Celebrities in Space

Ah, ITV (Britain’s original commercial television network). From their website:

This channel – which has done more than most to build the cult of celebrity – has taken its first step toward atonement by placing a group of celebs (the type who take a bow each time the fridge light goes on) and place them in the Antipodean wilderness.

The programme is I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, which should be worth watching for the title alone. It’s made my day.

Now when celebrity Lance Bass shouts, “I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here”, it takes on a whole new meaning. Lance, a member of boyband N’Sync may actually go into space. I thought this was a wind up when I first heard about it, but apparently not:

He is being sponsored by a consortium of major companies and Hollywood producer David Krieff, and has signed a preliminary contract for the mission – but recent reports have suggested that he has missed deadlines to pay the $20m flight fee.

[BBC]

On this day…

2002: Half-Hearted Bollywood

Half-Hearted Bollywood

The GuruYou know when you don’t go to the cinema for, what seems like, an age and then you suddenly go quite a lot? No, well, I do this on-off thing with cinema quite a lot. Yesterday, following on from my Men In Black II experience, I went to see The Guru at The Clapham Picture House (which, if you live in this part of the world, probably ranks as one of the better cinemas and it’s not part of an overly large chain – although there are more of them then you would imagine).

The people I was with, loved it. They laughed (a lot). Many people in the cinema was laughing too. I smiled occasionally and there was the odd laugh but on the whole I was pretty quiet. So, to validate my lack of enthusiasm for the film (which seems to be generally well received) I got as far as The Guardian’s film site (which, I am sure was Film Unlimited at one point). Peter Bradshaw reassures me with,

There’s no bite or edge to this movie, though; it’s goofy, soft-centred romcom slush, with some very half-hearted Bollywood pastiche” and “… these moments don’t really justify the admission price

[Full Review]

Now, I am using the web to reinforce my own opinions. This can’t be a good thing.

On this day…

2002: Celebrities in Space

Not Hilarious or Surprising

Men in Black 2“Strange, zany, generally amusing and very likeable without actually being all that hilarious or surprising, Men In Black II relies heavily on familiarity with and affection for the original. Fans of that film, who are simply content with more of the same, shouldnÂ’’t be dismayed or too seriously disappointed by a pleasantly insane bit of nonsense”. [Empire Online]

This review tells almost all about my night last night. I went to UCI Sutton to see Men In Black II. I had enjoyed the first in a wash-over-me kind of way. Interest wanes at twenty minutes.

On this day…

2005: Catherine Tate
2003: Naked Valley Money

Around The World

A colleague of mine left work yesterday to go travelling and I was sad to see him go. He’s joining an ever growing list of people I know who are purchasing a back-pack and buying a ticket for six months. Three of my friends/acquaintances are in Australia travelling. One of my clients is off travelling. What am I doing wrong? Is it a coincidence that they all work in new media environments? And this morning I find that over at Jase’s homepage he links to this great travelling blog. The world is trying to tell me something!

On this day…

2005: Let’s Google Talk
2004: The Hottest State
2004: Get Yer Kit Off …
2003: Summer Music

Old Friends

Tonight I am going out with a very good friend of mine (who happens to be a member of Haddock but I don’t hold that against him). I haven’t seen him for ages and, it’s strange, because I miss him. Some people make you think and challenge you and entertain robust discussion, and Kev is one of those people. I sense an interesting night but I’ll put money on the fact that I shall not arrive home until the early hours. Perhaps we should go drinking for fewer hours less often. Ah, the night awaits.

On this day…

2004: Camp
2002: Not About Me

Not About Me

I don’t talk about my blog. It’s a private thing I do, but I am not sure why (I would suggest points 2 and 3 here as a starting point to try and answer that question).

Yesterday I went for a very nice meal at Orso when the conversation turned to weblogs. I was somewhat shocked that my dining companions could not grasp the “why” of the blog concept. Why read them? Why write them? But I still didn’t speak about Listen To Musak. It’s very odd but I do not feel compelled to actually talk about this. Then I realised I do not talk about me to anybody very much. I discuss events that involved me. I talk about other people and tell people about my work. I express options with the best of them. But I don’t really discuss myself too often – at least by this I mean, I guess, emotions and my private life. It’s odd because I think people who know me would say I do talk a great deal, but I know I hold things back. Why is that? So why to I carry on writing this? I have said before that it started out as a challenge to myself. Can I blog for a whole month with no interruptions? I did that. And still I find myself here!

On this day…

2004: Camp
2002: Old Friends

Fast Food Fact Frenzy (1)

I don’t want to play food facts today …

  • The typical American now consumes approximately three hamburgers and four orders of french fries every week.
  • McDonald’s operates more playgrounds that any other private entity in the United States

Should we be worried? [Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser] And that’s only from the introduction!

On this day…

2004: Remember August