cheekbones3

For the first time in a long time, I was hugely impressed by a telly programme last night. These days, I've all but given up on watching anything but the odd quiz show, a bit of sport and the news, but I happened to catch Frozen Planet last night.

I suppose it helps having a large-screen stereo telly for the first time ever (welcome to the 90s at last), but I can't remember the last time I sat and watched open-mouthed and smiling as I was constantly impressed by the amazing stuff I was being shown.

Highlights include the ice caves under Mount Erebus, the pods of orcas washing seals off ice floes, and the Greenland meltwater rivers - oh to have a go on one of those in a rubber ring! Well, as long as I could get off before the water goes down the mile-deep hole.

As an aside - a mile-deep hole leading to the bottom of a glacier - wouldn't that be great for disposing of bodies? :)

On a related theme - there's an image of the day from the British Antarctic Survey posted here ( www.antarctica.ac.uk/images/daily/image.php) which has some stunning pictures. And some quite dull ones too, but the good ones are worth it.

Current Mood: working
Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/479298.html

This is a piece by Simon Varey, University of Melbourne, reproduced from "The Reasoner", vol.5, issue 10.

I was amused, so I thought I'd give you the pleasure too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In 1995, Alanis Morissette released the song “Ironic”. Little did she suspect she would be walking into a semantic minefield. The song proved to be a lightning rod for those pedants who had long been railing against what they saw as rampant misuse of the term ‘ironic’ in popular discourse. For comedians, possessed as they are with a heightened sense of irony, it proved a potent source of humour. What could be more ironic, they asked, than a song called “Ironic” being completely devoid of irony.

But is “Ironic” ironic, or isn’t it? ( Ironic philosophy within... )

Current Mood: awake
Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/478981.html

Courtesy of Andy Wilson at The Guardian:

Rangi Chase, Castleford v Leeds, Challenge Cup Semi-Final:

Joel Tomkins, Wigan v Leeds, Challenge Cup Final:

Rob Burrow's brilliance (30s, 2m40), Leeds v St Helens, Grand Final:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/15234380.stm

(A shame these highlights don't illustrate Leeds being battered out of the game for the middle third of it)

David Mead, Cronulla v Gold Coast, NRL:

This one is absurd!

Shaun Johnson's brilliance, NZ Warriors v Brisbane, and v Melbourne, NRL:

I can't wait for next season, I suppose Scotland v Ireland this weekend might live up to these?

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/478909.html

I just discovered that Bournvita isn't sold in the UK any more. Not since 2008 in fact. No wonder I couldn't find it in the shops!

I wonder if any import shops stock it...

Some bloody thing bit or stung me on the thumb tonight in the pub. It bloody hurts! If I'm dead or missing an arm in the morning you'll know why. Just wish I'd seen what it was!

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/478526.html

In other news, I don't appear to bne having much luck with embedding videos in my posts. Anyone any idea why?

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/478303.html

#2 - In The Army Now - Status Quo

A 1986 #2 hit for Status Quo, their biggest since 1980 and only once beaten by them in 1973, it was (as far as I can tell) the first time they'd done something that sounded different in a good fifteen years.

If I'm honest, it's a pretty dull song about being a squaddie, but it's got an atmosphere about it, and I've always quite liked it. Its enduring popularity was demonstrated by its re-recording in 2010 for charity, mind you, #31 shows it's not that popular really.

Rumours are that Noddy Holder makes a cameo appearance too. See if you think it sounds like him.

As for the original...

The Dutch duo Bolland and Bolland wrote and performed this song originally in 1981. It's an odd synth-led pastiche (complete with Kellie Marie-style boops) of Vangelis, Focus, and the noodlings of a jaded disco producer, and gives the impression that they're not certain whether they should rock out or sway gently in an 80s haze of dry ice. The machine gun firing in the foreground isn't at all lame though.

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/478061.html

Ah, the equinoz isn't until tomorrow morning. Not quite lost Summer yet...

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/477826.html

#1 - Step On - Happy Mondays

This was the song that announced the Happy Mondays to the world in a bigger way than pretty much anything else they did. Released in 1990, it hit #5 in the UK, and also became a minor hit in the USA, quite surprising for a band of this ilk.

If nothing else, it's remembered for the somewhat obscure (for us non-Mancunians, and maybe for them too) lyrics about twisting melons. I have always assumed that it means "you're talking shite", although this has never been confirmed, and the melons I assume to be probably testicular references.

As for the original, it hit #4 in 1970 when recorded (and written) by the South African chappie John Kongos, whose chart career was pretty short-lived. It's got quite a groove to it, a bit of a tribal feel to the percussion, and is a little faster than the Mondays' version. On balance, as with most things, the original is better, although definitely shows its age. It almost sounds like a live recording, there's a lot going on instrumentally, and the backing vocals/harmonies follow pretty tightly to the lead, almost suggesting multi-tracking.

Current Music: Hale and Pace and the Stonkers - The Stonk
Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/477283.html

The car is in hostipal until next week (can has lottery win?), and my nexk is spazzing quite happily today, but the cake I made for our monthly cake meeting seemed to go down well.

It was iced orange cake (without much orange) due to only orange juice being available. Due also to a leaving dinner, I'm now incubating a food baby.

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/477140.html

Right then, since I've been remiss in blog updates like everyone else it seems (apart from

andrewducker of course), it's time for a stream of consciousness. Ish.

Summer has gone (since 2009 at least I think) and Autumn is very much here in a blowy sort of style. It's one of those years where I never got round to seeing anything in the Festival, even though I quite fancied it - I feel pretty busy in general I suppose.

Had fun at a wedding in Dalavich at the weekend, it luckily stopped raining perfectly in time for the outdoor ceremony, and then there was a pretty long ceilidh with a deadly strip the willow. The wedding of course was of Liza and Oliver, and was nice.

Work involved waste now rather than planning, appropriate for the civil service? I shouldn't propagate such ideas, it's bad enough having to put up with such shite off politicians!

The new (ish) kitchen still isn't tiled. Since the car's bills all come up this month, this still isn't a priority, maybe November?

Erm, still various other irons in the fire, still not very good at making websites (after getting onto Wordpress for such a purpose as recommended, I'm now told that it's more of a blogging tool than anything else, meh).

Korfball restarts soon (woo) too, anyone fancy playing? We're at a new venue at last.

On that score, I need to do much more training, my kegs are telling me I'm porky. Erk!

Will that do?

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/476910.html

I am now aware that the standard depression out in the Atlantic is what used to be called Irene, and the sub-depression that's developing on its southeast side (and will be somewhere over my head)(actually, can a depression be over my head, that's a bit of an oxymoronic concept?), will most likely be somewhat endampening to my person.

Hmm, boots with the suit then?

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/476587.html

Is anyone able to provide the means to transfer two 3-metre metal poles across town for me? Either with a van or roof-rack or something I've not thought of?

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/476353.html

So, sitting in the pub last night, BBC News is on the telly in the background with subtitles turned on.

They were live subtitles, which created the following excerpt when talking about the hurricane (I paraphrase a bit:

"...the view from space of this monster's dong..."

Oh shit, Godzilla's on the prowl and he's horny!

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/476045.html

Apparently my new glasses are being shipped from Italy. No wonder they're taking weeks instead of days to arrive.

Crossposts: http://cheekbones3.livejournal.com/475817.html

I wonder if graphene will eventually become valuable enough to divert carbon dioxide from capture and storage into harvesting instead. Admittedly it would have to get bloody valuable.

Second practical consequence: hand-pulled ale becoming much cheaper than fizzy beer.

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I blame Murdoch. This is about the only thing that could have got his lot off the front pages. That and the world economy heading into the septic tank again.

Conversely, it could be eminently sensible people; "I'm pissed off with the police, so I'm going to smash some windows and get a new telly!"