Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Website of the week - #31

A vital website highlighting a serious problem - see here.

If you need help there also an invaluable 12 step programme.

Sunday, February 25, 2007

We apologise for the interuption to your service...

Apologies for the erratic nature of the recent updates. Last few weeks have been very hectic, hence the long delays between posts. I've done some updates and hopefully the posting will return to normal soon.

Well, whatever passes for 'normal' in the world of smittyonline...

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Like a horse and carriage

This article caught my eye. It appears that the average age for blokes to get married is currently 36.2 and it's 33.6 for women.

Now, I'm a pretty average bloke...

I'm about to turn 36...

Where do 33.6 year old single women hang out.?.?

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

...and I think you're...

Just been on the final module of the leadership development course which work sent me on. Upon reflection the programme has been interesting, fun, and a little strange. For example, the final session we were in our small groups (6-7 people) and we had to share 'an appreciation' and 'an encouragement' with each member of group.

We'd prepared these and then said them out loud to each other. Giving the 'appreciation' and the 'encouragement' was fine - but sitting there as 6 other people shared with you some nice thoughts about how they saw you was a fairly weird and, to be honest, quite an emotional experience. Probably to do with being 'British' I guess. What we'd wrote we then handed over to the person - so I have half a dozen sheets of paper with some really nice words about me written on them.

Am I going to share them with the blog? Hell no - what's said in the group stays in the group!

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

The Fuzz

So, how did I spend the day of lurve? Were various options;

* The usual? - continue the slow decline into alcoholism, loneliness and Pot Noodles - though as it's a 'special' day may be instead treat myself to something from the 'Tesco Finest' range...

* The proactive? - form a self help with Regretful Loners, SADFABs and SINBADs, hire a local community centre and talk it out...

* The reflective? - wonder what the male equivalent of the 'mad scary woman who lives with a lot cats' is and think 'well, that may be not so bad after all'...

;-)

Fear not, 'twas none of the above - I opted for a couple of hours of escapism and I headed to the movies.

As a big fan of Spaced - one of the best TV comedies in decades - I've been looking forward to the new Simon Pegg film, Hot Fuzz, for a while. It did not disappoint, absolutely superb. It does for buddy cop movies (complete with their homoerotic undercurrent) what the excellent Shaun of the Dead did for zombie films - it is both a wonderful spoof and a loving homage.

Not sure I can ever again wander down the high street of Wells - a beautiful cathedral city where a lot of it was filmed - and look at it in quite the same way again.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Inner Momentum

I've often thought that Cheshire is the Hertfordshire of the north - nice, fairly posh, undulating, no massive city and a commuter belt inhabited by executives, Premiership footballers and WAGS. I'm also not entirely sure what the point of it is... but I quite like it.

Spent a fascinating day there with a couple of members of my 'learning set'. We were spending time with a business leader - who'd been overseas, on the board of major companies, and in several non-exeutive director roles - to pick their brains about leadership. A riveting few hours which got me thinking. Here was a business leader who seemed grounded, pleasant, liked people and had not sold out on his core principles - a successful 'nice guy'.

I saw a lot of similarities between us (he'd also 'drifted into accountancy' and has a quirky sense of humour) but also a lot of differences! One phrase stuck in my mind. When asked what motivated him, the reply, after a pause, was "an inner momentum". I thought those few words contained a lot.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Website of the week - #29

And you thought you had a weird hobby and too much time on your hands??

Welcome to the world of Toast Art.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

What not to do??

I'm guessing the following may not be the best phrases to put in any valentine card or letter??

"If loving you is so wrong, I don't want to be right..."

"You say stalking, I say showing an interest..."

"The restraining order only makes me love you more..."

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Continual learning

Am discovering that aspiring writers can be a strange, slightly weird bunch.

I almost feel I fit in...

Monday, February 05, 2007

We, the undersigned...

You have to love democracy...

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/goldanthem/

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/juggle/

One month on...

How are your New Year's Resolutions going one month in?? Well, my three are progressing nicely - especially the third one.

One of the things that someone I know suggested was to try to chase up a friend once a week. I mean, with texts, blogs and email how difficult could it be???

Well so far I've failed badly - mea culpa. Fortunately, there are still 11 months to go so things will improve - you have been warned.

Didn't mean that to come across quite so menacingly...

Now, back to that third resolution...

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Website of the week - #28

Do you sometimes think that people have way too much time on their hands???

Cats that look like Hitler

Friday, February 02, 2007

Last King of Scotland

This film is not a searing expose on the reign of Idi Amin - it's a rites of passage film about lost innocence. A young, naive Scottish doctor - who thinks too much with his trousers - is looking for adventure and ends up as the personal physician to the Ugandan leader. Gradually the scales fall from his eyes about Amin's rule - and that's it.

I found this a difficult film because in the end I didn't care about any of the characters, particularly the plight of the doctor who'd stumbled across more adventure than he could handle. Will he survive? Ultimately, in true Catherine Tate style, I wasn't bovvered.

However, do see this film for the stunning performance by Forest Whittaker. I'd love know if he's got the Ugandan accent 100% correct - it sounded OK to these untrained ears - but he marvellously portrays both the charisma and terror of Amin, and is by far the best cinematic performance I've seen all year.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Being a numpty

Now, I had intended that this blog would be enlivened with various photos of beautiful mountain tops covered with snow, and scenes of me looking dashing and rugged as I skied down the slopes.

Unfortunately I'm a numpty - between baggage carousel 4 and the short term car park at Stansted airport I managed to lose my backpack. Now, fortunately nothing of great value was in the bag - just my cheap digital camera, a couple of books, and a pack of fizzy cola bottles. Airport staff were helpful, but to no avail. No digital camera = no photos - and I'm really annoyed about the loss of the cola bottles!

On the plus side, my fears as I went back to search for the bag that I'd find a police corden, a controlled explosion, and an invitation to 'help police with their enquiries' didn't materialise.