Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Just a quick post before I head into town to meet my Brother. We are off to watch the Chelsea/Villa match. I have high hopes that we can turn them over, but I don't think we have won a game on Boxing Day for ages. Never mind. The game itself is just incidental to the day out.
Nice day yesterday. Too much food. Too much drink. Very loud house. Sister 1 very stressed. Sister 2 not stressed at all. Sister 3 looking incredibly overweight. My Brother drunk and morose. My Niece and Nephew dancing to a Rihanna CD. My Mom looking very content.
I opened a couple of late presents at Sister 3's. One of them was a biro with my name on it, that I think was bought as a laugh. I hope it was bought as a laugh. I believe that Lorraine has a similar biro that will be presented to her when she returns.
I went home and watched the "Doctor Who" Christmas special. It was alright, but it probably did not match up to the trailer, a bit like all of the Christmas specials so far. La Minogue was OK. Half of the fun is in trying to work out what Russell T. Davies has included in the script that is going to have meaning later on. Remember the passing mention of "Torchwood" in the first special and the passing mention of "Mr. Saxon" who gave the order to destroy the spaceship last year? The rumour is that La Minogue has shot a little bit of footage to be used in the climax of the next series, which means that she would be appearing alongside all of the ladies that have accompanied the Doctor so far. Some kind of a trap, or is it just smoke and mirrors? I try not to delve too deep into spoiler country. Why ruin the surprise?
I need to go. Probably back tomorrow.
Nice day yesterday. Too much food. Too much drink. Very loud house. Sister 1 very stressed. Sister 2 not stressed at all. Sister 3 looking incredibly overweight. My Brother drunk and morose. My Niece and Nephew dancing to a Rihanna CD. My Mom looking very content.
I opened a couple of late presents at Sister 3's. One of them was a biro with my name on it, that I think was bought as a laugh. I hope it was bought as a laugh. I believe that Lorraine has a similar biro that will be presented to her when she returns.
I went home and watched the "Doctor Who" Christmas special. It was alright, but it probably did not match up to the trailer, a bit like all of the Christmas specials so far. La Minogue was OK. Half of the fun is in trying to work out what Russell T. Davies has included in the script that is going to have meaning later on. Remember the passing mention of "Torchwood" in the first special and the passing mention of "Mr. Saxon" who gave the order to destroy the spaceship last year? The rumour is that La Minogue has shot a little bit of footage to be used in the climax of the next series, which means that she would be appearing alongside all of the ladies that have accompanied the Doctor so far. Some kind of a trap, or is it just smoke and mirrors? I try not to delve too deep into spoiler country. Why ruin the surprise?
I need to go. Probably back tomorrow.
Labels: Christmas, Family, Television
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Happy Christmas, everyone.
This is a new experience for me. The first time ever I have woken up on Christmas morning (ridiculously early, might I add) with nobody else in the house. I thought that I would feel depressed, but things are fine. How strange is that? True, I still have to go around to Sister 3's for lunch with the whole family, so after a couple of bottles of San Miguel, which Sister 3 has kindly got in for me, I might feel slightly differently.
There was one film I saw just prior to Christmas that I forgot to write about and that film was "It's A Wonderful Life". How appropriate that I write about it today, with it being Christmas and all that?
Is there anything actually left to write about "It's A Wonderful Life" that hasn't already been written? Forget all about it being the greatest Christmas film of all time ("The Wizard Of Oz" is also a great film, but it is not really a Christmas film), "It's A Wonderful Life" is actually one of the greatest films of all time, full stop.
Simply put, the film revolves around the life of a kind and caring, but frustrated man, who one night during the worst crisis of his life, is shown what the world would have been like if had he never been born. Funnily enough, the whole 'alternative reality' section of the movie takes up less than a quarter of the running time towards the end of the film, although it is always the thing that is mentioned when discussing the film. Prior to that plot turn we are treated to a master class in film acting from the genius that was James Stewart, running from goofy comedy, shyness, happiness, disappointment, frustration, despair and then the blackest dark night of the soul. It is one of the greatest performances in cinema history and I will fight anybody who disagrees with me.
In the packed cinema on Saturday I sat near a young woman who had obviously never seen "It's A Wonderful Life" before. Every now and again I picked up on her reactions to what was going on in the movie. Laughter, gasps and then, of course, tears. She was still wiping her eyes when the lights came up. Actually, so was I.
"It's A Wonderful Life" is a great, big, fat masterpiece and everybody should see it.
********
I have a Christmas CD to put together. Then I am going to watch some TV and then I am going to call a taxi.
Have a good day, friends.
This is a new experience for me. The first time ever I have woken up on Christmas morning (ridiculously early, might I add) with nobody else in the house. I thought that I would feel depressed, but things are fine. How strange is that? True, I still have to go around to Sister 3's for lunch with the whole family, so after a couple of bottles of San Miguel, which Sister 3 has kindly got in for me, I might feel slightly differently.
There was one film I saw just prior to Christmas that I forgot to write about and that film was "It's A Wonderful Life". How appropriate that I write about it today, with it being Christmas and all that?
Is there anything actually left to write about "It's A Wonderful Life" that hasn't already been written? Forget all about it being the greatest Christmas film of all time ("The Wizard Of Oz" is also a great film, but it is not really a Christmas film), "It's A Wonderful Life" is actually one of the greatest films of all time, full stop.
Simply put, the film revolves around the life of a kind and caring, but frustrated man, who one night during the worst crisis of his life, is shown what the world would have been like if had he never been born. Funnily enough, the whole 'alternative reality' section of the movie takes up less than a quarter of the running time towards the end of the film, although it is always the thing that is mentioned when discussing the film. Prior to that plot turn we are treated to a master class in film acting from the genius that was James Stewart, running from goofy comedy, shyness, happiness, disappointment, frustration, despair and then the blackest dark night of the soul. It is one of the greatest performances in cinema history and I will fight anybody who disagrees with me.
In the packed cinema on Saturday I sat near a young woman who had obviously never seen "It's A Wonderful Life" before. Every now and again I picked up on her reactions to what was going on in the movie. Laughter, gasps and then, of course, tears. She was still wiping her eyes when the lights came up. Actually, so was I.
"It's A Wonderful Life" is a great, big, fat masterpiece and everybody should see it.
********
I have a Christmas CD to put together. Then I am going to watch some TV and then I am going to call a taxi.
Have a good day, friends.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Just checking in. I don't know where the time has gone. Maybe I am crashing. Time is speeding up and slowing down. Two gigs and two films in two days. Late nights and early starts. Definitely not enough sleep and definitely not eating properly. I will remedy that later. I am going nowhere else today.
So, where was I? This might be a bit all over the place, chronologically.
"We Own The Night".
My Brother claims that he fell asleep four times during "We Own The Night" because it was so slow. That's not good. He also claims that the latter parts of the film were good and that it had a strong climax. That is good. I would definitely call that a mixed review.
There have been a lot of mixed reviews of "We Own The Night" in the UK. The general gist of the seems to have been that "We Own The Night" compares badly to other recent crime dramas like "The Departed". Well, I have never seen "The Departed", and obviously cannot comment, but I didn't think that "We Own The Night" was bad at all, and I certainly didn't fall asleep.
Joaquin Phoenix is successful night club manager Bobby Green. At heart he is a decent guy, but he exists on fringes of the Russian underworld, and knows too many of the wrong people. His father Bert (Robert Duvall) is a dedicated and honest career policeman, a path destined to be taken by his brother Joe (Mark Wahlberg), recently promoted within the force to fight the kind of crime associated with Bobby's friends. Bobby has kept his family background quiet, even going so far as to change his last name. Family loyalty is tested when a request for help is rejected and somebody is hurt. Bobby then finds himself in danger and his life starts to unravel.
I thought that "We Own The Night" was a good film, with Joaquin Phoenix being particularly impressive as Bobby, centre stage and onscreen for almost the entire movie. During the latter stages his sense of dread, hopelessness and stress are almost palpable. Add to this great supporting turns from a serious and rigid Mark Wahlberg (be aware he has much less screen time than you might think), a smoking hot Eva Mendes and an aged and powerful Robert Duvall, and you have something really worth seeing.
Ocean Colour Scene at the Carling Academy.
I have seen Ocean Colour Scene live three times.
The first time was at the tail end of Britpop (1997?) where they played at the full sized NIA and Paul Weller guested on a couple of tracks. They were OK, but the venue was too big for them.
The second time was in 2002, again at the full sized NIA. They were supporting Oasis. Frankly they blew a bored and disinterested Oasis off the stage. Just brilliant. A fantastic set of all of their best songs.
The third time was last night.
I cannot in all honesty say that they were as fantastic as they were in 2002, but they were better than in 1997, and as pre-Christmas hometown gigs go it was pretty good. True, I was as pissed as a skunk, my Brother and I having been in the Square Peg for a couple of hours. So much for my Brother acting as a break on my drinking too much.
This is a new one. I have a set list. I nabbed it from one of the sound engineers as the gig ended.
"The Riverboat Song"
"Man In The Middle"
"The Circle"
"Get Blown Away"
"You Got It Bad"
"I Just Need Myself"
"It's My Shadow"
"Robin Hood"
"I Won't Get Grazed"
"Foxy Folked Faced"
"This Day Should Last Forever"
"100 Mile High City"
"Just Got Over You"
"July"
"Profit In Peace"
"One For The Road"
"Travellers Tune"
"Got To Sea Boy"
"Get Away"
"Better Day"
"The Day We Caught The Train"
"Day Tripper"
Now, that was a pretty good set. Mad crowd. Lot's of dancing. Lot's of singing along, in between the drinking. Not bad for a band who are still very tied into a specific point in British music, as are the much more successful Oasis, truth be told. I would go to see Ocean Colour Scene again and I won't leave it 5 years next time.
Here is one of their absolute classics. "We are, we are, we are the Mods!"
At the gig I ran into a guy who used to work at The Corporation and from the way I was greeted you would have thought that I was his best friend ever. I wasn't. In fact he was a miserable shit who made Lorraine's job very difficult. She danced around without her bra on when he finally left. (At home, not at work, more's the pity.) Christmas bonhomie. We shook hands. We chewed the fat. We had drinks. We embraced at the end and he fucked off into the crowd. Sometimes you just have to hold your tongue, don't you?
I am feeling a little dizzy. Probably a good time to stop and eat something. Back later.
So, where was I? This might be a bit all over the place, chronologically.
"We Own The Night".
My Brother claims that he fell asleep four times during "We Own The Night" because it was so slow. That's not good. He also claims that the latter parts of the film were good and that it had a strong climax. That is good. I would definitely call that a mixed review.
There have been a lot of mixed reviews of "We Own The Night" in the UK. The general gist of the seems to have been that "We Own The Night" compares badly to other recent crime dramas like "The Departed". Well, I have never seen "The Departed", and obviously cannot comment, but I didn't think that "We Own The Night" was bad at all, and I certainly didn't fall asleep.
Joaquin Phoenix is successful night club manager Bobby Green. At heart he is a decent guy, but he exists on fringes of the Russian underworld, and knows too many of the wrong people. His father Bert (Robert Duvall) is a dedicated and honest career policeman, a path destined to be taken by his brother Joe (Mark Wahlberg), recently promoted within the force to fight the kind of crime associated with Bobby's friends. Bobby has kept his family background quiet, even going so far as to change his last name. Family loyalty is tested when a request for help is rejected and somebody is hurt. Bobby then finds himself in danger and his life starts to unravel.
I thought that "We Own The Night" was a good film, with Joaquin Phoenix being particularly impressive as Bobby, centre stage and onscreen for almost the entire movie. During the latter stages his sense of dread, hopelessness and stress are almost palpable. Add to this great supporting turns from a serious and rigid Mark Wahlberg (be aware he has much less screen time than you might think), a smoking hot Eva Mendes and an aged and powerful Robert Duvall, and you have something really worth seeing.
Ocean Colour Scene at the Carling Academy.
I have seen Ocean Colour Scene live three times.
The first time was at the tail end of Britpop (1997?) where they played at the full sized NIA and Paul Weller guested on a couple of tracks. They were OK, but the venue was too big for them.
The second time was in 2002, again at the full sized NIA. They were supporting Oasis. Frankly they blew a bored and disinterested Oasis off the stage. Just brilliant. A fantastic set of all of their best songs.
The third time was last night.
I cannot in all honesty say that they were as fantastic as they were in 2002, but they were better than in 1997, and as pre-Christmas hometown gigs go it was pretty good. True, I was as pissed as a skunk, my Brother and I having been in the Square Peg for a couple of hours. So much for my Brother acting as a break on my drinking too much.
This is a new one. I have a set list. I nabbed it from one of the sound engineers as the gig ended.
"The Riverboat Song"
"Man In The Middle"
"The Circle"
"Get Blown Away"
"You Got It Bad"
"I Just Need Myself"
"It's My Shadow"
"Robin Hood"
"I Won't Get Grazed"
"Foxy Folked Faced"
"This Day Should Last Forever"
"100 Mile High City"
"Just Got Over You"
"July"
"Profit In Peace"
"One For The Road"
"Travellers Tune"
"Got To Sea Boy"
"Get Away"
"Better Day"
"The Day We Caught The Train"
"Day Tripper"
Now, that was a pretty good set. Mad crowd. Lot's of dancing. Lot's of singing along, in between the drinking. Not bad for a band who are still very tied into a specific point in British music, as are the much more successful Oasis, truth be told. I would go to see Ocean Colour Scene again and I won't leave it 5 years next time.
Here is one of their absolute classics. "We are, we are, we are the Mods!"
At the gig I ran into a guy who used to work at The Corporation and from the way I was greeted you would have thought that I was his best friend ever. I wasn't. In fact he was a miserable shit who made Lorraine's job very difficult. She danced around without her bra on when he finally left. (At home, not at work, more's the pity.) Christmas bonhomie. We shook hands. We chewed the fat. We had drinks. We embraced at the end and he fucked off into the crowd. Sometimes you just have to hold your tongue, don't you?
I am feeling a little dizzy. Probably a good time to stop and eat something. Back later.
Labels: Christmas, Gigs, Movies
Saturday, December 22, 2007
One year gone, Benny. I miss you, big lad.
I have finished work now until next Friday. Last night was The Corporation's Christmas Party. I didn't go. I couldn't be arsed. I did leave work with mine and Lorraine's Secret Santa presents. Mine was a bloody huge, heavy parcel, on which somebody had written "Slightly over the budget, but you deserve it, John". (The budget this year was a fiver.) Hmm... I didn't recognise the handwriting. A secret admirer, then?
Instead I spent the evening wrapping Christmas presents and watching "Cabaret" on cable. I haven't seen that film in years. It's a great film. I really should make the effort to go down to the smoke to see the production at the Lyric theatre, starring Amy Nutall and Julian Clary. I have been promising myself that for a long time. Although how Amy Nutall will compare to Liza Minnelli or Julian Clary to the sheer malevolence that was Joel Grey, I really don't know.
I was up at 6am this morning to get shopping done. Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer. The shops were busy, even early in the morning, but I was still all done by 10am. It is a really strange experience shopping for one. I have probably bought way too much.
This afternoon I am going to see "It's A Wonderful Life" at the MAC, and from there it is up to the NIA to see the Bootleg Beatles.
Time for some breakfast, a couple of phone calls and then a nap.
Have a good day folks.
I have finished work now until next Friday. Last night was The Corporation's Christmas Party. I didn't go. I couldn't be arsed. I did leave work with mine and Lorraine's Secret Santa presents. Mine was a bloody huge, heavy parcel, on which somebody had written "Slightly over the budget, but you deserve it, John". (The budget this year was a fiver.) Hmm... I didn't recognise the handwriting. A secret admirer, then?
Instead I spent the evening wrapping Christmas presents and watching "Cabaret" on cable. I haven't seen that film in years. It's a great film. I really should make the effort to go down to the smoke to see the production at the Lyric theatre, starring Amy Nutall and Julian Clary. I have been promising myself that for a long time. Although how Amy Nutall will compare to Liza Minnelli or Julian Clary to the sheer malevolence that was Joel Grey, I really don't know.
I was up at 6am this morning to get shopping done. Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer. The shops were busy, even early in the morning, but I was still all done by 10am. It is a really strange experience shopping for one. I have probably bought way too much.
This afternoon I am going to see "It's A Wonderful Life" at the MAC, and from there it is up to the NIA to see the Bootleg Beatles.
Time for some breakfast, a couple of phone calls and then a nap.
Have a good day folks.
Labels: Chores, Christmas, Gigs, Movies
Thursday, December 13, 2007
You might say that Christmas has finally started at Residence Chez Pynchon.
Lorraine has cluttered the living room with trimmings, singing polar bears, saxophone playing snowmen, rapping Santa Claus', fibre optic Christmas trees and flashing lights (both draining precious resources from the National Grid), chocolate and wooden advert calenders. I can barely walk across the room without tripping over some bloody stray elf.
Pain in the arse. Bah, humbug, grumble, moan.
My Christmas shopping for presents for Lorraine is now complete with the purchase of two tickets for the Birmingham Hippodrome production of the musical "Doctor Dolittle" in May. It will star the legendary Tommy Steele. Apparently 70 years ago, when Lorraine was a young woman, she saw Tommy Steele performing at the London Palladium and never quite recovered from it. I am sure she will like the present.
There may be one more present. Neil Diamond is touring next year and will be at the O2 Arena in June. Seventy quid or so a ticket, without the booking fee.
Hmm... Do I want tickets for Lorraine or for me? That is the question, isn't it?
I feel a clip coming on.
Lorraine has cluttered the living room with trimmings, singing polar bears, saxophone playing snowmen, rapping Santa Claus', fibre optic Christmas trees and flashing lights (both draining precious resources from the National Grid), chocolate and wooden advert calenders. I can barely walk across the room without tripping over some bloody stray elf.
Pain in the arse. Bah, humbug, grumble, moan.
My Christmas shopping for presents for Lorraine is now complete with the purchase of two tickets for the Birmingham Hippodrome production of the musical "Doctor Dolittle" in May. It will star the legendary Tommy Steele. Apparently 70 years ago, when Lorraine was a young woman, she saw Tommy Steele performing at the London Palladium and never quite recovered from it. I am sure she will like the present.
There may be one more present. Neil Diamond is touring next year and will be at the O2 Arena in June. Seventy quid or so a ticket, without the booking fee.
Hmm... Do I want tickets for Lorraine or for me? That is the question, isn't it?
I feel a clip coming on.
Labels: Christmas
Monday, April 16, 2007
It is not even May, but Lorraine has been making plans for Christmas. She says that she wants a family Christmas. By this she means that she wants to spend Christmas with her family, as she would be more likely to stick needles in her eyes than want to spend Christmas with my family.
Lorraine's sister Ellen thinks that this is a fine idea and has been sticking her oar in and organising things. She has come up with a venue.
Weymouth. In December.
Oh, fuck off...
I'm sure that Weymouth is very nice, but I'm not going and I've told Lorraine as much. She is still keen to go, with or without me. Good for her. I wished her the best. She doesn't seem particularly bothered that I will not be with her.
Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I will not be stuck for a week with people that I struggle to spend a couple of hours with and who, constantly, sideline Lorraine because she had a different Father to the rest of them.
Ellen, hubby Victor and their two rude bastard freak children. Lorraine's brother Victor (who is OK), missus Linda (who looks at me like an Entomologist studying a rare insect) and their two sets of twins. Lorraine's step dad Ian (who is OK) and his missus, the ever dreadful Penny (who might not want to go either, and if she says No, the whole thing might be off.)
No. It will be shit. Lorraine and I will be ignored in favour of children and parents. I don't know why Lorraine wants to put herself in that situation. (They are her family, you ignoramus! That's why.)
So, I will probably be home alone at Christmas. I will be invited to Sister 1's for Christmas dinner, because she invites us every year and we never go, but this year I will go. I will get pissed with my Brother. I will watch TV. Maybe I will convince my Brother to accompany me to a lap dancing club and see if the cold December air makes the strippers nipples stand up even taller.
After Ben died I thought that we were going to arrange a holiday together this year. Lorraine has told me that we haven't got the money.
(Tonight's post brought to you by "Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley.)
In other news, today I have had conversations with two beautiful women who wanted to talk to me.
At the bus stop I talked to a girl that I call Red. I wrote about Red before, remember? Large girl. Red headed. Used to dress plainly and unobtrusively until she became a glorious, nervous butterfly one day in September 2006. And she knocked me out. A nice looking girl, but didn't know it. We talked about the weather and the bad bus service. Lovely smile.
On the bus I talked to an Austrian girl called Lisabeth. I written about her before. I fell in love with her for 2 hours on the bus in February 2007, during the snowstorms that paralysed the West Midlands. I've seen her on the bus a handful of times since then. We always chat. This time we talked about Prince William and Kate Middleton (I don't really give a shit, but I think he is going to have a life of romantic misery, just like his Dad), work, the weather, gardening, films (hurrah!) and foreign holidays. Lisabeth has a strange accent and eyes that go on forever and perfect teeth and a chest...
Maybe if I lived in reality I would be doing a lot better. I feel that I am nothing but scum.
Isn't this boring?
Lorraine's sister Ellen thinks that this is a fine idea and has been sticking her oar in and organising things. She has come up with a venue.
Weymouth. In December.
Oh, fuck off...
I'm sure that Weymouth is very nice, but I'm not going and I've told Lorraine as much. She is still keen to go, with or without me. Good for her. I wished her the best. She doesn't seem particularly bothered that I will not be with her.
Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I will not be stuck for a week with people that I struggle to spend a couple of hours with and who, constantly, sideline Lorraine because she had a different Father to the rest of them.
Ellen, hubby Victor and their two rude bastard freak children. Lorraine's brother Victor (who is OK), missus Linda (who looks at me like an Entomologist studying a rare insect) and their two sets of twins. Lorraine's step dad Ian (who is OK) and his missus, the ever dreadful Penny (who might not want to go either, and if she says No, the whole thing might be off.)
No. It will be shit. Lorraine and I will be ignored in favour of children and parents. I don't know why Lorraine wants to put herself in that situation. (They are her family, you ignoramus! That's why.)
So, I will probably be home alone at Christmas. I will be invited to Sister 1's for Christmas dinner, because she invites us every year and we never go, but this year I will go. I will get pissed with my Brother. I will watch TV. Maybe I will convince my Brother to accompany me to a lap dancing club and see if the cold December air makes the strippers nipples stand up even taller.
After Ben died I thought that we were going to arrange a holiday together this year. Lorraine has told me that we haven't got the money.
(Tonight's post brought to you by "Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley.)
In other news, today I have had conversations with two beautiful women who wanted to talk to me.
At the bus stop I talked to a girl that I call Red. I wrote about Red before, remember? Large girl. Red headed. Used to dress plainly and unobtrusively until she became a glorious, nervous butterfly one day in September 2006. And she knocked me out. A nice looking girl, but didn't know it. We talked about the weather and the bad bus service. Lovely smile.
On the bus I talked to an Austrian girl called Lisabeth. I written about her before. I fell in love with her for 2 hours on the bus in February 2007, during the snowstorms that paralysed the West Midlands. I've seen her on the bus a handful of times since then. We always chat. This time we talked about Prince William and Kate Middleton (I don't really give a shit, but I think he is going to have a life of romantic misery, just like his Dad), work, the weather, gardening, films (hurrah!) and foreign holidays. Lisabeth has a strange accent and eyes that go on forever and perfect teeth and a chest...
Maybe if I lived in reality I would be doing a lot better. I feel that I am nothing but scum.
Isn't this boring?
Labels: Christmas, Lorraine, Sex
