demoneyes_phil

Amidst the fuss over the announcement of the Doctor's new companion, I think we can only be grateful (if possibly surprised) that they actually made the decision themselves and didn't turn the process into an 8 week reality TV show as with the recent "Maria" and "Joseph" casting series...

Or maybe that's scheduled for next year?

Presumably they'd call it something like "You want me to travel with WHO?"...

(Sorry!)

From the BBC website:

And the Ukrainian [Eurovision song contest] entrant was accused of slipping in a reference to the 2005 Orange Revolution by using the phrase: "Russia goodbye".

It later transpired the artist, a drag queen called Verka Serdyuchka, was singing "condensed milk" in Mongolian.

Definitely... :)

One of my colleagues has somehow broken the F key on his laptop.

As in the actual key top has come off, and won't snap back on because he's broken one of the little clips which holds it on.

As you can imagine, there's been much amusement and speculation as to why he's (obviously) been hitting the F key so hard or frequently of late!

(Though he has been using Microsoft Project a lot over the last few days so it's quite understandable I guess...)

Back from Hamburg, had a simply marvellous time partying and just hanging out with friends at and after Katy and SMac's wedding celebration. Suspect we will be heading back to Hamburg sometime next year for sightseeing, shopping (Lissa in the Christmas market is a scary sight!) and more time with good friends. Was really lovely to get a chance to party with friends we don't see nearly often enough (especially Erica who we haven't seen in *way* too long).

Warmest congratulations and many thanks for a wonderful party and post-party to Katy and Steve. Special thanks to Rika for the reassuring we-have-someone-who-can-understand-the-natives-with-us presence! And extra-special thanks to Jenny for heroic child-wrangling services!!

Fuller report tonight maybe (once free of firewall upload limits), and I'll see if I can do something about uploading pictures.

... or has LJ suddenly disabled the ability to mouse-select blocks of text to copy/delete etc?

Or has some setting weirdly got changed, and if so where?

Saw this in Forbidden Planet today. See this book cover?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0671578189/ref=sib_dp_top_fc/102-5656095-4893732?ie=UTF8&p=S001#reader-link

[Not a bad book actually - I read it and it's sequel on the CD that came with Windrider's Oath. Baen are cool!]

See the quote from Publisher's weekly right up there on the front?

"This surely shouldn't, and probably won't, be Cassian and Adele's last adventure together."

Unless my memory has failed me completely, not only won't it be their last adventure together, it won't be their *first* adventure together either - the hero's name is Daniel...

When blowing up a speed camera with thermite, best not to park your can in full view of said camera. Otherwise the explosion may set off the camera capturing a lovely picture of your vehicle and its registration plates which the blast may then fail to destroy, leaving you well-nicked laddie! LoL!

Don't know if link will work unregistered but:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,29389-2306283,00.html

Somewhat to our surprise, the cinema was packed and the only seats we could get were right at the front which was annoying. Really just a bit too close/low down to make it comfortable - more so than I remember from being in front rows in my younger days - wonder if they're packed closer now?

Film was sadly a tad uninspiring. Some great stunts, wonderful SFX and occasional gems of dialogue - plus a great in-joke for those who remember Monkey Island! - but the plot, which face it didn't need to be much, didn't even manage that, being horribly incoherent and fragmented for the first half of the film. And whilst Capn Jack was on good form as ever, Orlando Bloom's character seemed to have lost the wide-eyed heroic innocence and unrequited love of the first film whilst not managing to replace them with anything.

And whilst one expects characters to reappear in a sequel, this one did seem a little obsessive about it!

Was still fun though. And whilst I'd read several people grumble about its not having an ending, I didn't find this particularly jarring. Sure, it doesn't resolve the story, but it stops at a suitable dramatic point - Empire Strikes Back would not be an unfair comparison I suppose.

Sunday, Lissa took the kids down to her mum's whilst I finally tackled the kitchen redecoration. The extension had meant a new ceiling, wall & bricking up a window, so there was lots of bare (and rough) plaster that needed some serious attention - it's needed it for months, but upstairs had had priority plus it was too messy a job to fit in easily for somewhere as much used as the kitchen. However, decided this was a chance to go for it, and several hour's hard work & *lots* of of dust later, the worst of the powersanding/filling is done & a good start made on the priming (just the ceiling to do). And hopefully the rest (which shouldn't make nearly as much mess) should now be easier to get done. Hurrah. But I bet I ache tomorrow!