Tuesday, May 29, 2007
A day in Edina
Went to old Edinbrugh the other day for the bank holiday and it was a pleasurable change from mulling round the house of a day (like I do on most bank holidays! Well the weather usually isn't in our favour). And thankfully the weather held pretty well too all things considered, but it was nice to get back there as its been a wee while for me (almost 3 years!).
So I went with a friend of mine Stephen, my cousin and my brother, so as we were taking directions from the more experienced Edinbrugh meister, my cousin, we ended up wandering round the National art gallery and the Historical museum (both pretty good I must say). Although my cousin did boast that he could paint a lot better than some of the artists who's works were up in the gallery! So after a couple of eateries and several rounds of drinks later we headed home again. So a good day all round, of course going back to work today made it all seem like a distant memory, as being surrounded by a bunch of blathering lecturers and neddy students isn't the best of things to put up with. To top it off my contract is due to end at the end of July and they won't renew it, instead they might get me back in for the new term for a point 5 position. So probably better consider getting something else. Ah well, that bar in Edinburgh did say in the window "Staff wanted". Hmmm.... lol.
So I went with a friend of mine Stephen, my cousin and my brother, so as we were taking directions from the more experienced Edinbrugh meister, my cousin, we ended up wandering round the National art gallery and the Historical museum (both pretty good I must say). Although my cousin did boast that he could paint a lot better than some of the artists who's works were up in the gallery! So after a couple of eateries and several rounds of drinks later we headed home again. So a good day all round, of course going back to work today made it all seem like a distant memory, as being surrounded by a bunch of blathering lecturers and neddy students isn't the best of things to put up with. To top it off my contract is due to end at the end of July and they won't renew it, instead they might get me back in for the new term for a point 5 position. So probably better consider getting something else. Ah well, that bar in Edinburgh did say in the window "Staff wanted". Hmmm.... lol.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
You're only human
Episode 8 of series 3 of Doctor who was pretty enjoyable as a change of pace from your usual Who episode, with the Doctor now apparently human living back in 1913 in England as a schoolteacher and Martha is his assistant maid who.. well cleans up after him. But strange things are afoot for the Doctor, or John Smith, as he keeps having weird, vivid dreams of being the wandering time traveller. It is soon revealed of course that the Doctor is in fact human and has changed his form to escape detection of an evil race called the "family". (not the Mafia, perhaps an alien mafia!). But its not long before they can track him down...
The period episodes of Doctor Who are always a nice change of pace from the futuristic episodes and this one is no exception as it's been pretty good as the others (well actually probably better than Shakespeare Code at least). Although I did find some elements of the episode somewhat cheesey, especially the continual sniffery of the alien "Family" (haven't they heard of lockets?!).
Anyways as its a two parter I'll wait and see what happens next week :)
The period episodes of Doctor Who are always a nice change of pace from the futuristic episodes and this one is no exception as it's been pretty good as the others (well actually probably better than Shakespeare Code at least). Although I did find some elements of the episode somewhat cheesey, especially the continual sniffery of the alien "Family" (haven't they heard of lockets?!).
Anyways as its a two parter I'll wait and see what happens next week :)
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Here comes the sun
Finally got round to watching episode 7 of the new Dr Who series, 42, which after turned out to be totally not inspired by the answer to the ultimate question (Douglas Adams etc) but in fact by 24, as it was a real time episode (well sort of not quite).
The Doctor and Martha arrive on a big cargo ship which is heading directly towards the sun and they have no way of stopping it, or so it seems, not only that but the extreme heat from the sun is effecting the behaviour of some of the crewmates. So the Doc and Martha do their very best in the short time they have (42 minutes funnily enough) to stop the ship from its date with the searing heat of the sun.
This being a Graeme Harper episode (Direction wise) I held high hopes for, although it wasn't quite as great as I was hoping it to be once I watched it, but I still enjoyed it all the same. The episode was again a sort of throwback to last season's The Satan Pit and Impossible Planet episodes, right down to the evil influence working through people and the Doctor's spacesuit which funnily enough looked identical to the one he wore in that story too! Freema looked great running round in her skimpy top and also provided a bit of depth to her character in this one as she had to phone her Mum to first of all ask who had more number one hits, Elvis or the Beatles, and then again to nearly finally say goodbye as she was trapped in an escape pod heading for the sun (OK the first one was a bit shallow). Michelle Collins also looked pretty good in this episode too as the Captain of the cargo ship, although I still couldn't shake off the feeling of her having wandered into the Dr Who set after taking a break from Eastenders.
So next week's episode Human Nature looks like a neat departure again from the norm Dr Who story, with the Doctor supposedly as a human back in 1930s.
PS. I'll stick with the current font, Aria wasn't that great. If it aint' broke as they say...
The Doctor and Martha arrive on a big cargo ship which is heading directly towards the sun and they have no way of stopping it, or so it seems, not only that but the extreme heat from the sun is effecting the behaviour of some of the crewmates. So the Doc and Martha do their very best in the short time they have (42 minutes funnily enough) to stop the ship from its date with the searing heat of the sun.
This being a Graeme Harper episode (Direction wise) I held high hopes for, although it wasn't quite as great as I was hoping it to be once I watched it, but I still enjoyed it all the same. The episode was again a sort of throwback to last season's The Satan Pit and Impossible Planet episodes, right down to the evil influence working through people and the Doctor's spacesuit which funnily enough looked identical to the one he wore in that story too! Freema looked great running round in her skimpy top and also provided a bit of depth to her character in this one as she had to phone her Mum to first of all ask who had more number one hits, Elvis or the Beatles, and then again to nearly finally say goodbye as she was trapped in an escape pod heading for the sun (OK the first one was a bit shallow). Michelle Collins also looked pretty good in this episode too as the Captain of the cargo ship, although I still couldn't shake off the feeling of her having wandered into the Dr Who set after taking a break from Eastenders.
So next week's episode Human Nature looks like a neat departure again from the norm Dr Who story, with the Doctor supposedly as a human back in 1930s.
PS. I'll stick with the current font, Aria wasn't that great. If it aint' broke as they say...
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Face of Boe is yours!
I can't really say I would buy one of the big guy (or face) but if anyone is interested you can get him here:
www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/3355670/Doctor-Who-The-Face-Of-Boe/Product.html#
Perhaps if I do I might be subject to some of his great wisdom, who knows? :))
PS. Also notice the change of font, I'm using arial for a change, think it looks better.
www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/3355670/Doctor-Who-The-Face-Of-Boe/Product.html#
Perhaps if I do I might be subject to some of his great wisdom, who knows? :))
PS. Also notice the change of font, I'm using arial for a change, think it looks better.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The Lazarus Experiment
The Lazarus Experiment was another very entertaining story in this season of Doctor Who so far, with the Doctor taking Martha back to her home just a day after he whisked her away in the TARDIS. And there is more news afoot on the TV as an aging scientist Dr Lazarus (Mark Gatiss, great) says he will perform a "miracle" and will change what it it means to be human. At the event of course Martha is reunited with her family (and her mum is very suspicious of the Doctor, as always!). But as usual after Lazarus's experiment things go horribly wrong.
This was another fine story, really enjoyable although I must admit towards the end the Doctor's solution (plot spoiler!) in using a giant organ to defeat a big beastie seems a bit naff, it seems to be the recurring theme of the series this year, using massive sonic booms to distract or defeat enemies. Next year we could probably expect Russell T Davies to start blaring out the Pet Shop Boys or Elton John at full volume or something to ward off the Cybermen or Daleks.
All the same though the cast were really good in the show, Freema's actual life mother, was pretty good as the suspicious mother who slaps the Doctor prompting the best line from David Tennant ("Why is it always the mothers?!"). Mark Gatiss is always watchable and his Dr Lazarus was very entertaining, I wonder how he transformed so well into that big beastie ;)
Anyway because of the Eurovision Pong Contest next week Dr Who won't be on TV (damn!) so it'll be back in another 2 weeks time with the (perhaps) Douglas Adams influenced title 42.
This was another fine story, really enjoyable although I must admit towards the end the Doctor's solution (plot spoiler!) in using a giant organ to defeat a big beastie seems a bit naff, it seems to be the recurring theme of the series this year, using massive sonic booms to distract or defeat enemies. Next year we could probably expect Russell T Davies to start blaring out the Pet Shop Boys or Elton John at full volume or something to ward off the Cybermen or Daleks.
All the same though the cast were really good in the show, Freema's actual life mother, was pretty good as the suspicious mother who slaps the Doctor prompting the best line from David Tennant ("Why is it always the mothers?!"). Mark Gatiss is always watchable and his Dr Lazarus was very entertaining, I wonder how he transformed so well into that big beastie ;)
Anyway because of the Eurovision Pong Contest next week Dr Who won't be on TV (damn!) so it'll be back in another 2 weeks time with the (perhaps) Douglas Adams influenced title 42.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Dispondency Tree Protocol, Polling and acting and HD DVD kapoot
Well I had a go at the final exam for CCNA Semester 3 tonight and I failed it by 4% (66% is what I got so you can do the math for the pass mark) so I'm a bit bummed out by that. Hey ho, but to be honest I haven't really given myself enough time to do the exam as there's been distractions a plenty as usual, but thankfully I will be sitting it again next week and will be determined to do better this time round...
On a more positive note I'm back to my acting class tomorrow night so hopefully most of the old class will have returned for more, funnily enough it coincides with General Election night, so I don't have a scooby who to vote for really, and personally I don't really much care either. From what I gather you now have to select out of three candidates the most likely you would vote for, perahps I should just write on it "none of them they are all twats" or words to that effect.
On yet another note my Xbox HD DVD drive packed in working at the weekend as I wont play HD DVD discs at all when they are inserted, thankfully I've managed to return the drive to the ebay seller I bought it from and they willing to make an exchange. Only annoying thing is I would like to watch some of the movies I've purchased but can't achhh damn! Time to play the waiting game again then.
On a more positive note I'm back to my acting class tomorrow night so hopefully most of the old class will have returned for more, funnily enough it coincides with General Election night, so I don't have a scooby who to vote for really, and personally I don't really much care either. From what I gather you now have to select out of three candidates the most likely you would vote for, perahps I should just write on it "none of them they are all twats" or words to that effect.
On yet another note my Xbox HD DVD drive packed in working at the weekend as I wont play HD DVD discs at all when they are inserted, thankfully I've managed to return the drive to the ebay seller I bought it from and they willing to make an exchange. Only annoying thing is I would like to watch some of the movies I've purchased but can't achhh damn! Time to play the waiting game again then.
