Rev Stan's other stuff

QotD: *blushes*

What compliment are you most often given?

You are quite nice for a bird.

Goats

Thanks to Baria for posting this, it's very amusing. Just think of the hours of fun you could have if you owned one...

QotD: Since I HAD to Pick Something...

What aspect of your personality could use a little work?

Ooh I'm sooo impatient. And selfish.

QotD: Sticks and Stones

What's the meanest thing you've ever said to someone?

"Well shit happens" to someone who was whinging about their work load when they'd been talking bollocks to their boyfriend on the phone for most of the day.
I think it was justified but probably not very professional.

Public service broadcast for cyclists

EBeen meaning to get a new lock for my bike. The one I have is year's old d-lock and would probably yield with a sharp tap from a hammer but as I rarely leave my bike locked up in public places I've never felt the need to get a more up to day and, most importantly, a more effective one.
But now I'm planning to change yoga classes which will mean using a railing to lock my bike to on a main road so off I toddle to Cycle Surgery where I am sold this all-singing, all-dancing kryptonite* lock, with wire extension for the front wheel, complete fancy light-up key for those dark nights locking and unlocking my bike.
And why was this such a wise purchase? Well, because the guy in the shop told me about how, using a common and garden biro, you can pick a d-lock and just to prove it some kind person has put this clip on You Tube:

D Lock pick

* Not even superman can get this lock off

Oscars

Really pleased about Marion Cotillard and Daniel Day Lewis. Am especially pleased about The Counterfeiters winning best foreign film as it was one of my favourites of the last 12 months.
Think No Country For Old Men was a little over favoured and Atonement was snubbed.

Life QotD: Oscar Night!

Do you do anything special for Oscar Night?

Well its on something like 2am here and as I have to go to work tomorrow then my answer would be "no".

Entertainment QotD: Oscar Predictions - Best Picture

Who is going to take home Oscar's top prize, Best Picture, tonight?

I've given up trying to guess who is going to win Oscars because the decisions in the past have been as scatty as a flock of sheep, so I'd rather say what I'd like to win.
For best picture I'd like either Atonement or There Will Be Blood. Both are worthy of it and I am just happy that Keira Knightley hasn't been nominated for Best Actress (a good decision for once).
Daniel Day Lewis should definitely win best actor for There Will Be Blood and I'd love to see Casey Affleck win for best supporting actor but I don't think he will.
Best Actress should be Marion Cotillard purely because there is a chance she might be off her tits when she goes up to collect and she did put in a pretty good performance in La Vie En Rose. If Ellen Page wins the cynic in me thinks it will be to get more about the press coverage rather than her performance. She did do a convincing job in Juno but it was hardly the most challenging role.
Supporting Actress: Cate Blanchett for I'm Not There even though the film sort of washed over me.
And director, I've not see the Diving Bell and the Butterfly so that rules that one out. Juno again was a good film but I don't think the director really sweated it. No Country for Old Men was good and skillfully directed as was There Will Be Blood but I enjoyed the latter more so I'm going for that.
Just have to wait until tomorrow morning to see if I get my wish.

Maybe...

I will get to see Muse this year...

Technology QotD: Take My Advice

Give your best piece of email etiquette advice.

DON'T USE CAPITAL LETTERS, UNLESS YOU WANT IT TO APPEAR THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING.

Culture QotD: All the World's a Stage

Describe the last time you were "on stage."

It was at the Donmar Warehouse in front of an almost full house.

Nads, J, Jen and I were running a little late having enjoyed a rather large sausage platter and beer at the Bunker Bar next door and the quickest way to get to our seats was the walk across the stage.

If it's good enough for Ewan McGregor...

Life QotD: Looking Forward

What are you looking forward to this week?

The weekend. It's Mosh's birthday on Saturday and we have lots of things planned starting with going to see The Cult on Friday night, Mosh wants to start his 40th year with ringing ears and for me seeing them is a trip down memory lane as they were the first band I ever saw when I was a teen.
On Saturday I'm taking birthday boy to a restaurant of his choice for lunch and then he's having a bit of a do in one our local pubs to which he's (hopefully) invited loads of our friends.
Have got some other stuff planned but if I write about it, it won't be a surprise...

She Sells Sanctuary

The Cult

Culture QotD: Strange Sightings

Do you believe in UFOs? Have you ever seen one?

When it comes to the universe we are the bacteria in the pimple on the bum of an amoeba so I reckon it's inevitable there is something else living out there. Whether it flies around in a space craft I'm not so sure about.

QotD: Presidential Attributes

What makes a good President of the United States?

I'd settle for someone who wasn't an idiot.

Vox Hunt: Hooked on...

Show us something that's got you hooked.

I've only just finished my first game and I've already got another five on the go. Love it.

The fabulous Scrabulous

Not so Smashing Pumpkins

Went to see the Smashing Pumpkins at the O2 last night. It was the first time I've been to a gig there and my first time seeing the Pumpkins (I'm trying to erase from my memory seeing Billy Corgan solo as it was by far the worst gig I've been to).
The O2 fits between Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena in size but feels a bit more upmarket with padding on the seats, cup holders in the arm rests and even proper places to eat inside the venue.
Shame then that the Smashing Pumpkins put on a show more befitting an old flea-pit cinema. They certainly didn't embrace the size of the venue. There weren't any big screens for a start so if the band did get up to anything interesting on stage only the first few rows of the audience knew about it. And the sound was pretty terrible at times making the faster songs in particular sound muddy.
Having seen two-thirds of the pitch at Wembley jumping up and down when Muse was playing, the size of the venue can't be blamed for the lack of atmosphere. I've seen more activity in a crowd of pensioners boarding a bus to Bognor than I saw in the audience last night. Some of the people sitting around us starting leaving half way through in fact it didn't take much to persuade Mosh that the encour wasn't going to be up to much so we might as well make our own sharp exit and beat the crowds at the tube.
If it had been at a venue the size of the Brixton Academy, I'd have probably thought it was a pretty good night. There were a handful of songs that gave glimpses of what could have been the rest just was just a load of badly executed, self-indulgent twoddle. Shame really.

Smashing Pumpkins at the o2

Technology QotD: YouReport

CNN recently launched iReport, a site for "uncensored, user-powered" news. Since all the stories are user-generated, there is no verification of truth. Is this a good idea?

No. Who is checking for liable or accuracy? Believe it or not journalism is a profession which involves training, certain skills and some talent and it does irk me a little when someone thinks they can sit down and do the job just like that. I wouldn't attempt to defend someone in a legal case, or fight a fire, or mend a washing machine...

Life QotD: Smile of the Day

What is the last thing that made you smile?

Thinking about how I laughed at the archaeologist on Time Team saying "flange". See previous post plus one.

QotD: Happily Ever After?

How did you celebrate Valentine's Day?
Submitted by Stephen.

I view valentine's day in pretty much the same vein as Christmas Day, an innocent and well-meaning celebration inflated into something the serves merely to fill the coffers of big corporations and the leisure industry. I can think of nothing worse than forced, scentless, slightly manky red roses, a card with a heart on it and sitting in a restaurant with loads of other couples being charged especially inflated prices under the pretence of being romantic.
Sorry but romance to me is spontaneous and not about commercial crap and in particular red friggin' roses.
My only nod to the day is a bit of fun I have with my friend Chris which has it's roots in our days as students and it generally involves very little money boosting corporate coffers.
Mosh and I, in 13 years have never acknowledged valentines day and I really hope it stays that way.

Friday night

Ah Friday night. We are waiting for our Indian take-away to be delivered. Mosh is watching Time Team, his favourite programme, which I recorded for him as a favour. I'm on my lappy reading vox blogs while waiting for my scrabulous opponents to play their words (a new obsession of mine which I'll write more of at another time). I've had a glass of very nice, full-bodied shiraz on an empty stomach and onto my second and already feeling the affects which is probably why I've just had a giggling fit when one of the archaeologists on Time Team said "flange".
If I was 20 looking forward to this I'd probably think what a sad fucker. But I'm happy and it is the perfect end to a chaotic and stressful week.
We are grasping at youthfulnes tomorrow night though and going to see the Smashing Pumpkins at the O2 arena.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince preview online

Well the lego version is and you can watch it here and its quite fabulous. Be warned though if you don't know how it ends and don't want to know then don't watch.

Music QotD: Silly Love Songs

In honor of Valentine's Day, share your favorite love song.

This isn't my favourite because I don't do public soppyness (I'm watching the Bourne Ultimatum on Sky as I type this). But it nearly is and it does hold special significance but I'm not going to say why because... I don't do public soppyness.

To The End

Blur

Day of firsts

I've been in my current job nearly 10 years (yippee) and it involves a bit of traveling to different places around the UK. There are, however, a few cities I've managed to avoid in that time Swansea, home of the DVLA and Catherine Zeta Jonglas, being one of them. Until today.
What I thought I would end up writing, as I sat on the train at 7.45am with a 3 hour journey ahead of me was: "The best thing about Swansea is that First Great Western lay on their newest, shiniest trains for the journey".
Now I love sarcky put downs with the best of them but I'm struggling a bit here. Yes it's got some horrendous post-war architecture but the weather turned out beautiful and sunny once we got west of Cardiff and there is a really nice beach, boats twinkling in the marina, rolling hills around... Don't get me wrong I don't want to move there or anything and there is lot that could be done to beautify the city centre but there are places with a lot less going for them.
And my visit to Swansea wasn't my only first. At a working lunch in a great little restaurant on the waterfront at which you could choose your fish, seafood or meat from the display to be cooked how how you like, I decided to try one of the local dishes: laverbread (pronounced larver bread).
It isn't actually bread but seaweed and as it looks a bit like a fresh cow pat doesn't generally recommend itself as culinary delight. But it is actually quite tasty and apparently quite good for you with loads of iron and vitamins and stuff. It has to be boiled for hours until it goes gloopy and then is rolled in oatmeal and fried.
It is traditionally served at breakfast with cockles and bacon. I had it as a starter served with, well, cockles and bacon. If you have ever had the sushi rolls which are wrapped in a funny green paper then it tastes a bit like that. (The cockles were good too, never had them before either).
So if you are ever in South West Wales give it a try.

Laverbread, not cow shit on toast

New music

OK so I could have bought Radiohead's In Rainbows for 5p months ago. (Actually I probably would have paid a fiver, but that's just the sort of person I am). But I wasn't very organised and ended up buying it on iTunes a few weeks back for £7.99 after my brother Derren raved about it being their best album, the equivalent to the White Album for the Beatles was how he described it.
A couple of songs immediately attached and as I've listened to it more the rest has gradually grown on me. And then two days ago I had that moment when the whole thing just clicks and you feel it rather than just listen to it. Which sound flakey but I offer no apologies for that.
Now I can't stop listening to it and choosing a favourite track is impossible but this one is up there.

07 Reckoner

Radiohead

Is it their best album? That's a tricky one. I don't like everything they've ever done but I like a lot of it. This one is quite as sophisticated in its sound as Hail to the Thief and OK Computer but it isn't as raw as Pablo Honey and The Bends. Derren says it has the best elements of all their albums. I sort of agree although I loathe Kid A and Amnesiac but I don't think I can say hand on heart that I think it is their best album ever. Equally which one is, I couldn't say either. It is certainly a return to form though.

Doing our bit for Anglo-French relations

This story made me laugh today. A new bunch of Mr Men have been created including Mr Rude who apparently has a french accent and likes to blow raspberries.

Mr Rude

Perhaps they stopped short of giving the character a beret, a stripey top and a string of onions around his neck for fear that kids will grow up with an unfair stereotype of our beloved European neighbours.

Life QotD: Grab Some Popcorn

Do you plan on seeing any movies this weekend?  Will you go to the theater or watch at home?

Films are a bit of a hobby of mine. Today I went to the cinema (spending tomorrow with Mosh's family so usual Sunday cinema trip is out),to see Juno which I really enjoyed and is surprisingly as good as the reviews make out. Whenever I can i got to the Clapham Picture house, where I'm a member and get cheap tickets and today was no exception.

Oscar season at the cinema

Oscar season on Sky

When I got home I watched Mississippi Burning which I recorded on Sky Plus. It's Oscar month and every film on Sky Movies drama throughout February is an Oscar winner so there is plenty to see.
I've never seen Mississippi Burning before and anything I say about what I thought of it won't really do it justice. It is horrifying but unsurprisingly so is probably the best I can do at this time on a Saturday night.
I'll probably watch a DVD tomorrow night. Something light and uplifting to help me forget it's a Sunday night.

Entertainment QotD: Denied!

Do you think Amy Winehouse should have been granted a U.S. visa so that she could perform at this year's Grammys?

With her history, if they make an exception because she's famous then no. Absolutely not.

QotD: In My Handbag

Here's one for the ladies:  What's in your handbag right now? 
Submitted by Kadeeae.

Which one?

Vox Hunt: I Go To Work

Show us where you work. 
Submitted by leisa bell.  

My desk

When we moved into this newly refurbished, glass and grey, open-plan, corporate building after years in a tatty but full of character old rabbit warren in a much more interesting part of central London they introduced loads of rules designed to keep the office tidy and, some would argue, corporate and impersonal.
It worked, on the advertising side of the floor...
On the left you will see my growing international collection of tat fridge magnets. International tat corner was consigned to the draw when we moved to these offices due to lack of space and so tat fridge magnet collection was born...
Under my desk is my cycling gear and a box of old feature notes that needs to go off to Iron Mountain because we have to keep everything for two years just in case we get sued. I didn't construct the box properly so the bottom falls outs when you lift it, and I haven't got around to emptying it and remaking it correctly yet. All the spare desks behind mine are occupied by freelancers at the moment as there is a lot of work on so there isn't a spare chair to drape my cycling stuff over, hence why it is shoved under my desk. There is also my foot rest which the company supply because I'm a short-arse and my feet dangle.
The brightly coloured mug in the centre of my desk is my own which I wash and put in my draw at the end of each day to avoid the mug-world russian roulette that is our office dishwasher. I bought it in Guggenheim Bilbao to brighten up the horrible grey desk after we first moved into the building. The company supply very dull corporate branded mugs which seem to be indestructible.
The modesty board or 'wall o' dreams' as I like to call it contains pictures of celebrities I admire not wearing very much. I spend at least 8 hours a day staring at the bloody thing I might as well have something interesting to look at.
I think there is some work lurking somewhere on the desk but then I did tidy up before I took the picture.

Life QotD: TGIF Because...

What's making you say "TGIF" today?

A week at work normally does the trick. If it's been particularly bad then it's TFIF. Today is a TFIF. Why? 89 pages under my responsibility going into one issue and I work on a weekly.

Culture QotD: You Say It's Your Birthday...

What is the best birthday present you've ever received? (Bonus question: What's the worst?)

Mosh took me to Le Manoir aux Quat'Saison for dinner, bed and breakfast one year. It was a totally unforgettable experience and I loved every minute of it. Every room is individually designed and ours was beautiful with it's own terrace and huge marble bathroom.
Raymond Blanc's food is amazing and the service was impeccable. The hotel has beautiful grounds but also a fruit and vegetable garden which supplies the restaurant with fresh produce. We were there in August and made the most of the outdoors including a rather nice pre-dinner drink on the lawn.
One day we'll have enough money to go back.

QotD: It Takes Two

Have you ever been on either end of an unrequited love? 
Submitted by 怒涛の鮫.

If you get through your teenage years without being on either end of unrequited love then you haven't really been a teen.

Muse news

Hurray, Muse have announced they are releasing a live CD and DVD from their Wembley shows called HAARP (CD is from the Saturday show and DVD). The DVD has loads of behind the scenes stuff and interviews too apparently.

Muse at Wembley Stadium (official)

Don't normally buy live stuff 'because you had to be there' but it was particularly brilliant I might just have to make an exception...

All the PA's journalists are sick...

...and the work experience kid has been left in the office to write up every press release they've been sent. Either that or it must be a very slow news week if this story is making it onto the web.

A morning in Madrid

Sanna, who was part of our Cuba Libra tour group, took this fabulous picture. We got stranded in Madrid for 24 hours after we missed our connecting flight to Havana. The girl on the left is Rachael who we befriended as a fellow Explorer at the airport. It wasn't until several hours into our stay that we discovered that she was actually on a shorter Explore trip than ours and therefore once we got to Havana we wouldn't be traveling any further with her.
The four of us decided to make the most of our time in Madrid and went for a walk through this beautiful park. The picture was all Sanna's idea and it only took two attempts to capture us airborne.
It was a great moment and reminds me what a shame it was that we didn't get to spend more of our holiday with Rachael as she was great fun.

Jumping for joy in Madrid

Life QotD: Reaching Out

Is there a friend or family member you've been meaning to call or email? What's stopping you?

Why do I always have to be the one to call??????

Music QotD: My Headphones

Show us your headphones.

That's a sore point. I treated myself in duty free just before we left Heathrow for Cuba to these all-singing, all dancing fancy headphones at a cost of £52. Tried them out on the plane and they were really good. They are the same material as earplugs so they expand to fit your ears which means they stay put, block a load of background noise out and are really comfortable.

Shure headphones RIP

Must have left them in hotel somewhere on the island. Really frustrating thing is that my crappy apple headphones were in the same pouch and I swear I remember shoving them in my luggage just before I closed it...Grrr.

Culture QotD: Mais, Oui!

Do you speak another language? If not, which language do you wish you spoke fluently?

Spanish because there are so many places I'd like to visit where it is spoken.