I've just been on something of a spending spree.
Some of what I've bought it necessary. Other stuff I've kinda convinced myself is necessary but probably isn't.
First thing I bought was a new TV. This is not necessary in so far as I have a perfectly functional telly already. But there are a couple of problems.
First off it's a 15" CRT. This means it's quite small and I'm getting sick of not being able to make out some details very well. It's also not widescreen, and basically now I have freeview everything is output in widescreen, which means that even though it was 15 inch it wasn't really, because of letterboxing.
The second thing is at some point in the relatively near future I want to step into the High Def world. This will likely mean buying a Blu Ray player, but could also involve HD-freeview or a game consoles.
The only real downside is that I've had to buy an LCD. The main reason I've held back was that in my opinion CRT is still a better display technology than LCD or plasma. And while OLED is clearly awesome and the future, it's also really early in its development and incredibly expensive.
My next purchase is a new duvet. This is definitely necessary now that it's starting to look like summer may actually happen this year. I can't sleep without a duvet of some kind and my big thick one I got for Christmas would probably end up killing me.
To go along with this I bought another bed sheet cover thing, which should be useful with the summer months and my increased sweating.
I also bought some new socks. This is another of those probably not necessary as I have socks, but at least a third of them have whacking great holes in and it's starting to make me look like a tramp.
The last purchase was some new writable DVDs and two new portable hard drives. These are another borderline thing. I am rapidly running out of burnable DVDs, but not to the extent that I need them now; however, I thought I might as well since I was blowing my cash and like I say I will need them imminently.
The portable HDDs are a little more tricky to justify. I realised a while back that the portable HDDs that I'd bought solely for the purposes of backing up have actually become regularly used things. Now I try my best to subscribe to the whole multiple independent back-ups thing, but I've kinda realised that I'm just not doing that in practice, hence me buying some new drives.
See, I can convince myself of anything if I try hard enough.
Friday, 21 May 2010
Thursday, 20 May 2010
well that was... fun?
Some people are walking disaster areas.
On Tuesday we received an invitation to submit a proposal and the guy running it is a complete and total numpty. Almost everything he did or asked for was either stupid or contradictory.
For example, the ITT turned up and they'd changed the title, but didn't tell us. We'd previously done an expression of interest for it and it was called something else then. So when my boss got this she thought it was something new and wasted a day before she realised.
Then the deadline for the ITT was Thursday. By post. They'd given us less than 3 days to put together an entire ITT. My boss had to basically bully the guy into excepting an electronic version, even though all of our other customers are happy to take electronic versions with hard copy to follow.
And it wasn't a simple ITT, it had all sorts of little bits and bobs and nauseating, un-necessary crap to it. The best example of this is that it required that the document have 3 sections, 2 of which contained pricing information.
Fair enough, because what you normally end up doing is producing a priced and un-priced version, where you blank out the pricing information. However, they didn't want a priced version. That's right - we put these things in the ITT only to blank them out. They then wanted the bits with the price on separately!
It's just been ridiculous, and all basically caused by this guy.
On Tuesday we received an invitation to submit a proposal and the guy running it is a complete and total numpty. Almost everything he did or asked for was either stupid or contradictory.
For example, the ITT turned up and they'd changed the title, but didn't tell us. We'd previously done an expression of interest for it and it was called something else then. So when my boss got this she thought it was something new and wasted a day before she realised.
Then the deadline for the ITT was Thursday. By post. They'd given us less than 3 days to put together an entire ITT. My boss had to basically bully the guy into excepting an electronic version, even though all of our other customers are happy to take electronic versions with hard copy to follow.
And it wasn't a simple ITT, it had all sorts of little bits and bobs and nauseating, un-necessary crap to it. The best example of this is that it required that the document have 3 sections, 2 of which contained pricing information.
Fair enough, because what you normally end up doing is producing a priced and un-priced version, where you blank out the pricing information. However, they didn't want a priced version. That's right - we put these things in the ITT only to blank them out. They then wanted the bits with the price on separately!
It's just been ridiculous, and all basically caused by this guy.
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
lesbian vampire killers
When Lesbian Vampire Killers (LVK) came out I seem to remember it got a mauling from the critics.
And if I'm being totally honest I can sort of understand that, but I also think that in time-honoured critic fashion, slating it seems to miss the point somewhat. LVK is, in essence, an exploitation movie very much in the Hammer Horror vein. The clue to this really is in the title.
What makes it work is that it's a very modern take on this genre. How to put this? It never actually breaks the fourth wall, but when the main characters played by Horne and Corden find themselves in the middle of a Hammer Horror film there's a degree of self awareness to it.
I mean, it's not that they behave unrealistically, it's more like they behave as if they expect the late Jeremy Beadle to suddenly pull off his fake beard and for a cameraman to walk out. It's difficult to explain - it's a tonal thing. It's like all the other characters are living in a Hammer Horror film and a couple of outsiders have wandered into it and they're not quite so sure.
The director makes an interesting point in the commentary that at no point did he think he was making a scary film. He was always making a comedy film that just happened to have a horror setting. But not like the Scary Movie films - this isn't a parody, it's more like a comedy homage to Hammer.
The reason that's particularly interesting is that the film presents itself like a straight horror/exploitation movie just like Hammer used to make, but it isn't - it's full of jokes and by playing it straight I think it works.
I'm kind of working this round to saying something fairly simple: I wasn't expecting to, but I quite liked it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think it was a work of genius, the comedy bowls almost entirely at the lowest common denominator and it doesn't make any bones about its exploitation shtick - the film is veritably dripping in hot chicks in skimpy clothes kissing each other. But what I'm getting at is that there's a degree of self-awareness to it all.
The only thing I think I'd really criticise is it flirts with a degree of misogyny that it doesn't properly acknowledge.
I mean, the film is about a lesbian queen of vampires who, in stereotypical lesbian fashion hates men and, when biting women not only turns them into vampires, but also turns them into lesbians as well. The only way to defeat her is with a special sword. A sword that, if you didn't already pick up the on penis/sword thing, has a cock for a handle.
So the only way to beat a lesbian is with the power of a man. Or, the insinuation is that penis is the only thing that can turn a lesbian.
To some extent I'm over-egging this and such an undertone probably would appear in an exploitation-horror film, my problem is more that it's not really acknowledged in the film. Where you've got an element of that 'knowing wink' to everything else, this isn't really even brought up.
And if I'm being totally honest I can sort of understand that, but I also think that in time-honoured critic fashion, slating it seems to miss the point somewhat. LVK is, in essence, an exploitation movie very much in the Hammer Horror vein. The clue to this really is in the title.
What makes it work is that it's a very modern take on this genre. How to put this? It never actually breaks the fourth wall, but when the main characters played by Horne and Corden find themselves in the middle of a Hammer Horror film there's a degree of self awareness to it.
I mean, it's not that they behave unrealistically, it's more like they behave as if they expect the late Jeremy Beadle to suddenly pull off his fake beard and for a cameraman to walk out. It's difficult to explain - it's a tonal thing. It's like all the other characters are living in a Hammer Horror film and a couple of outsiders have wandered into it and they're not quite so sure.
The director makes an interesting point in the commentary that at no point did he think he was making a scary film. He was always making a comedy film that just happened to have a horror setting. But not like the Scary Movie films - this isn't a parody, it's more like a comedy homage to Hammer.
The reason that's particularly interesting is that the film presents itself like a straight horror/exploitation movie just like Hammer used to make, but it isn't - it's full of jokes and by playing it straight I think it works.
I'm kind of working this round to saying something fairly simple: I wasn't expecting to, but I quite liked it.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think it was a work of genius, the comedy bowls almost entirely at the lowest common denominator and it doesn't make any bones about its exploitation shtick - the film is veritably dripping in hot chicks in skimpy clothes kissing each other. But what I'm getting at is that there's a degree of self-awareness to it all.
The only thing I think I'd really criticise is it flirts with a degree of misogyny that it doesn't properly acknowledge.
I mean, the film is about a lesbian queen of vampires who, in stereotypical lesbian fashion hates men and, when biting women not only turns them into vampires, but also turns them into lesbians as well. The only way to defeat her is with a special sword. A sword that, if you didn't already pick up the on penis/sword thing, has a cock for a handle.
So the only way to beat a lesbian is with the power of a man. Or, the insinuation is that penis is the only thing that can turn a lesbian.
To some extent I'm over-egging this and such an undertone probably would appear in an exploitation-horror film, my problem is more that it's not really acknowledged in the film. Where you've got an element of that 'knowing wink' to everything else, this isn't really even brought up.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
monaco
So last weekend it was the Monaco Grand Prix.
It was a reasonable race by Monaco standards that was probably helped out by Fernando Alonso crashing in Saturday practice. This meant he had no car for the Qualifying, so had to start from the pits, putting him stone-dead last.
This therefore meant he could take his mandatory pit stop very early and then blast his way up the pack. In Monaco tyre wear is normally quite slight and so this didn't hamper him, but also meant when others eventually took their stops they would have ended up behind him. although many of the teams realised and so brought their guys in early.
It also meant Alonso had to do lots of overtaking (very difficult in Monaco's narrow streets), giving the cameras something to watch.
Anyway, the main thing I wanted to mention about it was that last year I was at the Monaco GP. This gave the viewing experience a little extra something I think - seeing on telly the bits I actually saw myself a year ago.
One of the things you really don't grasp on telly is the elevation changes of the circuit. At one part of the race they're driving past the harbour so are literally at sea level, but the famous Casino Square is actually at the top of a small mountain. There's therefore a long section where they drive up this steep incline that you just can't appreciate on telly - it has to be a 45% angle they go up.
Something that also occurred to me is that the Monaco GP is probably best watched from the in car shots. I mean, there's still no more overtaking, but you get a better appreciation of what it's like driving through the narrow streets with solid barriers just inches away.
I think this year the temperatures were a lot milder than when we were there. If I'm honest the stifling heat and humidity was the only real dampener to last year's trip.
My dad is actually going to the Canadian Grand Prix this year. Well, he's booked the trip, but it coincides with one of the BA strikes (I don't know if it's a BA flight, but I would imagine so) and there's the ever-looming threat of the volcanic ash.
Apparently the last time that volcano went up it was erupting continuously for 2 solid years or something, so it could become a permanent feature of air travel for quite a while.
And speaking of cars and... dust (yeah, okay, world's most tenuous segue ever) I cleaned my car this last weekend.
Well, I say cleaned, it was more like a very quick wipe down. It's been ages since I cleaned my car and it was getting to the stage where you couldn't tell if it was grey or brown. Also there were quite a few bird droppings on it and it's not good to leave those on for long as they damage the paint.
It still really needs a good, thorough clean, though.
My landlord was actually supposed to have gone on holiday this week and last and it was my original plan to give it a good clean during that time. However, in the end he wasn't well so has postponed it and I think this is good as in reality I don't think I'd have had the time - as I say, I only really found time to give it a quick wipe down on Sunday, so Id' never have fit in a full clean.
It was a reasonable race by Monaco standards that was probably helped out by Fernando Alonso crashing in Saturday practice. This meant he had no car for the Qualifying, so had to start from the pits, putting him stone-dead last.
This therefore meant he could take his mandatory pit stop very early and then blast his way up the pack. In Monaco tyre wear is normally quite slight and so this didn't hamper him, but also meant when others eventually took their stops they would have ended up behind him. although many of the teams realised and so brought their guys in early.
It also meant Alonso had to do lots of overtaking (very difficult in Monaco's narrow streets), giving the cameras something to watch.
Anyway, the main thing I wanted to mention about it was that last year I was at the Monaco GP. This gave the viewing experience a little extra something I think - seeing on telly the bits I actually saw myself a year ago.
One of the things you really don't grasp on telly is the elevation changes of the circuit. At one part of the race they're driving past the harbour so are literally at sea level, but the famous Casino Square is actually at the top of a small mountain. There's therefore a long section where they drive up this steep incline that you just can't appreciate on telly - it has to be a 45% angle they go up.
Something that also occurred to me is that the Monaco GP is probably best watched from the in car shots. I mean, there's still no more overtaking, but you get a better appreciation of what it's like driving through the narrow streets with solid barriers just inches away.
I think this year the temperatures were a lot milder than when we were there. If I'm honest the stifling heat and humidity was the only real dampener to last year's trip.
My dad is actually going to the Canadian Grand Prix this year. Well, he's booked the trip, but it coincides with one of the BA strikes (I don't know if it's a BA flight, but I would imagine so) and there's the ever-looming threat of the volcanic ash.
Apparently the last time that volcano went up it was erupting continuously for 2 solid years or something, so it could become a permanent feature of air travel for quite a while.
And speaking of cars and... dust (yeah, okay, world's most tenuous segue ever) I cleaned my car this last weekend.
Well, I say cleaned, it was more like a very quick wipe down. It's been ages since I cleaned my car and it was getting to the stage where you couldn't tell if it was grey or brown. Also there were quite a few bird droppings on it and it's not good to leave those on for long as they damage the paint.
It still really needs a good, thorough clean, though.
My landlord was actually supposed to have gone on holiday this week and last and it was my original plan to give it a good clean during that time. However, in the end he wasn't well so has postponed it and I think this is good as in reality I don't think I'd have had the time - as I say, I only really found time to give it a quick wipe down on Sunday, so Id' never have fit in a full clean.
Monday, 17 May 2010
still a bit rubbish
Guess what I did on Saturday?
No, not that, you filthy degenerate...
Having read through my own pathetic dribblings on Friday after posting them I got a grip and took some rubbish down the recycling place.
You may recall that I'd investigated the Alton recycling centre as a possible option given I work just down the road from it and as part of my investigations I'd discovered it actually opens at 8am on Saturday as well.
My local one in Farnham doesn't open until 9am at weekends, which is just getting into that zone where most people are becoming active. One of the advantages of my body-clock being fixated on an early start is that it gives me the perfect opportunity to go and do stuff like shopping really early at the weekend.
So what I did was load the car up on Saturday and take it all to Alton recycling centre. This turned out to be slightly scarier than I'd thought it would be, because it seemed the police where doing a speeding check thing on the A31 in Farnham. That meant I had to drive past a load of coppers with my car dodgily full of boxes and stuff.
I'm never sure if loading your car in this was is quite legal. I think it probably comes down to one of those it should be "safe" things, which essentially means a judgement call. Anyway, they didn't stop me so I pootled on down there and unloaded my stuff.
The Alton place is a lot better designed than the Farnham one. At Farnham you have to climb stairs to be able to throw your stuff in the big containers (which if I'm honest didn't help with my laziness problem) but at Alton the containers are lower down so you're at the right level to just chuck your stuff in.
As it turned out, and kinda as I'd been expecting, a good chunk of my rubbish went into the 'domestic waste' bin, which basically means it was landfill and not recycling as I'd expected.
The other thing Id' suspected was that the old electrical bits and bobs don't actually go in a container at all. Instead, you basically dump them in an area close to the workers hut thing. My guess is that they go through this stuff to see what it's made of and if it still works and stuff.
And to give you some idea of just how much crap I've accumulated, even though I packed my car as full as was sensible and I've still got loads of crap to chuck. Now admittedly my car is only a micra, but that's a lot of rubbish given the size of my bedsit. And on top of that, I've still got loads of sorting out to do and there's therefore bound to be loads more of crap to chuck.
No, not that, you filthy degenerate...
Having read through my own pathetic dribblings on Friday after posting them I got a grip and took some rubbish down the recycling place.
You may recall that I'd investigated the Alton recycling centre as a possible option given I work just down the road from it and as part of my investigations I'd discovered it actually opens at 8am on Saturday as well.
My local one in Farnham doesn't open until 9am at weekends, which is just getting into that zone where most people are becoming active. One of the advantages of my body-clock being fixated on an early start is that it gives me the perfect opportunity to go and do stuff like shopping really early at the weekend.
So what I did was load the car up on Saturday and take it all to Alton recycling centre. This turned out to be slightly scarier than I'd thought it would be, because it seemed the police where doing a speeding check thing on the A31 in Farnham. That meant I had to drive past a load of coppers with my car dodgily full of boxes and stuff.
I'm never sure if loading your car in this was is quite legal. I think it probably comes down to one of those it should be "safe" things, which essentially means a judgement call. Anyway, they didn't stop me so I pootled on down there and unloaded my stuff.
The Alton place is a lot better designed than the Farnham one. At Farnham you have to climb stairs to be able to throw your stuff in the big containers (which if I'm honest didn't help with my laziness problem) but at Alton the containers are lower down so you're at the right level to just chuck your stuff in.
As it turned out, and kinda as I'd been expecting, a good chunk of my rubbish went into the 'domestic waste' bin, which basically means it was landfill and not recycling as I'd expected.
The other thing Id' suspected was that the old electrical bits and bobs don't actually go in a container at all. Instead, you basically dump them in an area close to the workers hut thing. My guess is that they go through this stuff to see what it's made of and if it still works and stuff.
And to give you some idea of just how much crap I've accumulated, even though I packed my car as full as was sensible and I've still got loads of crap to chuck. Now admittedly my car is only a micra, but that's a lot of rubbish given the size of my bedsit. And on top of that, I've still got loads of sorting out to do and there's therefore bound to be loads more of crap to chuck.
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