My head feels like it's full of mush, hence the lack of inspiration to write about anything so far today. However, someone at work has just sent round a link that I want to share with you all. I can't work out whether it's a spoof site or a real one (if it is real then it's highly disturbing) but if you want that special reminder of a loved one after they have passed away, you could always give Lifegem a go.
*shudder*
Friday, January 09, 2004
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Adverts
The New Year is usually a very poor time for quality adverts on television. Practically every ad you see is for holidays, sales, credit cards or products to help you quit smoking. There are two ads in particular at the moment that I really don't like, though for different reasons in each case.
Firstly, there's the latest Capital One credit card advert. The premise is a couple of work colleagues at a restaurant. One says to the other "I'll get this because I've got a special low rate on my Brand X card." The other one says "Ah, but will it stay low?". "What do you mean?", says the first, looking worried. Then the voiceover man starts going on about how, with the Capital One card, you get a rate of 3.9% on balance transfers, for the life of the balance. Fair enough, you think, that's quite good. The problem I have with it, however is that the ad itself is misleading. Paying for a meal counts as a purchase, not a balance transfer and the small print on the ad says that purchases are 0% for six months and then rise to more than 13%, which you can hardly claim is a rate that stays low. Getting a credit card can be confusing enough without this sort of crap giving people wrong ideas. Grrr.
The second ad is the new Government anti-smoking one and I don't like it purely because it turns my stomach, which, I suppose is exactly the point. For those readers who don't live in this country the new campaign focuses on the fatty deposits that build up in your arteries if you smoke. Not only do the have a tube that look like an artery from which they squeeze some disgusting, off-white fatty gunge but it also has shots of various people smoking and the same gunge is dripping out of the end of the cigarettes. The bit that really turns my stomach is at the end when a woman brushes a blob of the stuff from where it's fallen on her trousers. Absolutely disgusting. As an ad with a message it is very powerful and works very well. Thankfully, I do not need to take any notice of it since I'm not a smoker.
Generally, I like ads that don't assume I'm as thick as two short planks and present themselves in a clever and/or funny way. Not that they make me buy anything but they do lift the drudgery of having to sit through three or four minutes of crap in the middle of your favourite programme. Let's hope we get a few more of them soon.
Firstly, there's the latest Capital One credit card advert. The premise is a couple of work colleagues at a restaurant. One says to the other "I'll get this because I've got a special low rate on my Brand X card." The other one says "Ah, but will it stay low?". "What do you mean?", says the first, looking worried. Then the voiceover man starts going on about how, with the Capital One card, you get a rate of 3.9% on balance transfers, for the life of the balance. Fair enough, you think, that's quite good. The problem I have with it, however is that the ad itself is misleading. Paying for a meal counts as a purchase, not a balance transfer and the small print on the ad says that purchases are 0% for six months and then rise to more than 13%, which you can hardly claim is a rate that stays low. Getting a credit card can be confusing enough without this sort of crap giving people wrong ideas. Grrr.
The second ad is the new Government anti-smoking one and I don't like it purely because it turns my stomach, which, I suppose is exactly the point. For those readers who don't live in this country the new campaign focuses on the fatty deposits that build up in your arteries if you smoke. Not only do the have a tube that look like an artery from which they squeeze some disgusting, off-white fatty gunge but it also has shots of various people smoking and the same gunge is dripping out of the end of the cigarettes. The bit that really turns my stomach is at the end when a woman brushes a blob of the stuff from where it's fallen on her trousers. Absolutely disgusting. As an ad with a message it is very powerful and works very well. Thankfully, I do not need to take any notice of it since I'm not a smoker.
Generally, I like ads that don't assume I'm as thick as two short planks and present themselves in a clever and/or funny way. Not that they make me buy anything but they do lift the drudgery of having to sit through three or four minutes of crap in the middle of your favourite programme. Let's hope we get a few more of them soon.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Sorting - Music
Well, the sorting out has begun. Last night, we looked over the CDs and tapes and picked out anything that we don't listen to anymore and aren't likely to ever listen to again. For me, that included CDs by Arrested Development, A Tribe Called Quest & Dizzy Gillespie, among others, along with a trance version of Pink Floyd's album Wish You Were Here, which I bought in a fit of madness while at university. I got rid of far more tapes though, either albums I'd bought in the days before I had a CD player or ones I'd recorded to take to Germany (since I didn't have room to take anything bigger than a cassette player with me). I'm getting rid of tapes by Bjork, the Crash Test Dummies, Bryan Adams, Monty Python, David Lee Roth (an album that cost me about 75p in a discount bin in a German department store while I was out there) and the Beautiful South, to name but a few. Something like 40 or fifty of my tapes are going in total. The few I'm keeping, though, contains the first album I ever bought, Sting's The Soul Cages, which even now, almost 15 years later, I still love.
Between us we have reduced our CD collection by around a sixth and our tape collection by about 80%. Anything that can be resold will go to the nearest charity shop and the bin men can take the rest.
Next up will probably be a few boxes of assorted stuff in the back room that have been hanging around since L and I moved in together two years ago. I've got very little idea what's in them any more so there should be plenty of things to throw away there.
Between us we have reduced our CD collection by around a sixth and our tape collection by about 80%. Anything that can be resold will go to the nearest charity shop and the bin men can take the rest.
Next up will probably be a few boxes of assorted stuff in the back room that have been hanging around since L and I moved in together two years ago. I've got very little idea what's in them any more so there should be plenty of things to throw away there.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Nearly there now
Well, yesterday we finally gathered together all the forms that needed signing and sent them back to the solicitor and we should be exchanging by the end of the week, with a view to actually moving into our first home in about six weeks time.
So, now starts an intense period of sorting and packing (and buying new furniture - that'll be the fun bit). We're not going to start the packing for another couple of weeks - we don't want to be living in Box City for too long - but the sorting out starts straight away. I'll run regular updates here on exactly how much we've sorted and thrown out. That way I'll have some sort of record of the amount of crap I've managed to hoard so far in my life. It'll start tomorrow with music...
So, now starts an intense period of sorting and packing (and buying new furniture - that'll be the fun bit). We're not going to start the packing for another couple of weeks - we don't want to be living in Box City for too long - but the sorting out starts straight away. I'll run regular updates here on exactly how much we've sorted and thrown out. That way I'll have some sort of record of the amount of crap I've managed to hoard so far in my life. It'll start tomorrow with music...
Search Me
I've been keeping an eye on the search engine referrals that lead people here since I started this blog four months ago but have never had any search hits of great enough interest to warrant putting them together in a post. At least, never until now. Over the last three days the following five searches have led people here:
bare in the big blue hose - I'm 15th on the list for this one. I love the way that two simple spelling mistakes have turned this search request for a children's TV programme into a request for someone who's naked inside a big pair of trousers.
neptune diva tub new orleans - No idea what this one's about but I come in third.
RACING INSPIRED BOOKSHELVES, BOYS ROOM, - 12th on this one.
drink guinness for lightheadedness - This one's close to my heart as a do like a good pint of Guinness so it's good to be up there at number 5.
sex alleys in the phillipines - And where in the list do I appear for this last one? Where else? Number 1, of course.
I wonder if they found what they were looking for on Clear Blue Skies.
bare in the big blue hose - I'm 15th on the list for this one. I love the way that two simple spelling mistakes have turned this search request for a children's TV programme into a request for someone who's naked inside a big pair of trousers.
neptune diva tub new orleans - No idea what this one's about but I come in third.
RACING INSPIRED BOOKSHELVES, BOYS ROOM, - 12th on this one.
drink guinness for lightheadedness - This one's close to my heart as a do like a good pint of Guinness so it's good to be up there at number 5.
sex alleys in the phillipines - And where in the list do I appear for this last one? Where else? Number 1, of course.
I wonder if they found what they were looking for on Clear Blue Skies.
Monday, January 05, 2004
Good Journeys
We set off from Finchley at about 10.00 on Saturday morning, hoping to reach Preston (given the usual state of the traffic on the M1 and M6) around 3.00. Zooming up the M1 towards Luton, the expected slow down between Junctions 9 and 11 never happened - we continued zooming north. Then, onto the M6 we went and decided to take the new M6 Toll instead of chancing the M5 junction. What a lovely, fast, practically empty stretch of motorway that is - so new the embankments to either side aren't yet covered by grass. Well worth a couple of quid. Back onto the M6 proper the traffic was still moving well. Even with about 45 minutes in service stations, we were at our hotel by 2.15. An amazing journeytime.
The evening went pretty much as expected. The bride, a friend of mine from university, looked fabulous in her wedding dress, which she was wearing for the second time (the first was last month when they got married in the Dominican Republic) and the groom was rarely without a pint in his hand. Speeches were made, food was eaten and beer was drunk (in large amounts). We left earlier than most but some people were still going until 4 in the morning.
Then, all of a sudden it was time to head back home and another 4 hour journey saw us back in North London again. Never before have I traveled up or down the M1 or M6 without getting caught up in some bad traffic somewhere so for it to happen twice in one weekend was pretty good going.
I just wish I'd been able to catch up on some sleep on the way!
The evening went pretty much as expected. The bride, a friend of mine from university, looked fabulous in her wedding dress, which she was wearing for the second time (the first was last month when they got married in the Dominican Republic) and the groom was rarely without a pint in his hand. Speeches were made, food was eaten and beer was drunk (in large amounts). We left earlier than most but some people were still going until 4 in the morning.
Then, all of a sudden it was time to head back home and another 4 hour journey saw us back in North London again. Never before have I traveled up or down the M1 or M6 without getting caught up in some bad traffic somewhere so for it to happen twice in one weekend was pretty good going.
I just wish I'd been able to catch up on some sleep on the way!
Friday, January 02, 2004
Ooh, I feel a little faint.
No posts for eight days and then four come along at once. I think I need to lie down for a while. Oh well, this'll be the last one until Monday as L and I are going all the way up to Preston tomorrow for a wedding reception.
Have a nice weekend, everyone.
Have a nice weekend, everyone.
Open mouth, engage brain
One of the things I may use my little notepad for, once I've got it, is to note down some of the stupid things that people say on the television. Almost everyday I hear something dodgy; either terrible grammar or some thoughtless utterance that carries an implication the speaker was just unaware of. Normally, I've completely forgotten about it by the time I'm sitting in fornt of a computer.
Not today, however. Last night, watching the news, they had a few brief words from some of the neighbours of those who died in the terrible minibus crash in South Africa, yesterday. One of these neighbours said something along the lines of:
"You just don't expect people who live so close to you to die in that way"
So, in what way do you expect them to die? Or did you mean that you only expect people who live farther away from you to die like that?
If only he'd engaged his brain before he opened his mouth.
Not today, however. Last night, watching the news, they had a few brief words from some of the neighbours of those who died in the terrible minibus crash in South Africa, yesterday. One of these neighbours said something along the lines of:
"You just don't expect people who live so close to you to die in that way"
So, in what way do you expect them to die? Or did you mean that you only expect people who live farther away from you to die like that?
If only he'd engaged his brain before he opened his mouth.
Top 100s
Well, thanks to Channel 4, we now know that the worst pop song ever is "The Cheeky Song" by the Cheeky Girls, the best musical is Grease (thankfully, Sound of Music was beaten into second place) and the top TV moment of 2003 was England winning the Rugby World Cup.
Casting my mind back over the last couple of years, I can recall similar countdowns of the 100 best films, scary moments, kids' TV programmes, movie stars and books. And I'm sure there were others.
And, if they weren't enough for you, the BBC will soon be doing a similar countdown of the Top 100 sitcom's.
If the trend for this sort of thing continue's, as I'm sure it will, it will only be a couple of years before they'll be able to do a show called "The Top 100 Pointless Top 100 Shows!"
I can hardly wait.
Casting my mind back over the last couple of years, I can recall similar countdowns of the 100 best films, scary moments, kids' TV programmes, movie stars and books. And I'm sure there were others.
And, if they weren't enough for you, the BBC will soon be doing a similar countdown of the Top 100 sitcom's.
If the trend for this sort of thing continue's, as I'm sure it will, it will only be a couple of years before they'll be able to do a show called "The Top 100 Pointless Top 100 Shows!"
I can hardly wait.
New Year Ramblings
Happy New Year to you all!
I know, I know, I'm a day late but I just couldn't be bothered yesterday, all right?
I trust everyone had a good Christmas, with plenty to eat and enough alcohol to keep you bleary-eyed until yesterday morning? Good.
I have to say, if L and I had been at my parents' instead of hers, I'd have eaten and drunk a whole lot more than I have over the last ten days or so (disappointingly, I don't think I've put more than a couple of pounds on - that's just not good enough). L's parents aren't heavy drinkers over Christmas. But we had a good time, despite the present-opening going on until getting on for 5.00.
The two days at Mum and Dad's last weekend was better. On the way there I saw a trailer in a farmers field alongside the M40 (I think) which had the words "We love our countryside. We fear our Government." emblazoned on the side, which really tickled me, for some reason. Once there, the wine was flowing much more freely, along with the traditional family aperitif, Trinity, which is absolutely gorgeous (as long as you like gin, that is). We went to see the Return Of The King on Sunday afternoon, which was just fantastic, and came back to Finchley on Monday.
Tuesday was spent lazing around the flat and on Wednesday we went into town and visited the London Transport Museum (very interesting, if you are nuts about the tube and stuff, like I am) and wandered over to Trafalgar Square just in time to see Japan celebrate their new year (about 3 in the afternoon). The evening was spent quietly at home, with a nice meal, bottle of wine and a dvd.
Have you made any resolutions? The only one I've come up with is to buy a small, pocket-sized notepad to carry around with me that I can write bloggable ideas in. There have been several occasions this last week when I've seen or heard something that I wanted to blog only to find that I can no longer remember what they were.
Anyway, I feel somewhat rested and ready to face work again (something that I most definitely wasn't just two weeks ago) so the break has done me some good.
I know, I know, I'm a day late but I just couldn't be bothered yesterday, all right?
I trust everyone had a good Christmas, with plenty to eat and enough alcohol to keep you bleary-eyed until yesterday morning? Good.
I have to say, if L and I had been at my parents' instead of hers, I'd have eaten and drunk a whole lot more than I have over the last ten days or so (disappointingly, I don't think I've put more than a couple of pounds on - that's just not good enough). L's parents aren't heavy drinkers over Christmas. But we had a good time, despite the present-opening going on until getting on for 5.00.
The two days at Mum and Dad's last weekend was better. On the way there I saw a trailer in a farmers field alongside the M40 (I think) which had the words "We love our countryside. We fear our Government." emblazoned on the side, which really tickled me, for some reason. Once there, the wine was flowing much more freely, along with the traditional family aperitif, Trinity, which is absolutely gorgeous (as long as you like gin, that is). We went to see the Return Of The King on Sunday afternoon, which was just fantastic, and came back to Finchley on Monday.
Tuesday was spent lazing around the flat and on Wednesday we went into town and visited the London Transport Museum (very interesting, if you are nuts about the tube and stuff, like I am) and wandered over to Trafalgar Square just in time to see Japan celebrate their new year (about 3 in the afternoon). The evening was spent quietly at home, with a nice meal, bottle of wine and a dvd.
Have you made any resolutions? The only one I've come up with is to buy a small, pocket-sized notepad to carry around with me that I can write bloggable ideas in. There have been several occasions this last week when I've seen or heard something that I wanted to blog only to find that I can no longer remember what they were.
Anyway, I feel somewhat rested and ready to face work again (something that I most definitely wasn't just two weeks ago) so the break has done me some good.
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