192 - Break

 Got other things I need to do that are rather more important that this waffle, so I won't be posting for a little while. 

I'm on a break...

191 - Hundred

 So,  mentioned a while back about starting to watch the occasional bit of cricket during the pandemic era... and I expect I will continue to do so, and maybe actually get around to watching a match or two.

And apparently there's a new format of the game coming, based around each team having a limited number of bowls per innings - 100. 

Now, call me a cynic, but I can't see the point of this at all. Whilst I can understand why someone might not want to watch a match lasting five days ending in a draw, I can't see the need for a 100 bowls per side match.

I mean, there's already the T20 matches, where 20 overs - a total of 120 bowls - are played per side. Are there really any people out there who will be thinking "Oh, I couldn't sit through 120 a side, but 100... yeah, that sounds fine."

It just seems superfluous. 

And there's also even shorter formats anyway; there are tournaments with 60 bowls a side. 10 overs. The ones I've seen of these are quite exciting; proper attacking play.

Oh, and that's another thing; this hundred thing is doing away with 6 bowl overs and are having some kind of 10 bowl equivalent. 

Hmm. I dunno...

190 - Jolene

 So, every time I happen to hear Jolene, by Dolly Parton, on the radio - whether this is on Radio 2 or Greatest Hits Radio - I can't help but have the same feeling...

She begging Jolene not to take her man... but surely she should be saying the opposite. Go ahead, Jolene, take my man. But bear in mind that if he's cheated on me with you, he'll probably cheat on you, too. 

And if "her man" is going to cheat on her with Jolene, surely she deserves someone better than him, someone who won't cheat on her and appreciate her for how great she is. 

I dunno...

189 - Angry

 I think that's my word of the day. 

Angry.

Maybe one day I'll tell you why...

But that day is not today.

Sorry.

188 - Vaccine

 So, today's the day when people of my age become eligible to book a Covid-19 vaccine; but I gather the demand has been rather high. I tried to book, but the only locations it showed me were 20+ miles away, and I know there are places a lot closer than that. 

I guess I'll keep on going back to the website to see what pops up, as I'm told that's what you need to do as locations showing fluctuate. Why it can't just show you all the locations close to you, I don't know. It could just say "no available slots - try again" for those close, but unavailable. 

I dunno. 

Still, the time approaches. I won't feel close to being safe until about four weeks after my second shot, though; as I understand it that's when your body's built up the maximum protection it's going to get. 

And I want to feel safer again. 

It can't all go on forever. Something's got to give. 

187 - Rocky

 Flicking through the channels, I see ITV4 is showing Rocky 3. So, being a massive sucker for the Rocky film, of course I watch. 

This is despite the fact it's only in SD, has a flippin' DOG in the top left corner, and has adverts. And yet, just over to my side is a Blu-Ray boxset of six of the Rocky films that I could put on instead...

There's no logic, 

Like I say, I do adore the Rocky films. I had a binge of them last year, one a week over eight weeks, with my son (who was seeing all of them for the first time), and it is a glorious series of movies.

Of course, the first of them is the best. Goes without saying. But the rest are all damn great movies, too. Yes. All of them. Even that one you're going to cite as being a bit rubbish. It's not. It's great. Fine. You disagree. But you're wrong, and you're a grotesquely ugly freak. 

Yes, Rocky 4 doesn't have a second act. 

Yes, there's not a proper fight in Rocky 5. 

Yes, Rocky should be waaaaaaaay too old to fight in Rocky Balboa. 

But, you know what?

Absolutely NONE of that matters. 

It's a glorious series of movies. So much to love. The underdog becoming champion, becoming has been, becoming the inspiration for the next generation. You absolutely feel for Rocky across all eight movies. 

And that's one of the things that's not going to be the same when we get Creed 3; Stallone has said he's not going to be playing Rocky in it. And that's a real shame. I would at least have like to have seen a cameo from Rocky; maybe if it's even just a single scene of Rocky telling Adonis Creed that he's taken him as far as he can, and that he needs someone else to take over. A symbolic passing of the torch. HIs absence will be felt. 

Still, there is the new "director's" cut of Rocky 4 to come; hopefully they'll find that second act. 

As I watch, Rocky 3's getting very close to the point where Mickey's going to die. I would actually say that he's my favourite of all the characters across the 8 movies (I realise this may be sacrilege to some!), as Burgess Meredith is such a damn brilliant actor that I would gladly watch anything he's in. He's a brilliant Penguin in the Batman TV show, and I recall seeing him in a movie of the Steinbeck novel, Of Mice and Men as well. He just gave a brilliant performance in everything he did.

I just love these films...

 

186 - Endless

 Everything just seems to be an endless loop of repeating sameness, with only occasional divergences from the norm. I can't help but think there must be more than this, and try to work out how to get out of the loop. It's like that movie where the same thing happens every day, and the next day is the same... what was it called..? Ah, yes; A Christmas Wedding Date!

I bet you thought I was going to say that other film, didn't you?

What, Edge of Tomorrow?

I could keep on going with this, but the joke's wearing thin already. 

I never claimed to be any good at jokes. Though after telling a particularly funny one once, a friend said with humour like that I should be on the telly. It made me smile for a moment, until he added;

I could change channel...

Anyhow... how to get out of this endless loop of repeating sameness, with only occasional divergences from the norm. I can't help but think there must be more than this, and try to work out how to get out of the loop. It's like that movie where the same thing happens every day, and the next day is the same... what was it called..? Ah, yes; A Christmas Wedding Date!

I bet you thought I was going to say that other film, didn't you?

What, Edge of Tomorrow?

I could keep on going with this, but the joke's wearing thin already. 

I never claimed to be any good at jokes. Though after telling a particularly funny one once, a friend said with humour like that I should be on the telly. It made me smile for a moment, until he added;

I could change channel...

Anyhow... how to get out of this endless loop of repeating sameness, with only occasional divergences from the norm. I can't help but think there must be more than this, and try to work out how to get out of the loop. It's like that movie where the same thing happens every day, and the next day is the same... what was it called..? Ah, yes; A Christmas Wedding Date!

I bet you thought I was going to say that other film, didn't you?

What, Edge of Tomorrow?

I could keep on going with this, but the joke's wearing thin already. 

I never claimed to be any good at jokes. Though after telling a particularly funny one once, a friend said with humour like that I should be on the telly. It made me smile for a moment, until he added;

I could change channel...

Anyhow... how to get out of this endless loop of repeating sameness, with only occasional divergences from the norm. I can't help but think there must be more than this, and try to work out how to get out of the loop. It's like that movie where the same thing happens every day, and the next day is the same... what was it called..? Ah, yes; A Christmas Wedding Date!

...a white hole...???

Etc etc...

185 - Bullseye

 I do rather like these gameshow reboots that Alan Carr does - they're quite fun. Taking the originals, remixing them a bit, but keeping the essence of the orignal shows intact. 

They had a decent amount of different shows last series; hopefully it'll be similar this time around, and we'll also get a couple of shows they didn't do last time..

Part of me hopes the contestants on this one don't win the grand prize, just so Alan can get to say "Have a look at what you could have won..."

I know. 

I'm mean...

184 - RIP

 RIP Phil the Greek.

My favourite quote of his;

VIP at a local airport asked HRH: “What was your flight, like, Your Royal Highness? Philip: “Have you ever flown in a plane?” VIP: “Oh yes, sir, many times.” “Well,” said Philip, “it was just like that.”

183 - Sleepy

I feel sleepy today 

I think I may have to have an early night. Get a bit more kip. 

Normal service, etc...

182 - Needles

 The thing is, though, I can't stand needles. I know it's irrational. And even more irrational is that I know I can cope with an injection in to the upper arm (so I think I'll be okay for my two vaccination shots), but if it's anything to do with needles in to veins... no. Just no. Even the thought of it is making me shudder an wince. 

It is irrational.

It is illogical. 

But it's just the way it is, and no matter how much I try not to have a complete fear of a needle going in to a vein it persists. 

I dunno...

There must be a way to get over this irrational fear, but I don't know what it might be. I just hope it doesn't get to a crisis point at some point later in life. There must be a way. 

181 - Changing

 I just can't help but wonder how different things will be once we emerge from the other side of the pandemic. The last year or so has been just so weird, and despite the restrictions slowly, but surely, being lifted it seems the weirdness will continue at least until the end of the year, with distancing and masks and so on. 

And will we even get back to anything like normality after we get to the other side? 

We're going to end up with this as a dark cloud over our heads for a while to come. The vaccinations will help, but if we have to keep on having top ups as new strains, resistant to previous vaccines, become prevalent I can see further lockdowns in the future. 

The slow easing out of the lockdown is probably the right thing to do, as it means that as each restriction is eased we can see the impact of the easing. The opening of schools has, thankfully, not seen the increase in cases feared and the trend - new cases, deaths, hospitalisation - has continued downwards. 

Despite this, I do still have a sense of fear about the whole thing. Until I've had both my vaccine shots I still won't feel even close to being safe (and even then I'll still have worries). I worry very much that I'll end up getting it and dying, or getting the "long" variant and having symptoms lasting weeks or even months and not being able to do all the things I should be able to. 

I know it's probably irrational, but the possibility is there; people my age have been dying, and suffering with extreme symptoms. 

I dunno. 

I just want to make sure I get through this...

180 - Q

 Obviously, post #180 should be about darts in some manner, given the number's connection with the sport, but I've really got nothing to say about it. I suppose I could have talked about how great Jim Bowen was on Bullseye, and quote things like "Have a look at what you could have won..." but... it'd probably end up cliched. 

In any case...

Today came the very exciting news about the second season of Star Trek; Picard...

John de Lancie is returning as Q.

I mean, that's absolutely about the best piece of news they could have made. 

And there's a little teaser trailer for it here...

179 - Confusion

 I can't help but think about all sorts of things, and sometimes I can't help but have confusing thoughts. Thoughts that make me think one thing is both okay, and not okay, depending on how you look at an issue. There is a suggestion that being able to see, and understand, both sides of an argument is absolutely key to coming to a conclusion about it. I think that's right. 

'Cos if you can't weigh up all the options, consider all the issues. then any conclusion you may come to has the potential to be completely flawed.

And what matters isn't how you come to a correct conclusion, rather that you have come to it. 

That sounds right, doesn't it?

178 - Wrong

 So, the super hero movie marathon goes from one of the best super hero movies last week (Fantastic 4; Rise of the Silver Surfer) to one of, if not the, very worst superhero movies. 

And both are about the same heroes... ho-hum.

This is the 2105 Fantastic Four reboot - or as it is styled "Fant4stic". 

Okay. 

Right. 

Where do I start? 

My memory of this film, having on seen it the once in the cinema back in the day, was that it was, frankly, rubbish. Despite this, I went in to it with an open mind. To be fair to it, the movie starts off well, with a short sequence with Reed and Ben as very young kids which is rather fun, as Reed tries out his "teleporter" for the first time.

We flip forward a few years, and they're teenagers. This is a younger Fantastic Four than normal, but it does seem to to work. In fact, at the start of the movie I was thinking maybe I'd got things wrong about the film. I soon had that notion beaten out of me... As soon as the four get their powers the whole movie seems to fall apart. From that moment on, everything is just wrong about the movie.

The tone of the thing is all over the place, and there's none of the humour and wit you usually get with the FF. And the movie is just so dark, both in its tone and literally in the look of the thing. The four barely get to use their powers and spend far more time (when powered) apart than together. The whole thing just seems wrong. 

One of the things that the movie has received criticism for is making Johnny Storm black; to me the only people who think that's a bad idea can be described using one word. Racist. To my mind, the mistake they made was not also making Sue Storm black as well. 'Cos then they have to contrive a new backstory for the pair where Sue's been adopted. It just doesn't work. I can't help but think the studio wimped out by making this decision. 

And none of the main five cast (the four and Doom) nail the roles anything like as well as their counterparts in the preceding two films. Whether that's direction or script, I don't know (I suspect a bit from column A, a bit from column B...) I know Michael B Jordan is definitely capable of a lot better; I mean, he's great in Black Panther, and absolutely shines in the Creed films. He deserved better here.

Heck, the whole cast deserved better. 

The climax of the film - such as it is - seems to be over in the blink of an eye. The big FF V Doom fight is just getting going when it ends. And. Oh. Is that it? 

I mean, it is just so disappointing, and it's no wonder there were no more films with this cast. It's just... rubbish.  

I understand there were many behind the scenes issues during the production of the film, with extensive reshoots - including much of the climax, which would explain why it's so rushed and nonsensical, and boom... over in moments. I can't help but wonder what the original cut would have been like? My gut feeling is that the tone would still have been the same, wrong, but might at least have been a bit more cohesive. 

Still, with Disney buying Fox it now means there'll be another iteration of the FF - likely late 2023 or early 2024. Let's hope their version is closer to the previous two FF films than this one. There is some talk that John Krasinski and Emily Blunt may be Reed and Sue... could be interesting. But at least we know that this next FF film won't just be a one or two and done gig; these characters will be throughout the MCU for years to come and get the chance to shine, in the way Ioan Gruffud and so should have...

And, incidentally; Fant4stic had no Stan Lee cameo.

'Nuff said...

177 - Cows

 These cows are close.

These cows are far away.

It's all a matter of perspective. 

It's no mystery...

176 - Love

So, previously I said I'd be doing my strand of songs in the order I wrote them down on a piece of paper, as the whole point of it was that most were going to be posts I could slot in when I couldn't think of something proper an meaningful to post. But stalled at the fifth, 'cos it was going to be an epic post.

I've decided to ignore that, and skip over the songs that are going to take me linger tow write about, and go to number seven on the list. Which is a brilliant, and amazing song;

Bubblegum, by Helen Love.

And it did take a lot of umming and ahhing before deciding on this one, as there are so many great Helen Love songs. But I went for this one 'cos this was the first Helen Love song I ever heard played, as I recall, on Mark Radcliffe's Graveyard Shift show on Radio 1. 

It's a glorious slice of low-fi indie pop, and just makes me smile when I hear it;

I did toy with Punk Boy, as that would be a good counterpoint with P.U.N.K. Girl, and was a song brilliantly covered by Ash. The band, that is; not me. Though I do have a Punk Boy shirt...

But, no, this is the song. 

175 - Confusion

 In Bizarre Love Triangle there's a line that goes...

"... every day my confusion grows..."

I kinda really get that...

174 - Waiting

 I hate waiting... especially things that are out of my control. 

Yet, wait I must. And it's not like it's the first time I've had to wait for something. It seems it's almost a constant. 

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

Oh... so much waiting. 

173 - Birds

 Earlier today, just as me and my son were setting off an a walk (daily exercise, see), we both had Pokemon Go on our phones. He happened to notice that over one side of the road there were two bird Pokemon next to each other, but then realised, no... there were three bird Pokemon next to each other. 

Three birds.

Three little birds...

...and that instantly made me think of Bob Marley's best song, and that... well; don't worry, about a thing, 'cos every little thing's gonna be alright...

And that just made me laugh a moment, and smile, as there was something that cropped up not long before we left that could go in two ways; a good way and a bad way. It may be nonsense, but I took the three little birds as an omen that it will be alright...

But things, I think, are out of my hands. I just have to wait. And hope that it's gonna be alright...

172 - Sunday

 Maybe Morrissey was right. 

Maybe every day is like Sunday. 

Couldn't every day be like Saturday, instead...?

Hmm....

171 - Surfing

 So, the next of the super-hero movies is Fantastic Four; Rise of the Silver Surfer. 

This is a movie that isn't that popular, and I just don't get why. Its clearly learnt lessons from the first film, and manages to get pretty much everything right. 

What we have here is a movie that absolutely captures the flavour if its source material, and is just a damn fine fine and fun movie. It's a movie that doesn't have an ounce of flab in it at all; it gets in there, tells its story, and gets out...

And the threat here is a much greater one than the last movie; we're talking end of the world stuff here. I guess that's where we get to the one big flaw; the depiction of Galactus. He should be this huge giant of a figure towering over everyone. Instead he's a dust cloud. 

Now, I know this is apparently how Galactus is depicted in the Ultmate range of comics... still a bit naff, though. Couldn't they have had proper Galactus in the middle of the cloud, manipulating it, controlling it? That would have been more satisfying. 

But, really, that's the only proper negative thing about the film as otherwise it's a damn fine movie. The core cast playing the four are absolutely spot on, and there is real chemistry between them. The script is witty, and has some great gags; I love the power swapping sequences. They're handled really well. 

And we do get a proper threat to defeat in this movie; even though in the end it's the Surfer who saves the day, rather than the Four. But that doesn't really matter, as the movie is as much his as it is theirs. 

It really is a shame they weren't able to make more movies in this series, as there were plans for at least one more with this cast. I'd have liked to have seen what they would have come up with... could Franklin have made his debut? That would have been good...

170 - Tipsy

 I think I might have had a little too much to drink. Which makes me think I shouldn't be typing here, lest I say something completely daft.

Yet there are things I should talk about pertaining to free speech. 

But I don't want to get it wrong...

...maybe tomorrow?

169 - Ending

 Is it terribly cynical of me to be thinking that the Covid restrictions won't actually be ending on the dates that Boris has specified? I mean, all these dates are described as "no earlier than", so these are the earliest possible dates on which they could happen, if everything goes according to plan. Can you really believe this shower of a government will be able to ensure everything goes to plan? I don't. There's already a significant shortage of vaccine supplies on the horizon, so that side of things will be delayed. What else will go wrong? 

Hmm...

168 - MInd

 So, I've been reading "the little book of humanism" by Andrew Copson and Alice Roberts and one of the quotes cited in it is;

"When my information changes, I change my mind. What do you do?

Attributed to John Maynard Keynes."

And I can't help but think just how right that is. The thing is you may have an opinion on something, but then some new piece of information comes along and you realise you're wrong... the question is, what do you do? The logical thing is that you reconsider your opinion, as this is the only logical thing to do. 

If you have information that proves you completely wrong, just own it. Admit your error, and move on. Don't just dig in there.

I find that I constantly re-evaluate opinions. I'm not afraid to say I've got things wrong. 

But when I know I'm right... well, I could change my mind, but then we would both be wrong... 

167 - Songs

 'Cos the main reason for starting that "songs" strand was that I'd have a list of songs I'd be able to just drop in as a post whenever there wasn't anything else I really wanted to talk about, or when there was little time. 

But every now and then in the list there's a song that's important, and I actually need to spend a decent amount of time writing about it...

...and the next song is one of them.

I could just skip to the next one, and come back to this one, but I've decided I've got to do the list in the order I've written it.

Oh, well...

166 - Time

There is just not enough time.

Can I get some more, please? 

165 - Census

 Well, that's the census done again for another decade. It'll be interesting to see the results when they are ready - probably about a year or so, won't it?

I can't help but wish, though, that it had more elements to it - perhaps the chance to give opinions on a range of issues; there could be some that are constant throughout, and others topical to each individual census. It would be like some massive state of the nation's opinion poll. 

Though I'm sure I've read murmurings that this year's census might be the last one ever. 

I kinda hope not...

164 - Fantasic

 So, on to the Fantastic Four films, and I should state from the off I really rate this cast; I reckon the four main principals here - Ioan Gruffud, Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis, and Jessica Alba as Mr Fantastic, Invisible Girl, Thing, and Human Torch - are just wonderfully cast. They absolutely nail their roles. In fact, I would go so far as to say - and I know this will be sacrilegious to some - that I think Chris Evans is a better Johnny Storm than Steve Rogers...

It does start off well, as the four of them (five, counting Doom) find their powers beginning to manifest, and to come to terms with them. This comes to a head in the scene on the bridge, where they start to come together as a team (which, ironically, works better than the climax of the film). You just can't help but smile as Johnny embraces his new found fame. It just feels right. 

There is a lot to love about this film, as there are many great moments, some great characterisation, and witty one liners in the script. The main flaw here is that the main threat in the film, Dr Doom, is just a bit, well... underwhelming. He doesn't seem to have any great plan, any great motivations... other than getting back at Reed and co. What he's planning on doing after that is rather unclear. Well, it's not even mentioned. 

That's a bit of a shame, as had that side of things been a bit better developed it would have been overall a better film. That is not to say it's a bad film; but it is a movie of moments (as mentioned before) rather than a great storyline. 

I guess as a foundation to build on it works, and that will become apparent when we get to the next film...

163 - Improving

 It's sometimes the little things that can make a difference. 

Back in the day, doing the supermarket run on a Friday (and taking my daughter to and from dance) for much of the journeys on Radio 2 was Simon Mayo and his All Request Friday... I did hear bits through the rest of the week, but it was always the Friday I listened to most. 

A while back, after the bosses at Radio 2 messed him (and the brilliant Jo Whiley) about, enforcing rubbish changes to his show he departed Radio 2 for pastures new, and a Ken Bruce clashing stint on a digital classical music station. 

And this week he's back on an FM radio station, Greatest Hits Radio, and his version of All Request Friday is back. 

Just listening to him in the car (and then after I got back home) just made me smile. It was like the old days. Albeit with rubbish adverts for scrap metal merchants etc.

I'm not ashamed to admit that when Enjoy Yourself started up just after 5, it brought a tear or two of joy to my eyes. In fact I was just beaming with happiness throughout the show. Heck, had some numpty requested Simply Red I'd not have minded I was that overjoyed to have the show back. 

And for the first time in quite a while it made me optimistic about the future; we're at about the year point since Covid sent the country in to a spiral that we've still not recovered from (I'll refrain from mentioning the government's incompetence), but Simon's show today, the All Request Friday, gave me a sense that (to quote that other show he does) everything will be alright in the end...

I just have to thank Greatest Hits Radio for giving Simon back the slot he so belongs in, and that he's able to do the show the way he wants. At a time like this it is everything. Thank you. 

That something as simple as a radio show can do this is incredible. It's the right show at the right time. We can get through this. It's not alright yet. 

But then it's not the end... 

162 - Defection

 I might defect from here to somewhere else. 

I'm considering it. 

I have a place to defect to, ready to activate. 

But, we shall see...

161 - Realisation

 I just realised that post #151 should have been about Pokemon. 

You know that makes sense. 

I'll have to talk about it at some point. But not right now, as I'm feeling a little tired. 

160 - Dreams

 The other things as important as thoughts are dreams. 

But I'll have to talk about that another day...

159 - Thinking

 There is a joy in thinking. 

Just spending time running things over in your mind, going over options and possibilities, and coming to conclusions. 

Or maybe not even coming to a conclusion; after all, there are many thought experiments, or paradoxical situations, that can never have a conclusion. 

It seems often that spending time just thinking is seen as a waste of time; if you're not seen to be actually doing something that's seen as a bad thing. 

But thinking should be seen as doing something in and of itself. 

I spend a lot of time thinking about all sorts of things. 

And it's glorious...

158 - Threat

 So the next song in the ongoing thread is from a band I became aware of during the days when I used to do a fanzine... it is;

D 4th S, by Pop Threat

There were actually two versions of this one released, one as a single, and the other a demo version from a compilation. I actually always preferred the demo version as it had such a raw edge to it and I never really thought it needed to be re-recorded. That's just how it is sometimes. 

Like Atta Girl, we have two sets of vocals over the top of each other, but each one here is at about the same level. It can take a while to make out everything, but when you do figure out what the song is about... well, it is rather sad. 

Again, like Atta Girl, there's a blistering instrumental section, but here it's the climax of the song. I can imagine when played live it was probably an epic wall of sound and feedback. It's sheer power. 

Anyhow... enjoy;

Don't get oversentimental...

157 - Whelmed

 I'm sure there's an answer, and I'm sure Susie Dent would know as she's a blimmin' genius.... but why do we say something is underwhelming or overwhelming, but never precise whelming?

And why do we say we're feeling under par when we're not feeling so good, or that someone's performance is a bit below par is not a good performance... yet it's a golfing metaphor... and in golf getting a hole in under par is a very good thing...

I dunno... 

156 - Difficult

 I started writing a serious post about a difficult subject - I've parked it for the moment as it's not right. All these posts are the first thing that comes out of my brain, almost a stream of consciousness, with very little in the way of editing. Just the occasional rephrasing, correcting, and reformatting. 

Nothing too great. 

But this post is one that I think needs proper thought, and a clear and distinct message running through it. And I am feeling tired and just can't do it justice right now. 

So, you've got this instead. But it does kind of explain my thought process for the blog...

155 - Lawrence

 Just one thing to say;

Lawrence Chaney for the win!

That is all. 

154 - Holding

 Holding.

Holden.

Whatever did happen to those posthumous JD Salinger books that were meant to start being published by 2020...?

I dunno.

Maybe we'll never see them.

153 - Saving

 I do wonder if it's possible to save the world. I don't know. At various times it seems like there may be a hope, but then things happen. I mean, whilst it's clear individuals are perfectly fine, there's something wrong at the heart of society (no, Maggie; there is such a think as society) and I don't know what it is, or how to fix it. 

Which is a problem. 

I guess all I can do is try to be the best person I can be. That's all any of us can do. 

Be the best we can. 

Please. 

152 - 'Owzat

 Somehow, during this series of lockdowns during the ongoing pandemic, I've started to watch, and enjoy, cricket.

I never thought this would ever happen, as I've often in the past found it to be boring. But somehow I will now often watch it when it's on the telly. This is either when it's on Channel 4, or when it's on FreeSports on channel 64. 

What I have found is this; I tend to enjoy matches where the ball is white more than when the ball is red. Or Pink. 

I watched some of the T20 internationals (white ball) and they were rather exciting. And even I stumbled upon a final of a T10 championship, and that was thrilling. The batsmen were really going for it, trying to get as many fours and sixes as possible. 

But the five day test matches... strewth. They seem lucky to get six runs per over, let alone off a single bowl. So defensive, so... yeah... these were the kind of matches I'd get distracted by other things. 

Though, calling them "five day" test matches is somewhat of a misnomer; the last England V India one didn't last three whole days and the one before not even two whole days! Imagine of you'd got tickets for the days that never got played?

Nah... the set overs matches seem to me to be much better. Much more exiting. I mean, I'll still watch the "five day" tests... 'cos sooner or later there'll be an exciting one, yes...?

151 - Promising

 So, here I'm going to waffle on a bit about WandaVision, which will also touch on the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian. If you don't want to know what happens. please do not read on.

I'll Rot-13 the text so that you don't accidentally look down and see something you may not want to see. To translate, head to https://rot13.com/ 

So...

Gur znva ceboyrz jvgu gur JnaqnIvfvba jnfa'g gung vg jnf onq, cre fr, engure guna vg jnf vaperqvoyl nagvpyvznpgvp fvapr jr jrer cebzvfrq na nccrnenapr ol n punenpgre gung jbhyq or ba n cne jvgu gur frnfba 2 svanyr bs Gur Znaqnybevna. 

Abj, gung rcvfbqr nofbyhgryl frgf gur one irel uvtu. Vg srngherf na nccrnenapr ol n qr-ntrq Znex Unzvyy cynlvat Yhxr Fxljnyxre ng gur irel urvtug bs uvf Wrqv cbjref. Nyy ubcr sbe bhe urebrf ybbxf ybfg, ohg gura na K-Jvat chyyf hc, ynaqf, naq onz... Yhxr phgf guebhtu jnir nsgre jnir bs rarzl, qvfcngpuvat gurz jvgu rnfr. Vg'f n gehyl nznmvat, chapu gur nve, bu lrf zbzrag. 

Vs lbh'er tbvat gb fnl gung fbzrguvat va JnaqnIvfvba vf ng gung yriry, lbh'er rkcrpgvat fbzrguvat terng urer. 

V unir gb cbvag bhg urer, gung crbcyr unir graqrq gb pbasyngr gjb qvssrerag pbzzragf nobhg gur svanyr nf vs gurl jrer bar. Bar jnf gur pbzzrag nobhg gur Yhxr Fxljnyxre yriry nccrnenapr; guvf jnf zragvbarq rneyvre va gur frnfba, naq unqa'g lrg unccrarq ol gur svanyr. Gur frpbaq jnf n pbzzrag sebz Cnhy Orggnal gung gurer jnf fbzrbar va gur svanyr ur irel zhpu rawblrq npgvat bccbfvgr. Znal gura nffhzrq gur ynggre nyfb ersreerq gb gur sbezre. 

Pyrneyl vg qvqa'g, nf Orggnal'f pbzzrag jnf uvz univat n ovg bs n ynhtu gnyxvat nobhg gur fprarf - vapyhqvat gur "Gevttre'f Oebbz" fprar - jurer ur jnf cynlvat gjb qvssrerag irefvbaf bs gur ivfvba. Gung jnf pyrneyl n qvssrerag guvat.

Guhf, fcrphyngvba tngurerq nf gb jub guvf nccrnenapr pbhyq or. Anzrf guebja hc vapyhqrq Errq Evpuneqf (nf cbgragvnyyl orvat gur nrebfcnpr ratvarre gung unq orra ersreerq gb va n pbhcyr bs rcvfbqrf; jvgu Wbua Xenfvafxv znxvat uvf jvqryl fcrphyngrq qrohg nf guvf punenpgre), n zhygvirefr irefvba bs Zntargb (yvxryl Zvpunry Snfforaqre), naq n ubfg bs bgure anzrf pbzvat guebhtu gur zhygvirefr va gb gur Zneiry Pvarzngvp Havirefr.

(Vapvqragnyyl; unf vg rire orra fgngrq juvpu Rnegu gur ZPH vf? Gur pbzvpf ner Rnegu 616, ohg V qba'g erpnyy juvpu Rnegu gur ZPH vf.)

Fb, jura gur svanyr pnzr naq jrag, jvgubhg rira n uvag bs n Yhxr Fxljnyxre yriry nccrnenapr... jryy, lbh pna vzntvar ubj sehfgengvat guvf jnf. Vs lbh'er tbvat gb fnl gung fbzrguvat yvxr guvf vf unccravat, lbh'ir tbg gb qryvire ba vg. Guvf qvqa'g. Abe qvq gur svanyr bcra gur qbbef gb gur zhygvirefr. V pbhyqa'g uryc ohg guvax bs gur fgbel bs gur obl jub pevrq jbys!

Gur guvat vf, gubhtu, vg jnf n cerggl qnza fngvfslvat raq gb gur fubj. Vg svavfurq gur fgbel vg jnf gryyvat, cynagrq frrqf sbe shgher Zneiry fgbevrf (nf gur zbivrf nyjnlf qb), naq unq fhpu urnegoernxvat zbzragf. Jura Jnaqn ybfg obgu xvqf naq Ivfvba nf gur Urk pbyyncfrq va ba vgfrys jnf unaqyrq ornhgvshyyl. Naq jura Jnaqn hfrq Ntngun'f bja gevpxf ba ure vg jnf whfg vqrny. Vg jnf n qnza tbbq svanyr, naq V nz fher gung jura V er-jngpu vg xabjvat jung vg vf, engure guna jung vg'f fcrphyngrq gb or, V'yy rawbl vg zber. (Rkuvovg N; Gjva Crnxf Sver Jnyx Jvgu Zr. Erzvaq zr gb lnx nobhg gung bar qnl.)

Bar guvat V guvax jvyy erznva qvfnccbvagvat vf gur Cvrgeb erirny; gung ur jnfa'g ernyyl n Cvrgeb sebz fbzrjurer va gur zhygvirefr, naq jnf whfg n abezny crefba, jub unccrarq gb ybbx yvxr Jnaqn'f oebgure sebz nabgure havirefr, naq jnf whfg tvira gur punenpgrevfngvba ol Ntngun. 

Birenyy, guvf jnf n qnza svar frevrf. Whfg, cyrnfr, jura vg pbzrf gb shegure fubjf; qba'g fnl gurer'f n jbys jura gurer vfa'g...

150 - Pointing

 So, next on the list of super-hero movies was meant to be Venom, but I don't have a DVD or a Blu-Ray and it appears not to be on any of the streaming services I have a subscription to. Though I'm sure, last week, when I looked it was showing on Just Watch as available on Netflix... but apparently not. So, for the moment I'll skip over it and head to Spider-Man; Into the Spiderverse...

The thing this does really well, is that it does something different with the Spider-Man mythos that we've not seen before on the big screen. Here we get multiple versions of Spidey combine to defeat a common enemy...

...and the main Spidey here isn't Peter Parker, it's Miles Morales, an alternative Spider-Man who made he debut in the "Ultimate" range of comics, which gave a different spin on the old classics. 

He's not just a Peter Parker clone, and is very much his own character, and this does mean we don't need to be tied too closely to the traditions of the comics (I can't comment on how close he is to the Ultimate comics, as I've never read them). I mean, for one thing... a version of Aunt May who essentially acts as a version of Alfred to an alternate Peter Parker...? Anywhere else that wouldn't work, but here it's great. 

The various different Spideys all work well together, and even when one of them's cartoon pig it somehow manages to pull it off. 

As it is an animated film there's much larger than life interpretations of some of the characters - the Kingpin is built like a double decker bus, and when we see the Green Goblin briefly he's some oversized giant beast. But, again, somehow it works. 

It's just a great, fun, film. And it's got Nicolas Cage voicing a monochrome Spidey. What more could you want???

---*---

So, next time, if I've acquired a copy it'll be Venom. If not, it's on to the Fantastic Four films... Flame on...!

149 - She

 So, we get to the third in the series of songs, and today it's;

She, by Angel Pie

This is another one here just because I like the song. I recall I heard it first on a Channel 4 music programme fronted by Caitlin Moran called Naked City, which had the contrivance that it was being broadcast from her flat. Which looked suspiciously like a TV studio... Collins and Maconie had something to do with it as well, I recall.

But they played this song, and I loved it. The CD single stated it was from the forthcoming album, Jake; almost 30 years on, and it's still forthcoming. I get the impression it's never going to get here.

Just enjoy this great song...

(List is up to 13 now... keeps growing!)

148 - Banksy

 I really should have taken a picture of it, but I guess as it's all over the news you can look it up if you want, but that picture Banksy painted on the side of Reading Gaol is damn fine.

The sheets coming out of the typewriter look like a long sheet of paper, rather than a bedsheet, and has text typed on it. It's very swish, very stylish, and can only do a good thing in raising the awareness of the sale of the Gaol and its subsequent use.

'Cos it can't be converted in to yet another block of flats. There's at least 5,103,208 of them in the town already. We don't need more. Heck, literally opposite Banksy's painting there's a whole new development of flats going up on what used to be HomeBase and Toys 'r' Us... we don't need more.

What we need is a whopping great arts centre. With a gallery, a theatre space, a cafe maybe, places where people can come to create art as well as see it, take classes and workshops. All sorts of things. Something that can add to the culture of the town, to enliven the place a bit. A venue that can be something good. 

Something more. 

Just not more damn flats. Or a flamin' hotel. 

147 - 147

 Part of me thinks I should write a post about snooker given the number of the post, but really there's only ever been three snooker players I've ever really cared about, Alex Higgins, Jimmy White, and Ronnie O'Sullivan. All three have at various points been rather exciting in their play, and whizzed around the table showing natural flair. And all three at their peaks - especially Higgins - when given the choice between a safety shot, or a risky attempt at a spectacular pot would always go for the latter. 

'Cos when I'm watching a frame and it's 4,109 safety shots after the other it does get very dull indeed. 

Thing is, Alex is dead, Jimmy's past his peak, and how long can Ronnie keep going? Where's the next exciting player? Where's the next one who's going to shake things up? 

Hmm...

146 - Idea

 So, I mentioned the other day that when I was listening to a particular song that I came up with an idea that to do a strand of posts about songs... well, this is the song I was talking about... I told you the title then, if you were paying attention...

I Really Like The Idea, by Scarlet

This one's very much one of the songs I just happened to like, rather than it being because of anything of a more personal nature. Scarlet never had that many hits, in fact probably only one, which was Independent Love Song. That's the one that charted highest of theirs. Probably the only one that actually charted.

But it's their earlier single I like best. 

I Really Like The Idea is a fairly basic pop love song, but somehow it's always stuck with me. It captures the feeling of falling in love, and of just makes me smile when I listen to it, and fills me with hope for the future...

I was sure this one should have had a proper video... but I couldn't find it.

145 - La

 I guess perhaps the hardest thing about re-watching Russell T Davies' latest TV show, It's A Sin, is that you know all the twists and turns already, so you anticipate what's coming and start to well up about impending unfortunate events before they happen. 

The thing is, though, it doesn't diminish the show's power, in fact it probably enhances it. 

And upon re-watching it, I am even firmer in my opinion that it's the best thing he's ever done. Especially part five, which is truly stunning, from Keeley Hawes stalking the hospital corridors, to Ritchie's "It was fun" speech, to the punch in the guts that follows, it's TV that absolutely tears you apart. 

'Cos by the time you get to part five you're so invested in these characters that you don't want the inevitable to happen... but of course it does. 

Part of me thinks I may end up thinking it may be the best British TV drama ever made, but Our Friends in the North is so embedded in my psyche that it'll be hard for it to be topple off its perch. 

Oh...  

144 - Girls

 So there I was earlier on listening to a particular song, and I had a thought about a new strand of posts for this blog... I thought about it for a moment, and decided that, yes, I really like the idea... so I'm going with it. 

This, therefore, will be the first in a series in which I have a bit of a yak about a song I either really like, or that means something to me, or is a very under-rated thing that needs more people to have listened to it. 

The only rule I'm giving myself is that each band or artist only gets one entry. I'm going to be absolutely strict on this rule, but if your interpretation of what I mean by this rule differs from mine... tough. It's my rule. I would say "I don't make up the rules"... but in the case of this blog, I do. 

The thing is, though, I'm not going to start off with the song I was listening to when I came up with, as really the first song in this series can only be...

Atta Girl, by Heavenly

I remember exactly when I first heard a Heavenly song. Well, not exactly to the date and the time and the minute. I recall it was a Friday night and it was the very much missed John Peel's show. (It is impossible to estimate just how much we miss him...) He was about to play this song. It was called P.U.N.K. Girl, and he was agonising about whether he should read the "P.U.N.K." bit as individual letters, or as the word "punk". I forget what he decided. Maybe he didn't. But, he played the song, and it was a thing of beauty. I fell in love with the song immediately. 

Shortly after, I was over in Swindon, and looking for P.U.N.K. Girl, as well as Blue Eyes Deceiving Me, by Even As We Speak, which Peel was also playing around this time. I looked in both Rival Records and HMV, and whilst they didn't have Blue Eyes... one of them did have P.U.N.K. Girl. I forget which one of the two had it, but from the other one I did also buy Her Jazz, by Huggy Bear, which at that point I'd never actually heard. It took me rather longer to buy Blue Eyes...

I listened to P.U.N.K. Girl a million times. It's b-side was, despite its jaunty pop sound, a rather tougher listen due to it being about a teenage girl who loses her virginity when she's raped. I remember it being quite shocking the first time I heard it, but I guess that was the point. 

I ended up buying a couple of Heavenly's albums on tape - Le Jardin de Heavenly, and Heavenly vs Satan - and loving them, too. So many great songs. And then came The Decline and Fall of Heavenly, which I thought (and still do) to be the best of the Heavenly albums, even at its short length... 

And then in 1995 came the There And Back Again Lane compilation CD, which was the last ever release on the Sarah Records label. I would say 21 songs of perfection, but... well, there's a couple there that just aren't that great. But... track 2...

Track 2 was Atta Girl. And as soon as I heard it, I was just blown away. I genuinely think this is the best song I've ever heard in my whole life. It starts with a blistering 75 second intro that's unlike anything else Heavenly had done at that point, and then... Bam... in come the vocals, dropping an f-bomb almost straight away. And before you even have time to think about that, suddenly there's two vocal tracks there. each singing different things... at least after an initial repetition of the opening lines. But the second track is pushed to the background and is hard to hear, and hard to make out if you don't know the words (oh, the amount of time I spent trying to work these out before the internet told me so many years later...), but they work as a counterpart to the more prominent lyrics.

It's all about a couple having an argument and splitting up. And the venom. And the memories of when things were good, until jealousy got in the way, and turning out mean (at one point both accuse the other of that), before an attempt on one side for reconciliation which is met with a snarling "fuck you, now way". And you know she is not joking. And it sounds like it should be a horrible song, but it's not.

It's wonderful.

The best song I had ever heard back in 1995.

And still the best song I've ever heard today. 

Enjoy...

Post script; my list of songs for this series is already up to 11 (literally, 11 songs!), and I'm going to do them in the order I've listed them in my handwritten list. I'll keep adding to it. Already, I've noticed something about the first 11 on the list. See if you can notice it, too. Oh, and if you've been paying attention I've mentioned the name of four of the forthcoming songs in this post... 

143 - Electrifying

 So, it's the fifth Spider-Man film overall, and the second of the Emma Stone movies (she's the best thing about this one, too), and we get to see what would happen if Duane Dibbley got turned in to a super-villain. 

'Cos I'm sure loads of people would have taken one look at Jamie Foxx's Max Dillon and instantly noted the similarity between him and the Cat's alter ego. 

This one, Amazing Spider-Man 2, is a definite step up from the previous one. It's still clearly planting loads of seeds for the future, with an appearance by a character called Felicia, who's clearly meant to be Felicia Hardy who (in the comics) goes on to be the Black Cat. You also see Doctor Octopus' arms, and the Vulture's wings in the Oscorp vault. All part of setting up the Sinister Six... plans that would never come to fruition. 

I would actually that, five films in, this is the best of the films so far. Anyone coming up with the "too many villains" whinge can jog on; the main villain here is clearly Electro, and the others (at least once powered) are little more than cameos. 

The Green Goblin's barely in it, and when he does appear, it's quite devastating. My memory of the scene in the clock tower at the end was that it went on for a lot longer than it actually did (that was the one major fault I'd clearly mis-remembered), and it is absolutely devastating when Peter fails to stop Gwen hitting the ground, killing her. 

And the Rhino at the end... that's all about Peter getting back in to the swing of things, getting back to being Spidey and continuing to protect the city. Ending the film just as the fight between the two is starting is the right decision... life goes on. 

I didn't even mind the ongoing thread about Peter's parents in this one; at least they dived in to what happened a bit more, and gave a bit more about the shared history between Peter's Dad and Norman Osborne. 

I am torn as to whether or not I'm glad the scene with Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane was cut; it would have been good to see her, but I guess maybe it would have just been another seed too far. I'm sure I read that you can see her, very briefly, in one scene, though. 

The fact that they never got to do any more with this iteration of Spidey means there's so many plot threads that never went anywhere. I really would have liked there to be at least a third one, but circumstances prevented it... shame. 

Anyhow, next up on the list is a film I've not actually seen before... Venom. 

142 - Bulldog

 I can't believe I didn't mention Bulldog yesterday. I'd like to see him in at least one episode of any new Frasier. And Gil as well. 

I expect there's other things I'll have forgotten as well!

141 - Listening

 So at last the news has landed that there's going to be a new iteration of Frasier; what format it will take is yet to be announced, as is who the regular cast of the show will be beyond Kelsey Grammer.

I'm very much looking to this new show, after all Frasier is probably the greatest US sitcom ever made. Yes. Better than that one you're thinking of. Whatever it is. Even if it's the other one with seven letters starting with "Fr"...

I just hope that the new version lives up to the standard of its predecessor; it can't be the same as it was before, for numerous obvious reactions most notably the death of John Mahoney who played Martin, Frasier and Nile's dad. And whatever scenario, I hope it's not completely contrived. 

I have been thinking about some of the things I'd want to see in the show;

• Some kind of tribute to John Mahoney. Maybe start the show with Martin's funeral? 
• An adult Frederick. Perhaps an element of role reversal with him looking after his dad (but not the same as the Frasier/Martin scenario). 
• Niles and Daphne and their children. They'll have had children. I imagine one of them taking after Daphne and the other Niles. They'd be teenagers.
• Lilith appearing at least once.
• If Frasier's still a DJ then keep Ros as his producer. And Alice... she'd be about 20, wouldn't she? Would she be like a young version of Ros? Or would older Ros be just like Ros of old, with Alice the polar opposite?

And things I'd not want to see in the show...

• Maris. 

I just hope it's going to be good...