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Monday, October 30, 2006

I don't understand this thing about the hour changing back to GMT for the benefit of agricultural workers. Can't these sons of soil just swing the pail a little earlier? It's not as if the cows would be waiting, hoof-tapping: "didn't we say 6.17?"

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Friday, October 27, 2006

I thought I'd take a break from Texas high school football tonight and watch Tin Cup, the Kevin Costner golf film.

It's only set in West Texas.

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My man Captain Broadchurch brings these photos of the University of Texas at Austin to my attention.









I am shaking with longing.

I think it would take about ten years to retrain as an academic. Then, the Lone Star state.

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You don't like Bob Dylan, right? You think he's an overrated old bore?

Well, I would agree with you. But hold up - check out this little gem:



He was at least partially responsible for that: he can't be all bad.

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What's your favourite book?

Hmm... Friday Night Lights, probably.

Right, right. Been meaning to read that. What's your favourite film?

Probably Friday Night Lights.

OK... Fine. And your favourite TV programme?


Oh at the moment? That'd be Friday Night Lights.

Like American football, do you?

Never seen a game. Has anyone pulled off the pocket-catch yet?


I overstate it, of course, but it seems like it's really hard to fuck up stories about small town, Republican, God-fearing, American jocks. Each version plays to the strength of its medium. The book is good on the socio-economics. The film is possibly the weakest of the three, but it features a great performance from Billy Bob Thornton (I've warmed to him considerably) and the DVD has a documentary which catches up with the original kids. The television series is my new favourite thing: it lives in the spirit of the thing, rather than the actual events, and allows its characters space. The cynical British viewer may find it a bit hokey, and be put off by the toasts to Texas and God; but cynicism can get boring after a while.


Jocks: beautiful

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Another middle-aged journalist self-consciously says "blog".

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Thursday, October 26, 2006

I'll be watching this tonight.



I see the MPAA have rated it PG-13 for "thematic issues, sexual content, language, some teen drinking and rough sports action".

Cool!

UPDATE!
Best. Film. Ever.

UPDATE 2! Not really. Quite good though.

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Monday, October 23, 2006

Damn it! Marty got there first.

'The real Elephant in the Room at the moment is why does everyone seem to say "The Elephant in the Room" all the time and nobody touched the phrase a year or so ago?'

I've been meaning to mention this for ages, though my point was slightly different. Now the phrase "the elephant in the room" has become so common (for some reason), it is surely just a matter of time before some wag coins an alliterative variation like "the pachyderm in the parlour".

Aha! It's already happened. Two so far. I'll be monitoring the situation.

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I've been watching the most recent series of the American version of The Office; it's really good, you should get on it - you could in good faith prefer it to the original.

Perhaps the same team could take over Extras too. Christ, what a wreck that second series was.

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Sunday, October 22, 2006

I went to an Aussie Rules match yesterday at the Oval; unfortunately Port Adelaide couldn't quite rein in Geelong. It's a much better game than either of the rugby codes: we saw three streakers and a half-dozen fights. Also, each teams came on to its club song - Geelong's was fun, Adelaide's a little fascist.

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Saturday, October 21, 2006

This was the moment that I stopped hating Connie and started to hope she'd win How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?

Topical!

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Friday, October 20, 2006

The Stair Heel Slide

Save this maneuvre for the final step from a descending staircase. The penultimate stair is taken normally, with the left foot (say - lefts/rights may be reversed). The right foot then comes down on to the final step - but, crucially, the toes and ball of the foot are allowed to overhang the edge. Traditionally one would now use one's left foot to step of the stairs and normal walking would resume, with the right taking the first horizontal step. However, in this instance we are not interested in the orthodox. Instead of taking another step, allow your right root to slide off the last stair and on to the ground. Walking can then continue, left foot first. You've just done the Stair Heel Slide.

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Are you familiar with the "rat king"?

There is a related, less icky, phenomenon: the tangling of shirts in a washing machine.

I give you, the shirt king:


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Monday, October 09, 2006

The corridors around my office are being redecorated.

I like the smell of wet paint: it is the smell of eager young newly weds, of new starts, and of cleaned-up crime scenes.

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