"Within each of us, ofttimes, there dwells a mighty and raging fury"

Had to be done! :-D

Is it xmas yet?

Check it out! I got a flat panel monitor for my desk. Isn't it beautiful? Everyone in the office would like one of these, but that's the beauty of being in the IT department isn't it? :-) We've got another 10 or so to hand out, but who should get them? There's only one way to settle this (see link).

My job's going from part time (2 days a week) to full time, yay! This means I will have more money for buying toys and visiting foreign parts in 2006! Shopping list: new computer, broadband, sound system, furniture, clothes, expensive shoes, trips to Spain, gym membership (yes gym membership!) and maybe a trip to Texas to visit my good friend Ben who's out there doing his PhD.

Anyway I should get on with some work if I want to keep this wonderful job. Unfortunately I have been hypnotized by this evil kitten.

Booze cruise

As Tim (pictured sprawled on floor) turned 33 on the 4th December we made the traditional channel crossing to Dieppe on Saturday, theoretically to buy cheese. High seas made for an entertaining trip, the high point for me being when Tim hurried over to say something, miscalculated and hurried straight past, into a table and three chairs. The French seemed unconcerned - presumably this is just something English people do.

We found time to nose around the Castle Museum, which has an impressive collection of non-PC ivory artifacts as well as many paintings of fish, so in theory we didn't do nothing but drink all day.

I did, however, forget the cheese.

Muggers in Shoreham

I was returning over the footbridge on Sunday night when I happened upon a fellow who said he'd just been mugged. He had a nasty lump on his head and a bloody nose. Two guys running off towards town had grabbed his iPod.

I was incensed, especially as I knew how he felt after the same thing had happened to me not so long ago. I ran after the pair and chased them up the road towards the Duke, and actually caught up to them (they must be very slow muggers!) They had the usual hoods up and one had a scarf over his face. The other was careful to cover his face with his hands. They looked about 15. Gah! 15 year old professional muggers in Shoreham? Since when?

Anyway, I told them they had to return the guy's property. They then suggested I buy it from them :-) No, that's not how it works kiddies, you give it back now, or you make a break for it and I try and stop you. Your choice. I couldn't resist emphasising my point by smacking my fist into my palm. Matt, the victim in this, had caught up as well and the kids were looking less confident. I took out my phone and dialled 999. 'You calling the police?' says Bugsy Malone. 'Well duh! What do you think?'

They started to run again so we kept after them, while talking to the police. Really kids these days are so slow! How could they not outrun us? In a panic they finally gave up and returned the iPod, and we let them get away. Matt was pleased to get his stuff back, and the police turned up 5 minutes later to take the details. On reflection, it's a pity we didn't grab hold of the little maggots until the police arrived, but at least they probably had a scare.

So listen, all you would-be mugger brats of Shoreham, mugging gets you nothing. Sooner or later (most probably sooner) you will get beaten up, imprisoned or both. Get a life!

My philosophy, rated

Someone's stolen my plug sockets! I got into work nice and early at 8am, only to find my computer doesn't work because it isn't plugged in, and it isn't plugged in because... the plug sockets have been stolen! Seriously, there used to be a panel in the floor with all my precious power and network connections, and now there's just an untouched carpet tile! It's a bit spooky. *sigh* Obviously there has been some kind of misunderstanding.

Anyway, I tried this quiz Lilly had on her blog:

You scored as Materialist. Materialism stresses the essence of fundamental particles. Everything that exists is purely physical matter and there is no special force that holds life together. You believe that anything can be explained by breaking it up into its pieces. i.e. the big picture can be understood by its smaller elements. Materialist 88% Modernist 75% Postmodernist 75% Cultural Creative 50% Idealist 44% Existentialist 38% Romanticist 31% Fundamentalist 31% What is Your World View? (updated) created with QuizFarm.com

Hmm, sounds a bit stark and scientisty. I agree with the above, but also hold that nothing is certain, everything is possible, and love can save the world, though I draw the line at the healing power of crystals. Sorry but if I've got a cold I'll take a lemsip over a lump of rose quartz any day. I should point out that I answered at least 50% of the questions with 'neither agree nor disagree', hence 31% fundamentalist! Yeah that's me, a dyed-in-the-wool fundamentalist!

I've just finished reading my first Iain M Banks book, Feersum Endjinn. Good fun, but I was actually expecting something even more out of this world! Probably been built up too much. Maybe his 'culture' novels are more what I was expecting. We'll see, I'll definitely be reading them at some point. As for the ending of Feersum Endjinn, it was a bit of a last minute dash round gathering loose ends. And what exactly does the 'Endjinn' do? Sure, leave it to the imagination. Thing is, I was really looking forward to finding out!!

Movie wise I must just quickly recommend Kung Fu Hustle. Funniest thing I've seen in years! Well, since Shaolin Soccer I guess (Stephen Chow's previous film). This guy's hilarious, and he really knows and loves film. He references everything from Casablanca to Spiderman and back to The Shining. The fight scenes involve over-the-top wirework and sfx mixed with classic Shaw brothers kung fu and a dash of the three Stooges. It's played for laughs, but is nonetheless hugely impressive.

Anyway, better get on with some work, and find those plug sockets!

My Life, Rated

It's Friday (yay) and I just don't have time to report on the many exciting adventures that occupy my time, so I'm posting a pre-packaged life analysis I nicked from Kieran's blog:

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	5.8
Mind:	7.1
Body:	8.6
Spirit:	4.5
Friends/Family:	3.4
Love:	0
Finance:	4.7
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

It's a bit suspect as according to the post test analysis I'm a bit of an athlete who needs to convert to Christianity or something. Oh, and join a dating agency apparently. Cheeky buggers.

Watchmen movie not happening

Sin City is released on DVD this coming Monday. There's a particularly lovely boxset which includes the three graphic novels that formed the script and storyboard for the film. What a movie! You'll find it on my wishlist, of course :-)

Speaking of comic adaptations, I see the Watchmen movie is officially dead (again), its official site now points to Paramount's home page and its listing is gone from IMDB. Just as well, it was going to be rubbish. Watchmen is too good to do a Constantine on. Constantine was fun so I didn't care that they messed with Hellblazer, but Watchmen is the apotheosis of the medium! It cannot be chopped, changed or condensed!

Here's the way to do it: A big budget 10 episode TV drama for the main story, interspersed with 9 half-hour segments in various styles such as documentary, chat show / interviews, news and even another TV show (Tales of the Black Freighter). If you know the comic, you'll know what I'm talking about. It'd be original, groundbreaking and totally unbelievably cool, just like the comic.

Must see movie of the moment: Hayao Miyazaki's latest, Howl's Moving Castle (Hauru no ugoku shiro), is showing at the Duke of York's from tomorrow. It's high time I saw some top notch anime on the big screen, now's my chance!