Quote Of The Day

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake - Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower (1887-1956)"

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Mayor Of London...

Tomorrow it's the 2008 elections for the Mayor of London. And I'm really torn as to who to vote for; I admire the old Left, I'd like to be more Green, recently I've been more New Labour, I think Boris is funny (he used to live opposite me) and the Lib-Dems have a gay.

Choices, choices, choices.

And then there's the London Assembly to vote for too.

Anyone got any advice?

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Derby 2-6 Arsenal...

It was a great game last night. We thrashed them. But questions do need to be asked as to how we let in two goals. It does still leave us with a possible (but let's face it not a probably) chance at the Premiership title.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Blake's 7: The Return

According to the BBC a new remake of sci-fi series Blake's 7 could soon return to television screens.

Elaine Pyke, commissioning editor for drama for Sky One, Two and Three, said the broadcaster was making the largest commitment to UK drama in its history, spending more than £10m - all on high definition productions - in 2008/9. She said of the Blake project: "At a time when science fiction shows often discard good story-telling for overblown visual effects - and following the lead of Doctor Who and Battlestar Galactica - the time is ripe for a revival of a show that represents the best traditions of the genre, not to mention one of the best-loved and most successful dramas of all time."

Friday, April 25, 2008

Pub Quiz...

We were back at the Hemingford Arms last night with Andrew, Tim, Sam el al for another bash at their weekly pub quiz. We'd been there before (and won) but this time we weren't so lucky. Or to be more honest we were beaten fair and square. We got twenty-four right out of thrity. The winner got twenty-eight and the fifty-six pound cash prize.

The questions were as varied and random as ever. We were given a drink and had to say what two fruit juices had been mixed together. We were asked what is tuber melanosporum? The Hawaiian alphabet has only twelve letters: five vowels and seven consonants. Name at least four of the consonants. And the how many number ones did the Beatles have in a row, how many chromosome pairs does the normal human have and how old was the boy left home alone in Home Alone? All good stuff.

Brain Teaser Answers...

The answer is "ice"

Allspice
Diced
Licence

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Brain Teaser...

Replace each group of crosses with the same three letter word. Words must be formed to fit the clues given.

A) _ _ _ _ _ X X X Clue: PIMENTO
B) _ X X X _ Clue: CUBED
C) _ X X X _ _ _ Clue: GIVE PERMISSION

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Happy St George's Day...

Today is St George's Day. The patron saint of England.

As you may know he wasn't actually English (in fact England didn't really come into being for another 700 years after St George death). No, St George was actually born in Turkey in 3rd century AD. His parents were Christian, he later lived in Palestine where he became a Roman soldier but protested against Rome's persecution of Christians. He was then imprisoned and tortured, but stayed true to his faith, before being beheaded at Lydda in Palestine. The 23rd April was named as Saint George's day way back in 1222.

He is patron saint not only of England but also of Aragon, Canada, Catalonia, China, England, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, and Serbia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Istanbul, Ljubljana, Moscow and Venice (second to Saint Mark). He's also patron saint of soldiers, archers, cavalry and chivalry, farmers and field workers, riders and saddlers, and he helps those suffering from leprosy, plague and syphilis(!) In recent years he has been adopted as patron saint of Scouts. Also isn't St George the patron saint of ASDA?

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Arsenal 2-0 Reading...

Paul and I went with rather heavy hearts to the Emirates on Saturday to watch the penultimate home games of this our third silverware-free season in a row. We've not been playing very well recently and didn;t really have high hopes. Surprisingly the Gunners played quite well lifting our mood considerably. We should have scored more of course but we would say that, wouldn't we? We left happy though.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Oh Brother...

Last Friday Drew, David and met up with Sas and his goodlooking Icelandic friend for a spot of bar hoping around Hoxtonia. We started off in the George and Dragon, then to play table football at Kick (where we had our hides tanned by a couple of French women) and finally on to the Joiners Arms where we played pool until kicking out time. We also bumped into Chris and David from Duckie and also Liam which was nice. When I eventualy got home I struggled to open my front door. My brother was staying over and he'd left the key in the lock so I couldn't get in. An hour and twenty minutes of ringing on the doorbell, ringing both home and mobile phones and hammering on the door was all to no avail. Eventually I did wake him but only after leaving twenty different types of cussing on his voicemail. Brothers!

Update: I had a dream about my brother last night. We were on a train and he was drunk and he was crying so I hugged him and told him I loved him.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Top Ten Ways to Commit Suicide...

What with Mackenzie Crook's new film causing a stir and the recent suicide cluster in Wales what better way to cheer us all up on a Friday than: Top Ten Ways to Commit Suicide

10. Drowning
09. Electric Shock
08. Exsanguination
07. Jumping
06. Suffocation
05. Carbon Monoxide Inhalation
04. Poisoning
03. Hanging
02. Drug / Alcohol Overdose
01. Gun Shot

Read the gory details (and the price of failure here).

PS: Suicide is never a solution. There is no problem so great that it can not be resolved with time and care. This list is meant not as an instruction guide, but a description of the most common forms of suicide. Please remember, no matter how bad things get, someone, somewhere is able to listen to you and help you through. The Samaritans UK

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Leaked Clone Wars Trailer...

Leaked Clone Wars trailer is the new force hotness. I guess the three prequels were all pretty much CGI so having the next one animated doesn't really feel much different.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Eurovision Comes To London...

You don't have to go to Belgrade to get a taste of Eurovision. Many of the acts are coming to London! Hurrah! Meet Ukraine, Romania, Malta and more. The Scala, Friday 25th April. You don't even have to be gay to go. Book tickets here: http://www.ukeurovision.com
[Thanks Popbitch]

Brain Teaser Answer...

3. First column plus second colum equals third column. Third column minus fourth column equals fifth column.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Monday, April 14, 2008

Yazoo News: Don't Go (8 times), Only You (6 times)...

In Your Room, the highly anticipated Yazoo 4 disc box set is to be released in the UK/Europe on 26th May 2008. The box set features remastered and 5.1 mixes of both Yazoo's classic albums Upstairs At Eric's and You And Me Both, b-sides and remixes. In addition the DVD features classic Yazoo television performances from the BBC, promotional videos and a new short film containing exclusive new interviews with Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet. This will be proceeded by a 12" vinyl release of 'Nobodys Diary' on the 12 May 2008. Record Store will be doing a 12" and digital bundle offer including an exclusive mix - "Nobody’s Diary – Soil In The Synth Remix".

- In Your Room Track Listing -
Disc 1 (CD): Upstairs at Eric's (Remastered)
01) Don't Go
02) Too Pieces
03) Bad Connection
04) I Before E Except After C
05) Midnight
06) In My Room
07) Only You
08) Goodbye '70s
09) Tuesday
10) Winter Kills
11) Bring Your Love Down (Didn't I)

Disc 2 (CD): You And Me Both (Remastered)
01) Nobody's Diary
02) Softly Over
03) Sweet Thing
04) Mr Blue
05) Good Times
06) Walk Away From Love
07) Ode To Boy
08) Unmarked
09) Anyone
10) Happy People
11) And On

Disc 3 (CD): B-Sides and Remixes
01) Situation
02) Situation (Extended Version)
03) Don't Go (Re-mix)
04) Don't Go (Re-re-mix)
05) Situation (US 12" Mix)
06) Situation (US 12" Dub)
07) The Other Side Of Love
08) The Other Side Of Love (12" Remix)
09) State Farm
10) Nobody's Diary (Extended)
11) State Farm (Extended)
12) Situation (Re-recorded)

Disc 4 (DVD)
- "2 albums, 4 singles and that was it..." -
A short film featuring new interviews with Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet, and exclusive archive footage.

- Promotional Videos -
01) Don't Go
02) The Other Side Of Love
03) Nobody's Diary
04) Situation (1990)
05) Situation - Alternative Version (1990)
06) Only You (1999)

- Yazoo At The BBC -
01) Only You (Top Of The Pops) - 29 Apr 1982
02) Only You (Cheggers Plays Pop) - 24 May 1982
03) Don't Go (Top Of The Pops) - 15 Jul 1982
04) Don't Go (Saturday Live) - 24 Jul 1982
05) Don't Go (Top Of The Pops) - 12 Aug 1982
06) The Other Side Of Love (Top Of The Pops) - 25 Nov 1982
07) The Other Side Of Love (Top Of The Pops) - 09 Dec 1982
08) Nobody's Diary (Top Of The Pops) - 19 May 1983
09) Nobody's Diary (Top Of The Pops) - 02 Jun 1983

- 5:1 And Stereo Mixes -
Upstairs At Erics
You and Me Both

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Yazoo Audio Clips (free!)...

Yazoo have remastered and are rereleasing Nobody's Diary as an EP on 12th May. There are some audio clips of the new versions available on their official web site. These seem to be free which is nice of them. I hope that was intentional! Nobody's Diary (remastered original version) and Nobody's Diary (remix by Andy Bell and JC)

Friday, April 11, 2008

Mario Kart Wii...

It's here! The day has finally arrived! Mario Kart for the Wii hits the shops in 90 minutes time. We've all got the day off work so Mark, Drew and I heading down to Game in N1 at 9am sharp. Wii wheel, worldwide racing, Mario Kart channel, new wheels and courses and motorbikes! Can't wait!

Brain Teaser Answer...

Forget BODMAS for a moment...

3 x 5 - 9 / 6 + 2 = 3

3 + 5 x 9 - 6 / 2 = 33

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Brain Teaser...

Assume you are using a basic calculator and press the numbers in the order shown, replacing each question mark with a mathematical sign.

You can use the plus, minus, multiply and divide keys but each once only.

3 ? 5 ? 9 ? 6 ? 2 =

In which order should they be used to score 3 ?

and in which order should they be used to score 33 ?

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Pansy Division - Life In A Gay Rock Band...

Last night Andy treated Stu and I to a night at the cinema. We went to the
22nd London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at the NFT2 to see Pansy Division - Life In A Gay Rock Band which as its name suggests is an insight into Pansy Division one of the defining bands of the queercore movement.

Pansy Division are a soft punk rock band that in the early 90s made the radical decision to form a band but also be what they were; gay and out. They toured with Green Day, they had a member of Metallica play on their records and they had Judas Priest perform with them on stage. Yet despite all of this they are remain very likeable people with a keen sense of who they are and what they want.

The film itself was a documentary about the lineup changes of the band and their ups and downs recording and touring. It was really very funny. They have a fun line in song titles too. Here is an idea of the songs that Pansy Division perform (taken from The Essential Pansy Division available in all good record stores): 1 Who Treats You Right / 2 Fem In A Black Leather Jacket / 3 ANTHEM / 4 I'm Gonna Be A Slut /5 Horny In The Morning / 6 Dick Of Death / 7 Bad Boyfriend / 8 The Summer You Let Your Hair Grow Out / 9 Spiral / 10 Denny (Naked) /11 Boyfriend Wanted / 12 Luv Luv Luv / 13 James Bondage /14 Vanilla / 15 Alpine Skiing / 16 Bunnies / 17 Groovy Underwear / 18 No Protection / 19 Sweet Insecurity / 20 Deep Water / 21 You're Gonna Need Your Friends / 22 The Best Revenge / 23 Negative Queen (Stripped Bare) / 24 Headbanger / 25 Political Asshole / 26 I Can't Sleep 27 I Really Wanted You / 28 The Cocksucker Club / 29 Homo Christmas / 30 He Whipped My Ass In Tennis (Then I Fucked His Ass In Bed) / 31 Two Way Ass (unlisted bonus track)

Monday, April 07, 2008

Dr Who Off to a Great Start...

Watching the start of series thirty four of Dr Who on Saturday we were a little nervous. Excited and nervous in fact. Excited that the show was back for another thirteen week run but nervous as to whether new assistant... sorry, companion (Catherine Tate's Donna Noble) would actually be any good. Tate's comedic characters are so strong in her eponymous named show that we couldn't believe that we'd be able to get them out of our heads and be able to take her seriously. Because the actors really have to take sci-fi drama seriously otherwise is just doesn't work (OK HHGTTG and Red Dwarf aside).

The diet pills story itself was a tad lacklustre to be honest (the Russell T Davis penned stories so often are). Alien babies made of fat? But we were suitably wowed at the right points, we laughed at the script (sorry, with the script) pretty much throughout and we were suitable impressed by the special effects (didn't we see that space ship in Close Encounters Of The Third Kind?) So with a mixture of relief and indeed more than a little joy... we have to say... we loved it. It was great. Catherine Tate was a bit of a revelation. And it looks like at least 8.4 million other people agreed with us.

And a nice little twist at the end too. We spent a lot of time at various birthday parties and other events over the weekend discussing the significance of the final few seconds of the episode. Hmmm...

Saturday, April 05, 2008

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool...

Earlier today Paul and I were at our second confrontation with Liverpool in seven days and what a miserable affair it was. Very poor. And there go our title changes for sure.

Friday, April 04, 2008

The Other Side of the Coin...

Now I'm not really precious about coins; they just sit in your pocket, sit on your bedside table and occasionally get exchanged for goods or services, right? But surely they could have come up with something better than this? When are you ever going to lay them out as a partial ('partial' mind you) shield? And in a very tourist unfriendly step they will have no numbers on them. You'll have to be able to read English to tell what they are.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool...

Last night Paul and I went to see the first of three Liverpool ties in a single week. The first of these games was the Champions League quarter-final, first leg at The Emirates. We started well. After 23 minutes Van Persie's short corner was crossed for Adebayor to rise high and head in. It was a well deserved goal. 1-0. Then despite good possession we gave away a sloppy goal when Gerrard powered into the box and crossed for Kuyt to bundle home to draw the scores level. Arsenal then dominated the second half and were only kept from scoring by bad luck and bad decisions. The Gunners had a clear penalty appeal turned down after the break when Kuyt hauled back Alexander Hleb in the area. Roll on the next game on Saturday lunchtime.

Brain Teaser Answer...

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Time Lord changes time...

Doctor Who is back this Saturday. Yay! However series thirty four starts at 6:20pm though rather than it's usual 7pm slot. Funny time to start. They must be using it as bait for the rest of the Saturday night schedule (which is a shame as it shows a lack of respect that is what ultimately lead to Dr Who being canned back in 1989).

Brain Teaser...

Can you connect all the dots with just 4 straight, connected lines without lifting your pen from the paper? (Please don't write on your screen though!)

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Spam, Spam, Spam...

Thirty years down the line and today nearly 90% of all email is spam according to Spamhaus. Spam, as I am sure you are aware, is Unsolicited Bulk E-mail ("UBE"). Unsolicited means that the Recipient has not granted verifiable permission for the message to be sent. Bulk means that the message is sent as part of a larger collection of messages, all having substantively identical content.

SPAM® however (note the capital letters please) is the famous canned meat product consisting of mainly chopped pork and ham. Not being too happy with the bad press the word 'spam' has been getting the marketing guys are fighting back: Great in sandwiches, salads or mac & cheese, or with eggs, cheese, or pineapples, or sliced, diced, baked or fried. The name derives from "sp(iced h)am". SPAM is a registered trademark of Hormel Foods Corporation. The product name "SPAM" (used always in uppercase) has nothing to do with the internet jargon word "spam" meaning unsolicited bulk email. While "spam" (junk email) is bad for internet users, SPAM (Chopped Pork and Ham) is good for internet users. If you have never tasted SPAM, try it today!