‹ 27.9.01 / 0 comment(s) ›
I hadn't been to the Retro Bar for months and months and months but Scally and I ventured along last night, ostensibly to watch the regulars (Ian and Jonathan with Darren and Tony but sans David in a non-appearance shocker) take on all comers at the regularly scheduled Tuesday pop quiz. But we weren't allowed to just watch. Oh no. We had to participate. Dang.
So along with Mark, we formed a nice little triumvirate and proceeded to get our collective hides tanned (questions here). The team name - "The Losers, Baby" - was certainly appropriate, although I never did discover how far down the league we ended up: a score of 9.5 out of a maximum of 21.5 probably saw us near the arse-end of the pack. Never mind ... a good first attempt I thought (the winners only got 16.5 - the others, 15) and I had a fun time so I'll be back to try my hand again, no doubt. [Warning to any potential future team-mates: I confused Morten Harket with Adam Sandler - the signs aren't good]
It was then onto Barcode where by the stroke of midnight, Mr Green turned 40, right before our very eyes. And he doesn't look a day over 21 :) Also of note, people who compliment me out of the blue do indeed, as they say, rock.
‹ 27.9.01
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A word or two about Davids. Growing up back home, I was basically the only David I knew, barring my Uncle Dave of course. My sister knew a couple. I was the only one of my friends with the name. I guess it had just fallen out of common use in New Zealand.
But in England ... ahh, it's a different matter entirely. Multiple Daves and Davids appear to have sprung forth from Britannia's bountiful loins. Consider the following: around fifteen people work in our immediate group at Ignite, including David, David, David, David (who only counts as a half because he uses his middle name Nigel), and this Dave. Strange.
And then there's the following: David, Dave, David and this Dave again. As Dave commented recently, we are indeed many. I'm beginning to understand why people feel the need to call me "Davo".
‹ 25.9.01
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Who Wants To Be A Millionaire: The Animated Series? I really don't think children should be exposed to this ... it's just creepy somehow. Fingers crossed for the non-appearance of Tarrant's constantly gurning mug. And while we're on the topic, WWTBAM in Spanish was mildly entertaining for reasons I can't quite determine ("Look, they're doing it in Spanish!"). However, 50,000,000 is always going to sound better than 1,000,000, right?
[via newsfilter]
‹ 25.9.01
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The similarities are eerie: Go visit Nick and tell me he's not onto something here.
‹ 25.9.01
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Recently on Sickboy's Pocket Cinema: Edward Scissorhands and Carry On Camping.
‹ 25.9.01
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Another satisfying weekend tucked under my belt: there's now less than thirty of them left before I depart these fair shores so there's no time to waste! Friday was to St. Reatham to see A.I. with Iain - I actually liked it quite a lot, the whole thing seeming to work together a lot more than others had led me to believe. Saturday saw a truly face-filling nosh session at Belgo in Convent Garden. Not being a fan of mussels, I thought I'd have some chicken. You want chicken? You have to have a half a chicken. Bloat. And to round off the weekend, a nice chilled afternoon using up old liqueur and watching Sigourney Weaver smoke seven shades out of nasty biting things with Catherine, Luke, Paul, Robyn and Tom. Laahhverrrlee.
‹ 25.9.01
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I've decided the audio gods are definitely conspiring against me. From a sign posted in the upstairs café at work: "Come and celebrate THE WORLD OF MUSICAL THEATRE in this restaurant, next Thursday." Temporal lobes atrophying ... powerless to stop ...
‹ 22.9.01
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How very odd: random theorising about the presence of a pohutakawa in Spain leads to speculation that the Spanish may have "discovered" New Zealand before the Dutch and British. A nice thought but a bit hoary methinks. And now, a picture of that spectacular looking tree, in full bloom (they don't call it the New Zealand Christmas tree for nothing).
[via malpractice]
‹ 22.9.01
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"A charity version of Sister Sledge's hit We Are Family, recorded by Diana Ross, Run DMC, Dionne Warwick, Sheryl Crowe and Charlotte Church, is to be released, according to reports." [report]. I think my eardrums just melted in advance. I think that's wise.
‹ 21.9.01
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Vying for the title of site with the highest Uselessness-To-Enjoyment Factor: Virtual Bubble Wrap.
‹ 21.9.01
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When bad things happen in big cities, you tend automatically to think about small countries on the other side of the planet and whether or not you should be there at this particular point in time. I was racking my brains for terrorist incidents at home and could only vaguely recollect a bomb going off in a Government building in the early 1980s. I don't even think anyone was hurt.
What I'd completely forgotten about was the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in 1985. How could I have skipped over that? Sheesh. Anyway, go read about it if you had the time. One person died. It wasn't perpetrated by faceless radicals. It was ordered by the French Government. It too was an event that changed a nation.
‹ 21.9.01
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ickle.org: A few of Julie Andrews' favourite things. [NB: ickle.org was picked up as Today's Link in msn.com's Daily Diversions section, under the heading "Take a three-minute break and learn something new" - colour me chuffed!]
‹ 19.9.01
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I let out a big sigh over the weekend ... it's nice to be reminded that there's still happiness and love and sanity in the world. My old high school chum Kyla married her long-time beau Elliot on Saturday at the Westminster Registry office - and she wore orange! And looked absolutely stunning and fantastic, as she always does. A small ceremony (with the mums who had flown over especially), with the promise of a larger do on their eventual return to New Zealand [photos here].
The "breakfast" was at The Quiet Revolution in Marylebone - a small, organic cafe with a great range of food at really good prices. Check it out sometime. So much tasty nosh was gobbled and much tasty champagne quaffed. And then a brisk stroll around Regent's Park. The happy couple went for a bit of a row. Or rather, convinced one of the other guests to row them round in the middle of the pond for a bit. Cue photo opportunity.
Tracy and Mike had a farewell bash later that evening: they're back home to New Zealand for a few months before coming back to Ireland for a bit more working. New York was on the itinerary. The bright lights of Las Vegas have taken its place. The beer and chatter flowed freely and late into the night: how invigorating it was to be around a lot of people again! And what a release to let go for a while ... to reverse your recent lifestyle of relative solitude, hunched over a keyboard until the small hours of each morning, desperate to stop filling your brain with still more information yet feeling powerless to cease.
So, a weekend of fine food, fine wine and fine company. There's little more I can ask for really.
‹ 17.9.01
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Today is a Day Of Silence.
‹ 16.9.01
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"The chief weapon of the sea pirates, however, was their capacity to astonish. Nobody else could believe, until it was much too late, how heartless and greedy they were."
Kurt Vonnegut, Breakfast of Champions.
‹ 13.9.01
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Still in a state of unrequited disbelief. This picture says it all. That's from the excellent ongoing MetaFilter thread - go read it now. Further incredible pictures at Yahoo.
‹ 12.9.01
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Absolutely unbelievable. I am quite dumbfounded over the events which have just transpired in New York, Washington and along the States' eastern seaboard - what can you say about something like that that doesn't sound trite? Best wishes and support to Ralph and the American crew for the inevitable tough times ahead - we're thinking of you. Andy/Bertie/Choire/Dan also report.
‹ 12.9.01
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While I was in post-holiday laze mode late last week, Tom and I went to see Moulin Rouge. It's an enjoyable frenetic sensory rollercoaster ride to be sure (sometimes a little too so), but by the end I hadn't been convinced about the whole reworking contemporary songs into nineteenth century Paris thing. The novelty worked for a while but it wore off pretty fast (with the notable exception of "Like A Virgin" which was utterly hilarious). The leads sung competently but I really don't buy Nicole Kidman in romantic roles: she'd do better sticking to the edgier stuff (Dead Calm, To Die For, BMX Bandits). A spectacular spectacular most defintely but one that left me feeling a little hollow by the end.
‹ 12.9.01
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Things we like about Barcelona #2: Antoni Gaudí
Señor Gaudí's modernist influence is felt everywhere in Barcelona, but two specific buildings stood out for me - the Sagrada Familia and La Pedrera. The former is quite simply the coolest church ever created. Well, ever half created. It won't be finished until long after most of us have shuffled off this mortal coil I'd imagine: a central spire at least half as tall as the existing ones is still to be built. Topped by a search beam emitting cross.
La Pedrera has to be the coolest apartment building ever created (people tend to use superlatives when talking about this man) - like some deity took a large sheet of clay and wrapped and folded it around a regular block of flats. Two large atria dominate the centre of the building but the real focus is the roof: fantastic totems dominate the skyline and a winding path takes you up, down, around and between them.
They're trying making him a saint you know. Too bloody right.
‹ 12.9.01
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Some people having amusing surnames. Journalists like these people because they allow them to write amusing yet legitimate headlines. I will never be a journalist's friend: the worst surname-related thing anyone ever called me was Peanut and that's not really so bad.
‹ 11.9.01
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Run, don't walk, to your nearest picture house and catch the fantastic Hedwig And The Angry Inch (audio shunners beware) while you can. It's one of the very few movies that's been released this year that I'd like to see again [excellent review by David here]. You will learn a lot from this movie. You will learn that one can play in household cooking appliances. You will learn creative trail-finding uses for confectionery. You will learn the timeless beauty of Farrah Fawcett's windswept do. You will learn that East German tranny rock stars look remarkably like Juliette Lewis. And while we're on her (metaphorically, thank goodness), what's up with that Gap ad?
‹ 11.9.01
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ickle.org: It's French for crack (oh, you'd best be checking the Archive too for recent tasty tidbits you may have missed).
‹ 11.9.01
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Things we like about Barcelona #1: The Metro
Fast, cheap, efficient public transport is always a boon to city strangers and the Metro had all of those things. And roomy carriages (which were vaguely box-like in a freight train fashion, but no matter). And a little LED display above the doors that ticked off the stations as you passed through them. Oh, and funky station names like Urquinaona (voweltastico!), Pubilla Cases (STI clinic?) and Alfons X (Malcom's cousin?). And the best thing of all? Air conditioning as standard. God bless our sensible Spanish cousins.
‹ 11.9.01
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Honey, I'm home! Barcelona was fantastic ... the ensuing delay in posting was due to a state of abject sloth, and a very enjoyable one at that. More on the trip to follow shortly.
‹ 10.9.01
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