afternoon. They could easily make a spin-off based around the card mini-game in it, that alone could eat up hours of your life. Then again, maybe they have. I'm not as up to date on the gaming scene as I once was. Maybe when I finally get enough cash saved for a new PC, things will be different. But along with a PC, I could really use around 6 months holiday a year. That would be nice.
A Clash of Kings progresses well. The start was a little slow, as Martin is trying to re-introduce all the characters again. I'm sure it'll kick in soon though. The new Henry Porter book was released yesterday to gaggles of screaming teenagers, some of whom had been queueing for up to 18 hours. Yes, EIGHTEEN HOURS in a queue, just to get a damn book. Now THAT, my friends, is the power of marketing. By all accounts, the reviews are not pretty. "Chundering", "stale" and "disjointed" are what I've heard so far, which tallies up with the state of the last book. Luckily, I won't need to buy it as Gilly pre-ordered hers about 3 months ago. Still, old J.K. can rest assured in the knowledge that even if the last book bombs, she'll still have over half a billion quid tucked away for a rainy day. Not bad for someone who has had just 6 books published. Apparently Book 7 may be some time because the movie franchise needs to catch up (they are currently 2 books behind, if you take into account that film 4 is out this year). Methinks a change of cast may be needed, unless you want 17 year old Henry to be played by a middle-aged chap with drooping jowls and a water retention problem. OK, so the actors may not be that old by then, but I've developed a taste for hyperbole and I'm going to wield it like a member of the Opposition.
Anyway, I think I may head up to the White Bear with Andy for the quiz a bit later and see if I can inject some monetary adrenaline into my flagging bank account.
Toodle pip.
Monday, July 11, 2005
War of the Worlds vs Batman Begins
I really wanted to love War of the Worlds. I did. The problem is, it was too well-promoted for me to expect anything less than a classic film. Therein, I was disappointed. Maybe if I'd read the book, I'd have been aware of how it ends and so not left gaping at the screen with an "Uh?" expression on my face. When I say "ends", I mean "cuts off". Finito, done, dusted, over. Like a guillotine through the film's tape. A quick explanation, then rolling credits. You think "hmm...ok." Then you think about the film, and you think about Tom Cruise's character.
“Hey, let’s drive our stolen minivan through that enormous throng of desperate pedestrians -- that sure won’t cause us any hardship!”
“Y’know, since those multiple, unstoppable, fast-approaching death machines are mercilessly attacking us, let’s all climb aboard this extremely vulnerable ferryboat -- they’ll never catch us then!”
“Gee, let’s all scuffle about behind this 48-inch tall antique mirror -- then that persistent, evil, well-lighted camera-sensor-tentacle thingy certainly won’t notice us!”
Come on. Spielberg can do decent sci-fi. Close Encounters (a little over-rated) and Minority Report proved that. So instead of turning a thoughtful science fiction novel (albeit with the same lax ending) into a schmaltzy treatise about parenting, why not give the audience something less sickly to get engrossed in? Independence Day worked because it was a) cheesy, b) fun and c) mixed them both with decent thrills. WOTW takes itself way too seriously, and as such, loses a lot of credibility.
Batman Begins, on the other hand, is superb. Every detail, from Christian Bale's brooding hero to Liam Neeson's morality-choked villain, via Gary Oldman's superb playing-against-type Sergeant Gordon, is fantastic. Like Michael Keaton, Bale has the quirkiness to fit the role - something that Kilmer and Clooney's pretty-but-empty presences lacked. Even the plot was a lot more plausible, albeit very similar to the original film's chemical shenanigans. And despite the fact that Christopher "Memento" Nolan rewrote Wayne's parent/Joker link, the film still works. Something that works in favour of the film is the way all the science is explained. Bruce Wayne isn't an invulnerable superhero, he's a guy that kicks ass purely because he put himself in situations where he got beaten up and had to defend himself. He doesn't have awesome technology just lying around, it's been taken from the scientific research department of his company and manufactured to fit his alter-ego and funded by his vast wealth. Most films expect you to assume this no questions asked...that's why this film is different, and therefore a little bit special.
Here's hoping the Bale/Nolan partnership continues for many films to come.
“Hey, let’s drive our stolen minivan through that enormous throng of desperate pedestrians -- that sure won’t cause us any hardship!”
“Y’know, since those multiple, unstoppable, fast-approaching death machines are mercilessly attacking us, let’s all climb aboard this extremely vulnerable ferryboat -- they’ll never catch us then!”
“Gee, let’s all scuffle about behind this 48-inch tall antique mirror -- then that persistent, evil, well-lighted camera-sensor-tentacle thingy certainly won’t notice us!”
Come on. Spielberg can do decent sci-fi. Close Encounters (a little over-rated) and Minority Report proved that. So instead of turning a thoughtful science fiction novel (albeit with the same lax ending) into a schmaltzy treatise about parenting, why not give the audience something less sickly to get engrossed in? Independence Day worked because it was a) cheesy, b) fun and c) mixed them both with decent thrills. WOTW takes itself way too seriously, and as such, loses a lot of credibility.
Batman Begins, on the other hand, is superb. Every detail, from Christian Bale's brooding hero to Liam Neeson's morality-choked villain, via Gary Oldman's superb playing-against-type Sergeant Gordon, is fantastic. Like Michael Keaton, Bale has the quirkiness to fit the role - something that Kilmer and Clooney's pretty-but-empty presences lacked. Even the plot was a lot more plausible, albeit very similar to the original film's chemical shenanigans. And despite the fact that Christopher "Memento" Nolan rewrote Wayne's parent/Joker link, the film still works. Something that works in favour of the film is the way all the science is explained. Bruce Wayne isn't an invulnerable superhero, he's a guy that kicks ass purely because he put himself in situations where he got beaten up and had to defend himself. He doesn't have awesome technology just lying around, it's been taken from the scientific research department of his company and manufactured to fit his alter-ego and funded by his vast wealth. Most films expect you to assume this no questions asked...that's why this film is different, and therefore a little bit special.
Here's hoping the Bale/Nolan partnership continues for many films to come.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
Whatever happens, we will NEVER live in a climate of fear
British people are nothing if not resolute. Today's attacks by Al-Qaeda terrorists will not have the intended results. Just like September 11th brought renewed resilience in New York and the US, the determination to carry on with normal lives will be forthright tomorrow, and in the coming weeks amongst the British people. The problem terrorists have with trying to dampen our spirit is that we're so damn downhearted most of the time anyway, an event like this only serves to bring us closer together. It would be good if some other changes come about after this though - such as clamping down our borders and kicking out the hate-spewing fanatics littering Britain's city streets.
The British people will only be made stronger by today's events.
The British people will only be made stronger by today's events.
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