It's Friday already? How the heck did that happen?
Feels like only yesterday it was Thursday. Oh no, wait, yesterday was Thursday.
Looks like it's going to be a sunny weekend. I've not got any special plans, though I do need to do some cleaning. There's a MotoGP race on Sunday I believe, and I want to go for another one of my walks.
Unfortunately, the walks have become a bit fortnightly, mainly because when there's a F1 GP on that means there's loads of stuff - 3 practices, qualifying and the race itself, all of which I have to watch across the weekend. I mean, I could leave it, but the problem then would be people spoilering it.
Next week is going to be a short one - I've got the Thursday and Friday off, so just a 3 day week, which will be nice.
Oh, one thing I realised I hadn't mentioned - Eurovision.
We finished stone dead last, and to be perfectly frank I'm not hugely surprised. Well, surprised we were last as there were some real duffers in there that got way more points than they deserved, but not surprised that we didn't do well.
Our song was very poor. I generally don't pay attention to Eurovision until the night itself, so I hadn't heard the song beforehand. Supposedly it was written by Stock & Waterman, of 1980s Stock, Aitken & Waterman, who produced all those cheesy pop songs of the 80s.
The problem there was it just wasn't up to those standards - if it had been an 80s cheesefest, maybe it would have at least been distinctive, but it was just totally non-descript. And it didn't help that they seemed to have got a small boy to sing it, who seemed nice enough, but really lacked any impact.
I suppose at least this year's song wasn't one of those "this is what we think Europop sounds like" jobs.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Thursday, 3 June 2010
new duvet
I got my new duvet the other week. It's incredibly thin. They use something called "togs" to rate duvets for warmth and this is a 4.5 tog duvet. What that means is that it's only just thicker than a blanket.
Now that may sound daft - why not just use a blanket, or a regular sheet? Well for some reason I cannot get to sleep unless I've got a duvet on me. I've tried many times in years past to sleep without any covers or just a sheet and I cannot do it. There's obviously some psychological thing going on that means I just can't.
I'm actually pretty neurotic when it comes to sleeping - I have a whole host of... well, I suppose rituals would be the word, that are essentially there to ensure I go to sleep.
Basically, a summary of the basic ritual goes something like-
First off, I ensure all curtains are fully closed and that all lights are turned off or covered over. Now I don't just mean normal lights. You know how a lot of electrical appliance have some sort of LED that indicates they're in standby, or they have a digital clock or something that emits light? Well I can't have those shinning at me.
It's kinda like a brightness threshold - below a certain level I'm happy, but above and the light will keep me up. This can be so bad for me that I actually have to pin black bin bags to the curtains in my bed-sit, because they're white and crap at blocking out light in the summer or if my landlord leaves a light on.
I then read for at least 10 minutes. This is actually a bit of an odd one, because I know a lot of guides for people with insomnia say you shouldn't do anything stimulating, like read or watch TV before bed. But I dunno, it works for me.
What makes it really ritualistic is that I have to be laying on my side and I have to be in my nightclothes. If I'm not, then it's just ordinary reading and it doesn't help.
After reading I switch off the light and continue to lay on my side. Here, I'm consciously trying clear my mind. I try to force out anything resembling active thought and concentrate on stillness and nothing.
It's also at this stage that any noise will become apparent. Like light, I can't put up with noise while I'm trying to sleep, so if there's a party going on somewhere or my PVR is whirring away, I'll put in my earplugs.
This 'calming down' can last anywhere from 5minutes to half an hour, but once I'm relaxed, I'll turn onto my front and that's when I'll drift off.
At least, I assume I drift off. What will actually happen is the next thing I'll be aware of is waking up. This will usually take one of two forms - waking up very early, desperate for a piss, or wake up about 15 minutes before my alarm is due to go off (also needing a pee).
You'll notice there's no mention of dreaming - I can count the number of dreams I remember on one hand. I sometimes have a sort of a daydream experience while I'm waiting for my alarm to go off, but I've never really thought of these as dreams as they're entirely and actively controlled by my mind.
I believe there's something called lucid dreaming where you know you're dreaming, but it's not like that - it's more like I actively think up a scenario or idea and then muck about with it. So much more like a daydream or fantasy than a dream.
Anyway, this new duvet is great - it's light enough to keep me cool, but weighty enough to fulfil my need for a duvet. My other one is a massive 13.5 togs, which I think is about the maximum. Quite where I'm going to put it, I'm not sure, but it looks like the weather is on the turn, so I don't think I'll need it for ages now.
Now that may sound daft - why not just use a blanket, or a regular sheet? Well for some reason I cannot get to sleep unless I've got a duvet on me. I've tried many times in years past to sleep without any covers or just a sheet and I cannot do it. There's obviously some psychological thing going on that means I just can't.
I'm actually pretty neurotic when it comes to sleeping - I have a whole host of... well, I suppose rituals would be the word, that are essentially there to ensure I go to sleep.
Basically, a summary of the basic ritual goes something like-
First off, I ensure all curtains are fully closed and that all lights are turned off or covered over. Now I don't just mean normal lights. You know how a lot of electrical appliance have some sort of LED that indicates they're in standby, or they have a digital clock or something that emits light? Well I can't have those shinning at me.
It's kinda like a brightness threshold - below a certain level I'm happy, but above and the light will keep me up. This can be so bad for me that I actually have to pin black bin bags to the curtains in my bed-sit, because they're white and crap at blocking out light in the summer or if my landlord leaves a light on.
I then read for at least 10 minutes. This is actually a bit of an odd one, because I know a lot of guides for people with insomnia say you shouldn't do anything stimulating, like read or watch TV before bed. But I dunno, it works for me.
What makes it really ritualistic is that I have to be laying on my side and I have to be in my nightclothes. If I'm not, then it's just ordinary reading and it doesn't help.
After reading I switch off the light and continue to lay on my side. Here, I'm consciously trying clear my mind. I try to force out anything resembling active thought and concentrate on stillness and nothing.
It's also at this stage that any noise will become apparent. Like light, I can't put up with noise while I'm trying to sleep, so if there's a party going on somewhere or my PVR is whirring away, I'll put in my earplugs.
This 'calming down' can last anywhere from 5minutes to half an hour, but once I'm relaxed, I'll turn onto my front and that's when I'll drift off.
At least, I assume I drift off. What will actually happen is the next thing I'll be aware of is waking up. This will usually take one of two forms - waking up very early, desperate for a piss, or wake up about 15 minutes before my alarm is due to go off (also needing a pee).
You'll notice there's no mention of dreaming - I can count the number of dreams I remember on one hand. I sometimes have a sort of a daydream experience while I'm waiting for my alarm to go off, but I've never really thought of these as dreams as they're entirely and actively controlled by my mind.
I believe there's something called lucid dreaming where you know you're dreaming, but it's not like that - it's more like I actively think up a scenario or idea and then muck about with it. So much more like a daydream or fantasy than a dream.
Anyway, this new duvet is great - it's light enough to keep me cool, but weighty enough to fulfil my need for a duvet. My other one is a massive 13.5 togs, which I think is about the maximum. Quite where I'm going to put it, I'm not sure, but it looks like the weather is on the turn, so I don't think I'll need it for ages now.
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
drag me to hell
Sam Raimi is possibly best known for two things - the Spiderman trilogy and the Evil Dead films. Of course he's done a whole load of other stuff too - Raimi wrote and directed Darkman, for example and was also producer on the western adaptation of the Japanese horror The Grudge.
But probably most important here are Spiderman and the Evil Dead films - the first because it's what shot Raimi into a position where the bigger studios would be willing to fund a film like this (afaik, the Spiderman films have generated something like $2.5billion in revenue). The second because it represents a kind of spiritual predecessor to this film.
Anyway, the basic point is if you've seen the Evil Dead movies then this is very much in their vein - it's basically a horror film, but with strong comedic elements. I don't think it's really right to say it's a black comedy - black comedy is more similar to satire, where the humour here is of a more slapstick nature - specifically the three stooges.
So what's different about drag me to hell?
Well, for starters there's a heavier focus on the horror aspects. This isn't really a bad thing as it means the humour tends to come out of left field and therefore has a bigger impact. It also tends to build into it - so the scary stuff will be building and building, and then it will reach a point of absurdity and you'll find yourself laughing. Or you'll be expecting an even bigger fright and instead something silly will happen.
There's also a fine line at times between gross out and comic - in anyone else but Raimi's hands I think some bits would simply have been stomach churning, but the way he handles it you end up giggling instead.
Overall, I therefore enjoyed it. I think the story works particularly well - I mean, it's not a masterpiece, but it hangs together in a coherent fashion and makes sense.
I would level a few criticism at it, though. Firstly, the horror is slightly dampened by the reliance on 'shock' moments. By these I mean the old bogey-man jumps out of the closet and the soundtrack is filled with loud, shrieking violins.
These are fine, but it could have done with a few false shocks - ones that turn out not to happen or to actually be benign things.
It also wimps out a bit with the blood sacrifice - not so much because it doesn't show it, but that the main character doesn't really feel any remorse or regret about it.
And the shock ending was a little odd - firstly the key element was so telegraphed it kinda rendered the scenes before it oddly redundant. But also, and not wanting to spoiler, but the nature of the shock kinda left an odd feeling.
But those don't spoil what is a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining film that's well worth checking out.
(I love it when I end these mini reviews like that - it's like I'm pretending t be a proper critic :P)
But probably most important here are Spiderman and the Evil Dead films - the first because it's what shot Raimi into a position where the bigger studios would be willing to fund a film like this (afaik, the Spiderman films have generated something like $2.5billion in revenue). The second because it represents a kind of spiritual predecessor to this film.
Anyway, the basic point is if you've seen the Evil Dead movies then this is very much in their vein - it's basically a horror film, but with strong comedic elements. I don't think it's really right to say it's a black comedy - black comedy is more similar to satire, where the humour here is of a more slapstick nature - specifically the three stooges.
So what's different about drag me to hell?
Well, for starters there's a heavier focus on the horror aspects. This isn't really a bad thing as it means the humour tends to come out of left field and therefore has a bigger impact. It also tends to build into it - so the scary stuff will be building and building, and then it will reach a point of absurdity and you'll find yourself laughing. Or you'll be expecting an even bigger fright and instead something silly will happen.
There's also a fine line at times between gross out and comic - in anyone else but Raimi's hands I think some bits would simply have been stomach churning, but the way he handles it you end up giggling instead.
Overall, I therefore enjoyed it. I think the story works particularly well - I mean, it's not a masterpiece, but it hangs together in a coherent fashion and makes sense.
I would level a few criticism at it, though. Firstly, the horror is slightly dampened by the reliance on 'shock' moments. By these I mean the old bogey-man jumps out of the closet and the soundtrack is filled with loud, shrieking violins.
These are fine, but it could have done with a few false shocks - ones that turn out not to happen or to actually be benign things.
It also wimps out a bit with the blood sacrifice - not so much because it doesn't show it, but that the main character doesn't really feel any remorse or regret about it.
And the shock ending was a little odd - firstly the key element was so telegraphed it kinda rendered the scenes before it oddly redundant. But also, and not wanting to spoiler, but the nature of the shock kinda left an odd feeling.
But those don't spoil what is a thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining film that's well worth checking out.
(I love it when I end these mini reviews like that - it's like I'm pretending t be a proper critic :P)
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
wasted weekend
And I don't mean wasted as in booze soaked, I mean wasted as in opportunity.
I'd been hoping going into the weekend that I would do some scanning. That was the plan - I would start to tackle the New Types after the kick-start I had doing loads of animedias the other week.
My backup plan, for if and when I got really bored of scanning was I'd continue sorting my room a bit. I've not really progressed the room sorting very much, because I've had all sorts of stuff that needed to go down the recycling centre.
Well, one thing that was fixed on the schedule for early Saturday morning was a second trip to the recycling place to dispose of most of the rest of the stuff. This was fixed because I also wanted to get a haircut and I was desperate to clear some space at least (I can now see my settee for the first time in months!).
Well I did neither of those.
I didn't even do something useful like watch anime DVDs. I did set my new telly up, although even that was in a half-arsed, quick-fix way - I've not unplugged and removed the old one, just put it on a chair :/.
So what did I do?
I gamed. I must have spent about half of all my waking hours across the bank holiday playing computer games.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the gaming, I just kinda feel a bit regretful that that's all I did.
To be fair, I did get some stuff done. for example, there was a risk I could have failed to watch Eurovision or the GP, and that would have caused me some severe scheduling problems. I mean as it is, despite them totalling something like 10 hours of viewing and me watching several other things recorded I've still come out with more recorded telly that I went in.
The good thing on this front is that more than half of the shows I've been following are on their last episodes this week and next. Given that the world cup starts in a fortnight that bodes very well for my hope that I'll be fully able to engage in catch-up over the summer.
I'd been hoping going into the weekend that I would do some scanning. That was the plan - I would start to tackle the New Types after the kick-start I had doing loads of animedias the other week.
My backup plan, for if and when I got really bored of scanning was I'd continue sorting my room a bit. I've not really progressed the room sorting very much, because I've had all sorts of stuff that needed to go down the recycling centre.
Well, one thing that was fixed on the schedule for early Saturday morning was a second trip to the recycling place to dispose of most of the rest of the stuff. This was fixed because I also wanted to get a haircut and I was desperate to clear some space at least (I can now see my settee for the first time in months!).
Well I did neither of those.
I didn't even do something useful like watch anime DVDs. I did set my new telly up, although even that was in a half-arsed, quick-fix way - I've not unplugged and removed the old one, just put it on a chair :/.
So what did I do?
I gamed. I must have spent about half of all my waking hours across the bank holiday playing computer games.
Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the gaming, I just kinda feel a bit regretful that that's all I did.
To be fair, I did get some stuff done. for example, there was a risk I could have failed to watch Eurovision or the GP, and that would have caused me some severe scheduling problems. I mean as it is, despite them totalling something like 10 hours of viewing and me watching several other things recorded I've still come out with more recorded telly that I went in.
The good thing on this front is that more than half of the shows I've been following are on their last episodes this week and next. Given that the world cup starts in a fortnight that bodes very well for my hope that I'll be fully able to engage in catch-up over the summer.
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