Biking with Boris

Have taken the plunge and signed up with Boris' bike scheme.

It could be very useful - a cheap and pleasant way of getting around central London, especially in the summer.

Early impressions are good as my activation key arrived very promptly - the next day in fact. Not sure how it will work out but will update once I've had a go.

Mind you - the phrase 'with hilarious consquences' keeps coming to mine for some reason. Large slow bikes with inexperienced cyclists going around central London - what could possibly go wrong...

Just like buses... but in a good way!

It's been a busy few weeks - well months actually - and for me, like for many who work in the Westminster village, the run up to the summer recess has been full on and very busy. This year the 'summer madness' seemed to start earlier than ever.

Given that, it was lovely to spend three evenings this week catching up with friends over food and drink. Always good to see them, all are excellent company - it's the sort of thing I don't do enough.

So, having had a busy time, and having seemingly put my social life on hold for a few months, it was a little 'bus like' when three wonderful evenings came along at once.

Slightly ironic perhaps - a busy spell in my social life highlights that I need to get one!

Leaving

The story in Leaving (Partir) is not particularly original - but it is one of several recent French films to hit the UK for which that doesn't matter. It's a simple story, well told.

Kristen Scott Thomas is the housewife of a successful doctor - she has a nice middle class life complete with stylish house and two great children. Then, when renovation is carried out on the property, she falls for the builder and starts a passionate affair, eventually leaving her husband. The film follows this story.

Some parts are better than others - for example, I don't think the scene where she confesses to her husband is either realistic or good. Equally, sometimes you actually wonder whether you like any of the characters at all. Nonetheless it remains a neat little drama - a bit Lady Chatterley meets Romeo and Juliet maybe, but still a worthwhile trip to the cinema. If nothing else you get to see another great performance by Kristen Scott Thomas.

Perhaps still best known for the posh and bitchy Fiona in Four Weddings and a Funeral, a very English role in a very English film, her best performances have been her ones in recent French films. There may be a slight irony with a seemly quintessentially 'English actress' doing her best work in French films, but with Leaving, Tell No One and the truly excellent I've Loved You So Long she has recently put together some sublime work.

Website of the week

Sometimes when the news is a little too annoying or worrying then head over to newsbiscuit - although occasionally some of the stories they have seem way too real...

Inception

The basic plot of Inception is pretty good - the bloke from Titanic and the bloke from Third Rock from the Sun can get in to people's dreams. Once there they can steal ideas or thoughts and they either do this 'to contract' or sell to the highest bidder.

Titanic bloke - for reasons never really satisfactorily explained - can't go back to the USA and see his kids. Then, one day, he is offered a way back. The price? To go in to someone's mind and plant a thought in their subconscious that leads them to commence a chain of events to the hirer's benefit.

It's a good set up. Unfortunately it doesn't really go anyway in a fulfilling way. Talk of level two, level three, triggers and dreams within dreams seem impressive - but when you stand back for a moment you just think.. meh!

The effects are good - including the scenes of weightlessness in a lift - and it's wonderfully stylish. You just can't help think this a bit 'Matrix lite.' If you're a 14 year old boy it's probably deep and brilliant. For the rest of us we actually become a little envious of the sleeping and dreaming the characters do - a quick kip and dreaming would probably be more enthralling that sitting and watching the film.

Website(s) of the week

Well given yesterday's entertainment it's only right I highlight some sites from the sci-fi world...

Perhaps you want to have your own R2D2? In that case there is the R2 D2 builders club

Or you could join the Heroes Alliance UK

Or you could just make new friends and join the League of the Non-aligned

The geeks shall inherit the earth...

Been a busy week at work and wanted a Saturday completely off. On the train last night an advert for the London Film and Comic Con caught my eye. Well, although I'm a bit geeky this would be differentand so I headed off. Was a bit worried whilst queuing as some people in front were dressed as Harry Potter - there was also the obligatory stormtroopers.
Didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised - various stands from comics to how to build your own R2D2, some talks, and opportunities to get signed autographs from various cult and sci-fi actors, like the two in the picture.

A couple of things did intrigue me. Numerous people dressed up - not just as stormtroopers but as Dr Who and assistant, as manga characters and even as Jessica Rabbit. Not something I'd do but fair play to them - they'd spent a lot of time and effort on the costumes and it's a safe environment in which to dress up; the worst that'll happen is people will want to take your photo. This is linked to the second thing. It wasn't just Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons types who were there, or indeed dressing up. In fact there were very few Comic Book Guys. The crowd was surpringly young - like at the Bon Jovi concerts I was 'above average' in age - and I'd guess 40% were women, including those in costume.

Stereotypes were suitably dented and a very enjoyable couple of hours - I'll be back.

And for those who don't know the photo is of Kenny Baker (R2D2 in Star Wars) and Dave Prowse (Darth Vadar and the Green Cross Code Man).

Unknown danger of cigarettes

Been a bit of funny/strange weekend. Very bitty and though I've not had any major commitments there has been a fair few 'odds and ends' I've done - from catching up on a few work things, to buying some towels and being slightly too happy when I also bought a matching bath mat (I know, perhaps a cry for help!), to serving some food to a group of visiting Belgian teens and again proving that my French is truly appalling/shameful.

I've also managed to spot the odd funny thing. Driving this afternoon I stopped at traffic lights. Checking in the rear view it was very amusing to watch the woman in the car behind take a drag from her cigarette, go to flick the ash out of her window, then realise that her window wasn't actually open as she got showered with the hot ash.

If you saw it in a sitcom you wouldn't believe it - but it happened and was very amusing...

I don't like cricket...

.. and whilst I wouldn't say I love it, I do enjoy it.

So after work last night I headed to the Oval - sorry, The Brit Oval - to watch, somewhat strangely, Kent v Essex.

I've not followed much Twenty 20 cricket - the short form of the game - but can see it's attractions. A chance for the batters to innovate new shots, fielding becomes an important skill as every shot and run counts, and good, tight bowling is rewarded.

It's all done in a manageable time frame of 3 hours - no commitment of four days and the result still being a draw - yet even in this shortened form the game can ebb and flow, as this one did.

I wouldn't want this to become the only form of cricket - and there is always the fear that the administrators will over commit to T20 thus ruining part of its attraction - but with some friends after work in wonderful weather it's definitely a very pleasant way to start the weekend.