Toyota Smug

Someone I know bought himself a Toyota Smug, sorry Prius last year, in the hope of saving himself a few quid on road tax. He often wax's lyrical about how great it is to get 60 miles to the gallon (around about the same as a VW Golf Diesel, i have been told) and of course how he is doing his bit for global warming (yawn)

Imagine my amusement, when yesterday he rang in to say his 'Smug' wouldn't start, and he had to take a day off to try and fix it! He has basically paid 23k for an ornament sat outside his house!

Of course, the irony is, is that by charging up his batteries, he will now be contributing to global warming, so he might as well have flown around the world a few times or helped China build another coal powered power station :-)

I offered him my clapped out Megan for 2k, as at least this starts sometimes! He is still considering this generous offer....

BABel

I watched Babel last night, with Brad Pitt and Kate Blanchet, well obviously, they didn't come around to my house to watch it with me, they are in the film. Glad we cleared that up :-)

I decided to watch it, because it had got loads of good reviews. Was I watching the same film? It was an utter load of pants!

The film maker had obviously tried to be clever, and inter-weave lots of seemingly different stories. He failed miserably if you ask me. The title, Babel, infers some kind of translation theme. So we have the Morrocan family, the Mexican child minder, the deaf mute Japanese girls and US tourists.

Spoilers follow.....so dont read on if you plan on wasting your cash....

Here are some questions that I have about the film. Im sure I must have missed some point somewhere, so help me out

1. What was the point of making the Japanese girls deaf and mute? As I see it, the film would have worked just as well if they weren't?

2. What did the Japanese girl write on the note to the policeman?

3. What was the point of the Morrocan lad tugging himself off after looking at his sister? How did this incest sub plot further the main plot?

4. What was the point (again!) of the Mexican woman, Aunty Amelia, getting a snog off that Mexican guy who had lost his wife 10 years earlier?

Im sure there are lots of other 'What was the Point' questions, but these will do for now.

Film Fest

Watched quite a few films recently. I have seen In Persuit of Happyness, with Will Smith and his son, which is a great feel good film. I think it will probably win an Oscar.

Saw Rocky 6 the other night, which is ok, but I don't think it will win any Oscars! Its a bit slow, then has the usually 'slug-a-thon' at the end

Last night I watched Eragon, a fantasy type film (not *that* type of fantasy Mr Goatse!) which was surprisingly good I thought

Anyone got any other suggestions for good films??

Skiing

Well this time next week I'll be in Malvern. We're going for a pre-ski curry. I really can't wait! me and Mike fly out to Geneva on the Saturday, and meet up with the Mark L and Paul S before getting the bus to to the resort.

Im going to try and do more snow boarding this year, although i am taking my ski's too. The snow report says the conditions are excellent.

I will try and find an internet cafe and post pics...

Online Petition

Over one million people have signed an online petition on the Downing Street website to call for a scrapping of the proposed 'pay-as-you-drive' scheme.

Do you really think that Bluergh will listen to the people he was elected to serve? Did he listen to the millions of people that took to the street to protest about the war in Iraq?

Number 10 says that doing nothing would lead to a 25% increase in congestion "in less than a decade". How do they know? Did they just make that figure up?

Lets not forget this is the same Number 10 that spewed bogus facts and figures about weapons of mass destruction!

I have no doubt that pay as you drive will be implemented at the speed of light, with no regard for the wishes of the great unwashed who dare to sign an online petition.

A Round Up

All set for the skiing now - I have started to pack a few things already! However, the weather in this country recently means I could have probably taken my ski's up the Malvern Hills! Seems the snow has been quite thick up there...

The weather here in Lincoln has been pretty miserable really. I was hoping to be snowed in, but its just been raining. Its frustrating this weekend too, because its raining again (and cold) which means I wont be able to get the final course of bricks on the gable end, which in turn is holding up the roof going on...I'll just have to have some patience, something which I don't really have a lot of!

After the skiing, me and Mike are off to see Nine Inch Nails - can't wait for that either

Bit of a shocker about Anna Nicole Smith dying this week. Well, it was quite a shock for me, but I imagine it was an even bigger one for her :-) Now we see the shite hawks in her life coming out of the woodwork to pick over her estate. It will be interesting to watch proceedings I reckon...

Anyway, I'll write more soon, have been very busy at work at the moment.

Is it Just Me....

...or is the new version of Blogger utterly rubbish? I havent switched to it yet. It claims to be more reliable, but of numerous occaisons I have been unable to view blogs under the 'blogger'. I have had no such problems with the 'old, less reliable' version :-)

Anyone else noticed this?