JOURNAL | PROFILE | FRIENDS | MANIFESTO FOR 40 | ABOUT THE SITE | CONTACT
Thursday 20 November 2008
Viva...Viva...Oh You Know The Rest
Well, with little fanfare, because everything ended up being so last minute before I left, I'm away. In sunny Las Vegas, though sunny barely begins to describe it. It's *unbearably* hot. Air conditioning is my new best friend - I mean, we've always been close, but now we're inseparable.
For the second time in about a month I'm in a hotel room without a broadband connection, and once again, I feel like I've had a limb removed.
Anyway - staying here, which is an entirely bonkers experience - to get from reception to the lifts you have to go through the casino, where somewhat disturbingly, there are people to be seen playing the slot machines and at the tables at 6am. Every one of these casino hotels is like a small town by itself, with restaurants and shopping arcades, beauty salons and pools. This one, just to be different, has a volcano in the front garden.
I'm here for a wedding. Not mine of course, but my brother's. Elvis will be in attendance I'm pleased to say - well, it just wouldn't be the same without him.
Beam Him Up
I know I won't be the only one to have made that crack, but it's too obvious and apposite when the news is that James Doohan has died.
The Sound Of Silence
Been quiet this week basically because I'm going to be pretty quiet for the next two weeks. "That doesn't make sense" I hear you say.
Well it does when you know that I'm about to go away for two weeks, and have been up to my eyes trying to get everything done that needs doing before I go away.
I'm definitely planning on blogging some stuff while on the trip, but at this stage it's clearly going to be even more sporadic than usual.
Just thought I'd mention it.
Achey
Forgot to mention, I've finally joined a gym. It's far too late to make a real impact on the 'getting fit' component of The Manifesto in time of course, but I'll allow myself that one as long as I manage to maintain something approaching a regular regimen.
The trainer has started me off on purely cardio work, which seems sensible, as it's my general fitness that needs attention before I start getting into trying to tone of build up, and usefully, most of the hotels I stay inn on work trips have gyms, so I should have absolutely no excuse for not getting into this properly.
But coming from as out of shape as I am, it's not without the occasional post-workout ache...
Sir Edward Heath, RIP
Sad to hear about Ted Heath's death. He was so well-established a part of the political landscape that even after retiring there was somehow a sense that he would just always be there.
I always found it easier to respect him than any of his Conservative Party Leader successors (especially the first, obviously). That's probably because he was the last one to emulate the values of good old MacMillanite patriarchal toryism, which while being patriarchal was always at least honest about it, so you always knew where you stood with him.
Gay Paree
Well, we went, we saw, we did tourist things, we got our free Harry Potter books, and then we came back.
Slightly less than 24 hours all told, and one of those things that was worth doing simply because we could, and because it was mad.
I've made inroads into the book, but I'm no more than a third of the way in - it's been far too warm to settle down to anything this weekend.
I was originally going to save the book for next weekend when I have the joy of a ten hour flight to look forward to, but I'm not wholly convinced that a hefty hardback is something that I want to be lugging around in my hand baggage for two weeks....
Haven't Googlebombed Anyone in An Age
So here we go:
Is Omarion A Wanker? The answer would appear to be yes.
From Badly Dubbed Boy via Gert.
Join in the fun!
Speaking Of Harry Potter....
.... I see The Pope, confirming his fitness to follow his predecessor's example in the 'mad old bastard' stakes, condemned the Harry Potter books back when he was a Cardinal.
Apparently, the books are "subtle seductions which act unnoticed and by this deeply distort Christianity in the soul before it can grow properly".
In other words, they're a bad influence on young people and can cause them to turn out as bad adults.
Sounds a bit like the Hitler Youth, Your Holiness.
How Mad Is This?
(The answer to that question is 'very', by the way.)
We're off to Paris this evening: Me, David, Dave and Octavia on Eurostar to stay in a five star hotel and, just to complete the bonkersness of the whole thing, to get free copies of the new Harry Potter book on launch at midnight.
Oh, and did I mention that none of it is costing us a penny?
How and why?
Because Clever Octavia(tm) won a competition and was kind enough to invite us along.
Told you it was mad.
Did I Mention War Of The Worlds?
Don't think I did.
We went to see it opening weekend and generally speaking thought that it rocked. Set aside the near inevitability of a Steven Spielberg ending and focus instead on the fact that he stayed true to HG Wells' story, despite what must have been a studio temptation to give it an 'active' ending.
Focus on the stunning effects, and attention to directorial detail (while nevertheless guffawing at some of the more nonsensical details).
Focus on the fact that even when she's not being creepy (see Hide and Seek and others) Dakota Fanning is one creepy child, but in this instance it came across as wide-eyed horror and confusion.
Focus on the fact that Tom Cruise gives a great performance, being a convincing 'ordinary guy under extraordinary pressure', rather than a thinly disguised superhero.
As blockbusters go, I'd rate it among the very best.
That's The Spirit
One of the Millarworlders has changed his standard signature off the back of last week's events, and I wish I'd thought of it myself.
He's currently using:
"It's hard to panic the British. We've dealt with the Blitz, the IRA, the Silurians, the Daleks, the Cybermen..."
A Letter To The Terrorists, From London
From The London News Review:
"What the fuck do you think you're doing?
This is London. We've dealt with your sort before. You don't try and pull this on us. "
Gert Makes The Point....
...that our city is beautiful.
And she has the photo to prove it.
Nice one Geraldine.
Gotta Love CNN
Clearly, judging by this headline, they think that London has never experienced terrorism before.
Actually, it's not just CNN - from Fox News' 'Voice Your Opinion!' page:
"I grieve for your country and am praying for you. London is one of my favorite cities in the world because of its highly civilized and humane people. I am sad to see you have joined us Americans as victims of the ultimate incivility. Terrorist extremism must be stopped." - Julie (Tallahassee)
Unreal
Nice to see George Galloway MP not missing a chance to show how classless he is:
Quote: Respect MP George Galloway says: "We argued, as did the security services in this country, that the attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq would increase the threat of terrorist attack in Britain. Tragically Londoners have now paid the price of the Government ignoring such warnings."
Back Pedalling
I confess that earlier this morning, this was going to be a posting about the irony of London's transport infrastructure bringing the city to a halt the day after the glorious Olymic bid win which it was so fully geared up to deal with. That was when the line was still 'power surge - oops".
Now it's clearly nothing of the kind I'll say that I have been following the news throughout the morning, and I'm somewhat stunned. The clear parallel with the Madrid train bombings is startling, and the timing (all eyes on the UK because of the G8/Live8/post-Olympic announcement) is of course, from a terrorist perspective, ideal.
Seeing one's city brought to a standstill is a sobering experience, even though I was here during the excesses of the IRA capmaign in the late 80s/early 90s.
And truthfully, hearing Tony Blair sounding shaken and unconfident is not the kind of thing I was hoping for in his statement.
And The Crowd Goes Wild!
Huge cheers in the office just now as the Olymipc bid winner was announced.
Ho hum - I shall be gracious and say that I can certainly appreciate the effort that went into it and congratulate them on having achieved what they have.
The Olympic Thing
You know, I keep hearing these interviews with people involved in the London 2012 Olympic Bid saying how important it is to have the support of the residents of the candidate city as part of the bid process. Apparently, in the last few months, support among London's population has grown beyond any expectations, and there's now a real sense that the whole city is united behind this effort.
If this is indeed the case, and not just bid team hyperbole, then the inevitable question to ask those supportive residents is:
ARE YOU ALL MAD?????
What A Difference A Year Makes
David and I were going to go to Brighton for the day on Saturday, before fatigue overtook us completely. The reason for doing so was to mark what is actually today - the first anniversary of us deciding that we thought this could be a relationship.
That's right folks, a whole year since I started dropping cryptic comments about how I might be seeing someone; about eleven months since I declared love and marriage.
It's gone *incredibly* quickly, and that's largely because I'm so stupidly, cheesy-grinningly happy.
Here's to lots more.
The Cursed Traveller
After the crappy journey back to London on Thursday morning, I then had the coach trip from hell in the afternoon. Lost driver, lack of promised on-board facilities, late start, diverted because of an accident into some seriously windy twisty all-but-impassible-in-a-double-decker-coach country lanes; we had the lot.
All to end up at a fabulously Chavtastic hotel ready for the company day out on Friday.
The day itself was great by the way, but the journey there and accommodation didn't get it off to a great start.