So it's the end of 'Pish's inaugural year. As if that signifies anything. When I had the thought to start this blog, it was mainly due to my inability to concentrate on my job and had to wander around from website to website. On finding that the news-sites, blogs and the like that I visited weren't always updated frequently I decided to start a blog of my own in order to amuse me and others like me. Fizzy mocked me, saying it was a stupid idea. Within a few days he had rejected that idea and got quite into it.
I was going to do a Best of 'Pish round-up, but I think I'll leave that for next May when we reach one year old. What I have noticed over looking over old posts is that I should really concentrate more on avoiding repetition of words and try to avoid using the word 'genuinely' quite so much. From Fizzy's posts you'll notice an unhealthy obsession with all things Rangers related.
I'd like more folk to get involved in the comments. Many times I've found myself discussing the comments with the commentator via e-mail or on Instant Messenger. So get involved more next year 'readership.'
You should also be checking out the You Owe Me Glue site, as a big year for me and Fizz kicks off with us getting right in about this show. We have to write about 90% of it still and rehearsals should start very soon.
So see you all in 2005, which, let's face it is when you're reading this anyway. Let's hope 2005 is better than this pishy year, but that makes about as much sense as saying let's hope January is a better month than December.
Friday, 31 December 2004
It's Over There!
This amused me. Birmingham City midfielder and famed head-the-ball Robbie Savage wants a move away in order to be closer to his parents in Wrexham. For this purpose he has eyed a shift to Blackburn. However it transpires that Birmingham is actually closer to Wrexham than Blackburn. Tens of thousands of quid a week and can't look at a map properly.
If Only Fizz Were Here
If only Fizz was here, he'd be having a good old rant about the news today that Newcastle have agreed a deal to sign Jean-Alain Boumsong.
It's Party Time!
So Hogmanay then. My favourite time of year, where my natural inclination to be miserable is challenged by all and sundry who think I should have something to be happy about. I think the last time I felt I had something to genuinely be hapy about was when John Collins hit the equalizer against Brazil in 1998. Maybe not, but hard to pin down another moment.
Who decided that on a random day of the year you have to be fucking happy? March 14th? Why don't we all go out then and jump about for no good reason?
So what are you all doing then? Me? Well, with only one half-hearted charity case offer to my name (which was withdrawn in any case) I'm doing fuck all. Force me to celebrate, I dare you.
11.50am UPDATE! Charity Case Offer No. 2 - Tiger Tiger. 15 quid. An offer that came in after I said that I could hardly think of a worse place to spend New Year's Eve. Bedtime by 12.05 still sounds good for me. 05 cos obviously I'll sit up to see if things suddenly become brilliant after midnight. When I get the sense that my life is still pish. I'll sleep.
Who decided that on a random day of the year you have to be fucking happy? March 14th? Why don't we all go out then and jump about for no good reason?
So what are you all doing then? Me? Well, with only one half-hearted charity case offer to my name (which was withdrawn in any case) I'm doing fuck all. Force me to celebrate, I dare you.
11.50am UPDATE! Charity Case Offer No. 2 - Tiger Tiger. 15 quid. An offer that came in after I said that I could hardly think of a worse place to spend New Year's Eve. Bedtime by 12.05 still sounds good for me. 05 cos obviously I'll sit up to see if things suddenly become brilliant after midnight. When I get the sense that my life is still pish. I'll sleep.
We Urge You Not To See This Film
I went to see Lemony's Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (4/5) last night. As Tom's Stars may suggest I really enjoyed it. I dunno how good an actor Billy Connolly is though, but the whole thing really worked for me. Kids who'll probably be grown-up leads before too long, an excellent villainous Jim Carrey and a solid turn from Meryl Streep. The whole world it existed in, although hard to pin down in terms of when and where, was very believable.
Thursday, 30 December 2004
Films of 2004
I suppose with only a couple of days left I should round up my films of the year.
1. Lost in Translation - I saw this at the cinema 3 times and plan on watching again in the next day or two. Standout performances from Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson. Beautifully written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It left me with a wonderful feeling, it's a film full of hope and also had a brilliant soundtrack with Death In Vegas, The Mary Chain and Bill Murray himself.
2. Capturing The Friedmans - A spellbinding and brutal documentary charting the downfall and break up of a family due to allegations of child abuse. A film that I sat engrossed throughout. Bizarre and utterly fascinating. The film never takes sides and it's difficult to work out who was guilty and who wasn't. When it came out on DVD in about June I rushed out to buy it, but have not as yet put it into my machine.
3. Super Size Me - Another documentary and one that has kept me out of MacDonald's and other fast food outlets every since. It's always nice to go to the cinema and learn something.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - You gotta love Charlie Kaufman. I loved the premise of this film. On hearing that his ex-girlfriend has erased her memory of him, a guy goes and gets her memory erased from his brain. How I wish I could do something similar. A great cast with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson and Elijah Wood. Winslet's character never seems likeable, nor do they seem like the perfect couple, but you root for them all the same.
5. Collateral - Every new Michael Mann release will have me rushing to my nearest multiplex and this was no exception. Tom Cruise as a baddie. Jamie Foxx as a put upon taxi driver. Mark Ruffalo again as a cop on Cruise's trail. This coming year may well be when Jamie Foxx gets his just rewards with his turn as Ray Charles in Ray likely to bring him an Oscar nomination. I've been saying since I first saw him in Any Given Sunday that he has the qualities of a young De Niro. He can shift from Sunday's finely tuned athlete to Ali's junkie hanger on to Collateral's everyman turned hero. The pic had everything that we've come to expect from Mann. Swooping cameras, car chases, a pounding score and a gripping film.
6. I Heart Huckabees - Not for everyone certainly, but it was for me. Quirky and funny. David O. Russell serves up a beautifully shot film with great performances from Jason Schwartzman, Mark Whalberg, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, Lilly Tomlin and Isabelle Huppert.
7. 21 Grams - Taking the jumbled structure of his first film Amores Perros to another level, Alejandro González Iñárritu constructs and absorbing movie that you are constantly attempting to piece together. A quality cast with Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts again all at the centre of crime and tragedy.
8. Shaun of the Dead - A British film without gangsters and it's brilliant. Spaced with zombies is the simple way to sum this up. Edgar Wright always seemed to direct Spaced as if it were a film, so the look of this was no surprise. It got all the elements right, as it had the right ingredients, of horror, comedy and parody. Another great cast with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost at the centre. With the DVD going for £7.99 in Virgin right now, how can you go wrong?
9. Garden State - See post below.
10. My Summer of Love - Paddy Considine along with newcomers Emily Blunt and Nathalie Press all give superb performances in another brilliant British film by Pawel Pavlikovsky.
11. Fahrenheit 9/11 - I did an enormous blog when I went to see this back in the summer. Ultimately it failed in its mission - to get Bush out of office, but it still holds up as a fascinating work.
12. American Splendor - Part movie part documentary. Harvey Pekar's comic books come to life with Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Judiah Freidlander in standout performances.
As for the rest of the best 2004. The Cooler - Alec Baldwin in his best performance since Glengarry Glenn Ross. Dead Man's Shoes - Paddy Considine is outstanding as a vengeful brother. The Station Agent - An unusual story, where nothing all that much happens, but beautifully played out. Kill Bill Vol 2 - Much better than the first part for me. Lots of cracking action, roll on QT's next. Napoleon Dynamite - Oddball but loveable. The School of Rock - Richard Linklater and Jack Black make a rockin' team. The Fog of War - Yet another documentary as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1961 - 1968, Robert S McNamara outlines his 11 life lessons.
A decent year for films. There were a few that I didn't get around to seeing that I really wanted to Before Sunset being the main one. Roll on 2005's bumper year for films.
1. Lost in Translation - I saw this at the cinema 3 times and plan on watching again in the next day or two. Standout performances from Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson. Beautifully written and directed by Sofia Coppola. It left me with a wonderful feeling, it's a film full of hope and also had a brilliant soundtrack with Death In Vegas, The Mary Chain and Bill Murray himself.
2. Capturing The Friedmans - A spellbinding and brutal documentary charting the downfall and break up of a family due to allegations of child abuse. A film that I sat engrossed throughout. Bizarre and utterly fascinating. The film never takes sides and it's difficult to work out who was guilty and who wasn't. When it came out on DVD in about June I rushed out to buy it, but have not as yet put it into my machine.
3. Super Size Me - Another documentary and one that has kept me out of MacDonald's and other fast food outlets every since. It's always nice to go to the cinema and learn something.
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - You gotta love Charlie Kaufman. I loved the premise of this film. On hearing that his ex-girlfriend has erased her memory of him, a guy goes and gets her memory erased from his brain. How I wish I could do something similar. A great cast with Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson and Elijah Wood. Winslet's character never seems likeable, nor do they seem like the perfect couple, but you root for them all the same.
5. Collateral - Every new Michael Mann release will have me rushing to my nearest multiplex and this was no exception. Tom Cruise as a baddie. Jamie Foxx as a put upon taxi driver. Mark Ruffalo again as a cop on Cruise's trail. This coming year may well be when Jamie Foxx gets his just rewards with his turn as Ray Charles in Ray likely to bring him an Oscar nomination. I've been saying since I first saw him in Any Given Sunday that he has the qualities of a young De Niro. He can shift from Sunday's finely tuned athlete to Ali's junkie hanger on to Collateral's everyman turned hero. The pic had everything that we've come to expect from Mann. Swooping cameras, car chases, a pounding score and a gripping film.
6. I Heart Huckabees - Not for everyone certainly, but it was for me. Quirky and funny. David O. Russell serves up a beautifully shot film with great performances from Jason Schwartzman, Mark Whalberg, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, Lilly Tomlin and Isabelle Huppert.
7. 21 Grams - Taking the jumbled structure of his first film Amores Perros to another level, Alejandro González Iñárritu constructs and absorbing movie that you are constantly attempting to piece together. A quality cast with Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts again all at the centre of crime and tragedy.
8. Shaun of the Dead - A British film without gangsters and it's brilliant. Spaced with zombies is the simple way to sum this up. Edgar Wright always seemed to direct Spaced as if it were a film, so the look of this was no surprise. It got all the elements right, as it had the right ingredients, of horror, comedy and parody. Another great cast with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost at the centre. With the DVD going for £7.99 in Virgin right now, how can you go wrong?
9. Garden State - See post below.
10. My Summer of Love - Paddy Considine along with newcomers Emily Blunt and Nathalie Press all give superb performances in another brilliant British film by Pawel Pavlikovsky.
11. Fahrenheit 9/11 - I did an enormous blog when I went to see this back in the summer. Ultimately it failed in its mission - to get Bush out of office, but it still holds up as a fascinating work.
12. American Splendor - Part movie part documentary. Harvey Pekar's comic books come to life with Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Judiah Freidlander in standout performances.
As for the rest of the best 2004. The Cooler - Alec Baldwin in his best performance since Glengarry Glenn Ross. Dead Man's Shoes - Paddy Considine is outstanding as a vengeful brother. The Station Agent - An unusual story, where nothing all that much happens, but beautifully played out. Kill Bill Vol 2 - Much better than the first part for me. Lots of cracking action, roll on QT's next. Napoleon Dynamite - Oddball but loveable. The School of Rock - Richard Linklater and Jack Black make a rockin' team. The Fog of War - Yet another documentary as U.S. Secretary of Defense from 1961 - 1968, Robert S McNamara outlines his 11 life lessons.
A decent year for films. There were a few that I didn't get around to seeing that I really wanted to Before Sunset being the main one. Roll on 2005's bumper year for films.
Garden State
I went to see Garden State (4/5) last night. It was a very well made wee film. Nothing all that much happens but it's great. Zach Braff and Natalie Portman were excellent leads and of course the Scrubs star wrote and directed the thing himself. It reminded me slightly of films like Beautiful Girls and You Can Count On Me.
It's had a lot of acclaim for its soundtrack and it is really good. My favourites really were the songs I already knew well. The brace of tracks by The Shins and Simon & Garfunkel's The Only Living Boy in New York.
It's had a lot of acclaim for its soundtrack and it is really good. My favourites really were the songs I already knew well. The brace of tracks by The Shins and Simon & Garfunkel's The Only Living Boy in New York.
Wednesday, 29 December 2004
Jerry Orbach
Law and Order star Jerry Orbach has died. Orbach was also a renowned stage actor and star of Crimes and Misdemeanors and The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight.
The Fantasy League @ Christmas
The Fantasy League has taken on some new developments in this busy festive period. It's all change at the top with Ronnie's the von brauns overhauling Fizz for top spot. He sits on 603pts 9 clear of Big Fanny Failures. John Terry, Ledley King and Jimmy Floyd are doing the business for Ron this month.
In second spot the Fannies have suffered with Olof Mellberg having a disastrous month on minus 12, but Samuel Eto'o, Paulo Ferreira and Jimmy Floyd again have kept him well in touch.
In third on 567 is my outfit Serenity Now. Damien Duff has bagged 30 points for me this month. My other big scorers were like Fizz Samuel Eto'o and Paulo Ferreira. I think Jay-Jay Okocha could soon be on his way though.
Apart from the change at the top , the other big fantasy league story this month is the continued resurgence of West Bam United. From foot of the table also rans to title contenders. Karen's side has amassed 178 points this month taking her to 544 overall. Petr Cech in goal has bagged 35 points on his own, while John Terry and two goal hero John Arne Riise have also been doing the business.
Lokomotiv Sausages are in 5th place with 539. Dave's side is another suffering through Olof Mellberg's minus points. The big points come from Sol Campbell and that man Eto'o again.
Keith's Do you smell gas? have climbed up a spot. Although harboured by the insensitive blocking of the fantasy website at his work, he's had a reasonable month. Ledley King and once more Samuel Eto'o score Keith's big points.
Up off the bottom, through nothing she has done, is Nicola's CSFPG FC. Manager David O'Leary posts -6 and Diarra in defence a -5. Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand are the best scorers in a poor side. The CSFPG FC supremo did confide in me last night that she has been ignoring her squad and leaving them to rot. Bragging rights were once important to the team on 401 points, they could be again if she can turn this shoddy outfit around.
Propping up the table on 383 points is Neltic FC. A Guy at Keith's Work has similar problems to Keith in that he can't access his side from work. Birmingham City's Maik Taylor in goal is his biggest scorer as his side consist mainly of zeroes and minuses.
So an exciting league. I think Ronnie and Fizz will be leapfrogging each other for a while and who would bet against West Bam topping the table shortly. Not me.
In second spot the Fannies have suffered with Olof Mellberg having a disastrous month on minus 12, but Samuel Eto'o, Paulo Ferreira and Jimmy Floyd again have kept him well in touch.
In third on 567 is my outfit Serenity Now. Damien Duff has bagged 30 points for me this month. My other big scorers were like Fizz Samuel Eto'o and Paulo Ferreira. I think Jay-Jay Okocha could soon be on his way though.
Apart from the change at the top , the other big fantasy league story this month is the continued resurgence of West Bam United. From foot of the table also rans to title contenders. Karen's side has amassed 178 points this month taking her to 544 overall. Petr Cech in goal has bagged 35 points on his own, while John Terry and two goal hero John Arne Riise have also been doing the business.
Lokomotiv Sausages are in 5th place with 539. Dave's side is another suffering through Olof Mellberg's minus points. The big points come from Sol Campbell and that man Eto'o again.
Keith's Do you smell gas? have climbed up a spot. Although harboured by the insensitive blocking of the fantasy website at his work, he's had a reasonable month. Ledley King and once more Samuel Eto'o score Keith's big points.
Up off the bottom, through nothing she has done, is Nicola's CSFPG FC. Manager David O'Leary posts -6 and Diarra in defence a -5. Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand are the best scorers in a poor side. The CSFPG FC supremo did confide in me last night that she has been ignoring her squad and leaving them to rot. Bragging rights were once important to the team on 401 points, they could be again if she can turn this shoddy outfit around.
Propping up the table on 383 points is Neltic FC. A Guy at Keith's Work has similar problems to Keith in that he can't access his side from work. Birmingham City's Maik Taylor in goal is his biggest scorer as his side consist mainly of zeroes and minuses.
So an exciting league. I think Ronnie and Fizz will be leapfrogging each other for a while and who would bet against West Bam topping the table shortly. Not me.
Christmas Hangover
Some of the Talking Pish staff are back post Christmas and pre-New Year to keep you entertained. How was it for you? For me, I spent Christmas mainly in front of the telly watching DVDs. Series 3 of Cheers, Little Britain, Chapelle's Show, The Ben Stiller Show, Mr. Show, Holes, Shaun of the Dead and Alan King's Inside the Comedy Mind. I also found time to go to Oran Mor with the lovely Nicola.
Friday, 24 December 2004
90 from the 90s
Here are the final standings in our 90 from the 90s poll.
A good response and quite a few surprise entries.
If we can get our shit together we'll try to make it available as a playlist, and might even arrange a wee night somewhere and play 'em all, with drinks, dancing and nibbles. We'll keep you posted.
Thanks to everyone who entered their top ten and big up to Ronnie at 160676, who did most of the hard graft.
Oh yeah, merry Christmas everyone, see you in the New Year...
1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
3. Pulp - Common People
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Today
5. Oasis - Live Forever
6. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
7. Ride - Leave Them All Behind
8. The Breeders - Cannonball
9. Suede - The Drowners
10. Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
11. Jane's Addicion - Been Caught Stealing
12. Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
13. Underworld - Born Slippy
14. Radiohead - Creep
15. Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight Tonight
16. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
17. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
18. Radiohead - Karma Police
19. Primal Scream - Loaded
20. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
21. U2 - One
22. The Shamen - Pro-gen
23. PJ Harvey - Sheela-Na-Gig
24. My Bloody Valentine - Soon
25. PJ Harvey - 50ft Queenie
26. D'Lacey - Hideaway
27. Beck - Loser
28. Leftfield & Lydon - Open Up
29. Blur - There's No Other Way
30. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
31. Senser - Eject
32. Prodigy - Firestarter
33. Faithless - Insomnia
34. Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro
35. Everything But The Girl - Missing
36. KLF - 3am Eternal
37. Orbital - Chime
38. Verve - History
39. Oasis - Supersonic
40. Faith No More - Ashes to Ashes
41. The Cramps - Bikini Girls with Machine Guns
42. Primal Scream - Come Together
43. REM - Crush with Eyeliner
44. Pavement - Cut Your Hair
45. Swervedriver - Deep Seat
46. Livin' Joy - Dreamer
47. Lamb - Gorecki
48. Jeff Buckley - Grace
49. The Frank & Walters - Happy Busman
50. REM - Losing My Religion
51. Suede - Metal Mickey
52. Garbage - Only Happy When it Rains
53. Half Man Half Biscuit - Paintball's Coming Home
54. Fountains of Wayne - Radiation Vibe
55. Beastie Boys - So Whatcha Want?
56. Tool - Sober
57. Dodgy - Staying Out for the Summer
58. Happy Mondays - Step On
59. Spice Girls - Wannabe
60. Archers of Loaf - Web in Front
61. Sultans of Ping FC - Where's Me Jumper?
62. Pearl Jam - Alive
63. Spare Snare - Bugs
64. Supergrass - Caught by the Fuzz
65. Square Pusher - Come on My Selector
66. Kenickie - Come Out 2 Nite
67. Ben Folds Five - Eddie Walker
68. Fishbone - Everyday Sunshine
69. Prince - Get Off
70. Pavement - Gold Soundz
71. Dee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart
72. The Melvins - Hog Leg
73. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Kill Your Television
74. Boo Radleys - Lazarus
75. Lewis Taylor - Lucky
76. Pavement - Major Leagues
77. 808 State & MC Tunes - Only Rhyme that Bites
78. Wu Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
79. Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
80. Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror
81. Counting Crows - Round Here
82. Alpha - Slim
83. The Chills - Song for Randy Newman
84. Portishead - Sour Times
85. Sonic Youth - Sugar Kane
86. Placebo - Teenage Angst
87. EMF - Unbelievable
88. Weezer - Undone: The Sweater Song
89. Faith No More - Small Victory
90. Counting Crows - A Long December
A good response and quite a few surprise entries.
If we can get our shit together we'll try to make it available as a playlist, and might even arrange a wee night somewhere and play 'em all, with drinks, dancing and nibbles. We'll keep you posted.
Thanks to everyone who entered their top ten and big up to Ronnie at 160676, who did most of the hard graft.
Oh yeah, merry Christmas everyone, see you in the New Year...
1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
3. Pulp - Common People
4. Smashing Pumpkins - Today
5. Oasis - Live Forever
6. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
7. Ride - Leave Them All Behind
8. The Breeders - Cannonball
9. Suede - The Drowners
10. Arab Strap - The First Big Weekend
11. Jane's Addicion - Been Caught Stealing
12. Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
13. Underworld - Born Slippy
14. Radiohead - Creep
15. Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight Tonight
16. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
17. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
18. Radiohead - Karma Police
19. Primal Scream - Loaded
20. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
21. U2 - One
22. The Shamen - Pro-gen
23. PJ Harvey - Sheela-Na-Gig
24. My Bloody Valentine - Soon
25. PJ Harvey - 50ft Queenie
26. D'Lacey - Hideaway
27. Beck - Loser
28. Leftfield & Lydon - Open Up
29. Blur - There's No Other Way
30. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
31. Senser - Eject
32. Prodigy - Firestarter
33. Faithless - Insomnia
34. Happy Mondays - Kinky Afro
35. Everything But The Girl - Missing
36. KLF - 3am Eternal
37. Orbital - Chime
38. Verve - History
39. Oasis - Supersonic
40. Faith No More - Ashes to Ashes
41. The Cramps - Bikini Girls with Machine Guns
42. Primal Scream - Come Together
43. REM - Crush with Eyeliner
44. Pavement - Cut Your Hair
45. Swervedriver - Deep Seat
46. Livin' Joy - Dreamer
47. Lamb - Gorecki
48. Jeff Buckley - Grace
49. The Frank & Walters - Happy Busman
50. REM - Losing My Religion
51. Suede - Metal Mickey
52. Garbage - Only Happy When it Rains
53. Half Man Half Biscuit - Paintball's Coming Home
54. Fountains of Wayne - Radiation Vibe
55. Beastie Boys - So Whatcha Want?
56. Tool - Sober
57. Dodgy - Staying Out for the Summer
58. Happy Mondays - Step On
59. Spice Girls - Wannabe
60. Archers of Loaf - Web in Front
61. Sultans of Ping FC - Where's Me Jumper?
62. Pearl Jam - Alive
63. Spare Snare - Bugs
64. Supergrass - Caught by the Fuzz
65. Square Pusher - Come on My Selector
66. Kenickie - Come Out 2 Nite
67. Ben Folds Five - Eddie Walker
68. Fishbone - Everyday Sunshine
69. Prince - Get Off
70. Pavement - Gold Soundz
71. Dee-Lite - Groove is in the Heart
72. The Melvins - Hog Leg
73. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Kill Your Television
74. Boo Radleys - Lazarus
75. Lewis Taylor - Lucky
76. Pavement - Major Leagues
77. 808 State & MC Tunes - Only Rhyme that Bites
78. Wu Tang Clan - Protect Ya Neck
79. Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
80. Pearl Jam - Rearviewmirror
81. Counting Crows - Round Here
82. Alpha - Slim
83. The Chills - Song for Randy Newman
84. Portishead - Sour Times
85. Sonic Youth - Sugar Kane
86. Placebo - Teenage Angst
87. EMF - Unbelievable
88. Weezer - Undone: The Sweater Song
89. Faith No More - Small Victory
90. Counting Crows - A Long December
Thursday, 23 December 2004
It's A Wonderful Radio Play (that's not on the radio)
Last night's performance of It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol went quite well. Both plays had suffered a loss of a main actress (something that snowballed to effect You Owe Me Glue), but those who had to step in at short notice coped admirably.
Personally my multiple roles weren't enough for me to get really into it, but what I did I quite enjoyed. The performances from Anne-Marie, Charneh, Derek and especially James were all excellent. There was a very 'luvvie' atmosphere afterwards that Anne-Marie and I mocked, but then bought into...then mocked again.
Even the Ronnie, Tommy & Graham triumvirate enjoyed it.
Personally my multiple roles weren't enough for me to get really into it, but what I did I quite enjoyed. The performances from Anne-Marie, Charneh, Derek and especially James were all excellent. There was a very 'luvvie' atmosphere afterwards that Anne-Marie and I mocked, but then bought into...then mocked again.
Even the Ronnie, Tommy & Graham triumvirate enjoyed it.
Tuesday, 21 December 2004
Who Wants To Be A Simpsons Fan?
Simpsons fans you'lll love this. See if you can become a millionaire like I did. However the lifelines don't appear to do anything.
Scotland's Best Footballer
Here is an interesting article about a Mexican woman who is being denied the chance to turn out for a men’s pro team by FIFA.
While I doubt we’ve heard the last of that, it led Tom and I to think of pretty much the only Scottish footballer currently playing who could accurately be described as a living legend.
No, it’s not Gary Bollan, it’s Julie Fleeting, the double winning Arsenal captain and Scotland international skipper with 78 goals in 73 games for her country.
Scotland hasn’t produced a male player anything like as prone to achievement for something like 30 years and she deserves far more credit than she gets, particularly as she has not only managed to achieve success in England, but also made a big impact in the US Women’s League, where the standard is much higher.
Typically, Julie banged in a hat-trick only a couple of weeks ago.
While I doubt we’ve heard the last of that, it led Tom and I to think of pretty much the only Scottish footballer currently playing who could accurately be described as a living legend.
No, it’s not Gary Bollan, it’s Julie Fleeting, the double winning Arsenal captain and Scotland international skipper with 78 goals in 73 games for her country.
Scotland hasn’t produced a male player anything like as prone to achievement for something like 30 years and she deserves far more credit than she gets, particularly as she has not only managed to achieve success in England, but also made a big impact in the US Women’s League, where the standard is much higher.
Typically, Julie banged in a hat-trick only a couple of weeks ago.
Monday, 20 December 2004
Buses and Trains
To get away from Fizzy’s national concerns, I’d just like to touch on a subject Fizzy covered a few weeks ago and this is my continuing irritation with bus travel and while I’m here the trains too. Not enough that buses are often erratic in their timing, I just watched three 40s come down Maryhill Road in a virtual funeral procession or the prices get stuck up for no good reason it seems that every bus past 10pm has to have some near fight on it.
For weeks now nearly all every 62, 66 or 40 bus I get out of town has some sort of incident on it from your clichéd ned telling a daft looking heavy metal boy “Your bird’s mouth has just got you in a lot of bother,” to other clichéd neds asking “who wants it?” I’m constantly sick of having to look out the corner of my eye for something kicking off or having to sit for twenty minutes while the driver waits for the police to arrive. What is it about this part of the world and buses?
Last night I had to assist in forcibly throwing someone off the bus. After threatening to report the driver for some imagined indiscretion an obviously mental middle aged punter was holding us all up by refusing to be chipped off the bus, so me and another punter assisted him. He seemed to be plotting some kind of revolt against the driver and hoped to recruit the other 4 passengers on the bus. It was not to be for him.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I had to get the bus into this worthless job of a morning I’d go back to the trains in a shot. Even although they’ve slapped in their gate system at Queen Street, making out that they’re doing us all a good turn and clamping down on the handful of folk who skip their fare by irritating the rest of us. While using that cracking phrase, ‘revenue protection.’ The word ‘protection’ implying that they are experiencing some sort of attack on their finances and they now, poor defenseless them, they’ve had to take this drastic measure. If I’ve turned up in time to buy a ticket and there’s no manned ticket desk, then there’s no one on the train to sell me one, why when I have arrived at my destination in time, should I be forced to join a queue to pay for a journey I’ve just completed? I have no problem with queuing before my journey but after my journey has ended is cutting into my time. So to sum up it would appear that public transport is a nightmare, no matter what means you use.
For weeks now nearly all every 62, 66 or 40 bus I get out of town has some sort of incident on it from your clichéd ned telling a daft looking heavy metal boy “Your bird’s mouth has just got you in a lot of bother,” to other clichéd neds asking “who wants it?” I’m constantly sick of having to look out the corner of my eye for something kicking off or having to sit for twenty minutes while the driver waits for the police to arrive. What is it about this part of the world and buses?
Last night I had to assist in forcibly throwing someone off the bus. After threatening to report the driver for some imagined indiscretion an obviously mental middle aged punter was holding us all up by refusing to be chipped off the bus, so me and another punter assisted him. He seemed to be plotting some kind of revolt against the driver and hoped to recruit the other 4 passengers on the bus. It was not to be for him.
If it wasn’t for the fact that I had to get the bus into this worthless job of a morning I’d go back to the trains in a shot. Even although they’ve slapped in their gate system at Queen Street, making out that they’re doing us all a good turn and clamping down on the handful of folk who skip their fare by irritating the rest of us. While using that cracking phrase, ‘revenue protection.’ The word ‘protection’ implying that they are experiencing some sort of attack on their finances and they now, poor defenseless them, they’ve had to take this drastic measure. If I’ve turned up in time to buy a ticket and there’s no manned ticket desk, then there’s no one on the train to sell me one, why when I have arrived at my destination in time, should I be forced to join a queue to pay for a journey I’ve just completed? I have no problem with queuing before my journey but after my journey has ended is cutting into my time. So to sum up it would appear that public transport is a nightmare, no matter what means you use.
Some useful links if you want to make a slight fuss about losing your freedom
MP's By Constituency
MSP's
White Rose Civil Liberties Movement
More will follow...
...and here they are:
no2id
MSP's
White Rose Civil Liberties Movement
More will follow...
...and here they are:
no2id
My V for Vendetta Letter
Dear Local MP,
I have a few points to make about the proposed introduction of ID cards.
Firstly, none of the arguments forwarded in favour of the scheme stack up.
They won’t stop benefit fraud. Most people involved in benefit fraud lie about their circumstances, not who they are.
It won’t stop terrorism for two reasons. Firstly, the terrorist threat to this country is greatly exaggerated by the leaders of your party, who have a less than perfect record on getting their facts right about who’s a threat to who.
Secondly, ID cards did little to deter the Madrid bombings and the Hamburg Cell. Organised crime flourishes in Italy, where they also have ID cards.
ID cards have also failed to halt rampant illegal immigration in countries such as France, Italy Germany and Spain, so that one doesn’t wash either.
Considering the above, it seems silly to me to fork out my share of the £6 billion required for this system, particularly when it seems that all it’s good for is letting Tony Blair know where I am and how many times I’ve been to the doctor.
If Tony is so anxious to know what I’m up to, I suggest not trying to get me to pay for a big brother style national surveillance system, but simply that we swap mobile numbers. That way we can just ring one another and catch up that way.
We would also be able to spend the saved money on frivolities like the decent state pension I was expecting when I joined the workforce, some hospitals, or more foreign military crusades.
What the hell happened to you people? Didn’t you used to be socialists?
Yours, to do with what you will it would seem,
Fraser Campbell
I have a few points to make about the proposed introduction of ID cards.
Firstly, none of the arguments forwarded in favour of the scheme stack up.
They won’t stop benefit fraud. Most people involved in benefit fraud lie about their circumstances, not who they are.
It won’t stop terrorism for two reasons. Firstly, the terrorist threat to this country is greatly exaggerated by the leaders of your party, who have a less than perfect record on getting their facts right about who’s a threat to who.
Secondly, ID cards did little to deter the Madrid bombings and the Hamburg Cell. Organised crime flourishes in Italy, where they also have ID cards.
ID cards have also failed to halt rampant illegal immigration in countries such as France, Italy Germany and Spain, so that one doesn’t wash either.
Considering the above, it seems silly to me to fork out my share of the £6 billion required for this system, particularly when it seems that all it’s good for is letting Tony Blair know where I am and how many times I’ve been to the doctor.
If Tony is so anxious to know what I’m up to, I suggest not trying to get me to pay for a big brother style national surveillance system, but simply that we swap mobile numbers. That way we can just ring one another and catch up that way.
We would also be able to spend the saved money on frivolities like the decent state pension I was expecting when I joined the workforce, some hospitals, or more foreign military crusades.
What the hell happened to you people? Didn’t you used to be socialists?
Yours, to do with what you will it would seem,
Fraser Campbell
Blogs The Way You Like Them
In this pishy job we have to write blurb for a lot of companies who brag that they provide work/bathroom/building ‘from start to finish.’ When did this become a selling point? We won’t piss off before we’ve finished? There’s too many companies using slogans that don’t mean anything. At the UGC one of their no point to it sayings is ‘See It Your Way’ which means nothing. Seeing it my way would mean not having anyone chatter or check their mobile phone during the film. ‘Seeing it my way’ would mean having no one kick my chair during the movie. It’s just a stupid phrase to make people think that they’re getting something when in actual fact…they’re getting nothing. ‘Fresh Milk’ who sells anything else? ‘Today’s newspapers!’ Not yet, but it won’t be long.
Pedro for President
Over the weekend I went to see Napoleon Dynamite (3/5). It was shot very well had some nice set pieces and some clever ideas. However it seemed to exist purely in its own world. A world where everyone was weird and Napoleon was just the goofiest of the weirdos. Some of it was kind of improbable even for the world that had been created in which for the story to exist. It was very likeable though so any gripes are just minor ones. I know I’ll buy it eventually.
It had a lot of the kind of things I like about these kinds of people in this setting. Napoleon’s Uncle Rico was obsessed with time travel and in particular getting back to the year 1982 where his football career went horribly wrong. In comedy I love the device whereby someone’s life is defined by a particular event. It usually turns a character into a laughable shell of a man, which makes for funny. Napoleon also features the geek who becomes cool, but still fundamentally stays a geek. Another perennial funny.
It had a lot of the kind of things I like about these kinds of people in this setting. Napoleon’s Uncle Rico was obsessed with time travel and in particular getting back to the year 1982 where his football career went horribly wrong. In comedy I love the device whereby someone’s life is defined by a particular event. It usually turns a character into a laughable shell of a man, which makes for funny. Napoleon also features the geek who becomes cool, but still fundamentally stays a geek. Another perennial funny.
"You Be Ready to Kill Me or Be Ready to Die."
Here is a really good article about the pioneering stand-up comedian Dick Gregory.
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