Yearly Archives: 2004

Cybill Disobedience

Earlier tonight we went to see Cybill Shepherd at The Soho Theatre. It’s her so-called Cybill Disobedience tour where she performs jazz, her own songs and tells stories from her life – if you didn’t know, she once dated Elvis. Well, I think I should have learnt my lesson from seeing her last year. This show wasn’t that different but it’s a little like watching a car crash (or at least aliens trying to fix a car at the side of the road). It’s billed as comedy and was amusing (although not laugh out loud funny) but, really, you couldn’t keep yours eyes off her. Was she drunk (no, I suspect that was pretend) but she was certainly a little odd. Stephanie Merrit in last week’s Observer likened it to “the experience of watching your slightly pissed auntie making an exhibition of herself at a wedding” [source] which I think sums it up.

Entertaining but scary. Strange and a little unnerving.

Oh, and the picture is from her remarkable promotional appearance on GMTV sometime last week. She may just be a great promoter but I think she needs to think a little more!

On this day…

No other posts on this day.

Autumn Again

Every year I talk about how nice autumn is (see, I did it here in 2003) and how much I like the season. If you have any doubts as to why I like the season then just go look at Flick’s autumn tag – it’s stunningly beautiful. Every autumn in the same with lots of work and me craving a holiday (see, I did that in 2002). This year is no different. But I have to admit – it was very cold this morning.

On this day…

2002: First VHS For Sale
2002: My Big Fat Greek Wedding

The Timewarp Times

Timewarp one – every year we hear the same things: there’s a lot of serious stuff in the news right now – still, The Guardian’s put together a list of Conservative leader Michael Howard’s favourite words in order of the frequency with which he used them in today’s speech: Howard’s buzzwords.

Timewarp two – like it’s the Eighties again: not to be outdone on the list front The Sun lists predictions for top toys this Christmas and they report that Cabbage Patch Kids are making a comeback – and are expected to be among the best-selling childrenÂ’s toys this Christmas. Oh and they have a list too

And if that’s not bad enough, timwarp three – space hoppers are back: 20 space hopper riders are to hop up ArthurÂ’s Seat in Edinburgh this weekend according to The Scotsman.

On this day…

2002: Weymouth

A Mighty Wind

So the set-up of the DVD we watched last night was a television reunion of a few old folk singers who had hits in the sixties. Christopher Guest’s A Mighty Wind isn’t as good as Best In Show or This Is Spinal Tap but it’s a passable and amusing way to spend an evening. It seemed less realistic than other spoof-documentaries and I found some of the deleted scenes on the DVD to be funnier than the movie itself. However, there are some good performances and interesting soundtrack and it does make you smile.

Worth taking a chance on.

On this day…

2004: Going Outside The Canteen For Lunch Is Gooooood
2002: A Walk on the Wild Side

Going Outside The Canteen For Lunch Is Gooooood

Tom appears to have persuaded some colleagues to leave the delights of the office canteen for something a little different. If you haven’t tried Eat then you must do so at once. If, like me, you have to be careful about what you eat then they even provide full nutritional information for all their products online. So, for this piece of healthy living, I don’t need Gym Buddy!

[Mmn. Going outside the canteen for lunch is gooooood…]

On this day…

2004: A Mighty Wind
2002: A Walk on the Wild Side

The Match

picture of gary lucypicture of philip olivierReally, it’s too good to be true. Tonight Sky One starts a reality TV show called The Match where a series of hot young male celebrities become footballers. I think many of those signed up for The Match have a footballing interest/past which means they should be pretty good. Next week they get to take on a team of British footballing legends but in the meantime they are all stuck in a house 24/7 with cameras watching them only to escape for training sessions. Tonight proved it was the real deal as ex-England coach Graham Taylor took the team through their paces. Gary Lucy and Philip Olivier (both pictured) are on the bench tonight and subject to the public vote. Somehow I think they will both survive. And while we are on the subject of Phil Olivier, how did I miss his Doctor Who appearances?

On this day…

No other posts on this day.

Shrewsbury Town

street signs in shrewsbury - click for a larger version of the pictureThis time last week I was in Shrewsbury. I spent my teenage years in the town and, at the time, I think I thought it was a little quiet. Now I really appreciate the place. It’s an old medieval market town and these days seems to be full of tourists the whole year round. I do love the atmosphere of the town centre: away from the main shopping area the streets are narrow and many of them have old tudor buildings on either side. Perhaps one day I will live there again. (See also Lord Hill and Shrewsbury Abbey from last week and an older post about Shrewsbury Carnival.

On this day…

2003: Another Year, Another Autumn
2002: Nearly There
2002: Ultimate Boy Band CD (1)

Today In London

Picture179_01Oct04.jpgOn the upside, last night’s visit to The Borderline was great. On the downside PY has his mobile phone stolen from his pocked in a branch of Starbucks. And what does that say about us? Instead of standing at the bar waiting for the gig we went to Starbucks for coffee. Today, I had the morning off work as we’d bought PY’s mum a trip on the Orient Express from Victoria. The carriage was very impressive and it sounds like they had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I had to go back to work in the afternoon.

And tonight’s Evening Standard headline managed to get Iraq of the front cover for once.

On this day…

2004: Thirteen
2003: 12 Years And Counting
2002: Snapshot of the Blogsphere

The End Of September

Time to get organised. Somebody new is starting in our office today and we don’t have enough mugs for the coffee. Tonight I am off to see a gig at The Borderline. Additionally I have a strange urge to make my computer make sounds on various actions – usually I work with the sound muted to stop all those sounds created by random things online but right now I want it to speak to me. I must be mad. I will get over it tomorrow.

On this day…

2003: Good TV?
2002: Morally Ambiguous Cop