Aw. Schweeeeeet!
Last summer I was on cygnet-watch at the ecology park near Chris's place.
This year, I discovered yesterday, two families of Canada Geese have settled just round the corner from me, and are already raising their goslings. I could only get one picture today, but I thought I'd share it (click for a larger version):
The Day After
Been to see The Day After Tomorrow this evening, and generally speaking enjoyed it, though if I'd gone in expecting serious science or political insight I'd have been disappointed.
Though if I'd gone to see a Roland Emmerich film expecting either of those I'd need my head read.
The effects are great, the set-pieces (especially the tornado destruction of Los Angeles) amazing, and the performances not at all bad. They mercifully keep the romantic subplots to a minimum, and even the little kid with cancer isn't overdone.
The points where various places are hit by the super cells (which instantly lower the temperature by massive amounts) are well done (especially the first time, when some aircraft are hit by one), though the utterly stupid notion that people can outrun their descent is taken to a laughable extreme.
Good entertaining fun though, in a mindless way. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Bristol
Ages ago, Alison and I were thinking about treating ourselves to a night in a swanky hotel over this holiday weekend, and given that there was a comic convention in Bristol which Carlos and co were encouraging me to attend, at one point a night at the Bristol Hotel Du Vin was the idea. TYpically, we left it so late to try and book that the only room available was way *way* out of the price range, so a last minute decision on Thursday led to me booking possibly the only two remaining train seats heading out of Paddington this morning (something to do with some football match or other happening in Cardiff).
Pleasant day - I managed an hour with Carlos, Alice, and James (all mentioned in postings passim), and met a few other people from Millarworld for the first time.
We'd booked lunch at the HDV, which was very cool indeed, and as we were finishing up, a terrible choice had to be made: whether to go out and explore the all-revamped dockside area of town or settle in huge comfy sofas with another bottle of wine for an hour.
I suspect you can guess which option won.
We did eventually manage to stir ourselves sufficiently for a bit of a wander, during which we met this classic woman who was selling her home-made organic vegan sugar-free flapjack on one of the bridges. Apparently I'm not the only person who's ever pondered whether she includes any 'extra' ingredients in said produce. She doesn't by the way, and makes and sells them to help with her bills. Good flapjack in fact.
Anyway, after failing to lure the geeks from their comic convention panels (or one of the geeks from his bed), we took a leisurely walk back to the station and headed home. In many ways it wasn't that much of a day out (we didn't do a huge amount, and what we did was a bit self-indulgent), but in others it was very pleasant indeed.
Bruv
Somewhat against my better judgement, I watched the 'housemates-enter-the-house' programme that kicked off Big Brother 5 this evening, and oh dear oh dear oh dear.
Could Channel 4 be working any harder to create artificial conflict in an effort to avoid a re-run of the blandfest that was last year's extravaganza?
The first two people in were a screaming queen who hates asylum seekers and a former asylum seeker who hates homosexuals. Subtle minds are clearly at work here.
Add in to the mix the man who spent the evening in a thong, the man who thinks he's the smartest person they've ever had on the programme because he got four A grades at A level, the other gay man who is apparently irresistable to straight men (which is fortunate, because he's entriely resistable to at least this gay one), the radical feminist lesbian (who's called Kitten by the way: Ooooh - *radical*), the token would-be glamour model, the token black man, and a transsexual, and you can really see that a *lot* of thought went into this year's contestant selection.
‘Sleb Again
Stopping off for a swifty after work with Dave (and don't think I haven't realised how I could practically have that set up as a standard posting opening line), my recent roll of celeb-spotting continued apace, with none other than Hywel Bennett sitting quietly in the corner.
Considering I can't remember the last time I saw a celeb before this recent run, it's all getting a bit odd recently.
Best?
I suppose I should deal with this at some point.
Dave has asked me to be his Best Man.
I'm *incredibly* touched by the invitation, especially because his natural choice for the role would obviously be Mike.
But having accepted the responsibility, I'm now faced with the challenge of organising a stag do for a man whose stated preference is for fine wine and food, rather than beer and whores.
What, oh what, is a rather out-of-his-depth queen to do??
Well This Is New
I just got round to checking out the Labour Party leaflet that was on the mat when I got home, and to my not-inconsiderable surprise, I found leaflets for two other parties actually inside the Labour one. The UK Independence Party and the English Democrats (who I'd never heard of, but who are a fresh new democratic party, apparently) seem to have purchased ad space inside the Labour puff piece the way music clubs buy inserts in the Radio Times.
I think this is deeply weird.
I Suppose I Should Comment
I forgot to mention the official announcement regarding the new Doctor Who companion.
This is one bit of casting that had certainly been doing the rounds, even though the BBC had said that no decisions were made when her name was being linked with the show.
I've generally been pleasantly surprised by the positivity with which the news has been received, expecting a reaction based on her being a pop singer and the Chris Evans connection. I have no particular baggage regarding her, never having heard any of her songs, and not particularly caring who she married, but I did see her in The Miller's Tale last year and thought she did a great job.
That I also have significant faith in Russell T Davies helps too of course.
Flowers….Bah!
Commuting on London Underground every day is soul-destroying enough, but this week, a whole new set of obstacles and annoyances have descended to plague those of us who commute through Chelsea.
Yes, it's the Flower Show. Which means that for the rest of the week, as it was this evening, my journey home will be blighted by sharing platforms and trains with hordes of braying nobs, tossers with folding chairs, and dodderers in pac-a-macs.
As you can probably tell, I'm thrilled beyond words by this development.
Van Helsing
Been to the cinema for the first time in far too long this evening, finally to see Van Helsing. I think the best way that I can describe it is that it's exactly what you'd expect it to be, neither better nor worse. Hugh Jackman does a sterling job of being dashing and iconic, and Kate Beckinsale does a sterling job of wearing a corset.
The effects are curiously ropey in places, considering director Stephen Somers was so aware of having been ridiculed over The Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns, but they mostly pass muster. The prologue, filmed in black and white and looking beautifully like a real old Universal horror movie, works especially well.
David Wenham does sterling work as the comedy sidekick, and most of the other performances are fine for what's needed of them. The only really odd note arises from the decision to have Richard Roxburgh play Dracula like Robert Helpmann essaying The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
It's daft of course, but entertainingly so.
Cool trailers too: The Day After Tomorrow, the new Harry Potter, Spider-Man 2 and I, Robot, which I haven't heard much about in the way of buzz, but looks like what it is - A Will Smith Vehicle(™).