Does My Bum Look Big In This?

Often amazed what you can find locally - only this afternoon I came across these two blue plaques. And yes, I've got a new digital camera. Anyway...

I'm constantly amazed by the amount of men who get dragged shopping on Saturday afternoon by their female partners. There appears to be a whole generation of men incapable of purchasing their own clothes and are only allowed to buy clothes in the presence of their 'significant female'. Outside one shoe shop a women was talking to her partner - in front of their two small children - VERY... SLOWLY... AND... DELIBERATELY... as if telling off a five year old.

"What you need to do is, when you see it, write down the name of the style of shoe you like and then we'll able to find it."

The man was very quite, examining the pavement at his feet.

Friday Night Lights

Don't know how often people end up flicking on to ITV4 but currently it's hosting one of the best shows on TV. Friday Night Lights (Weds 8pm, ITV4) is the spin off series from the recent eponymous movie, in turn based on a best selling book. It follows the ups and downs of a high school football team; crudely it could be described as 'redneck Dawson's Creek' - teenage small town americana without the naval gazing.

It features an excellent cast, has Peter Berg, Jason Katims and Brian Grazer as executive producers, and with the obligatory WG Snuffy Walden theme tune it is the sort of top class TV production that the US can do so well. The US make Dawson's Creek, the UK gets Grange Hill - the US get The OC, we get Hollyoaks. The nearest equivalent to Friday Night Lights I could think of in the UK is DreamTeam, or even worse, Jossys Giants.

One thing I don't understand is how this show - a ratings winner on NBC - has ended up on ITV4. It deserves a wider audience.

The written word

Apparently I can write dialogue well, but there's 'not enough conflict'. Perhaps I'm too nice?

Oh yes, and there is a lack of plot...

I mean, really, since when was a plot "essential"?

What do Polar Bears have for lunch?

Had a sandwich for lunch which was made with 'polar bread'.

No, I've no idea what that is...

Yes, this blog has a new level of banality...

Website of the week -#34

Bore friends with offbeat movie trivia - Movie Mistakes

Let's Talk Sex

Is Davina McCall going to be the Jamie Oliver of sex??

On Friday night C4 showed an excellent programme where Davina argued for a radical overhaul of sex and relationships education (SRE) in the UK. She wants it to start early, be consistent, and be compulsory.

The programme highlighted the appalling state of sexual health in the UK - one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs in Europe - and contrasted the situation with that in the Netherlands,who have a far better sexual health record.

Yep, the programme was pretty graphic - especially considering it was pre the 9pm watershed - and no doubt many of the green ink letter writing fraternity have already put pen to paper. However, the programme demonstrated that the UK approach to SRE - which still seemed to be the appalling and brief 'part A goes into part B' approach I was subjected to 20 years ago - just isn't working.

I'm a bigger fan of Davina than I am of Jamie, but credit to him he raised awareness of a key issue and I hope Davina has similar success. For more info - and to see how much you know - see here and take the test.

...and scenes of a sexual nature...

Have you noticed that all films, next to their classification, now have a brief warning describing why they got that certification, such as 'contains strong language'?

I'm beginning to wonder to whether this is now going a bit too far. Below are descriptions relating to the films showing at a local cinema. What films do you reckon they belong to??

"Contains references to the mistreatment of slaves and mild language."

"Contains images of ecological disasters."

"Contains mild sex references and sporting violence."

"Contains irresponsible behaviour."

The answers are - Amazing Grace, An Inconvenient Truth, Becoming Jane, Mr Bean's Holiday.

Particularly like the warnings for An Inconvenient Truth and Mr Bean's Holiday.

Work it baby

Had a post work wine and nibbles 'networking event' to go to. Never completely comfortable at these sort of things. Bit strange really - I'd quite happily stand in front of a couple of hundred people and give a talk or presentation, but stick me in a room with warm white wine, trays of nibbles, and people I don't know and I'm a complete fish out of water.

I sometimes wonder if it might hamper my career somehow - the missed opportunity, the demonstration of 'poor' social skills - nevermind my social life. It's just a situation I struggle with, something that's neither natural to me, nor with which I'm comfortable.

This is why I've never tried speed-dating. Well, this and numerous other reasons...

Website of the week - #33

How about this for a job??

Bringing up wind

I find myself in the very strange position of discovering a 'must see' TV programme on ITV1. I know many already watch it, but Harry Hill's TV Burp is a perfectly pitched half hour of TV - mocking trashy TV but deep down loving it.

Interestingly, although it gets massive viewing figures, there was not a single paid-for ad in the mid show break this past Saturday. Are things really that bad at ITV, or do they just not know the programme's audience??

Website of the week - #32

Once again I'm going to plug the wonderful PostSecret site - it contains such great stuff.

Particularly liked this and this

And when Bagpuss went to sleep...

Been to Leeds and back today to be a presence at a particular event. Been a long day - complete with getting the 7.10am train from Kings X - and I'm again reminded how I love London at that time in the morning. The tube is busier than you'd imagine it would be at 6.30am on a weekend morning - a strange combination of early morning cleaners going to work, bemused tourists who've just arrived on the red eye flight overnight, and weary clubbers returning home.

I know I'm tired - returning home I'm listening to Radio Jackie ("the sound of south west London live from Tolworth Towers" - apparently this is a selling point?!?) and finding deep meaning in the lyrics of Rick Astley and Avril Lavigne... Definitely time for sleep!

You know you're not trendy when...

Heard a few rave things about Arcade Fire - sounds like my sort of stuff. Make note to buy it but no great rush.

Later I'm walking around my local Sainsburys and I happen upon the CD aisle. Am amazed to find that not only do they stock the CD, but it's sitting pretty at #1 in their charts.

Am pleased to find it so easily - but slightly disappointed that I'm not as trendy as I perhaps hoped....

Nowt as strange as folk

Am discovering that writers are a little strange - and yes, I'm aware of the irony...

One of the group shared some scenes of a sitcom he was working on. Some of it was fine, some quite good stuff, but then we got to the 'comedy black character'. Oh dear. Well, there was a debate... No, if you made them Scottish that wouldn't be better...

Actually, to his credit he did accept our point - the ethnicity was completely irrelevant - and he agreed to change the character. Talking it over with someone else they commented "well, he is writing for a type of market."

"What?" I replied, "1978?"

All about the location

Apologies, but just catching up with some postings.

Watched an episode of Relocation, Relocation, Relocation, that I'd recorded - felt it important that Kirstie and I spent some quality time together...

In this episode a theatre director/writer and an opera singer were considering relocating to Paris and were duly shown some beautiful apartments near the Bastille with views across the city. Then they had a change of heart and had a rethink. Next we saw them looking at properties in Crystal Palace and Sydenham.

Now, Crystal Palace and Sydenham are both perfectly pleasant places - lots of space, restaurants and lovely views across London.

But c'mon... Crystal Palace v Paris??? Sydenham v Bastille???

Can we just test the levels??

Once again I find myself in a radio studio early on a Sunday morning.

I don't mind appearing an idiot - the quotation "better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt" springs to mind - but I'd hate something which I'm there to represent to come across poorly. It seemed to go well - perhaps even the odd intelligent thing came out of my mouth...

The one thing I did enjoy is London early on a Sunday morning - it is such a different city. I love the peace and tranquility you can still find in the midst of a world city - if you just know what time to find it...

A week is a long time...

Having said normal service would resume, what happens? No posting for several days. Well, it's been a real up and down week.

Monday - a day of seemingly endless meetings. Begin to wonder whether meetings are just a way to enable lonely office workers to meet others...

Tuesday - have to do a presentation to the Audit Committee on how we account for pensions. Yep, it really is as dull as it sounds... The day is enlivened with the birth of a daughter to friends - wonderful, wonderful news.

Wednesday - the past two days, and with significant pharmaceutical assistance, I have struggled into work feeling distinctly under the weather. This was a day too many and I retreat to back under the duvet for the rest of the day...

Thursday - back into work and catch up with things. Get a text, my Grandma has been taken into hospital. An hour later a message is left on my voice mail - I return the call as soon as possible. Sad news, my Grandma has died. Whilst not entirely unexpected - she was in her 80s and had been ill recently - there is still that element of shock at receiving the news. In the evening I go and see some of the family.

Friday - a day of being with the wider family and doing what I can, however insignificant. Arrangements have been made and once again, in a few days, the wider family will gather. I know that stereotypically families often solely catch up at weddings, funerals and bar mitzvahs. Whilst it will be good to see everyone again - and for us gathering at bar mitzvahs would be a major change - I can't help feeling it would nice if it were at something other than another funeral...