technology problems

My kindle is playing up, the website hit counter seems to have stopped working, and the washing machine has conked out, maybe even taking the hoover with it.

The kindle is soon to be returned and swapped, l can't get into my old email account to rectify the counter, l can't undo a screw to get inside the washing machine, but the hoover is cooling down and might be repairable.

Bloody space age my arse.

toodle pip

mean girls (2004) - mark waters

Lindsay Lohan stars as the new kid, but with a twist! - she's been home schooled and lived in Africa, so she has no experience of fitting in at school before (pity she never appeared at my school, as l'd have shown her what to do - phnaar).
Because this screenplay was by Tina Fey, l thought l would give it a go, despite my reservations about it being just another in a long line of American high school 'comedies' where someone tries to fit in, gets into 'capers', falls in love, and it all ends up fine in the end, after interaction with the jocks, the cool kids and the geeks.
I admit was wrong, as Mean Girls has 'a message' for the kids. Hey brothers and sisters, stop picking on each other (especially you girls), and try to be nicer, instead of just being judgemental and mean (hence the title).
Apart from that, it was just as l expected - crap.
Why do l punish myself watching this kind of rubbish? I'm usually pretty pessimistic about the outcome beforehand, my instincts are usually correct, and it's not like l'm getting any younger.
I've forgotten who's quote it was, (and l certainly can't be bothered looking it up), but it's 'the definition of a madman is someone who repeats the same process, but expects the results to be different' (or something like that).
I guess that's me - l am just waaaaaaaaaaay to stupid (or just a madman).

toodle pip

metamaus - art spiegelman

One of my Christmas presents that l have just got around to reading (Cheers Robbo!), Metamaus is superb, and had a lot more information than l could ever have imagined.
It's about Art Spiegelman, and his earlier creation, 'Maus', featuring interviews, transcripts, early sketches and even a DVD with 'Maus' plus extra information.
I was enlightened about other comic artists and Art's ideas behind his work, and came away from the book wanting to know (and buy) more, which is always a good thing.
Sets an outrageously high standard for any other projects of this kind, and l'll certainly read it again in the future.

toodle pip

cherry tree lane (2010) - paul williams

This started off so well, but ultimately, Cherry Tree Lane is just waaaaay too stereotyped and predictable.
A couple are at home, obviously growing apart from each other and hardly talking, when some lads burst in looking for their son, who has 'grassed up' one of their cousins. They then wait for the son to return home so they can get their revenge.
All well and good.
However....other things come into play that reduce it to an absolute cliché.
Of course the boys from the hood talk about their rough backgrounds and  they sometimes show empathy with the victims. They invite round a couple of girls and a young lad (as you do in these circumstances), and they display their ignorance of anything cultural (while smoking the weed).
They also seem amazed that the TV has so many channels, and can't work out the remote.
One of them even goes to the local shop to get money out of the hostage man's account (£1,500!!!), but they don't bother seeing if the woman has any bank cards as well.
The mother is sexually assaulted by the leader, which the other one left in the house at the time, thinks 'is out of order',  and the father eventually escapes and takes some revenge.
l felt like taking some revenge on the stinking idiot rabbit after sitting through this.
Unbelievable tosh.

toodle pip

35 shots of rum / 35 rhums (2008) - claire denis

A strange one this. 35 Shots of Rum mainly deals with the story of  Lionel and Josephine, a father and daughter, and the people they share an apartment block with. It does not tell a straight story, and seems to dip in and out of episodes of their life, with plenty of close ups and lingering shots, so many viewers may find this a bit boring, as it's not exactly an edge of the seat roller coaster of a film.
However, l enjoyed it, and it's the real life way the action (or lack of it) is portrayed that appealed to me.
It's about loneliness, moving on, and dealing with life in it's everyday (and sometimes boring) form.
A work colleague of Lionels retires, but is lost and bored. Two suitors are after Josephine, and Lionel realises he has to let her move on with her life. They all go to a concert but the car breaks down and they don't make it (so hit the pub instead). There is a death and a marriage, and at the marriage (of his daughter), Lionel has the 35 shots of rum, as it is a special occasion. That's about it really, but that is fine by me.
Now where did l put that rum.....

toodle pip

chelsea 3 manchester united 3

Football - bloody hell!
We were going to go through to Middlesbrough today so l could watch the Chelsea v Manchester United game with Robbo (relaxing man to man with an ale or two) while the FPO went to the hospital with Kerry to see little Ciarun. Unfortunately, because of the snow, tiredness etc we stayed in sunny Catterick and l watched the game at home.
After about 55 minutes l nearly gave up and got into the bath to sulk, but l am so glad l didn't.
Another magnificent comeback (rare nowadays) by the glorious reds, from 3-0 down to 3-3, plus a world class save from De Gea at the end to boost his confidence. Torres missed a good chance again, and everything is fine with the world once more. Although it is two points dropped on City, the comeback and belief that will install in the team is more important.
Footie and being off work - marvellous!!

toodle pip

birdsong - bbc series - philip martin

Birdsong stars Eddie Redmayne as Steven, the posh Englishman who falls in love with Isabelle (Clemence Poesy - a French woman) before the First World War, but is heartbroken when she suddenly leaves him.
He then has to deal with the troops under his command, (including the tunnellers, known as 'sewer rats').  Meanwhile, he also overcomes his fear of the tunnels, becomes empathetic with his men, and gazes into the distance a lot, looking solemn, whether thinking about his love, or considering the cruel damage that war inflicts.
I was recommended this by somebody at work who loves the book, but the constant sly glances, unspoken words, and lovey dovey shots with piano in the background infuriated me.  After a while, I started wishing he would cop off with Jack, the main tunneller (Joseph Mawle), just to liven it up a bit.
I would have preferred it to be one episode instead of two, cutting to the chase and missing out a load of the crap, which the makers will probably say are the parts that make it romantic, and give it depth and resonance.  Pah!
Some excellent shots of the tunnels and battlefields, but l just felt like slapping some life into the two lovebirds, as l couldn't relate to either of them, and they just got on my ample man boobs.

toodle pip

darkness - boulet

The Darkness, is on the internet and doesn't  take too long to read, but is pretty good and easy to relate to (although also a bit girlie and romantic).  Written by Boulet between 24th and the 25th January,  during a 24 hour session, this is an English translation, and it can be found here.
Being off work - it's great!

toodle pip

baby time in the boro and the state of kfc

The small bladdered fool had to visit the toilet

The mother (Kerry) has left the ward. 

Went to James Cook with the FPO yesterday evening to see Robbo, Kerry and the no longer little Jamie (but still little, Ciaran). There was some hassle getting there, as the A66 was closed, so after a long detour around Darlington and up the A1, it was past visiting time to see the baby. Luckily Kerry went with along with Mandy pushing her wheelchair, so a disaster was avoided, as they both managed to get in. Meanwhile, myself and Robbo went for a man to man chat about the changing ways of the world, and the great responsibility now bestowed upon him (a bit like Spider-man).
We're saving the champers until the Manchester United v Chelsea game on Sunday, as we're going up to their place to watch it.
Decided against a KFC on the way home, as the place looked so grotty, and they were taking ages to serve.
Why is that often the case? It must be advantageous to them if they hired extra staff to work or clean up, as it would encourage more custom and profits. I love KFC food, but the outlets do not compete with the cleanliness of a McDonald's, and they are certainly making loads of money (and l don't even like burgers).
Colonel (or his modern day counterpart) - get it sorted, as l had to settle for some Morrisons fajitas instead.

toodle pip

watching you tube while l'm off work - the 1960's

This is NOT about Vietnam (it's about the Sunset Strip riots).

Rare performance without the cartoon (The Archies) that it came from

Alex Chilton was 16 when he sang on this.

Featuring the marvellous pipes of  Tony Burrows

To recover from my great disappointment with the two films below, l have been watching some 1960's stuff on You Tube, as the Edison Lighthouse track was featured in 'The Most Fertile Man In Ireland' (the best thing about the film).
Hurrah! It's great being off work! My mood has improved! All is right with the world once more!
Spring will soon be here (when life is skittles, and life is beer) and l've got crisps and dips for tea (the healthy diet). Spot on.

toodle pip

she's out of my league - the most fertile man in ireland

I really don't know why l keep persevering with these type of (so called) comedy films, as they just wind me up.
She's Out Of My League is an American movie with the standard bunch of loser mates in dead end jobs, until one of them (an everyday, average,  nice guy) get's to cop off with a beautiful (and yet intelligent and down to earth) woman, despite fierce competition. What a load of crap. A standard, run of the mill film, that looks as though it could have been written on the back of a fag packet in under ten minutes, with an added 30 seconds to write the funny bits. I assume there are funny bits, as l certainly didn't come across any, but then again, l switched off after about 40 minutes, so maybe the second half was a rip roaring roller coaster of a fun festival (although I very much doubt it).
The Most Fertile Man In Ireland was like a crappier version of a Richard Curtis project, just set in Belfast. By Richard Curtis project, l am referring to Love Actually, Four Weddings and Vicar of Dibley, not the class that was Blackadder (which ended up having a lot of imput from Ben Elton, which made it funnier).
Anyhows, back to the tripe.
The men of the country become infertile, but one (guess what's coming up!) ordinary loser finds he is outrageously fertile, so he starts getting paid to impregnate the ladies. Of course he also manages to get the girl of his dreams to fall for him, and gets involved with 'the troubles', but this is.....
That's as much l can say, as this was also switched off way before the end, with me dejectedly trudging away from the TV, kicking the cat, and cursing the film industry that produces such tosh. Starring Kris Marshall, it was so bad, it made me pine for the BT ads, and they are a bunch of crap as well.
At this rate, l'll also be pining to go back to work (I'm off with a sprained ankle for a week).
I can only take so much.

toodle pip

out for lunch with the crazy cats

 Idiot cat in Tunstall

  Idiot cat in Tunstall

  

 Idiot cat in Tunstall on the cooker

  Idiots  in Tunstall

Trying to snow in Tunstal

Dragged myself out of bed this morning to watch The Sunday Supplement, then went off to to Louise and Dazzer's  for Sunday lunch, prepared by Dazzer and eaten in a kitchen that could well have been one in Beirut, as it needs plastering, painting, and units put in. Apart from that, it's great, and they at least have a new cooker.
The food had a bit too much on the old vegetable side for me, but there was cans with it, and it was nice and tasty otherwise.
Myself and Daz persuaded our FPO's to let us bugger off to the pub in Tunstall for an hour and a half afterwards (we have to obey a tight and strict schedule), but unfortunately for us (and luckily for the girls), it was (as we suspected it might be) closed. What a swine of a result (a bit like Liverpool v United yesterday).
We sulked back to the house, had another can of wife beater, then myself and the FPO returned home, where l promptly fell asleep reading in the bath (water in first).
Watched the last episode of Misfits (series three) which we had taped before Christmas, then it was the computer for me, bed for the sap who has to get up in the morning for work.
It's great being off work (not back until Tuesday afternoon).

toodle pip

the purple rose of cairo (1985) - woody allen

I must have been one of the few people in the western hemisphere who had not seen The Purple Rose Of Cairo until l had nothing to do the other day. I had caught a few minutes of it here and there over the years, but as the FPO is still slaving away and hogging the computer, l watched it for the first time all the way through, and was glad l did. l won't go into great detail as the story must be common knowledge by now, suffice to say an actor (Tom Baxter played by Jeff Daniels) steps from the screen to fall in love with Cecilia, a disillusioned housewife (Mia Farrow). Mix ups and questions of loyalty ensure, and l was surprised at the ending, as l expected it to be pretty sloppy (and it obviously wasn't, otherwise l wouldn't have mentioned it). One of Woody Allen's better films (if you like him that is, it's a kind of love/hate relationship with most people). I'm firmly on the side of the lovers (with the early stuff anyway).

toodle pip