Website of the week - #48

Find out your fairy name.

Timing

Decide to take the empty bottles I've accumulated over the past few weeks to the recycling centre. Bump in to a neighbour on the stairs whose heard the impressive clinking of bottles.

"Someone's had a good night'" he quips.

What do I say... Really can't be bothered to explain this has taken me a couple of months to hoard.

"I know. It's not good - I need to phone my sponsor."

By the seaside

Decide to make to the most of the weather. Get the roof bars out of the garage, strap the bike to the car and head to the south car for a day of cycling and pottering along the coast near Brighton.

I quite like Brighton - the coast, the seaside, the raffish charm of the place. Like much of Britain it looks great in some sunshine. But Brighton also has an edge - perhaps best epitomised by the truncated wreck of the old West Pier.

Perhaps that's why I like it.

Shut Up and Sing

Back at the start of their 2003 tour the Dixie Chicks lead singer, Natalie Maines, made a comment that they "were ashamed the President comes from Texas", their home state. Little did they know what would ensue.

Despite being one of the biggest bands in country music history, the Dixie Chicks have never had the huge affection of country music fans. Their comments at a west London gig unleased redneck craziness and a country radio boycott. This film follows those events, cutting between the reaction in 2003 and the recording their next album in 2005.

It's a fascinating film highlighting issues around freedom of speech and provides an insight into the challenges of combining life on the road, recording an album, and making time for your family. Two people in particular come across well - Natalie Maines, the lead singer, comes across as passionate and with a nice sense of humour, and their manager, Simon Renshaw, is excellent, especially in the face of death threats and Senate hearing.

If you're a fan (and I admit I have been for the best part of the last decade) the film fleshes out what you long suspected - the Chicks are outspoken, quirky and great musicians. If you're not a fan you may not enjoy it as much, but it's worth a watch.

Ultimately the Chicks were vindicated both politically and, importantly, musically. Their next album - the Rick Rubin produced Taking the Long Way - is a sublime album and the Dixie Chicks best by far. It won 4 Grammy awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. It has yet to receive a single Country Music Association Award nomination.

Website of the week - #47

And you thought the dress you saw at that wedding last week was hideous - check some of these.

Singing the in the rain??

Not sure how it's been for you but spent a couple of hours today helping to mop out the head of department's office and move him to another office due to flooding.

I'm sure others have had it far, far worse...

... but we're on the 6th floor...

Wizard and Chips

Whilst I'm not a huge Potter fan - I will not be queuing up outside a bookstore at 12:01am on Saturday morning dressed as a wizard - I have read the books. I'm intriged by the new book. Is it really final one or will 'Harry Potter - The University Years' follow soon? Will there be a happy ending or will the darkness of the recent books continue?

You have to hand it to JK Rowling - it's a brave decision to end the series. If it were you how would you do it? Happy ever after with Harry heading off in to the sunset with Ginny? Or sad ending killing the whole thing off in a final battle where everyone dies and Voldemort wins?

Rowling has said that 2 characters will die - my money's on Mr & Mrs Weasley - but what else...

...is Snape really good or evil...

...will Ron and Hermione finally get it together... or is Harry and Luna the real love story...

...am I showing way too much interest and knowledge...

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Finally a decent sequel this summer!

The 766 page book has been squeezed in to a 2 hour 15 min movie so it cracks along at a decent place, and if you've not read the book you may struggle with the plot, but the film is none the worse for that.

Good news is Radcliffe can act, Grint has stopped his mugging and gurning to the camera, and Helena Bonham Carter is suitably loopy in a supporting role. Imelda Stauton is superb playing Delores Umbridge - the stooge sent in to run Hogwarts and replace Dumbledore - as a sort of Stepford wife.

Bad news is the role of Hermione seems to be descending in to some sub Jane Austen type secondary character - all whining and simpering. It's a real pity as, in the books, Hermione is a great young female character who is intelligent, has depth and strength, and possesses an underlying steely determination - much of which seems to have been written out in this particular film. It must be a wonderful role for a young actress to play - completely different to the Vikki Pollard/Catherine Tate characters that seem to pervade the media - that I really hope it returns to what it should be in the next film.

If Potter has passed you by this film won't change your mind. If you're a Potter fan then you can't wait until 12:01am this Saturday.

Website of the week - #46

Poptastic mate!

Say "Cheese"

To the current exhibition at Tate Britain - How we are: Photographing Britain.

It's an excellent photography exhibition covering Britain since 1840. Wonderful images from men wearing antlers in an amateur dramatic ensemble in Victorian times, to post war Picture Post photos, right up to the modern day, the wholly exhibition is fascinating and enthralling.

One of the best things the Tate has shown in recent years - I'll be returning and I heartily recommend it.

Die Hard 4.0

Various geeks have sold code to baddies who use IT systems to cause chaos to nick a load of data and money. The baddies seek to cover their tracks by killing the geeks. Bruce is sent to pick up one of the geeks and as he is there, the baddies arrive to kill said geek. Once again Bruce is in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It's a popcorn movie - but it can't decide which type of popcorn movie - mismatched 'buddie' film, chase film, thriller, crime, or an all out action film. It's a pity as the set up and initial plot is fine. Willis and Justin Long - who was excellent in the much underrated and mis-scheduled TV series Ed - make a good light comedy pairing. But after about an hour it descends into ever more absurd chase sequences which then just ruin what could have a been a decent action flick - just wait until the fighter plane appears... I mean, really...

Even a 'Simon Pegg in Mission Impossible 3' style cameo from Kevin Smith (aka Silent Bob) seems a little forced. There is a decent action film in here somewhere - but like many of the sequels this year, you can't help thinking the world would have been better off if they'd just not bothered.

Website of the week - #45

All together now - "spider pig, spider pig."

The trailers look good, anticipation is high, so hopefully this will deliver.

The Grand Depart - part deux

The sun is shining and London has rarely looked better. The crowds are massive and the Prologue of the Tour de France is about to begin...

I arrived at Hyde Park just after midday. The publicity caravan is not due to go round the course for a couple of hours and the final rider won't be here until after 6pm, yet already people are camped out for the best views by the barriers. If nothing else you have admire their bladder control.

I look at the map, get my bearings and go for a wander to spy out where there might be decent viewing spaces and where the big screens are. Despite there being thousands here already, within 1omins I bump into someone I know - small world.

When the Tour de France was last in the UK in 1994 I went and saw both days - Chris Boardman lost the maillot jaune just before coming to England and, bizarrely, Sean Yates winning it on the day it returned to France - so I sort of know what to expect. However, this is the Prologue - a short curtain-raising time-trial where 189 riders will set off at one minute intervals - and it's in central London so things are slightly different.

I continue my wander, buy my t-shirt and then decide on my tatics. As it comes to the 3pm start time I'm watching the big screen near Wellington Arch with thousands of others. The screen shows the clock at the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben chimes and the first rider is off - to a huge cheer. The big screen follows his progress around the course and as he aproaches a huge cheer goes up.

And so I spend the rest of the day watching the race - either on the big screens or up close. Each rider is cheered on their way, Bradley Wiggins and David Millar getting huge encouragement, and a throughly enjoyable day is had. I even manage to get some photos with the cyclists in them - rather than the usual one of a blank section of road and people looking to where the cyclist now was.

Unfortunately the fairy tale ending of local boy Wiggins winning doesn't happen - he is creditable fourth. As the last few finish it is a tight race and the crowd at the big screen are shouting and cheering as the winner, Swiss rider Cancellara, is the only rider to complete the course in under 9 minutes. These boys can motor.

A fantastic day - hope it returns soon.

Le Grand Depart

Ever since the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Manchester contained a parade featuring The Wombles - quite what some parts of the Commonwealth made of that - I'm always intrigued with what the UK offers up for opening ceremonies.

In many respects Le Grand Depart of the Tour de France didn't disappoint. It seemed somewhat ironic that the most French of occasions should be kicked off in Trafalgar Square - where 2 great victories over France have been celebrated, Nelson and the 2012 Olympics. I arrived at 6pm and already the place is packed. After a DJ plays various tunes - including Tour de France by Kraftwerk (natch) - there is a bloke from Leicester giving us a 20 minute talk on the history of the bicycle, complete with old penny-farthings etc. Amazingly the crowd are actually listening in respectful silence rather than organising a lynching.

This is then followed by 'quirky and amusing bicycles' - tall ones, small ones etc - including a *hiliarious* wobbly bike built by a bloke called John. John has clearly spent far too much time alone in his shed and this behaviour should not be encouraged - again the crowd listen in silence and even offer polite applause. I fear this may further encourage John's worrying hobby. Finally, after some bilingual drama with children and the obligatory dance number, our hosts for the evening appear. One is cycle legend Hugh Porter, the other is someone called Kate - I've no idea who she is but assume she's some sort of local TV presenter.

Hugh is in full Alan Partridge mode as he introduces the teams. Each of the Brits get a big cheer - though there are actually more Aussies and Kiwis on the Tour - and the knowledgable crowd also cheers others like Erik Zabel, Robbie McEwen etc.

Tour de France commentary legends Phil Ligget (who seems to be a mutant cross between Elton Welsby and Jim Rosenthal) and Paul Sherwen (who never ages) look on. The evening continues with Lemar doing a set. His opening song?? Queen's I want to ride my bicycle.

Am I the only one really worried what on earth the 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony is going to be like??

For your personal safety??

Things are a little tighter with the current security situation.

I pop out at lunch time - my chicken baguette is felt to perhaps offer a security risk - it has to go through the x-ray machine.