Between stations

[kneeshooter]

This is probably as good a time as I'll get to catch up on stuff, so I'd best grab it and scribble. Some of this I've already written about, but just think of it as deja vu.

It seems like forever since I last properly updated, but I'm sure it isn't so I'll just skip back a week or so. At the start of last week I was in London for a conference that could have convinced the most pro-European that the EU is a waste of money. This wasn't actually EU funded but was about EU collaboration and was 24 hours of well meaning but ulimatley pretty pointless chatter. Still, a new experience.

Then, instead of working like I should have I popped down to my parents to attach an external HD to my dad's PC. Technical support there is always a pleasure - as I have to do it with a minimum of gear to hand, but at least they now have broadband. Needless to say I attached the drive and it prompltly broke. I cancelled my evening plans, got slowly less and less sane and then gave up.

Wednesday was back to Birmingham quite promptly, worked all day on the pre-Whitby tasks, missed KMFDM and finished at 4am. Joy of joys. Thursday I got up, did a little more tidying up of my depressingly incoherent prose, then got to berrega early afternoon. Off we went to the frozen North, to be confronted by rather mild and pleasant weather.

Elsinore on Thursday, shopping and Spa on Friday (700 photos), Scarborough and Sealife Centre (200 photos) followed by Spa (800 photos) on Saturday, picnic in the rain at the Abbey and Football on Sunday (300 photos) ending at the 80s night. Monday was home and curry.

All in all my Whitby was good, but if I'd not been taking photos I wonder how much fun the spa nights would be. The days were great, very relaxing and dare I say it a holiday. Company excellent, so not really sure what I would improve (other than my sports photography skills). As to the bands...

The Modern - Good, have come a long way since I saw them last
Katscan - Not bad, I wasn't terribly engaged but would try them again
Mechanical Cabaret - See above
Doctor and the Medics - Tongue in cheek fun. I smiled for most of it and when the joke wore off towards the end - went to find someone interesting to talk to.

Neon Zoo - I'm told they're lovely guys, but musically I didn't rate them at all.
DeathBoy - Much better than last time I saw them and looked so cute in their matching outfits. I did however get quite annoyed with the pushy videocameraman who was muscling his way through the crowd without giving a damn about people who paid money to be there.
Rico - Again, better than last time. He does come across as trying a little too hard at times though.
NFD - Pretty enjoyable, even if they would probably have pleased the crowd more if they had only played Nephilim covers.

Tuesday morning I got up and got on a train to Southampton to work while watching my dad's PC reinstall. I started at about 1pm and finished about 2:30am in time to get 4 hours sleep before off to London for another meeting and now I'm nearly home.

Tonight I'm going to watch Rome Episode 1 again (up to 9 on the downloads) to see how much the BBC cut, especially as its just-after-watershed and the recent Pulp Fiction complaints; then Lost; then more Lost if I last.

Plus I need to attack the massive photobacklog I have. Starting with someone's wedding.

Comments

[ikkleblacktruck.livejournal.com]

So is Rome a BBC production that was shown over the pond first? Sky showed the SG-1 burning scenes over and over in their full glory before the watershed and that was pretty horrific, I thought. And listening to Radio 1 (not by choice, I might add), the music they play makes Relax sound like a children's lullaby. Obviously I'm getting far too old.

I shall be watching Rome, anyway, after Atlantis - unless someone texts me to get online and play... (I've missed Lost entirely, is it worth asking for the DVDs for Xmas? I heard it was really good, but also that it wasn't as good as it was made out to be, so I put my trust in your opinion.)

[kneeshooter]

Rome is a combined BBC/HBO production - and HBO showed it in the US first. The satellite/cable channels seem to get away with a lot more than the terrestrial broadcasters.

Lost is OK - I find it quite interesting and engaging, but the pace is a bit variable and you get the impression the writers haven't actually got a clue where they're taking the story and are having a laugh at the theorists.

[ikkleblacktruck.livejournal.com]

Rome seemed pretty explicit to me. Did they cut anything? I feel sorry for viewers with no knowledge of Roman history the way it jumps about though.

[kneeshooter]

Seemed uncut to me.

[ikkleblacktruck.livejournal.com]

Is it true about the goat next week?

[toxicpixie.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping Rome is going to be good... Lost leaves me a little cold; it's engaging enough but nothing to write home about.

That said, my mothers a big fan...

Nathan, the Toxic Pixie

[godgirl.livejournal.com]

you mean rome has been shown elsewhere before?

how many episodes are there?

*worried*

i dont know if i can keep up with the confusing plotlines....

and no loo breaks for weeks on end.

[kneeshooter]

I think there'll be a full US series (~20) but I'm not sure. The US is 8 episodes ahead of us, so I've been downloading them.

[godgirl.livejournal.com]

pete has warned of some particular vigilance which which legal departments at hbo are monitoring downloads of this, to protect their financial interests in syndication naturally.

be careful.

and then copy them to dvd/vcd and post them to us!

;o)

[(Anonymous)]

What're you doing next Thursday (17th) Fancy adding to the backlog shooting some very very early stages youf bands with no lighting to speak of at all...

[kneeshooter]

Depends on who and where - maybe. Who are you, mysterious visitor?