Month: January 2003

In the late 90’s British Telecom had a quite long runnind ad campaign staring Bob Hoskins. The tagline to go with it was “It’s good to talk”. Walking towards my bus stop this evening, the line hit home. It really is at times. Not something I would normally expect to come up with or realise myself, but today I just did.

Some things are going really badly in work at the moment and are driving me mad. When it all boils down to it, I guess it isn’t anything major but I’ve had a forced changeover of a technology and quite simply what I have to use just does not cut it. It’s really fucking pissing me off and I’m getting more and more frustrated by it and thats probably more than enough of that. Its just shit ya know, everything is set up and it works and you can work with it and then all of a sudden BOOM. Shit.

This week is kinda quiet. Nothing really planned until the weekend, then its shopping and a birthday party I believe.

The whole ‘mutual friends’ and ‘6 degress of seperation’ are all over the place now. I wonder are there some strange rays hitting the earth this week. It would explain some things. Oh on that note, the screen was locked this morning.

Why do we keep secrets? Just a note before I go on, the new title is unreleated to this. It is a coincidence. When I was reading about the Poe Toaster (see previous post), it was listed as a quote from Edgar Allen Poe and I liked it. Anyway why do we keep secrets? Isn’t it a good feeling to finally be able to let go of something and not have to bottle it up anymore?

This is quite a cool little thing; Poe Toaster

So I met up with Nick as planned to find that the showing was sold out and the next one was not for another few hours. Grabbed some ‘food’ in McDonalds and headed to The Elbow Room for some pool where I played possibly the worst few rounds I have ever done. So pool and beers and then on to the movie.

8 Mile. Not bad. The best bits are of course in the trailers but the movie stands up pretty well. Not surprisingly backed up by a decent soundtrack and possibly surprisingly backed up by some decent acting. Ok maybe not hard to do in what is afterall loosely the story of your life, but still not bad at all. There is a comment in an IMDB review that whatever you think of Enimen in the last five minutes when he is on stage he is in his domain and he rules it. That is very true in parts of the movie and I think that helps to bolster his performance.

Long before LOTR, Peter Jackson make Heavenly Creatures. A lot of the same crew as LOTR including the writing team and the beeb are showing it now. So I’m checking it out.

Joel Schumacher is to direct an adaption of Jack Kerouac‘s On the Road. Francis Ford Coppola is onboard to produce it, I shall certainly be interested in seeing how this one turns out. I have reservations about Schumacher but nevertheless, something to keep an eye out for. (via Boing Boing)

It seems that boasting about being a drugs dealer on Friends Reunited is not the smartest thing to do.

Ralph Steadman, longtime Hunter S. Thompson collaborator has his own blog and the first posting has just kicked off. Added bonus is it’s illustrated.

Something strange the past couple of days. I’ve slept a lot less than I have been doing, I wonder how that shall go on. I suppose we shall just have to see if I make it into work on time in the morning! I wonder what strange dreams await tonight.

I’m re-reading Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. I’ve never really liked Pratchett. He seems to be on of those love or hate writers and well I hate him. Admitidly it has been years since I tried one of his books but I don’t intend to try again. Gaiman on the other hand I really like. The book is not bad at all, in places side-acheingly funny.

I’m going to see 8 Mile later tonight. I’m quite looking forward to it now. I could be really good. If it is anything like the trailers I am going to enjoy it a hell of a lot.

I had some very strange dreams last night but very vivid at the same time. It was quite strange but in a good way I think.

I found the missing connection for my camera so I really must start carrying it with me and taking photos. I need some gallery software at home, gonna hassle Iain about that during the week. The one he uses seems to be pretty good. All I need now are some batteries and I’ll have camera and discman working together and can get back into it…well nevermind the back part, can actually get into it.

I have a busy few weeks coming up. There is stuff on at least once if not twice a week for the next 6 weeks and not just the pre-planned now stuff. A few good gigs, a couple of parties and some nights out playing pool and a couple of other bits and pieces. Man I’m glad I have already payed for the gigs, this is a damn expensive month otherwise…not that it won’t be anyway.

I have 10 times the amount of beer in my place now than I did 6 hours ago and the party is over. I’m sure that is not right.

I think I want to go to bed right now. I will be warm, I will be comfortable and I guess I shall be happy. (EDIT: Don’t read this literally, words failed me and I did not manage to convey my meaning). It really would be nice to have those switches used in expressions in my brain. So I could just flip a switch and things would change.

I’m too tired to think right now. I want to and I want to share those thoughts but I don’t think I’m able to right now. Feb. 15 is going into my diary (well my work meeting schedule which I use increasingly to keep track of my own stuff) and I shall rail on about that at some stage.

I need to watch the rest of Amelie, perhaps tomorrow after I clean up the after effects of the party.

I finished The Great Shark Hunt earlier today. I want more, I shall have to look into getting some more books. I get paid Friday so books and comics next weekend sounds like a plan.

You know, were it on paper I would not read half the stuff I read online. Where it on screen I would not read half the stuff I read on paper. Isn’t that a funny thought?

Whilst I was at the shop getting some stuff in, I ran into an old friend. I had considered inviting him to the party but had decided in the end possibly best not too. Anyway we got to talking and ends up he is not only going to come along tonight he came back from the shop with me. Ladies and Gentlemen, you cannot have a party without my good friend and your good friend Mr. Jack.

Got a 6 pack of beer, a couple of botttles, 3 litre bottles of stella, half a litre of vodka (Irish vodka), a litre of Baileys and a half litre of JD. So added to that the beer and spirits everyone is bringing I can forsee tomorrow morning and more than likely after noon just not happening.

Ah well. The tvs and consoles are set up. I have to bring down a couple more chairs and thats pretty much it. (Oh and a little cleaning).

So far so good, the cleaning is going pretty well. Just got to sort out a few more bits, no more than an hour I reckon and then get some beer etc to add to the collection in the kitchen.

Hint of the day. When you send someone an im and you keep typing at them. Ensure that they are in fact just away from their computer and have not in fact forgotten to sign off when they left work and won’t get your message for four days or so. Oops, I hope that screen is locked.

I have about 5 hours to get the house cleaned up and some stuff moved around before the guys start to arrive. Of course the best way to start the day off is with a hangover.

Ah fun. I don’t know how long it will take to clean everything, could be quite close to the 5 hours because I’m not all that motivated and I have to go the shop to get more beer and snacks and stuff.

I suspect I am also going to play Civ 2 for a while, then have a shower and then I shall starting cleaning. Ohh and I have an episode of 24 to watch. Damn, so little time, so much to do!

Neil Gaiman is of course a fine author. He carries this over very well into his blog and it is one of my more enjoyable daily reads. He is aso an evil man who keeps mentioning 1602 but never gives any detail! However the fact that he has just asked for fans comments and suggestions for a proposed website for the upcoming Endless Nights and these will be passed onto DC is pretty cool.

Today was possibly the day from hell. I could never ever be a manager. I was at the point where I went beyond thinking about throwing my computer through the window but was thinking about what would actually happen if I did throw it out the window.

Tonight. Pub, friends, beer and pool. Need I say more?

Princess Mononoke arrived from DVDs on Tap today. Certainly not a bad movie by any means but very overrated. Very big on the man versus nature theme. A masterpiece of modern anime? Possibly, what do I know?
I enjoyed it but I don’t think it is something I shall be in a rush to see again and I don’t plan on buying it.