pink lemonade and muddy pawprints

It's life Jim....but those damn puppies just don't know it!

Oh grown. I woke up early, ie a proper time, 830, to let the dogs out of their cage. It rained over night, it was overcast and wet. Hence the dogs wouldn't hop out the door while i stood in the gravel yard waiting for them. So i went in and fed them. The minute my back was turned one of them peed in the corner. So mop out clean, clean, clean. Then within an hour the floor was covered in manic muddy paw prints. LARGE MOPPING!

And now there's stains again and the floor needs a good hovering. It just won't end, and i couldn't be arsed doing it just yet.

I also saw a lot of property porn this morning. Yes it is porn. No one should watch that much housing in one morning unless they're a post man or a burglar. Seriously, in a more serious way than grey's anatomy, who really can afford to be a property developer? Or to have the "house doctor" come around. At least 3 house show's within as many hours, and not the good kind, ie NOT House M.D. This is just cruel scheduling. There's a credit crunch for feck sake! Who wants to see a developer miss out on a profit by a month and have to settle for inflated renting then sell a nice little gable end terrace house. NOT ME! After all i live within my own mess as it is, literally and figuratively. So why is it that all these shows are still going on? DO the brits really love their home's this much? Or are they really so greedy that they have to dream of buying home's so they can do them up and sell them to others? What a waste.

PS Bargain Hunt is on now. And another bitch fest from that yank on House Doctor. If only she was a real doctor, she'd prescribe pastel colours and smarmy backhanded compliments. Fucking yanks.

CINEPHILLIA:

Just over a week ago i went to see Terminator Salvation. Now i was going to give a more comprehensive and canon-aware review of the movie and it's place in the Terminator saga. But then i got distracted and lazy and so i will just say a shorter mediocre few comments on it.

It's entertaining. It's thick and fast and down right stupid. The new Machine's are menacing and fun, but they pass to quickly and just aren't the same. There's not as many lasers as the flash-forwards of the previous movies, a real pitty. But we do have a lot of new toys. We also have a non-sensicle very quick and predictable plot. It's a leave your brain at the ticket box sort of movie. A MASSIVE shame compared to the techno-warning of the classic original. Not only that but T2: Judgement Day was almost a horror movie that attempted to deal with "temporal mechanic's" at the same time of pushing CGI technology to the limit. A ground breaking classic that still kicks ass. T3: Rise of the Machines, now it's a mixed bag. It's fun, it make's less sense than it's classic predecessor's but it ends with a bang. The TX wasn't as cold as the T-1000 or Arnies original but she did pack a fair few massive punches. The T-1's and mini-Hunter Killer as her minions was fun. AND THAT FIRETRUCK CHASE! Just wow, destruction un-rivaled. And the end was a great morale dilemma. Judgement day would always happen. Such a great finale.

T4 however is such a slap in the face. It's to fast, full of to many shiny new toys that are wasted. And the lo-tech but not so apocalyptic future is just annoying. A-10 tank buster airplane's just don't make sense in the post apocalyptic future, i can forgive the submarine but an Osprey as well? Please spare me. I was disappointed. There was a good few nods at the past movies, a good "arnie" cameo and a lot of familiar quotable lines. But no NEW line's you'd quote again. Bale was flat and in-affective. And the "main character" he wasn't very believable. His accent fluctuated wildly and he just wasn't very likable as the Death-row inmate trying to make people love him and his massive mutant cyborg heart.

Result: 3 stars. XXX

War movie classic's:

Now while doing my dvd wander thing with DS last Thursday i brought up this question:

What is the best war movie, set and made in the 20th century?

His first answer was Cold Mountain, as a joke, so i added the other clause's.

I then gave him the answer. Glory. Stanley Kubrick's master piece and understated classic. I first saw it in "flim club" in school and have loved it ever since. World War 1's atrocities and horror played out by the execution of innocent soldiers for "desertion" following a failed and flawed attack on a pointless target. Amazingly moving and it's not the execution that make's you cry and weep like a baby no. That is a manly tear moment. It's the last scene however that would destroy even the hardiest of men. A German Milkmaid is forced to sing songs for rowdy french soldiers. Soon they all sush as they realise she's got a great pair of pipes. Her stressed, tearful singing with a terrified luck carries a moving tune that slowly pulls the soldiers in. Close ups show every soldier slowly remember home, remember their sweethearts and weep for their losses. It's a greatly moving scene that will leave you scrambling for hankies. Brilliant.

But the true great that i forgot....

The best war movie based on pure fictional entertainment and gun hoe action:

WHERE EAGLE'S DARE

Just imagine the theme tune now, dun dun dun, de de de, dun dun dun....

Or Quote it: "Broadsword calling Danny boy, come in Danny Boy"

Then remember that this crazy movie involves, espoinage, wholesome and willing Bavarian double-agent beauties, Nazi's, a kick ass mountain castle, a Richard Burton tour de force in british swagger and elocution and Clint eastwood mowing down nazi's with infinite ammo. You can't ask for more from a war-actioner. It's one of the greatest loads of shite ever made, and in a good way!

It's a father and son movie, it's a lads movie, it's even a filmbuff and thespian movie! To combine great conspiracies and acting with a pointless action vehicle with such grace and style.

If you haven't seen this movie then you should hang your head in shame. You won't regret it, it's just to darn fun!

Abandonia:

So i forged on and eventually played Civili(z)ation IV again. And i have to say i'm sort of disappointed this time. My computer isn't exactly up to the task of handling it, but it's just slow/fast. I've already reached the 18th century and i don't even have an army capable of waging war. It requires so much more micro-management that it consumes all of your time and you get fuck all done. Now i love a lot of it's new system's. The civic's and religion feature's are amazing, but their potential isn't realised. Not only that but the speed at which the years pass. It's a problem with a lot of civili(z)ation game's, but it all pass's far to quickly. It's better when you spend several hour's with the same level of technology and build an army in each era worthy of a long struggle and/or brief wars. I would like it if the game's reflected periods of history and you could actually raise armies fitting for those times. Unfortunately it can not be.

Civili(z)ation 2: Test of Time:

I mentioned it before, and i tried to get back to the game's i had played before. No such luck.

The first save game got put in the wrong folder, the ordinary civ 2 folder. Thus when i moved it back to the right place it wouldn't open it.

I then started a new game, and it went well. A few days later i attempted to open it again, oh oo, big glitch. Instead of loading with the dark palate landscape and animated units, it loaded the OLD units on a mixed and fractured background. The glitch was grotesque and unexplained. I saved it properly. It was a save game for this game. But for some unknown reason it loaded the graphics in a crazy way and now i couldn't play it because of how ugly it was.

So i started a newer game late last night. I hope that when i get back to it later today it will actually work. But the hassle of those failed save games is annoying.

Lounge Athlete:

Federer is just about to play Tommy Haas so i will keep this brief.

Murry Mania may be short lived as he face's Andy Roddick in the semi-final today. It will be a marathon match and one to look forward to.

It's Federer who get's the relative cake walk and VERY certain match. Haas may be good but i sincerely doubt he has the where-with-all to get the good points and beat the style grace and shear talent of Federer.

Andy Vs Andy will be the real good match of today. And i can not wait for it!

A day of sun, garbage and light lifting.

It's Life Jim... but hell if i know anything about it:

-Chore's galore:

Ah yes. I woke at 8am. Slept. 830am. Slept. 905 am. Slept. 915, i got up. I went to the bathroom as you do. On with the trousers socks and shoe's. A brisk walk to the kitchen, close pantry door, unlock back door and let dogs out of cage. Then stand against the red Merc in the shite covered stone back yard and notice how the swealtering sun of a mere 9 am had woken me to witness a clear blue sky. It's alien, it's warm, it's sticky, it's so bright OH GOD IT HURTS!

Yeah, i'm a bit of a night owl and Irish, like the rain that runs through my veins and into my bones. Sunshine is painful for me. I burn easy enough. I suffered through in Oz and didn't get burnt (too much) as i had factor 25 on every inch of exposed skin. Here at home i have no cause for such good moisture and uv protection regeims. But indeed there was sun today.

So i fed the dogs. I fucked off to my bedroom and started my usual lazy web search. Then installed a game, and didn't play it, more later.

Then at about 11 or so hunger got the better of me and back to the kitchen it was. Poridge. Bathroom break. Eat. Wimbledon highlights. I then cleaned. Yep, i wiped the kitchen surface's clear. I also let the dishwasher, overflowing from the night before (when i had put a tablet in as cutesy to my tea drinking parents, alas they didn't tidy up their cups). So i wiped all the counters, even the one with the phone that NEVER has food on it, but is NEVER cleaned. I then fucked off again and played my games. It was then that i noticed that the truck sounds i had heard earlier were a delivery, to this house. No, not my Mp3 player. No it was plaster board and fiberglass foam. All for my dads megolithic garage (going on 3 years of construction). Upon his return i had to do some lifting. Now the boards, all 12, weighed nothing. But when mowing a tiny stretch of grass gave my tighs pain, this was no easy feat for my deteriorating state of fitness. My hands were slipping, my biceps and triceps screaming that they were indeed in real proper use. I needed gloves for grip after the 4th board. My finger joints still ached but it was all good. I got it done despite ache's. They soon subsided, but damn were they alarm bells.

Then the dreaded yard. Oi Vay. Those damn puppies. You see Rosie like's to scavange. She ripped open all the garbage bags. Now it was all dry stuff or recyclable material's, but it still made a mess. Once again i had to clean this up. The second the Federer match was starting at that! The injustice! So in my annoyance and sweat i got the black sacks, i got the brush and i went to town on that damn mess. Well sort of. I gathered the free radicle's, and then the rubbish. Bagged the flying debris in a white bag. Re-sacked the open black sacks of bottle's and jars that were all fermenting. I then locked the puppies in and dumped the bags in the "alley" between the two garage's. And after that i swept up the dust, dirt, soil, woodlice or woodlouce i noticed, and stones. I piled them all together and cleared around the back door step for beautification reasons. I then sat back and enjoyed the tennis, satisfied.

I later in the evening traded pleasentries with Ming as he sat on a seaside cliff beside his home while i ate pizza in sunset watching a good 5 setter on the kitchen tv. I also arranged a cinema outing with my good olde mate DS. He's finally home, thank fuck, i miss movie's so terribly. I also arranged for it to be possible for me to pop in to see off I-T and catch up with everyone from The Society.

I had missed Percy's private b-day party on monday. This was due to not mentioning it to the parentals or facilitating any way of getting there and back. So i missed that occaision. But this one i will hopefully not. After all I-T is not a bad guy, sure being an american is a minor disadvantage but he's sound as a pound a talented speaker and i'm sure we'll all miss him on several level's.

In conclusion expect a High Society and Cinephillia post tomorrow or on friday.

Abondonia:

Try, try and try and test my time:

Last night i gave in to temptation and dragged out a game i never really got into. You see i LOVE Sim City 3000. I play it several time's when ever i can, and recently played a good few cities and so on. But sitting on my desk for at least 3 years has been Sim City 4. On olde Bertha she didn't work. On Lorraine she was grand but i couldn't get a good game going, and it ate up space, so i removed it.

Now several year's later i tried to give it another go. For a while i was a good boy. The Tutorial city was almost going well. But then i got ahead of myself and it went tits up. Money was draining out so i upped the taxes and i couldn't get a profit any more than about 50 Simoleons. Which is pants really. So i cheated. This didn't help much. Only a grand at a time is a shit cheat. And it didn't help. But some how this effort in vain kept me awake till 2 am. Damn god games, so addictive!

I had also been eying up my Civili(z)ation Chronicle's box set. Civ 1, Civ 2, Civ 2 Test of Time, Civ 3 "complete" and Civ 4. I play civ 2 all the time and i had for a good while kept the disc constantly in my computer to run it when i felt like it. It run's in the back ground and doesn't do anything unless you move. So it's perfect for surfing the web and controlling boredom. Or good for late night procrastination as my teenage years proved.

I installed Civ 4. I had played it a few time's before. Again taking up to much space on my old computer it was removed. I liked it. Infact it is really good. But FAR too short. I was peeved at that, same goes for smaller worlds. I'm sure there was a balance to be found. I loved what i played, and it was easy, i didnt even have to cheat for added fun. But by installing it and reading the box i remembered and saw that Civili(z)ation 2:Test of Time was in the collection.

This meant that the partial 3d "sequel"/Add on to Civ 2 was on my pc and i didn' t even realise it. So i searched deep into my programe files and lo and behold it was there.

I think i played it at some stage in the past. And was very annoyed at it's far darker palate. If Test of Time was a Emo with white make up, Civ 2 is a naked hippie on acid at Candle Fair in California's forest fire season. Well not really, but Civ 2's background colours and feel is very very bright and pastel. The game interface is a simple understated light pencil grey. The grass is bright and creamy and so is the ocean. The unit's are simple, made of very few colours and bit's and basic. Test of time however is Morbid in it's darkness. it's hard of detail despite it's abundance. It's all animated. The unit's are nice and all move but are far harder to distinguish. For some unknown reason everyone is african or indonesian. They're very hard to make out compared to the darker green's of the game. The game interface is also a VERY DARK Black and grey and is just so much more sinister and unforgiving compared to Civ 2's pastle simplicity.

I have been playing Civ 2 since 1996. I am nothing but an avid recreational and insomniac user. I have played hundreds of games. I used it as excuse's for not doing German homework! It is a large part of my life. Now the more i played test of time the less it bugged me today, but the colours are still FAR too dark. The game play the same if not easier. And my current game is going well, okay i'm cheating, but on easiest mode and with a big world the time is going by slowly, and this is great. I get to build up my empire and advance mile's ahead of my enemies and neighbours. It's going well and i'm sure i will play it a lot in the near by future.

One massive problem. I started Test of Time just to see if i could play old Civ 2 saved game's in it. Unfortunatly this is un-possible. Which is the biggest crock of shite ever. Absoloutly evil. About 11 years to late to complain but it's the principle of things!

Lounge Athlete

It's Raining it's pouring, and Wimbledon highlights are boring!

That little ditty was mine from about 2007 years ago when it was very wet. The year nadal took around 3 days to play one match because of rain delays. The year Federer was still the top dog, and stylish with his 3 Racket monogrammed blazer.

Fast forward to now and Nadal, last years winner, and the world number 1 is not there. The talented powerhouse from Spain is so damn good that his knee's gave out on him. His KNEES! Yep, he's so athletic and stong that balance and running about the place has shot his knee's and he has to rest for a good bit. He suffered in the French and was beaten by the rising Soderling, who is through to round 3 of wimbledon today.

Nadal's absence as we all know mean's Murray, britain's number 1, and the worlds number 3 is almost un chalanged in his half of the draw. Leaving it to the back bencher's to fend amoungst themselve's to step up to the net and challange the Tim Henman spirit that is backing Murray and is fast track to Federer in the final.

Now not to dismiss the rest of the men's draw. There are other amazing players out there. Andy Rodick, 2001 Wimbledon winner Leyton Hewitt, "dyockavich", Soderling and a few others.

In today's action Federer went through pretty easy, seeing a pattern in ole Willy Garcia-Lopez's play and demolishing him in 3 straight sets.

But following Federer on Centre court was the entertainment match of the week so far. Sam Querry vs Manin Cilic. WHO you may ask. Well i knew of Cilic, i had heard his name at least last year. Only 21 apparently. He was up against an american hopeful that McEnrow was giving big kudos to.

The first set went to Querry. It looked like he had it in the bag. As it started, the commentators and myself were begging for a 5 setter. It seemed like the right thing to do. And early play's seemed so even. But as the set slipped away from Cilic he seemed Lathargic and depressed. It looked like a shame. But Wait, he got the second! It was a tie break. He had a spring in his step and it was looking good. He then broke Querry's serve in the FIRST GAME OF THE THIRD SET. Querry matching him perfectly but taking the same mind set as Cilic earlier in the match.

It wasn't full of amzing dive's, it wasn't too insane. I didn't have Federer or Nadal Quality but it was damned even and a great battle. The 4th Looked like it would be Cilic's as well. But it was even all the way and led to a tie break. And it ran away from him, match point never came easy enough. Querry fought back and got it. He was on a roll. The crowd Extatic and staying in the cold of a sheltered Centre court as the sun slowly started to set after a hot day in Wimbledon. And the tension and talent was just as hot on the pitch.

5 Sets. It was 8pm! And 5 bloody sets. BBC 2 stopped it's coverage, but i had a red button. ONWARD! It went fast. They were playing for 3 and a half hours and some how they looked like they could go for longer. Eventually it happed that Cilic broke later in the set and managed to win it. The crowd were raring to go, there was a mexican wave only a few games before. They were loving it. They would have loved it to got in to the ten's or 20's before it was over. Game's that is, as the 5th set has to keep going. There's a record of something like 27-25 and an 11 hour match or something. A similar record being set in men's double's a couple of years ago by the Brian Brothers because of rain delay and their talent. Although they were playing together...

Cilic won the match: 4-6 7-6 6-3 6-7 6-4

A Great Day to be a Lounge Athlete.