I think they decided to not run with this scene because Spike doesn't actually get slain by Buffy so it would have confused the plot somewhat.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Scary Deleted Scenes
I've just got wind of some scenes that got deleted from the final series of Buffy. My favourite is the one where Buffy slays Spike completely to dust. Here's a freeze frame:
I think they decided to not run with this scene because Spike doesn't actually get slain by Buffy so it would have confused the plot somewhat.
I think they decided to not run with this scene because Spike doesn't actually get slain by Buffy so it would have confused the plot somewhat.
Scary Tea
I've found a strange (scary) new fruit tea to add to my cupboard: Melon, Grape and Aloe Vera. I'm not sure what kind of melon it is, but based on the illustration on the box, it is definitely a melon melon rather than a watermelon.
Tastes alright.
Tastes alright.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Scary Dressing Up
Tomorrow night it is Halloween. Night of witches and demons and ghoulies and vampires.
Tonight I am going to a Halloween party. It's a little early, but you can't do these things as well on a Sunday night, at least not if you have a job to go to on the Monday.
I think this is only the second such party I've ever been to. The first was around seven years ago (possibly exactly seven years ago) in Norwich. Like all good parties, it was fancy dress, so I went as Ash from the Evil Dead films. Specifically, as he appears in "Army of Darkness: The Medieval Dead", which is an utterly great film.
"See this? This is my Boom-stick!"
That time, I'd made myself a chainsaw and a shotgun, both of which were pretty impressive. They were my first foray into the realm of cardboard weaponry. Although, sadly, the shotgun does not exist any more, I do still have the chainsaw. Like in the film, it was designed to fit over the stub at the end of my arm where I used to have a hand. I actually did have a hand there as well, I wasn't going to do that degree of attention to detail, but you couldn't see it when the chainsaw was being worn.
Since it was mostly constructed from cardboard, there is a slight problem with blade stiffness.
The shotgun looked more realistic. I was quite nervous around carrying it around town so I put it inside my guitar case and carried that instead. I understood why the bad buys all do that in films.
Tonight's party has a slightly more specific theme: Buffy (and Angel). So I am reusing my Buffy costume from the Summer. I have reupholstered my breasts to make them a little perkier - last time I got many complaints about droopiness. I expect this time people will complain that my eyebrows don't match my lovely blonde hair or something. People are never happy.
Tonight I am going to a Halloween party. It's a little early, but you can't do these things as well on a Sunday night, at least not if you have a job to go to on the Monday.
I think this is only the second such party I've ever been to. The first was around seven years ago (possibly exactly seven years ago) in Norwich. Like all good parties, it was fancy dress, so I went as Ash from the Evil Dead films. Specifically, as he appears in "Army of Darkness: The Medieval Dead", which is an utterly great film.
"See this? This is my Boom-stick!"
That time, I'd made myself a chainsaw and a shotgun, both of which were pretty impressive. They were my first foray into the realm of cardboard weaponry. Although, sadly, the shotgun does not exist any more, I do still have the chainsaw. Like in the film, it was designed to fit over the stub at the end of my arm where I used to have a hand. I actually did have a hand there as well, I wasn't going to do that degree of attention to detail, but you couldn't see it when the chainsaw was being worn.
Since it was mostly constructed from cardboard, there is a slight problem with blade stiffness.
The shotgun looked more realistic. I was quite nervous around carrying it around town so I put it inside my guitar case and carried that instead. I understood why the bad buys all do that in films.
Tonight's party has a slightly more specific theme: Buffy (and Angel). So I am reusing my Buffy costume from the Summer. I have reupholstered my breasts to make them a little perkier - last time I got many complaints about droopiness. I expect this time people will complain that my eyebrows don't match my lovely blonde hair or something. People are never happy.
Friday, October 29, 2004
A tale of two some kumquats
The following post was typed at two separate times:
BEGIN AT WORK DATA ENTRY:
When I went down to Ealing for the Wedding last week, I allowed myself plenty of contingency time. I didn't want to miss the ceremony, that would have been very bad form. As it turned out, since the ceremony was an hour and a half long, I could have easily missed some of it and not really missed much at all if you catch my drift.
The Wedding was at three pm. Despite having a miniature hangover from Friday night, I managed to get up on Saturday morning, pack, dress and leave York early enough so that I was in Ealing at around one pm with two whole hours to go. Nice - what could possibly go wrong?
I was supposed to be meeting up with a friend from Uni who was also going to the wedding, but since he did not share my organisational excellence, and is also a lazy bas***d, he had slept in and was running late. I found a nearby bar and ordered lunch and a pint of German lager whilst I waited. I had nothing to read unfortunately, so I just had to sit around and wait. Which I didn't mind. I was happy to just sit and watch the world go by.
After an hour, I'd eaten and drank. I had also spoken to lazy bas***d on the phone, and he assured me that he was on his way and would be with me shortly. Have another pint, he said. This I was happy to oblige. I also then realised that I did have something to read after all - a copy of this week's New Scientist. So I ordered another pint, read magazine and hoped LB would turn up soon so that I could go to the toilet (had a load of stuff with me which I didn't want to take to the loo, but didn't want to leave lying unattended in the pub earlier).
At a quarter to three, I decided I couldn't really wait any longer, so I went to the loo (with all my stuff), left and called LB to tell him I'd meet him at the wedding. Unfortunately, not knowing Ealing at all, and only having a very dodgy map,
CLOSE AT WORK DATA ENTRY
BEGIN POST-PUB DATA ENTRY:
... Balls. The map I had was not good. I attempted to use it to send me towards the church. But all that happened was I ended up lost. I phoned LB, and asked a random walking person where Ealing Abbey was. The daft bitch had no idea. What is the sodding point of having members of the public walking around this land if they can't give you fucki*g directions???
By this point, it was raining.
Anyway, after more phone conversations to LB, who had finally manged to turn up in the right city, I ended up in the right direction. But only after a big running session. When we arrived in the church, you could have wringed the sweat off me and served it as communion wine.
But, it was a long service which allowed me to dry off.
So despite arriving with two whole stupid hours to spare, the fact that I had friends caused no end of trouble. Fucki*g losers.
The best laid plans and all that shit...
I'm pretty sure that when I started typing this, earlier in the afternoon, I had much more fun anger to get out.
Seem to have misplaced it now. Sorry.
CLOSE POST-PUB DATA ENTRY
BEGIN AT WORK DATA ENTRY:
When I went down to Ealing for the Wedding last week, I allowed myself plenty of contingency time. I didn't want to miss the ceremony, that would have been very bad form. As it turned out, since the ceremony was an hour and a half long, I could have easily missed some of it and not really missed much at all if you catch my drift.
The Wedding was at three pm. Despite having a miniature hangover from Friday night, I managed to get up on Saturday morning, pack, dress and leave York early enough so that I was in Ealing at around one pm with two whole hours to go. Nice - what could possibly go wrong?
I was supposed to be meeting up with a friend from Uni who was also going to the wedding, but since he did not share my organisational excellence, and is also a lazy bas***d, he had slept in and was running late. I found a nearby bar and ordered lunch and a pint of German lager whilst I waited. I had nothing to read unfortunately, so I just had to sit around and wait. Which I didn't mind. I was happy to just sit and watch the world go by.
After an hour, I'd eaten and drank. I had also spoken to lazy bas***d on the phone, and he assured me that he was on his way and would be with me shortly. Have another pint, he said. This I was happy to oblige. I also then realised that I did have something to read after all - a copy of this week's New Scientist. So I ordered another pint, read magazine and hoped LB would turn up soon so that I could go to the toilet (had a load of stuff with me which I didn't want to take to the loo, but didn't want to leave lying unattended in the pub earlier).
At a quarter to three, I decided I couldn't really wait any longer, so I went to the loo (with all my stuff), left and called LB to tell him I'd meet him at the wedding. Unfortunately, not knowing Ealing at all, and only having a very dodgy map,
CLOSE AT WORK DATA ENTRY
BEGIN POST-PUB DATA ENTRY:
... Balls. The map I had was not good. I attempted to use it to send me towards the church. But all that happened was I ended up lost. I phoned LB, and asked a random walking person where Ealing Abbey was. The daft bitch had no idea. What is the sodding point of having members of the public walking around this land if they can't give you fucki*g directions???
By this point, it was raining.
Anyway, after more phone conversations to LB, who had finally manged to turn up in the right city, I ended up in the right direction. But only after a big running session. When we arrived in the church, you could have wringed the sweat off me and served it as communion wine.
But, it was a long service which allowed me to dry off.
So despite arriving with two whole stupid hours to spare, the fact that I had friends caused no end of trouble. Fucki*g losers.
The best laid plans and all that shit...
I'm pretty sure that when I started typing this, earlier in the afternoon, I had much more fun anger to get out.
Seem to have misplaced it now. Sorry.
CLOSE POST-PUB DATA ENTRY
Thursday, October 28, 2004
PTFPDPOSCWTATAFTD
This is not a post about John Peel.
Occasionally you don't know somebody for that long, but you make a kind of connection and then miss them enormously when you have to part. I hate goodbyes.
It's been a strange kind of week.
If we're going to meet again, we'll meet again. If we're not, we're not. Either way it can't really compare to the kind of disappointment I had at work today. Let me paint a picture.
One of the most entertaining things we do at work from time to time is the "Put The Fake Plastic Dog Poo On Someone's Chair Whilst They Are Temporarily Away From Their Desk" game. Or PTFPDPOSCWTATAFTD as those of us in the know call it. We played today but it didn't go as planned.
Imagine, for the sake of anonymity, there's a girl called Buffy. It's not her real name, or even a name she's ever used. But in an ideal world, all girls would be called Buffy. I left the Fake Plastic Poo on Buffy's chair whilst she had gone to get drinks, and pushed the chair under the desk, poo out of sight. Normally what happens is that person gets back, sees the poo, goes "Urgghh!" or "Arghh!" and we all crack up. It's hilarious.
What happened today was that Buffy came back with drinks, sat down on the poo on the chair, didn't notice anything awry, and carried on with work. It was wrong! Next time she left the desk I recovered the poo and replaced it back into my drawer. It did give us some amusement that she hadn't noticed, but not as much as if she had. But it at least means that we can play PTFPDPOSCWTATAFTD again another day.
A dog may be just for Christmas, but the fun of a plastic poo is eternal.
Occasionally you don't know somebody for that long, but you make a kind of connection and then miss them enormously when you have to part. I hate goodbyes.
It's been a strange kind of week.
If we're going to meet again, we'll meet again. If we're not, we're not. Either way it can't really compare to the kind of disappointment I had at work today. Let me paint a picture.
One of the most entertaining things we do at work from time to time is the "Put The Fake Plastic Dog Poo On Someone's Chair Whilst They Are Temporarily Away From Their Desk" game. Or PTFPDPOSCWTATAFTD as those of us in the know call it. We played today but it didn't go as planned.
Imagine, for the sake of anonymity, there's a girl called Buffy. It's not her real name, or even a name she's ever used. But in an ideal world, all girls would be called Buffy. I left the Fake Plastic Poo on Buffy's chair whilst she had gone to get drinks, and pushed the chair under the desk, poo out of sight. Normally what happens is that person gets back, sees the poo, goes "Urgghh!" or "Arghh!" and we all crack up. It's hilarious.
What happened today was that Buffy came back with drinks, sat down on the poo on the chair, didn't notice anything awry, and carried on with work. It was wrong! Next time she left the desk I recovered the poo and replaced it back into my drawer. It did give us some amusement that she hadn't noticed, but not as much as if she had. But it at least means that we can play PTFPDPOSCWTATAFTD again another day.
A dog may be just for Christmas, but the fun of a plastic poo is eternal.
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
The Tribute Wall to John Peel
There were a couple of us at work today who felt similarly about John Peel's untimely death yesterday. So we decided to, for a few days at least, make use of the empty old Wall Of Great Englishmen (And Women). We have now decreed the wall to be The Tribute Wall to John Peel. Here it is in all it's glory:
Ok, so it's not exactly The Louvre, but it's not supposed to be. Richard Herring wrote earlier: "We mourn him like a friend because he was a kind of friend." Spot on.
Ok, so it's not exactly The Louvre, but it's not supposed to be. Richard Herring wrote earlier: "We mourn him like a friend because he was a kind of friend." Spot on.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
John Peel RIP
Some days I unfortunately don't need to think too hard about what to write about. Because sometimes something just hits you hard.
John Peel died today.
I've listened to his radio shows for many, many years, and even aged 65 he was still playing better music than the majority of DJ's out there. OK, some of it was shit too, but that didn't really matter. Listening to his show, you'd always hear something new, and maybe something good too. It was John that introduced me to Hefner, Cinerama, The Crimea, and they're just three that popped into my mind without thinking much.
I couldn't count the number of times that his voice was the last one I heard before falling asleep at night. It's hard to believe that that won't happen again.
I'd like to write more, but I'm actually quite upset, so I'll leave it here.
He will be much missed.
John Peel died today.
I've listened to his radio shows for many, many years, and even aged 65 he was still playing better music than the majority of DJ's out there. OK, some of it was shit too, but that didn't really matter. Listening to his show, you'd always hear something new, and maybe something good too. It was John that introduced me to Hefner, Cinerama, The Crimea, and they're just three that popped into my mind without thinking much.
I couldn't count the number of times that his voice was the last one I heard before falling asleep at night. It's hard to believe that that won't happen again.
I'd like to write more, but I'm actually quite upset, so I'll leave it here.
He will be much missed.
Monday, October 25, 2004
She smoked in my bed cos she thought it would annoy me
A line from a fantastic old Hefner song there, from what was possibly their best album, "The Fidelity Wars". I miss Hefner.
Question time.
Are smokers:
a) Antisocial, evil-smelling, yellow fingered, weak-willed people who taste like a four day old ashtray;
b) Poeple who like John Lennon's favourite vegetable, peas, should be given a chance;
c) Dying slowly;
d) Funny;
e) All of the above (they're definitely c, I guess - we're all c)
Question time.
Are smokers:
a) Antisocial, evil-smelling, yellow fingered, weak-willed people who taste like a four day old ashtray;
b) Poeple who like John Lennon's favourite vegetable, peas, should be given a chance;
c) Dying slowly;
d) Funny;
e) All of the above (they're definitely c, I guess - we're all c)
Ummmm.... Sleeeeeeppppp.
After a distinct lack of sleep on Saturday night, I think I have made a huge in-road into catching up, with close to 12 hours last night. Proper sleep too, not just lying in bed trying to get to sleep as can sometimes happen. Nice.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Wedding
Yet again I have been away this weekend, back to The Dirty South for the wedding of a friend from university. Since he and his new wife are Sri Lankan, the wedding had some degree of Sri Lankenness. Firstly, there were lots more speeches than is normal, since it seems anyone from either family who wants to make a speech is allowed to make a speech. Or possibly put on a slide show. The other main manifestation of Sri-Lankenness was that the dinner was (a selection of) curry.
It is quite possible that since I have never been to a similar wedding before, these things are not in fact traditional or usual.
I saw some good friends that I've not seen for a few years, and one that I hadn't seen or heard from for around 9 years. That may seem like a long time to not have any contact with a friend for, and you'd be right. If I knew people that I had no contact with for that long, then I would fully expect for them to cross me off their Christmas card list, and for them to state to the world: "That non-contacting person is no longer a friend of mine".
However, she had not had cause to make this statement, since I had slightly exaggerated the strength of our friendship above. Perhaps what I should have said was that "I renewed my acquaintance with a foxy girl I met once, for a single evening, 9 years ago in The Fountain Inn, Cambridge". That would have been more accurate. I think it's fair to say that since we have now spent two evenings together in the whole of our short lives, we are at least twice as good friends today, than we were last week.
Anyway, after much dancing (possibly including some dancing to bhangra), much wine, and much frolicking, I eventually got to a state of sleep. I was definitely appreciative that I had a room in the hotel where the reception was held. Taxis or buses would have been far too complicated.
Now I am lots of tired, and so even though it has just passed seven pm, I fully intend to go to bed shortly.
It is quite possible that since I have never been to a similar wedding before, these things are not in fact traditional or usual.
I saw some good friends that I've not seen for a few years, and one that I hadn't seen or heard from for around 9 years. That may seem like a long time to not have any contact with a friend for, and you'd be right. If I knew people that I had no contact with for that long, then I would fully expect for them to cross me off their Christmas card list, and for them to state to the world: "That non-contacting person is no longer a friend of mine".
However, she had not had cause to make this statement, since I had slightly exaggerated the strength of our friendship above. Perhaps what I should have said was that "I renewed my acquaintance with a foxy girl I met once, for a single evening, 9 years ago in The Fountain Inn, Cambridge". That would have been more accurate. I think it's fair to say that since we have now spent two evenings together in the whole of our short lives, we are at least twice as good friends today, than we were last week.
Anyway, after much dancing (possibly including some dancing to bhangra), much wine, and much frolicking, I eventually got to a state of sleep. I was definitely appreciative that I had a room in the hotel where the reception was held. Taxis or buses would have been far too complicated.
Now I am lots of tired, and so even though it has just passed seven pm, I fully intend to go to bed shortly.
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Viva la English
Yesterday, I finally decided that it was possibly time to take down the remainder of our Euro 2004 decorations at work. The competition was back in June, but it's been nice having a bit of colour around the office. But all good things do tend to come to a messy end, and it's a wise man that knows his own father, and also sometimes when to stop.
So I took down the wall of Great Englishmen (and women). I took down the wall of Superb English Quotes. And I took down the wall of Why England Is Best, reasons chosen by myself and a colleague. This last wall celebrated in four A4 sheets of paper all the things that are good and proper about England, land of the English (and not many people called Eng).
The walls look very empty now.
I thought I might record here for posterity the some of the contents of the Why England Is Best wall. Just so any of you non-English people can realise what you are missing.
Things The English Are Best At
- Grammar
- Crosswords
- Cooking
- War
- Peacekeeping
- Dog training
- Playing fair
- Queueing
- Getting angry at queue jumpers
- Stopping queue jumpers getting in
- Celebrating any time you stop a queue jumper getting in
- Keeping things in perspective
- Diplomacy
- Tolerating other countries inadequacies
- Humility
- Being the voice of reason
- Knowing when we are better off
- Giving to the poor and needy
- Being able to analyse whether the poor and needy really are so poor and needy
- Self analysis
- Denial
Great English Inventions
- The wheel
- Fire
- Bingo
- Skiing
- Sex Pistols
- Water Pistols
- English
- Tea
- India
- Harry Potter
- Harry Secombe
- Sooty
- Soot
- Dick Van Dyke
- The sunbed
- Dale Winton
- Julie Andrews
- Andrews liver salts
- Cod liver oil
- Scouse humour
- Joyriding
Places You May Commonly Find An Englishman
- In the local pub
- In bed
- Down t'garden
- Not in Wales
- A Portugese jail cell
- Strapped to the torture table of an evil genius
- In the gutter
- In the Big Brother house
- Spain
- Being evil in a Hollywood film
- Inside a Punch and Judy booth
- Milton Keynes
- Under the boardwalk
- At the front of any race
- On a bus
- On The Buses
- By the rivers of Babylon
- In a lift
- Trumpton, Chigley and Camberwick Green
- In top rock-combo, Slade
- In a cheese shop
- Hanging from a hangman's noose
- Dudley
- In bed with Madonna
- Late night talk radio
- Outside the kebab van, late at night
- England
Anyone who says that I'm just writing things here that used to be on a wall at work because I'm too lazy to think of anything original is wrong.
So I took down the wall of Great Englishmen (and women). I took down the wall of Superb English Quotes. And I took down the wall of Why England Is Best, reasons chosen by myself and a colleague. This last wall celebrated in four A4 sheets of paper all the things that are good and proper about England, land of the English (and not many people called Eng).
The walls look very empty now.
I thought I might record here for posterity the some of the contents of the Why England Is Best wall. Just so any of you non-English people can realise what you are missing.
Things The English Are Best At
- Grammar
- Crosswords
- Cooking
- War
- Peacekeeping
- Dog training
- Playing fair
- Queueing
- Getting angry at queue jumpers
- Stopping queue jumpers getting in
- Celebrating any time you stop a queue jumper getting in
- Keeping things in perspective
- Diplomacy
- Tolerating other countries inadequacies
- Humility
- Being the voice of reason
- Knowing when we are better off
- Giving to the poor and needy
- Being able to analyse whether the poor and needy really are so poor and needy
- Self analysis
- Denial
Great English Inventions
- The wheel
- Fire
- Bingo
- Skiing
- Sex Pistols
- Water Pistols
- English
- Tea
- India
- Harry Potter
- Harry Secombe
- Sooty
- Soot
- Dick Van Dyke
- The sunbed
- Dale Winton
- Julie Andrews
- Andrews liver salts
- Cod liver oil
- Scouse humour
- Joyriding
Places You May Commonly Find An Englishman
- In the local pub
- In bed
- Down t'garden
- Not in Wales
- A Portugese jail cell
- Strapped to the torture table of an evil genius
- In the gutter
- In the Big Brother house
- Spain
- Being evil in a Hollywood film
- Inside a Punch and Judy booth
- Milton Keynes
- Under the boardwalk
- At the front of any race
- On a bus
- On The Buses
- By the rivers of Babylon
- In a lift
- Trumpton, Chigley and Camberwick Green
- In top rock-combo, Slade
- In a cheese shop
- Hanging from a hangman's noose
- Dudley
- In bed with Madonna
- Late night talk radio
- Outside the kebab van, late at night
- England
Anyone who says that I'm just writing things here that used to be on a wall at work because I'm too lazy to think of anything original is wrong.
That sudden feeling of misery :-)
Do you ever go out, have a good time, and then for no particular good reason find that your mind has decided to go all maudlin on you? Rather than being out you'd rather just be alone somewhere with a glass of whisky and a comfy pillow? Eventually the feeling goes away, and you may enjoy the remainder of the evening. For today at least. Maybe it's just me.
At such a time, should you...
a) Cry and hide in a corner.
b) Cry and hide in the toilets.
c) Dance your cares away, worry's for another day.
d) Have another beer until you feel better.
e) Wait until tomorrow. Repeat.
I think d) works well.
At such a time, should you...
a) Cry and hide in a corner.
b) Cry and hide in the toilets.
c) Dance your cares away, worry's for another day.
d) Have another beer until you feel better.
e) Wait until tomorrow. Repeat.
I think d) works well.
Friday, October 22, 2004
My Review of Some Books
I have around 35 unread books on my bookshelves. Some are standing vertically, some lie horizontally. Some I've had for only a couple of weeks and may read soon (eg The Algebraist by Iain M Banks). Some I have owned for many years and just never got around to reading (eg Slant by Greg Bear). This is about the same amount of unread books as I had at the start of the year.
I decided back in around March, after taking nearly three months to get through a single one, that I needed to make more of an in-road into this veritable book mountain, and I set myself a target of 24 books for the year. Reasonably respectable, though I'm sure some of you will have got through more, especially those of you who have not progressed beyond short little books like Noddy. As of yesterday, I have reached 20, which is equivalent to 2 a month. With 4 books and with over 2 months to go, I am ahead of target. Anyway, with all these books I have read, I thought I'd share some of them with you with the first in a very irregular series that I will call "My Review of Some Books". They are in no particular order, and I offer no marks out of 10.
My Review of Some Books
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Although this was first published in 1938, I only got round to reading the book this year. It's the story of an (unnamed) serving wench who gets off with a rich bloke whilst she's on holiday in France with her mistress. They fall in love and head back to Blokey's English country home, Manderley where there are layers of mystery coating all the surfaces. Who is Rebecca? And why can't rich bloke just get over her death? Will our heroine ever find true happiness?
Some or all of these questions may get answered, but not here, not now, not by me.
I wasn't sure whether I was going to enjoy Rebecca or not. I used to think it was one of them books like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice that only girls like, but that would be doing it a disservice. It's a downbeat, haunting novel, pleasantly evocative of England in the first half of the last century, and I did enjoy reading it. It loses points for not featuring any spaceships.
Rebecca is a work of fiction.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
It is possible that I am the last person in the Western world to have read this book. I still maintain that Dan Brown does not have a great writing style. He does tell a good story though, mixing up history and legend to liven up what is basically a big treasure hunt. Like the other two of his books that I've read, it takes place roughly within a 24 hour period, and features his patented Cliffhanger On Almost Every Page technique. Which whilst getting slightly wearing after a bit, does at least keep you turning the pages.
I also get quiet irritated with the way that the characters all think in italics constantly, as if I care what is going on in their not very well characterised heads. Why does Brown keep on doing this? The lead character (This is the second novel to feature him) only has two character traits: He's claustrophobic, and he has a Mickey Mouse Watch. That is pretty much it.
If you've read any of DB's other books, then I suspect you won't be too surprised by the twists, or too put off by the misdirections. But you'll probably enjoy it too. Personally, I preferred the preceding book, Angels and Demons.
The Da Vinci Code is also a work of fiction.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I haven't actually read this book. I think it's got a dog or a cat or something in it. And maybe sharks.
Life of Pi may or may not be a work of fiction. I don't know.
Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore
Michael Moore is angry. He's angry at America. He's angry at Republicans. He's angry at George W Bush. But most of all, he's angry at you. No, just joking. He's mostly angry at Bush. I don't have time or space to delve into the whys and wherefores here, but he really is a bit miffed.
On an almost relevant tangent, I downloaded Farenheit 9/11 a few months ago (and never quite decided whether it was legal or not in the end. Not that I care), but haven't got round to watching it yet. I will eventually.
Unfortunately, Dude, Where's My Country is not a work of fiction.
-------------
This ends My Review of Some Books. I'd better go off and read some more. The year is ticking ever onwards.
I decided back in around March, after taking nearly three months to get through a single one, that I needed to make more of an in-road into this veritable book mountain, and I set myself a target of 24 books for the year. Reasonably respectable, though I'm sure some of you will have got through more, especially those of you who have not progressed beyond short little books like Noddy. As of yesterday, I have reached 20, which is equivalent to 2 a month. With 4 books and with over 2 months to go, I am ahead of target. Anyway, with all these books I have read, I thought I'd share some of them with you with the first in a very irregular series that I will call "My Review of Some Books". They are in no particular order, and I offer no marks out of 10.
My Review of Some Books
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Although this was first published in 1938, I only got round to reading the book this year. It's the story of an (unnamed) serving wench who gets off with a rich bloke whilst she's on holiday in France with her mistress. They fall in love and head back to Blokey's English country home, Manderley where there are layers of mystery coating all the surfaces. Who is Rebecca? And why can't rich bloke just get over her death? Will our heroine ever find true happiness?
Some or all of these questions may get answered, but not here, not now, not by me.
I wasn't sure whether I was going to enjoy Rebecca or not. I used to think it was one of them books like Jane Eyre or Pride and Prejudice that only girls like, but that would be doing it a disservice. It's a downbeat, haunting novel, pleasantly evocative of England in the first half of the last century, and I did enjoy reading it. It loses points for not featuring any spaceships.
Rebecca is a work of fiction.
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
It is possible that I am the last person in the Western world to have read this book. I still maintain that Dan Brown does not have a great writing style. He does tell a good story though, mixing up history and legend to liven up what is basically a big treasure hunt. Like the other two of his books that I've read, it takes place roughly within a 24 hour period, and features his patented Cliffhanger On Almost Every Page technique. Which whilst getting slightly wearing after a bit, does at least keep you turning the pages.
I also get quiet irritated with the way that the characters all think in italics constantly, as if I care what is going on in their not very well characterised heads. Why does Brown keep on doing this? The lead character (This is the second novel to feature him) only has two character traits: He's claustrophobic, and he has a Mickey Mouse Watch. That is pretty much it.
If you've read any of DB's other books, then I suspect you won't be too surprised by the twists, or too put off by the misdirections. But you'll probably enjoy it too. Personally, I preferred the preceding book, Angels and Demons.
The Da Vinci Code is also a work of fiction.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
I haven't actually read this book. I think it's got a dog or a cat or something in it. And maybe sharks.
Life of Pi may or may not be a work of fiction. I don't know.
Dude, Where's My Country? by Michael Moore
Michael Moore is angry. He's angry at America. He's angry at Republicans. He's angry at George W Bush. But most of all, he's angry at you. No, just joking. He's mostly angry at Bush. I don't have time or space to delve into the whys and wherefores here, but he really is a bit miffed.
On an almost relevant tangent, I downloaded Farenheit 9/11 a few months ago (and never quite decided whether it was legal or not in the end. Not that I care), but haven't got round to watching it yet. I will eventually.
Unfortunately, Dude, Where's My Country is not a work of fiction.
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This ends My Review of Some Books. I'd better go off and read some more. The year is ticking ever onwards.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
An attempt to entertain the bored people
Here's a little game for anybody that might be quite bored at the moment (Hi Amy!). If you've played before, play again. If you've not played before, play now.
Rules are easy (and do not involve spotting any car number plates you'll be pleased to hear). Take film titles and try and combine them so that the last word of the first is the first word of the second, the last word of the second is the first word of the third and so on. 1 point for each film, bonus 2 points for making a circle. 0 points for films whose title is 1 word unless it's a composite word where you use different parts of the word to link to different titles. Here are a few short ones for example:
1. The Lion King and I Robot - 3 points
2. American Beauty and the Beastmaster and commander... - 4 points
3. Caspar the Friendly Ghost World - 2 points
Note that in no. 2, "beastmaster" is ok because "beast" is used to connect to "beauty and the beast", whilst "master" connects to "master and commander". However, no. 3 only scores 2 even though "Ghost" was a film in its own right. My decision is final in any disputes over scores. Let's play.
Rules are easy (and do not involve spotting any car number plates you'll be pleased to hear). Take film titles and try and combine them so that the last word of the first is the first word of the second, the last word of the second is the first word of the third and so on. 1 point for each film, bonus 2 points for making a circle. 0 points for films whose title is 1 word unless it's a composite word where you use different parts of the word to link to different titles. Here are a few short ones for example:
1. The Lion King and I Robot - 3 points
2. American Beauty and the Beastmaster and commander... - 4 points
3. Caspar the Friendly Ghost World - 2 points
Note that in no. 2, "beastmaster" is ok because "beast" is used to connect to "beauty and the beast", whilst "master" connects to "master and commander". However, no. 3 only scores 2 even though "Ghost" was a film in its own right. My decision is final in any disputes over scores. Let's play.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
A quick quiz
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Altered Towers
A day of rain, a day off work. It is possible that one can more than cancel the other. Especially if you are heading out for a day of high-octane thrills (ie some rollercoasters at Alton Towers). I could go on for a while about the different rides, but I'm tired. So here instead is a pic of me and some trussed up evil beings.
I did not not truss them myself. It was done by the most brave park staff.
One thing that they do seem to have started doing is to find new ways to spruce up exisiting rides rather than just building new ones. This year this has included:
1) Taking the haunted house/ghost train and turning it into a laser gun shooting ride. Shoot the hundreds of little lights all through the ride! Get a high score! Have fun shooting your laser "accidentally" at your friends' heads! Wish you had a paintball gun instead!
2) Taking the log flume and replacing all the logs with... Fake Baths! Get sponsored by a large soap company! Remove the dinosaurs that used to be there and have Tweety Pie sitting in a tree instead (I'm not sure whether the little yellow bird was really supposed to be there or not)! Add a six foot scary jumping out bath rubber duck in the dark tunnel!
On more of a plus thing, the park was dead empty due to it being late season and a week day, so we barely had to queue for anything all day. Last time I went, we queued for three hours to get on Air (we didn't mind, as we are English and like queueing). This time, it was more like three minutes, a vast improvement.
Although I did kind of miss the queues. That mass shared feeling that you all know that it's not really worth your time to queue so long for a little ride, but since you've already paid your entry money, you may as well queue, that's what we all came for really isn't it? Isn't it?
I did not not truss them myself. It was done by the most brave park staff.
One thing that they do seem to have started doing is to find new ways to spruce up exisiting rides rather than just building new ones. This year this has included:
1) Taking the haunted house/ghost train and turning it into a laser gun shooting ride. Shoot the hundreds of little lights all through the ride! Get a high score! Have fun shooting your laser "accidentally" at your friends' heads! Wish you had a paintball gun instead!
2) Taking the log flume and replacing all the logs with... Fake Baths! Get sponsored by a large soap company! Remove the dinosaurs that used to be there and have Tweety Pie sitting in a tree instead (I'm not sure whether the little yellow bird was really supposed to be there or not)! Add a six foot scary jumping out bath rubber duck in the dark tunnel!
On more of a plus thing, the park was dead empty due to it being late season and a week day, so we barely had to queue for anything all day. Last time I went, we queued for three hours to get on Air (we didn't mind, as we are English and like queueing). This time, it was more like three minutes, a vast improvement.
Although I did kind of miss the queues. That mass shared feeling that you all know that it's not really worth your time to queue so long for a little ride, but since you've already paid your entry money, you may as well queue, that's what we all came for really isn't it? Isn't it?
Monday, October 18, 2004
Two for... WHAT?????
Whilst perusing the local pubs this evening I have come across a worrying trend. I fear this may have been going on for a while and it's only just now that I've spotted it.
Relatively recently you could go into many a public house and see the offer of 2 meals for five pounds. Fantastic, you'd think - I can go there for a lunch, take my best girl by my side and sing... sorry, eat a couple of decent dinners and not have to worry about receiving piddly change from a fiver.
Those were the days.
Today, it seems that these are not the days any more. I ate in an establishment that offered two meals for Six Pounds, Seventy Five Pence. Now imagine how this works. You take your best girl out for a posh dinner. You eat and then attempt to split the bill. But... You can't! Two into Six Seventy Five doesn't go! Not since they abolished the half pence anyway.
You are forced into one of two situations:
1) You either have to patronise the girl by paying a whole penny more than her, leading to the situation where she thinks you are showing off by flashing your extra pence. Or;
2) You risk total embarassment by admitting that you are a complete pauper and you need to rely on her generosity to pay three pounds and thirty eight pence whilst you pay only three pounds thirty seven. The shame!
I can think of NO other way that this situation could resolve itself. The next place was just as bad, offering two meals for Four Pounds Ninety Nine. Or possibly Five Pounds Ninety Nine. I forget, but the poundage is not important. Don't these crap-wad Inn owners understand the importance of going Dutch in an accurate manner? In this world we live in, this dark, unrepentant shadow of a world, we need something to clutch to. Two meals for a fiver was it! We can split it nicely, we're happy! No fiddling with copper coins, no embarassing penny-lack moments.
Now eating out is mot the same. I may have to stay in and eat Pot Noodle for every meal I ever have for the rest of my life life life.
Relatively recently you could go into many a public house and see the offer of 2 meals for five pounds. Fantastic, you'd think - I can go there for a lunch, take my best girl by my side and sing... sorry, eat a couple of decent dinners and not have to worry about receiving piddly change from a fiver.
Those were the days.
Today, it seems that these are not the days any more. I ate in an establishment that offered two meals for Six Pounds, Seventy Five Pence. Now imagine how this works. You take your best girl out for a posh dinner. You eat and then attempt to split the bill. But... You can't! Two into Six Seventy Five doesn't go! Not since they abolished the half pence anyway.
You are forced into one of two situations:
1) You either have to patronise the girl by paying a whole penny more than her, leading to the situation where she thinks you are showing off by flashing your extra pence. Or;
2) You risk total embarassment by admitting that you are a complete pauper and you need to rely on her generosity to pay three pounds and thirty eight pence whilst you pay only three pounds thirty seven. The shame!
I can think of NO other way that this situation could resolve itself. The next place was just as bad, offering two meals for Four Pounds Ninety Nine. Or possibly Five Pounds Ninety Nine. I forget, but the poundage is not important. Don't these crap-wad Inn owners understand the importance of going Dutch in an accurate manner? In this world we live in, this dark, unrepentant shadow of a world, we need something to clutch to. Two meals for a fiver was it! We can split it nicely, we're happy! No fiddling with copper coins, no embarassing penny-lack moments.
Now eating out is mot the same. I may have to stay in and eat Pot Noodle for every meal I ever have for the rest of my life life life.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
A visit to the land of Haggis
I've been away yet again this weekend, but in a completely different direction for a change. We call it... "North". Yes, bonny Scotland beckoned and I went willingly. It's been over a year since I have been to Edinburgh, but it didn't appear to have changed much. Not that we saw much of the main city, since we were staying by the Firth of Forth. I'm not sure what a Firth is. Probably a big river or estuary or something, but Scottish.
The reason for the trip was the flatwarming party of a friend who has recently moved (avec cats) from York to Edinburgh. Unlike the last flat I visited, this one didn't have psychotic CCTV systems installed for spying on people coming in and out. Or if it did have such systems, we were not shown them.
Slightly off topic, it's surprising how many people in Scotland are called Scott. I encountered three on Saturday night - 2 at the party and one working behind the bar of the local pub that we visited aforehand (It's nice to travel 200 miles and still be able to get a pint (or two) of Landlord. Beer good beer is Landlord). If I was called Scott, I'm not sure whether I'd feel proud or embarassed to live in a country named after me. Edinburgh even has a Scott Memorial, which is possibly to commemorate all the many millions of people called Scott who have passed through the grand old city. Maybe each of them visits the memorial and signs the guest book.
I personally am quite glad that I am not called Eng.
It is not uncommon for parties held by this personage to contain some musical entertainment. Last night we had... Karaoke! I love karaoke. Here you can see just how much I love karaoke:
See that look of pure unalloyed pleasure? And that's only when I'm not even singing. Obviously when I am singing, the look on everyone else's face would mirror mine exactly (mirror as in "be the complete opposite of").
The trains this weekend have been fairly rubbish. Not late, just hugely diverted (to the tune of an extra one and a half to two hours each way). Engineering works on the line meant that we had to travel via Carlisle - literally on the other side of the country. People did query whether we had accidentally gone up the wrong coast - I'm not sure how it would be possible to do that from York. You'd have to make a real effort to accidentally end up in Carlisle, which could explain why I have never accidentally gone there before. I've never been there intentionally either.
I'm quite hard pressed to think of any cities that I have visited unintentionally. Well, I guess that's something to brag to the grandchildren about - "In my long life, I never once went somewhere that I didn't mean to go. I always had purpose." Not that I have grandchildren of course. I'm not quite that old. I'm not even slightly quite that old. Unless I was from Barnsley (which I amn't).
The reason for the trip was the flatwarming party of a friend who has recently moved (avec cats) from York to Edinburgh. Unlike the last flat I visited, this one didn't have psychotic CCTV systems installed for spying on people coming in and out. Or if it did have such systems, we were not shown them.
Slightly off topic, it's surprising how many people in Scotland are called Scott. I encountered three on Saturday night - 2 at the party and one working behind the bar of the local pub that we visited aforehand (It's nice to travel 200 miles and still be able to get a pint (or two) of Landlord. Beer good beer is Landlord). If I was called Scott, I'm not sure whether I'd feel proud or embarassed to live in a country named after me. Edinburgh even has a Scott Memorial, which is possibly to commemorate all the many millions of people called Scott who have passed through the grand old city. Maybe each of them visits the memorial and signs the guest book.
I personally am quite glad that I am not called Eng.
It is not uncommon for parties held by this personage to contain some musical entertainment. Last night we had... Karaoke! I love karaoke. Here you can see just how much I love karaoke:
See that look of pure unalloyed pleasure? And that's only when I'm not even singing. Obviously when I am singing, the look on everyone else's face would mirror mine exactly (mirror as in "be the complete opposite of").
The trains this weekend have been fairly rubbish. Not late, just hugely diverted (to the tune of an extra one and a half to two hours each way). Engineering works on the line meant that we had to travel via Carlisle - literally on the other side of the country. People did query whether we had accidentally gone up the wrong coast - I'm not sure how it would be possible to do that from York. You'd have to make a real effort to accidentally end up in Carlisle, which could explain why I have never accidentally gone there before. I've never been there intentionally either.
I'm quite hard pressed to think of any cities that I have visited unintentionally. Well, I guess that's something to brag to the grandchildren about - "In my long life, I never once went somewhere that I didn't mean to go. I always had purpose." Not that I have grandchildren of course. I'm not quite that old. I'm not even slightly quite that old. Unless I was from Barnsley (which I amn't).
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Unknown Purchase
It's really irritating to look down your credit card statement and see a payment you made over a month ago for £49.99, and have absolutely no idea what it was for. "Bulmer's selling service, York" is all it says. I've tried searching for this in Google but it turned up nothing. I expect it is something I really bought rather than a fraudulent thing, but I really am not sure what it could be. I need to have a look round to see if I can see anything I've recently purchased for just under fifty quid.
Oooh, I've just worked it out - Mandolin. A blog does have a use after all if you've mentioned things that you've bought on it.
Oooh, I've just worked it out - Mandolin. A blog does have a use after all if you've mentioned things that you've bought on it.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Time for bed
Here I am, late on Friday night. Nothing in particular that needs saying or writing. My state of soberness is somewhere over to the right hand side of any standard Cartesian coordinate syatem. The sofa looks like a comfy place to sleep, but I have an even comfier bed just a few metres away. Each of these places to lie is emptier than I'd wish. My life is emptier than I'd wish.
Ha ha ha. I think I'm just joking.
To sleep alone or to not sleep alone: that is the question. Let's just assume that we're putting the emphasis on sleep here, rather than anything else that two (or more) consenting adults may get up to in a bed environment. Sleeping alone has many advantages over sleeping with someone else. The top three advantages of sleeping alone are:
1. You can do a total diagonal sleep thing. Get into bed, don't worry about where you stick your arms, legs, or other limbs. Hey, lie like a starfish if it takes your fancy.
2. If you want to get up in the night and have a walk around, grab a glass of water, play a CD, maybe watch a film, you can do it! Nobody'll stop you, you can watch the entire Indiana Jones triology every night after bedtime if it takes your fancy.
3. You can pass as much wind as you like, all through the night. Not constantly, obviously - that would tend to imply you had a serious bowel problem.
Some might argue that with reasons like that to sleep alone, why would anybody choose any other way?
It's time for me to go to bed now.
Ha ha ha. I think I'm just joking.
To sleep alone or to not sleep alone: that is the question. Let's just assume that we're putting the emphasis on sleep here, rather than anything else that two (or more) consenting adults may get up to in a bed environment. Sleeping alone has many advantages over sleeping with someone else. The top three advantages of sleeping alone are:
1. You can do a total diagonal sleep thing. Get into bed, don't worry about where you stick your arms, legs, or other limbs. Hey, lie like a starfish if it takes your fancy.
2. If you want to get up in the night and have a walk around, grab a glass of water, play a CD, maybe watch a film, you can do it! Nobody'll stop you, you can watch the entire Indiana Jones triology every night after bedtime if it takes your fancy.
3. You can pass as much wind as you like, all through the night. Not constantly, obviously - that would tend to imply you had a serious bowel problem.
Some might argue that with reasons like that to sleep alone, why would anybody choose any other way?
It's time for me to go to bed now.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Counting Cards
Another misconception I've been carrying around for years has been dispelled this evening. I have to wonder how much other stuff that's in my head is just not entirely correct?
Card counting. I'd never had card counting explained to me, and I'd never bothered to look up how to do it (as I thought I knew what it was). All I knew was that it was called "card counting" and that it allowed you to get an advantage whilst playing blackjack in a casino. I had assumed that it was a very simple method: namely that card counters just remember every card that has been dealt from the deck, and hence know what hasn't been dealt yet, and hence be able to guess what the approximate odds were at any time.
If I met a card counter I'd assumed I could ask them what had been dealt and they'd say "4 of hearts, 3 of diamonds, king of hearts, queen of spades..." etc. Whilst I know that there are (weird) people out there with the memory skills to actually do this, it always seemed odd that this would be a common way to try and beat the casinos.
And I left it at that.
Tonight I've just watched a TV programme on telly about the card counters. And it turns out card counting is much much simpler than that. Simple enough that I could probably have a go at it if I wanted to. Here is a very very simple guide to card counting (note: other methods also exist):
1. Start a running total in your head. Start at 0, it's a very good place to start.
2. Every time a 2,3,4,5 or 6 is dealt, add 1 to your total.
3. Every time a 10, J, Q, K or A is dealt, subtract 1 from your total.
4. Don't lose track of your total.
5. Kind of play normally and sensibly, but cunningly bet more at appropriate times when your total is positive.
6. Still keep track of your total though.
I have a feeling step 5 may be the important one to actually win money. Which is a shame because step 1 is dead easy and I've got it down to a tee. Watch: 0! Easy!
I expect I'll be beating the casinos in no time.
Card counting. I'd never had card counting explained to me, and I'd never bothered to look up how to do it (as I thought I knew what it was). All I knew was that it was called "card counting" and that it allowed you to get an advantage whilst playing blackjack in a casino. I had assumed that it was a very simple method: namely that card counters just remember every card that has been dealt from the deck, and hence know what hasn't been dealt yet, and hence be able to guess what the approximate odds were at any time.
If I met a card counter I'd assumed I could ask them what had been dealt and they'd say "4 of hearts, 3 of diamonds, king of hearts, queen of spades..." etc. Whilst I know that there are (weird) people out there with the memory skills to actually do this, it always seemed odd that this would be a common way to try and beat the casinos.
And I left it at that.
Tonight I've just watched a TV programme on telly about the card counters. And it turns out card counting is much much simpler than that. Simple enough that I could probably have a go at it if I wanted to. Here is a very very simple guide to card counting (note: other methods also exist):
1. Start a running total in your head. Start at 0, it's a very good place to start.
2. Every time a 2,3,4,5 or 6 is dealt, add 1 to your total.
3. Every time a 10, J, Q, K or A is dealt, subtract 1 from your total.
4. Don't lose track of your total.
5. Kind of play normally and sensibly, but cunningly bet more at appropriate times when your total is positive.
6. Still keep track of your total though.
I have a feeling step 5 may be the important one to actually win money. Which is a shame because step 1 is dead easy and I've got it down to a tee. Watch: 0! Easy!
I expect I'll be beating the casinos in no time.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Why, sometimes, India is closer than London
I'm marking actuarial exams at the moment. Actually right now whilst I'm writing this. Since the UK exams are taken all over the world, I get scripts sent to me from all over the world. I have all the ones I should have at the moment, except for one batch. I have scripts from India, scripts from Sri Lanka, and scripts from Ireland. Where is the late batch from? South London.
How on Earth does it take 3 or 4 days longer to send me a package from London to here, than from India to here? I can see why offshoring is so popular - it must hugely reduce communication delays compared to having two offices in two parts of the UK!
I can only assume that the London scripts are being sent to me by snail mail using actual snails. Trained snails, obviously, with giant shells that you can store packages in. And a little door in the side of the shell so that you can move things in and out easily without you having to touch the slimy bit.
How on Earth does it take 3 or 4 days longer to send me a package from London to here, than from India to here? I can see why offshoring is so popular - it must hugely reduce communication delays compared to having two offices in two parts of the UK!
I can only assume that the London scripts are being sent to me by snail mail using actual snails. Trained snails, obviously, with giant shells that you can store packages in. And a little door in the side of the shell so that you can move things in and out easily without you having to touch the slimy bit.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
May you live in interesting times...(update)
Well, that wasn't very exciting (for me at least). Looks like most of actuarial will keep their jobs, whilst most of the cuts come amongst the accountants/finance dept, as seems to always be the way. I'm now expecting to continue doing my current job for a while longer.
I wrote a little ditty about the situation:
If you are of a finance bent,
Then every few years you'll be sent,
A form for you to represent,
Your desire to be redun-dent.
But if you are an actuary,
You need not fear restructu-ary.
Your type of work will never vary,
And you'll not be off to the facto-ary.
-*ahem*-
I wrote a little ditty about the situation:
If you are of a finance bent,
Then every few years you'll be sent,
A form for you to represent,
Your desire to be redun-dent.
But if you are an actuary,
You need not fear restructu-ary.
Your type of work will never vary,
And you'll not be off to the facto-ary.
-*ahem*-
May you live in interesting times...
At work today we will see the new departmental structure for the first time, and more interestingly, find out how the roles are going to be filled. I'm expecting it to be a mixture of some people being ringfenced, and staying doing what they currently do, and the rest being put into pools from which they will be able to apply for roles within areas of the stucture (rather than being able to apply for absolutely anything). But I might be wrong on this, I'm pretty much guessing.
Nervous isn't really the right word. Actually it's completely the wrong word. It's more Antici...pation (as they say in Rocky Horror). It's like waiting for the results of a maths exam which you know you've stormed. Or waiting for someone to pick you up in a car from your flat and they're running slightly late so you can't really do anything until they turn up. You can't even go to the toilet because you know that they'll choose that moment to turn up, ring your bell, not get an answer and leave. So instead you just hang around and hope you don't start to form a puddle. Or worse.
Yes that is what it's like. The main difference is that (for now at least) I can go and relieve myself as often as I like.
Strange thing is that I'm really not sure whether I'd prefer to be ringfenced or pooled. Obviously the former gives a certain amount of security, but the latter gives potentially new opportunities and the chance to try something different. But that ain't my decision, so there's not much point doing anything except having the bacon sandwich I intend to pick up when I get to work.
So anyway, at 10am this morning we all sit down on the sofas and listen for the voice of Big Brother...
Nervous isn't really the right word. Actually it's completely the wrong word. It's more Antici...pation (as they say in Rocky Horror). It's like waiting for the results of a maths exam which you know you've stormed. Or waiting for someone to pick you up in a car from your flat and they're running slightly late so you can't really do anything until they turn up. You can't even go to the toilet because you know that they'll choose that moment to turn up, ring your bell, not get an answer and leave. So instead you just hang around and hope you don't start to form a puddle. Or worse.
Yes that is what it's like. The main difference is that (for now at least) I can go and relieve myself as often as I like.
Strange thing is that I'm really not sure whether I'd prefer to be ringfenced or pooled. Obviously the former gives a certain amount of security, but the latter gives potentially new opportunities and the chance to try something different. But that ain't my decision, so there's not much point doing anything except having the bacon sandwich I intend to pick up when I get to work.
So anyway, at 10am this morning we all sit down on the sofas and listen for the voice of Big Brother...
Monday, October 11, 2004
No cities left
File this one under "more great song titles that I wish I'd named my song what I wrote".
From the new album by The Dears: "Who are you, Defenders of the Universe?", "Expect the worst/'Cos she's a tourist" and "22: The Death of all Romance". I haven't been able to listen to the album yet, so I can only hope that it lives up to the titles. Certainly I can say that track one is awesome.
Whilst I'm here, can I just point out that yesterday's photo of Turlough being set on fire makes a fantastic wallpaper.
From the new album by The Dears: "Who are you, Defenders of the Universe?", "Expect the worst/'Cos she's a tourist" and "22: The Death of all Romance". I haven't been able to listen to the album yet, so I can only hope that it lives up to the titles. Certainly I can say that track one is awesome.
Whilst I'm here, can I just point out that yesterday's photo of Turlough being set on fire makes a fantastic wallpaper.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Second batch of photos
Earlier in the week I asked you all to tell me which photos you'd me like to take with my camera and post up here. Little parts of my life you might like to see. This will be the second set of photos. So far we have seen my bathroom, the view outside my front door, a neighbourhood celebrity, and the tallest man in the world. What treats lay in store today? Let's have a look! As before, click the photos to see bigger versions.
Photo #5
Bertie asked for "Cat". Yes, this is a man for whom sentences rarely happen. But I can fulfill the request anyway:
After I'd taken some rubbish out yesterday, next door's cat followed me back into the flat and perched on my sofa. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I quickly whipped out my camera and shot the photo. He's a perky little pussycat! I have a feeling that he wasn't just after my companionship though. He was aware that I had recently had a swimming pool installed in my living room, and he was just trying to get hold of one of the fish that are currently swimming in it. I was not going to let him do this, so after I'd taken the photo I shooed the cat back outside and placed the cover over the pool to stop the desirious fishy odour from reaching his catty nostrils any more.
Earlier in the day I had moved my sofa forward from where it normally sits in order to set out my sclaextric set. Whooosh! Zooooom! go the cars. Next time however I'll put it further from the water - I lost two cars in there yesterday!
Photo #6
Badfriend asked for "The first person to leave a comment on your next post". This turned out to be Maine with the following comment: "As the first person to comment on this post, I demand to have my special picture taken!". Well, I think "demand" is a bit on the forceful side, but here's the photo anyway:
Now Maine normally lives in the American land, and so it was quite fortuitous that I was able to get this photo. As I was walking up The Leeman Road with a bag of groceries, I spied a solitary figure busking outside the trade entrance of the National Railway Museum. Imagine my surprise when I recognised the busker to be none other than Maine himself! Apparently he'd won a trip to the train museum from a competition on the back of a cereal packet and had flown over just that day! I couldn't stay and chat unfortunately as my shopping was heavy. Hopefully he made a few pounds from the busking - there weren't many people around when I was passing!
Incidentally, if you look carefully where the road bends round behind the museum, you should just be able to make out one of them bears, heading up towards where my flat is. Luckily there was no sign of him later. He must have spied a picnic basket and gone chasing after it.
Photo #7
Maine requested to see "A fish, spontaneously catching fire". Tricky! It's hard to have the camera ready to witness such a spontaneous moment. So I cheated a little bit and decided to help things on their way somewhat:
I lit a candle on the table next to my fish-tank, and chose one of the two fish within to help me with the photo. Then I held the fish above the candle until it started to smoulder. This photo captures the instant just prior to the actual moment when Turlough caught fire - best I could do, I'm afraid.
If you're wondering why my Buffy calendar still says 2003, that's because I never got round to buying a calendar this year.
And that will have to be the last photo, as I have completely run out of film. Maybe we'll do this again sometime.
The authour would like to point out that no animals were harmed during the writing of this post. Apart from the fish that he burnt.
Photo #5
Bertie asked for "Cat". Yes, this is a man for whom sentences rarely happen. But I can fulfill the request anyway:
After I'd taken some rubbish out yesterday, next door's cat followed me back into the flat and perched on my sofa. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I quickly whipped out my camera and shot the photo. He's a perky little pussycat! I have a feeling that he wasn't just after my companionship though. He was aware that I had recently had a swimming pool installed in my living room, and he was just trying to get hold of one of the fish that are currently swimming in it. I was not going to let him do this, so after I'd taken the photo I shooed the cat back outside and placed the cover over the pool to stop the desirious fishy odour from reaching his catty nostrils any more.
Earlier in the day I had moved my sofa forward from where it normally sits in order to set out my sclaextric set. Whooosh! Zooooom! go the cars. Next time however I'll put it further from the water - I lost two cars in there yesterday!
Photo #6
Badfriend asked for "The first person to leave a comment on your next post". This turned out to be Maine with the following comment: "As the first person to comment on this post, I demand to have my special picture taken!". Well, I think "demand" is a bit on the forceful side, but here's the photo anyway:
Now Maine normally lives in the American land, and so it was quite fortuitous that I was able to get this photo. As I was walking up The Leeman Road with a bag of groceries, I spied a solitary figure busking outside the trade entrance of the National Railway Museum. Imagine my surprise when I recognised the busker to be none other than Maine himself! Apparently he'd won a trip to the train museum from a competition on the back of a cereal packet and had flown over just that day! I couldn't stay and chat unfortunately as my shopping was heavy. Hopefully he made a few pounds from the busking - there weren't many people around when I was passing!
Incidentally, if you look carefully where the road bends round behind the museum, you should just be able to make out one of them bears, heading up towards where my flat is. Luckily there was no sign of him later. He must have spied a picnic basket and gone chasing after it.
Photo #7
Maine requested to see "A fish, spontaneously catching fire". Tricky! It's hard to have the camera ready to witness such a spontaneous moment. So I cheated a little bit and decided to help things on their way somewhat:
I lit a candle on the table next to my fish-tank, and chose one of the two fish within to help me with the photo. Then I held the fish above the candle until it started to smoulder. This photo captures the instant just prior to the actual moment when Turlough caught fire - best I could do, I'm afraid.
If you're wondering why my Buffy calendar still says 2003, that's because I never got round to buying a calendar this year.
And that will have to be the last photo, as I have completely run out of film. Maybe we'll do this again sometime.
The authour would like to point out that no animals were harmed during the writing of this post. Apart from the fish that he burnt.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
A review of a gig what I went to last night (18)
We went to Fibbers for a gig last night (and they let me in too). Who had I gone to see? I'll leave that as a surprise for later. Don't you love surprises?
There was a chap I know who we knew was going to be attending so I was looking out for him through the early part of the evening. I hadn't spotted him myself, but I was confidently told that he was sitting down over in the front corner. Since from where I was standing I could not see said corner, I took this on trust. I wandered over to say hello, stood in front of the table he was supposed to be sitting on, and stared at all four people sat there. They stared back at me. I knew none of them. I kind of opened my mouth and closed it again then turned round and walked embarassingly back to where I had come from. I think I had confused the strangers a bit. I later found the chap I knew at the back of the room playing table football where he had been all evening.
The first band of the evening were The Stimulagos. What sort of a name is that then? I'm pretty sure that there were six of them, but there was some dispute about this. However many of them there were, I thought they sounded like Placebo. First cover version of the evening: "High and Dry" by Radiohead. In the style of Placebo.
Then on to Ryan Shirlow and the Bloody Marys. It was much easier to count the people this time as we'd moved on to the stairs which gave a little elevation. There were three of them. Of the backing band, only one was likely to have been called Mary. The other one (the drummer) looked like Johnny Vegas. Maybe that look is in this Autumn. They opened with the second cover of the evening. A rather cool, slightly scary version of "Stand By Me". The remaining songs were good but I haven't remembered anything about any of them.
Now it's time to end the suspense and name the headline act. It was... David Devant and his Spirit Wife. Last seen playing Fibbers back in 1996. I don't expect it's changed much except for a bit of new paint here and there. DDAHSW are famed for being as much performance art as music. There are tales of bizarre stage antics involving food and glitter. However, tonight (and maybe all the time now for all I know) they seemed to be focusing entirely on the music. Except at the start where they handed out balloons and gave a slide show on how to produce a balloon dog. Here's my effort:
It didn't have a head at the gig as the instructions got a bit confusing - I formed that when I got home. He's a happy little puppy and has been running around the flat all day. I enjoyed the band. And there was a good atmosphere there too. And I had lollipops.
Last night in Fibbers there were 3 actuaries and no trainees. There was the aforementioned boyfriend of a trainee, but he scores zero. So the total score is 3.0
5.0: Puressence
4.5: Trachetenburg Family Slideshow Players
3.5: Easyworld / Snow Patrol 1 / Graham Coxon / Keane / The Brakes
3.0: The Open 2 / Thirteen Senses / David Devant
2.5: Four Day Hombre 1 / Snow Patrol 2
2.0: Delays / Athlete / Dawn of the Replicants
1.5: The Ordinary Boys
1.0: The Open 1 / J. Richman / Four Day Hombre 2 / Simon & Garfunkel / Seafood
Next gig is uncertain. Possibly Tramp Attack, The Basement or Cherry Falls. We'll see how things go.
There was a chap I know who we knew was going to be attending so I was looking out for him through the early part of the evening. I hadn't spotted him myself, but I was confidently told that he was sitting down over in the front corner. Since from where I was standing I could not see said corner, I took this on trust. I wandered over to say hello, stood in front of the table he was supposed to be sitting on, and stared at all four people sat there. They stared back at me. I knew none of them. I kind of opened my mouth and closed it again then turned round and walked embarassingly back to where I had come from. I think I had confused the strangers a bit. I later found the chap I knew at the back of the room playing table football where he had been all evening.
The first band of the evening were The Stimulagos. What sort of a name is that then? I'm pretty sure that there were six of them, but there was some dispute about this. However many of them there were, I thought they sounded like Placebo. First cover version of the evening: "High and Dry" by Radiohead. In the style of Placebo.
Then on to Ryan Shirlow and the Bloody Marys. It was much easier to count the people this time as we'd moved on to the stairs which gave a little elevation. There were three of them. Of the backing band, only one was likely to have been called Mary. The other one (the drummer) looked like Johnny Vegas. Maybe that look is in this Autumn. They opened with the second cover of the evening. A rather cool, slightly scary version of "Stand By Me". The remaining songs were good but I haven't remembered anything about any of them.
Now it's time to end the suspense and name the headline act. It was... David Devant and his Spirit Wife. Last seen playing Fibbers back in 1996. I don't expect it's changed much except for a bit of new paint here and there. DDAHSW are famed for being as much performance art as music. There are tales of bizarre stage antics involving food and glitter. However, tonight (and maybe all the time now for all I know) they seemed to be focusing entirely on the music. Except at the start where they handed out balloons and gave a slide show on how to produce a balloon dog. Here's my effort:
It didn't have a head at the gig as the instructions got a bit confusing - I formed that when I got home. He's a happy little puppy and has been running around the flat all day. I enjoyed the band. And there was a good atmosphere there too. And I had lollipops.
Last night in Fibbers there were 3 actuaries and no trainees. There was the aforementioned boyfriend of a trainee, but he scores zero. So the total score is 3.0
5.0: Puressence
4.5: Trachetenburg Family Slideshow Players
3.5: Easyworld / Snow Patrol 1 / Graham Coxon / Keane / The Brakes
3.0: The Open 2 / Thirteen Senses / David Devant
2.5: Four Day Hombre 1 / Snow Patrol 2
2.0: Delays / Athlete / Dawn of the Replicants
1.5: The Ordinary Boys
1.0: The Open 1 / J. Richman / Four Day Hombre 2 / Simon & Garfunkel / Seafood
Next gig is uncertain. Possibly Tramp Attack, The Basement or Cherry Falls. We'll see how things go.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Friday Haiku. Again
Falling Autumn leaves
Bring to mind our shared future:
Decay and disease
Share that one with your loved ones tonight.
Bring to mind our shared future:
Decay and disease
Share that one with your loved ones tonight.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Films v Reality
If you see someone in a film running away from something (eg a car) it is likely that it is about to explode. If you see someone in real life running away from something (eg a car) it is likely that they are late for something. In this way reality is often less exciting, but much more peaceful than the land of film. This is something I thought briefly about today when I saw a woman running away from a car which didn't subsequently explode. She was probably late for something.
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
First batch of photos
Time to get excited - here's the first batch of photos you've requested. Just click on them to get access to higher resolution versions. First of all, two for Mr Avenger (He has two since he was first to ask).
Photo #1
The Liberal Avenger asked for: "The view outside your front door. (What you see when you step out your front door)". So here's the photo!
This is actually what I would see when I step out of my front door, but with the door closed and looking through the peephole. I didn't want the neighbours to think I was weird or something, which they might have done if they saw me taking a photo of their front door. The door on the left-hand wall leads to the stairway which you can go through to get outside. The light is on, and sometimes buzzes a bit, but the buzzing doesn't really come across in the picture.
Photo #2
The Liberal Avenger also asked for: "Your bathroom as it appears now without straightening up". Here's the photo!
I sat on the floor in my hallway to take this one. For some reason the camera has done a strange fore-shortening effect and made the room seem a bit smaller than it really is. In particular, there is more room between the toilet and the door normally. The heated towel rail on the right-hand wall is not turned on. By the bottom right corner of the door you can see the corner of my bathroom scales. Also notice that the door is wide open. I normally close it if I go inside. As requested, I did no tidying or cleaning at all before taking the photo.
Photo #3
Heather S asked for: "Your biggest neighbourhood celebrity". Here's your photo!
Yes, it's local actress, Dame Judi Dench! I was lucky to get this one. I went for a jog this evening with my camera, just on the off chance that I might bump into a celebrity or two. As I was running along the river, I spotted a familiar face on the riverside path. "Judi! Judi!" I cried. "Hello young man" she said. "How can I help you tonight?". "Please let me take your photo for Heather S of Canada" I said. "Ok, I'd be glad to help" she said. And she was!
Coincidentally, it was on the path named after her that I bumped into her. I suspect she just hangs around there because it makes better photos if she gets her sign in the shot. This photo was taken at the bottom of the steps that go along the river, near the base of Lendal Bridge. You can tell it's really in York, as you can see the Minster in the background - I haven't just taken a photo of Judi off the net and combined it with a picture of York Minster using Photoshop. Honestly.
Photo #4
And finally for today, Maine asked for: "The tallest man in the world". I'm always happy to oblige:
This is indeed the world's tallest man. I took this out towards the edge of York where the skyscrapers gradually start to give way to fields. One of the problems of being tall is that it can be very hard to find a hat that fits. This gentleman's top hat is a bit on the large side. He is lucky it hasn't fallen down over his eyes and prevented him from seeing where he's going. He could knock a building over if that happened!
You can see a couple of the sights of York here. By the intersection is the British Embassy. And over the road from there is York City football ground, where there appears to be a match being played. Out on the hills you may just be able to make out yet another bear heading into town.
Well, I hope these have been useful and insightful for you. There will be more to come, probably at the weekend, so it's not too late for more requests. I still have plenty of film left in the camera.
Photo #1
The Liberal Avenger asked for: "The view outside your front door. (What you see when you step out your front door)". So here's the photo!
This is actually what I would see when I step out of my front door, but with the door closed and looking through the peephole. I didn't want the neighbours to think I was weird or something, which they might have done if they saw me taking a photo of their front door. The door on the left-hand wall leads to the stairway which you can go through to get outside. The light is on, and sometimes buzzes a bit, but the buzzing doesn't really come across in the picture.
Photo #2
The Liberal Avenger also asked for: "Your bathroom as it appears now without straightening up". Here's the photo!
I sat on the floor in my hallway to take this one. For some reason the camera has done a strange fore-shortening effect and made the room seem a bit smaller than it really is. In particular, there is more room between the toilet and the door normally. The heated towel rail on the right-hand wall is not turned on. By the bottom right corner of the door you can see the corner of my bathroom scales. Also notice that the door is wide open. I normally close it if I go inside. As requested, I did no tidying or cleaning at all before taking the photo.
Photo #3
Heather S asked for: "Your biggest neighbourhood celebrity". Here's your photo!
Yes, it's local actress, Dame Judi Dench! I was lucky to get this one. I went for a jog this evening with my camera, just on the off chance that I might bump into a celebrity or two. As I was running along the river, I spotted a familiar face on the riverside path. "Judi! Judi!" I cried. "Hello young man" she said. "How can I help you tonight?". "Please let me take your photo for Heather S of Canada" I said. "Ok, I'd be glad to help" she said. And she was!
Coincidentally, it was on the path named after her that I bumped into her. I suspect she just hangs around there because it makes better photos if she gets her sign in the shot. This photo was taken at the bottom of the steps that go along the river, near the base of Lendal Bridge. You can tell it's really in York, as you can see the Minster in the background - I haven't just taken a photo of Judi off the net and combined it with a picture of York Minster using Photoshop. Honestly.
Photo #4
And finally for today, Maine asked for: "The tallest man in the world". I'm always happy to oblige:
This is indeed the world's tallest man. I took this out towards the edge of York where the skyscrapers gradually start to give way to fields. One of the problems of being tall is that it can be very hard to find a hat that fits. This gentleman's top hat is a bit on the large side. He is lucky it hasn't fallen down over his eyes and prevented him from seeing where he's going. He could knock a building over if that happened!
You can see a couple of the sights of York here. By the intersection is the British Embassy. And over the road from there is York City football ground, where there appears to be a match being played. Out on the hills you may just be able to make out yet another bear heading into town.
Well, I hope these have been useful and insightful for you. There will be more to come, probably at the weekend, so it's not too late for more requests. I still have plenty of film left in the camera.
By Presidential Decree
The new President of the Institute of Actuaries, Michael Pomery, recently gave his Presidential Address. As I am a fully paid up member of said institute, his words are aimed at me. I'd like to quote from his address. So I will. Here I go. Right about now:
"Going forward, I would highlight the potential for each individual actuary to make a contribution towards enhancing the profession's image and reputation. I believe that our greatest chance of success will be if we are all pulling together in the same direction. In particular, individual actuaries can contribute in several ways in their day to day work:
- ensuring customer focus, as advocated by Jeremy Goford in his Presidency;
- improving communication skills, as advocated by Peter Clark in his Presidency, and here I would emphasise simplicity, openness and the need to find better ways of explaining uncertainty; and
- espousing simplicity in design - it is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong."
Three pointers there for me. But I think I'm ok, doing exactly these things already. You want evidence? I give you evidence:
1. Customer Focus
It seems like only yesterday that I gave you all the opportunity to peek into my little life and see "special photos" of anything, absolutely anything, that you wanted to see. I've been wandering around York with my "special camera" getting these exact pictures for you. Some of them, anyway. It's not too late to add more reqests, but it will be soon. You ask for it, I do it. Within some limits.
2. Improving Communication Skills
What better way to achieve this goal than through the gift of writing. Every day I am commnuicating with you, the people of the world. Hello! How are you doing? I will not be the one to judge whether my words are getting better over time (but they are) - after all, didn't a carpenter once say "judge not, lest ye be judged yourself"? Although I'm not sure that is much of a disincentive if it is yourself you are judging in the first place. It's like saying "Don't run in case you end up running". But whether improvement is evident or not, the best way to improve something is to keep on doing it.
3. Espousing Simplicity in Design
Again, the blog is it's own evidence. Simple clean lines, simple colour scheme, uncluttered simple layout (except in IE sometimes apparently). Yes, I could not imagine seeing a website that fulfilled this objective more.
So, Mr Pomery, I hope you'll see how I'm already part of your vision, already doing the things you want actuaries to do. I'm not part of the problem, I'm the solution.
Can I have a discount on my membership fees next year please?
"Going forward, I would highlight the potential for each individual actuary to make a contribution towards enhancing the profession's image and reputation. I believe that our greatest chance of success will be if we are all pulling together in the same direction. In particular, individual actuaries can contribute in several ways in their day to day work:
- ensuring customer focus, as advocated by Jeremy Goford in his Presidency;
- improving communication skills, as advocated by Peter Clark in his Presidency, and here I would emphasise simplicity, openness and the need to find better ways of explaining uncertainty; and
- espousing simplicity in design - it is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong."
Three pointers there for me. But I think I'm ok, doing exactly these things already. You want evidence? I give you evidence:
1. Customer Focus
It seems like only yesterday that I gave you all the opportunity to peek into my little life and see "special photos" of anything, absolutely anything, that you wanted to see. I've been wandering around York with my "special camera" getting these exact pictures for you. Some of them, anyway. It's not too late to add more reqests, but it will be soon. You ask for it, I do it. Within some limits.
2. Improving Communication Skills
What better way to achieve this goal than through the gift of writing. Every day I am commnuicating with you, the people of the world. Hello! How are you doing? I will not be the one to judge whether my words are getting better over time (but they are) - after all, didn't a carpenter once say "judge not, lest ye be judged yourself"? Although I'm not sure that is much of a disincentive if it is yourself you are judging in the first place. It's like saying "Don't run in case you end up running". But whether improvement is evident or not, the best way to improve something is to keep on doing it.
3. Espousing Simplicity in Design
Again, the blog is it's own evidence. Simple clean lines, simple colour scheme, uncluttered simple layout (except in IE sometimes apparently). Yes, I could not imagine seeing a website that fulfilled this objective more.
So, Mr Pomery, I hope you'll see how I'm already part of your vision, already doing the things you want actuaries to do. I'm not part of the problem, I'm the solution.
Can I have a discount on my membership fees next year please?
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Everybody else is doing it but I'm la-zee
Well, everyone(*) seems to playing the new game of "get people to list three things that they want me to take a photo of and then I post the photos on my blog" game. Sounds fun in principle, but I don't want to cause myself too much effort from having to photograph "a passing animal" or choose "the most unpleasant thing in my wardrobe" or risk personal danger by someone asking me to photograph something that's "on fire" (what kind of person would suggest that?).
So here's the deal. You all list in the comments three things that you'd like me to post photographs of and I'll draw the best/most popular/all of them instead, post the drawings up and we can all have a group delusion that they are really photos that I've taken with my camera.
Is that alright with you? Cool. I'll try and have them up by the end of the week. Unless nobody leaves any suggestions of course.
(* I use the word "everyone" in the very loose sense of meaning "a few people")
So here's the deal. You all list in the comments three things that you'd like me to post photographs of and I'll draw the best/most popular/all of them instead, post the drawings up and we can all have a group delusion that they are really photos that I've taken with my camera.
Is that alright with you? Cool. I'll try and have them up by the end of the week. Unless nobody leaves any suggestions of course.
(* I use the word "everyone" in the very loose sense of meaning "a few people")
Monday, October 04, 2004
Help! I'm trapped in a restaurant basement!
Here's a photo kindly provided my Mr Dan from Saturday night. It shows a group of us imprisoned in a glass cage embedded in the floor of Smolensky's restaurant in Wapping, East London.
Being embedded in the floor isn't so bad if you have a bottle of wine with you. Most things aren't so bad if you have a bottle of wine with you. Glasses of wine on the other hand can get you into trouble - see unpublished Sunday story. I'm thinking it's going to come out eventually, due to it being far too funny. And unbelievable.
Restraint, Rich, restraint! Hmmm.
Being embedded in the floor isn't so bad if you have a bottle of wine with you. Most things aren't so bad if you have a bottle of wine with you. Glasses of wine on the other hand can get you into trouble - see unpublished Sunday story. I'm thinking it's going to come out eventually, due to it being far too funny. And unbelievable.
Restraint, Rich, restraint! Hmmm.
Ascot reminder
As I mentioned last week, Royal Ascot will be taking place in York next year. I'm going on Wednesday 15 June - book your tickets now if you want to come along too!
There will be racing and lots of posh tottie.
There will be racing and lots of posh tottie.
A review of a gig what I went to last night (17)
Some weekends are definitely sillier than other ones. Two incidents in particular were very silly this weekend and I shall refer to them only as "The Incident With The Pretty Girl And The Spoon" and "The Travis Incident". And I shall speak no more of them here. And you'll need to get me really drunk to hear about either of them at all.
So leaving those behind, I went to see Seafood last night at Fibbers. That's Seafood who for some reason tend to get called "The Mighty Seafood" quite a lot. A fair enough epithet. But before I talk about them, let's "do" the supports! First on was KT Tunstall who is a lady with a backing band. Good smokey jazz club vibe, and a nice usage of handclaps. Also the best use I've seen this year of a metal dustbin lid and tambourine combination. Who says innovation is dead?
Then it was time for Team. Pretty awful name, but decently entertaining guitar rock. They had a penchant for appearing to be doing line dancing with guitars at a few points. I don't think they take themselves too seriously. They had a bald man with a big beard.
And Seafood were great. Maybe not quite as good as some of the earlier gigs around the time of "Surviving the Quiet" (Them were the days...) but still special. Other bands named after food are Eels, Lambchop and Cake. Hmmm. Not one of my better band reviews. I really don't know why I even start to bother.
Tonight in Fibbers there was again only 1 actuary so an AR(SE) score of only 1.0 can be given, however mighty they are. Also in Fibbers there were zero bears - definitely a good thing. Here's the table
5.0: Puressence
4.5: Trachetenburg Family Slideshow Players
3.5: Easyworld / Snow Patrol 1 / Graham Coxon / Keane / The Brakes
3.0: The Open 2 / Thirteen Senses
2.5: Four Day Hombre 1 / Snow Patrol 2
2.0: Delays / Athlete / Dawn of the Replicants
1.5: The Ordinary Boys
1.0: The Open 1 / J. Richman / Four Day Hombre 2 / Simon & Garfunkel / Seafood
I'm a bit wary of saying who I'm seeing next as the last two bands I've claimed I was seeing next have ended up not happening for one reason and another. So... Hopefully it'll be David Devant & His Spirit Wife on Friday. At Fibbers... again.
So leaving those behind, I went to see Seafood last night at Fibbers. That's Seafood who for some reason tend to get called "The Mighty Seafood" quite a lot. A fair enough epithet. But before I talk about them, let's "do" the supports! First on was KT Tunstall who is a lady with a backing band. Good smokey jazz club vibe, and a nice usage of handclaps. Also the best use I've seen this year of a metal dustbin lid and tambourine combination. Who says innovation is dead?
Then it was time for Team. Pretty awful name, but decently entertaining guitar rock. They had a penchant for appearing to be doing line dancing with guitars at a few points. I don't think they take themselves too seriously. They had a bald man with a big beard.
And Seafood were great. Maybe not quite as good as some of the earlier gigs around the time of "Surviving the Quiet" (Them were the days...) but still special. Other bands named after food are Eels, Lambchop and Cake. Hmmm. Not one of my better band reviews. I really don't know why I even start to bother.
Tonight in Fibbers there was again only 1 actuary so an AR(SE) score of only 1.0 can be given, however mighty they are. Also in Fibbers there were zero bears - definitely a good thing. Here's the table
5.0: Puressence
4.5: Trachetenburg Family Slideshow Players
3.5: Easyworld / Snow Patrol 1 / Graham Coxon / Keane / The Brakes
3.0: The Open 2 / Thirteen Senses
2.5: Four Day Hombre 1 / Snow Patrol 2
2.0: Delays / Athlete / Dawn of the Replicants
1.5: The Ordinary Boys
1.0: The Open 1 / J. Richman / Four Day Hombre 2 / Simon & Garfunkel / Seafood
I'm a bit wary of saying who I'm seeing next as the last two bands I've claimed I was seeing next have ended up not happening for one reason and another. So... Hopefully it'll be David Devant & His Spirit Wife on Friday. At Fibbers... again.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
CCTV on TV
I've been away again this weekend, down in smelly old London for the birthday meal of an old university friend. Though he probably wouldn't thank me for using the word "old".
His flat has a faintly sinister set-up. They have a video-phone type thing connected to the front door so you can see who is arriving. This in itself is not too disturbing, or even too uncommon. However, whereas a normal person would have a small screen to view the visitors on, they have it hooked up to a big television and seemingly leave it on the whole time. So not only can the flat owners see you arrive, so can anyone else who happens to be in the flat.
They can watch you turn up at the door, look round, decide that it might be the wrong door and wander off again. And then come back a few seconds later because you now think it's the right door after all.
It's also not limited to just the one camera. They can if they want to, follow your entire progress from front door to flat via a series of other cameras dotted around. I would not have been surprised if they had a camera in the toilet which they all were watching when I was in there.
My place is a bit less technologically advanced. If I want to see people arrive, I look out the window. In fact, I'm doing that now and it's raining.
His flat has a faintly sinister set-up. They have a video-phone type thing connected to the front door so you can see who is arriving. This in itself is not too disturbing, or even too uncommon. However, whereas a normal person would have a small screen to view the visitors on, they have it hooked up to a big television and seemingly leave it on the whole time. So not only can the flat owners see you arrive, so can anyone else who happens to be in the flat.
They can watch you turn up at the door, look round, decide that it might be the wrong door and wander off again. And then come back a few seconds later because you now think it's the right door after all.
It's also not limited to just the one camera. They can if they want to, follow your entire progress from front door to flat via a series of other cameras dotted around. I would not have been surprised if they had a camera in the toilet which they all were watching when I was in there.
My place is a bit less technologically advanced. If I want to see people arrive, I look out the window. In fact, I'm doing that now and it's raining.
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours...
Lasy night I met a chap that lives in my flats. Not on purpose, he was just out for a guy from work's leaving drinks. It turns out that flat chap not only lives near me, but works for the same company too.
It was a bit odd - we have passed each other in the street many times, and normally just give a small nod of acknowledgement - maybe a smile if we're in a good mood. Just something to say "Hi - I know that you live near me and have no idea who I am other than that, but I'm polite and so are you, so I hereby recognise all this and nod at you".
We could in fact potentially have left it at that, but after a few beers we had a proper conversation. Or at least what passes for a proper convesation when half of it involves me. We may now have moved from nodding to "hello!"s.
It was a bit odd - we have passed each other in the street many times, and normally just give a small nod of acknowledgement - maybe a smile if we're in a good mood. Just something to say "Hi - I know that you live near me and have no idea who I am other than that, but I'm polite and so are you, so I hereby recognise all this and nod at you".
We could in fact potentially have left it at that, but after a few beers we had a proper conversation. Or at least what passes for a proper convesation when half of it involves me. We may now have moved from nodding to "hello!"s.
Friday, October 01, 2004
Friday night and the lights are low...
Whilst shopping at lunchtime I approached HMV. I had timed it so that as I started to walk in, there was no music playing. Then as soon as I had stepped fully inside, a tune started:
Daaaah, da dahhhhh, da da da daaah da daaaaaah!
Yes, "Dancing Queen" blared through the in-store sound system. I felt like John Travolta entering a disco and wanted to jive down to the end of the shop, with one arm in the air. It was like they'd stared into my soul and begun to play the soundtrack of my life.
Groovy.
Daaaah, da dahhhhh, da da da daaah da daaaaaah!
Yes, "Dancing Queen" blared through the in-store sound system. I felt like John Travolta entering a disco and wanted to jive down to the end of the shop, with one arm in the air. It was like they'd stared into my soul and begun to play the soundtrack of my life.
Groovy.
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