Saturday 31 January 2009

I want this job - Helvellyn fell top assessor

From Wikipedia:
The Lake District national park authority has two 'Fell top assessors' who ascend Helvellyn daily during the winter months of December to March. Their job is to check the weather conditions at the summit and write a report containing information such as temperature, windchill, windspeed, snowdepth, and any dangers such as unstable snow/avalanche hazard and icy footpaths.

This report is put on the Weatherline, which is a Met Office mountain weather forecast and is available on the internet, by telephone and at local shops and tourist information centres[6]. This information is important for people that go out winter hillwalking and climbing as it can help them plan their routes and to get an idea of the mountain conditions.

So basically, you have to go up here every day...

Thursday 29 January 2009

Henry Porter on new bailiffs' powers

For those who caught my recent post on how bailiffs are going to be given the legal authority to forcibly enter the homes of debtors and use physical restraint against them, there's a further article on the subject by Henry Porter on the Guardian website today.

It is clear that householders are going to be offered violence in their own homes owing to this law, but the trouble is that no one has been able to discover under what circumstances bailiffs will be able to push people aside while seizing a TV or computer or the wedding picture in a silver frame.

You can read the full article here.

Guardian Designs

Yeah, I know it's a lame subject line, but I am a singularly unimaginative individual, as you will all no doubt agree.

Reading through the Guardian's G2 section this lunchtime, I happened across Lucy Mangan's 'Last night's TV' column, in which she went on a lot about her irrational hatred of Grand Designs. As I read though, it became apparent that we saw different episodes of the show.

So what happened? Turns out that Kevin McCloud had a skiing accident and was unable to complete the voiceover for the episode that was supposed to have been shown and which Channel 4 released to TV critics. It does rather beg the question though, why are Channel 4 sending out incomplete episodes? Why complete the second episode before the first, particularly when all that was missing was the voiceover?

Bring on the trumpets

Wednesday 28 January 2009

Headline of the day

From the Daily Mail website:

Pussycat Dolls Jessica pulls a strange face after partying with Prince Azim

Really? Is there such a dearth of news that someone pulling a face is worth an entire article?

Tuesday 27 January 2009

The world's best passenger complaint letter

A complaint to Richard Branson from a disgruntled Virgin Atlantic customer. The funniest thing I've read in years.

Click here to read.

Sunday 18 January 2009

MPs seek freedom from freedom of information

Our self-serving MPs are at it again. Harriet Harman is to put forward a parliamentary order which will exempt MPs from having to publish their expenses. Getting MPs to publish details of what they spend our money on was a long-fought battle and now Harman wants to get rid of the obligation with barely a whimper of protest. Notice that the news was snuck out the same day that the goverment gave the go ahead to the third runway at Heathrow

MPs won't protest as most have always resented having to provide the information because it often embarasses them. In fact saving personal embarassment is the only reason they want this is because the truth is that most MPs' expenses contain nothing of note. Sure, there's the occasional headline-grabbing expenditure on pot plants or whatever, but look deeper and in almost all instances, there are actually justifiable reasons for the expenses.

The worst thing about this move is that it removes MPs from the same obligations that they have imposed on all other public bodies, as if they are somehow special. The impression that it's one law for MPs and one law for everyone else will do nothing to restore trust in the political process.

Read more:
Story on this from Friday's Guardian
Editorial from yesterday's Guardian

Wednesday 14 January 2009

Weekend cinema preview

The Wrestler
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis
Director: Darren Aronofksy
A retired wrestler, off the pro-circuit, ries to get back into the big time for one final showdown with his biggest rival. Mickey Rourke won the Golden Globe for this and with the film ranked 55 in the IMDb 250, it's a must see. With Pi, Requiem For A Dream and The Fountain already under his belt, Aronofksy is proving himself to be one hell of a director. Heading for the mainstream next year with a reboot of Robocop.
IMDb rating: 8.7
My prediction: 4/5



Clubbed
Starring: Mel Raido, Shaun Parkes, Scott Williams, Maxine Peake, Ronnie Fox, Colin Salmon
Director: Neil Thompson
A factory worker down on his luck and lacking confidence gets a new lease of life when he starts working as a nightclub doorman, but gets involved with a gangland, leading to severe consequences. Sofar, so Lock, Stock but the early reviews suggest this is a cut above its geezerish predecessors and the trailer is terrific. Feature debut for its director.
IMDb rating: 8.4 (small sample)
My prediction: 4/5



Seven Pounds
Starring: Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper
Director: Ganriele Muccino
An IRS agent with a secret embarks on a journey to change the lives of seven strangers. Different to the first trailer I saw in that it concentrates on the relationship between Smith and Dawson. This is probably because the first trailer didn't really give much of a clue as to what the film was about, though that actually made it all the more compelling. Even so, I'm still intrigued.
IMDb rating: 7.6
My prediction: 4/5



A Christmas Tale
Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Anne Consigny, Mathieu Amalric, Melvil Puopaud
Director: Arnaud Desplechin
A dysfunctional family are reunited for christmas. Ah yes, 16th January, the perfect date to release a christmas film! Actually, the trailer looks OK, something of a feelgood comedy-drama.
IMDb rating: 7.5
My prediction: 3/5



Boogie
Starring: Dragos Bucur, Anamaria Marinca
Director: Radu Muntean
Following a chance encounter with an old friend, a Romanian man disillusioned with life takes a night to relive the experiences of his youth. OK looking comedy that, if anything, even Romania has seaside resorts that kind of resemble Skegness. The trailer isn't that funny, but the IMDb rating is good.
IMDb rating: 7.9
My prediction: 3/5



Hansel & Gretel
Starring: Jyeong-myeong Cheon, Sim Eun-kyung
Director: Pil-Sung Yim
South Korean take on the fairytale, with added horror. From the trailer, this looks like quite a slick, high budget offering with something of the Pushing Daisies and Pan's Labyrinth about it.
IMDb rating: 6.7
My prediction: 3/5



My Bloody Valentine 3-D
Starring: Jensen Ackles, Jaime King
Director: Patrick Lussier
10 years after 22 people are killed in a massacre, a guy returns to the small town where it happened only to find himself suspected when the killings start up again. Doesn't appear to offer anything new to the horror genre and I don't give a damn about 3-D. Director worked as editor on the Scream films, but his directorial effortsm including White Noise 2, have been somewhat wanting. Remake of a 1981 film.
IMDb rating: n/a
My prediction: 2/5



Chandni Chowk To China
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone
Director: Nikhil Advani
An Indian cook is mistaken for the reincarnation of an ancient chinese warrior by the residents of an oppressed village. Looks to be a Bollywood kung-fu movie, of all things. Also looks to be quite stupid, yet not without entertainnment value. Curiously, it's being distributed by Warner Bros, so they must see some crossover value in it.
IMDb rating: n/a
My prediction: 2/5



Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Starring: Piper Perabo, Jamie Lee Curtis
Voiced by: Drew Barrymore, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin, Edward James Olmos, Luis Guzman
A chihuahua from Beverly Hills gets lost in Mexico and tries to make her way home. The trailer is so fucking awful it made me laugh. However, the tragic truth is that this film grossed $115 million at the US box office.
IMDb rating: 2.4
My prediction: 2/5

Thursday 8 January 2009

From Popbitch

Mark writes:
"Last week my wife had the pleasure of meeting John Cleese who had popped into her workplace (a solarium in Sydney) to top up his tan. Being a bit of a fan, I asked her when he came out if she could get his autograph. Obliging, he wrote

"'Dear Mark. You have a very beautiful wife, much more so than the one I am currently divorcing. John Cleese'."

www.popbitch.com

Labour plans to strip away another liberty

The Times is reporting that goverment is proposing that bailiffs be given the power to force their way into homes to remove items and physically restrain residents who get in the way. Interestingly, the paper has also uncovered that Court Service guidelines have given bailiffs authority to break down doors since 2004 if they suspect the people inside to be hiding from them. The new law would allow bailiffs to break in even if nobody is home.

The idea that an Englishman's home is his castle is a centuries-old principle. It draws a line between the private and the public, the authority of state power and the liberty of the individual. It embodies the concept that a man may defend himself and his property from invaders, be they civil or state. Now the government proposes that individuals acting on a private matter be given the power to forcibly enter the homes of private individuals and forcibly restrain them to collect upon civil debts.

If we must lose this particular liberty then the authority to enter a home should be specifically granted by a judge on the grounds that he believes an individual is withholding items that could be forfeited in payment of the debt. If bailiffs anticipate that force will be needed to enter a property and restrain its occupants then the police MUST be present, otherwise there will inevitibly be violent confrontations between individuals and debt collection agents, many of whom are, being generous, of dubious character.

Wednesday 7 January 2009

Weekend cinema preview

Slumdog Millionaire
Starring: Dev Patel, Anil Kapoor, Freida Pinto
Director: Danny Boyle
Story of an impoverished Indian teenager who wins Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, only to be suspected of cheating. The concept didn't appeal to me all that much, though the director is always worth watching, but the sheer volume of praise the film has received renders it a must-see. Nice touch having Sigur Ros on the trailer soundtrack. One thing that stands out about Danny Boyle is the terrific use of music in his films.
IMDb rating: 8.7
My prediction: 4/5



Role Models
Starring: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elizabeth Banks, Jane Lynch
Director: David Wain
Two reps for an energy drink company get into trouble and are sentenced to 150 hours mentoring kids. Trailer looks great and actually made me laugh more than once. Love the line about Ben Affleck. Definitely one to watch.
IMDb rating: 7.9
My prediction: 4/5



Defiance
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Iben Hjele
Director: Edward Zwick
True story of three Jewish brothers who who escaped Nazi-occupied Poland and, with the help of the Russian resistance, built a village in the woods of Belarus to protect others fleeing from persecution. Was a bit cool on this first time around as the trailer didn't look very compelling, but the more I've read about the events, the more interested I've become. Nice tos see Iben Hjele among the cast, who has had a low profile since starring opposite John Cusack in High Fidelity, back in 2000.
IMDb rating: 7.7
My prediction: 4/5



Sex Drive
Starring: Josh Zuckerman, Amanda Crew, Clark Duke, James Marsden, Seth Green
Director: Sean Anders
A high school senior takes a road trip across the US to hook up with a girl he meets online. Second genuinely funny looking movie of the week. Trailer had me laughing out loud by the end.
IMDb rating: 7.0
My prediction: 4/5



Bride Wars
Starring: Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen
Director: Gary Winick
Two best friends become enemies when they schedule their weddings on the same day. Looks like an instantly forgettable comedy, but the trailer has its amusing moments and you can't go too wrong with an Anne Hathaway film.
IMDb rating: n/a
My prediction: 3/5



Stuck
Starring: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea
Director: Stuart Gordon
A young woman commits a hit-and-run, only to find to find the victim stuck, critically injured, in her windshield. Rather than seek help, she locks the car in her garage. Not sure about this films' genre. IMDb has it as a horror and thriller, but the trailer plays like black comedy. Not something I think I'll rush to see, but I;; give it a go on Sky.
IMDb rating: 6.9
My prediction: 3/5



Hannah Takes The Stairs
Starring: Greta Gerwig, Kent Osborne, Andrew Bujalski, Mark Duplass
Director: Joe Swanberg
Following the life and loves of a young woman over a post-graduation summer. Low budget indie flick, mostly improvised. And it shows.
IMDb rating: 5.6
My prediction: 2/5

Monday 5 January 2009

The Guardian on net censorship

Last month, I posted an article about internet censorship in the UK, following on from an interview in the Telegraph with Culture Secretary Andy Burnham in which he said he was seeking to work with the US set common internet standards with the incoming Obama administration, which may include such things as cinema-style ratings for websites and child-safe services from ISPs.

The Guardian has an ineresting editorial on the subject today, dismissing the idea on the cinema-style ratings and arguing out that ISP-based content filtering would be unworkable. Instead, the paper advocates a common sense approach based on parental responsibility...

There are ways that parents can protect children without impeding on the liberty of others, such as restricting access to one computer in the living room or using services such as OpenDNS.com providing filters covering dozens of unseemly subjects for nothing. The problem is that many parents are not motivated or feel it is beyond them. The government should save the money that might be lavished on an ineffectual Big Brother solution and spend it instead on a concerted campaign to make parents aware of what they can do for themselves.

Read the editorial in full here.

Gratuitous Danielle Lloyd video

Saturday 3 January 2009

Friday 2 January 2009

The new Doctor!

Heads up, Doctor Who fans. The BBC has just announced that the identity of the new Doctor will be revealed tomorrow at 5.35pm on BBC One, presumably during the episode of Doctor Who Confidential on at that time.

Thursday 1 January 2009

Dan's film ratings - C

CABIN FEVER

THE CABLE GUY

CADDYSHACK

THE CANDIDATE

CANDYMAN

THE CANNONBALL RUN

CAPE FEAR (1962)

CAPE FEAR (1991)

CAPOTE

CAPRICORN ONE

CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS

CARAVAGGIO

CARLITO'S WAY

THE CARPETBAGGERS

CARRIE

CARRY ON CABBY

CARRY ON CAMPING

CARRY ON DOCTOR

CARRY ON HENRY

CARRY ON LOVING

CARRY ON MATRON

CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER

CASABLANCA

CASINO

CASINO ROYALE (2006)

THE CASSANDRA CROSSING

CAST AWAY

THE CASTLE

CASUALTIES OF WAR

CATCH AND RELEASE

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN

CB4

THE CELL

CELLULAR

CHAIN OF COMMAND (1994)

CHAIN OF COMMAND (2000)

CHAIN REACTION

THE CHAMBER

CHANGELING

CHANGING LANES

CHARIOTS OF FIRE

CHARLES AT 60: THE PASSIONATE PRINCE

CHARLEY VARRICK

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR

CHARLIE'S ANGELS

CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE

CHARLOTTE GRAY

CHASING AMY

CHERNOBYL: THE FINAL WARNING

CHERRY FALLS

CHICAGO

CHICKEN RUN

CHILD'S PLAY (1988)

CHILDREN OF MEN

CHINA O'BRIEN

THE CHINA SYNDROME

CHINATOWN

CHOPPER

CHRISTY MALRY'S OWN DOUBLE ENTRY

THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

CINDERELLA MAN

CITIZEN KANE

CITY BY THE SEA

CITY HALL

CITY LIGHTS

CITY OF GOD

CITY SLICKERS

CITY SLICKERS 2: THE LEGEND OF CURLY'S GOLD

A CIVIL ACTION

CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER

THE CLEARING

CLERKS

CLERKS II

THE CLIENT

CLIFFHANGER

CLOCKWISE

CLOCKWORK MICE

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND

CLOSELY OBSERVED TRAINS

CLOSER

CLOVERFIELD

CLUELESS

A COCK AND BULL STORY

COCOON

CODE 46

CODE OF SILENCE

COFFY

COLD BLOOD

COLD BLOOD II

COLD CREEK MANOR

COLD MOUNTAIN

COLLATERAL

COLLATERAL DAMAGE

THE COLOR OF MONEY

COLOR OF PAIN (2003)

COMA

COME DIE WITH ME

COMFORT AND JOY

COMMANDO

THE COMMISSIONER

COMMUNION

CON-AIR

CONAN THE BARBARIAN

CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND

CONFESSIONS OF A WINDOW CLEANER

CONFIDENCE

CONGO

THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOVE

CONSPIRACY

CONSPIRACY THEORY

THE CONSTANT GARDENER

CONSTANTINE

CONTACT

THE CONTENDER

CONTROL

THE CONVERSATION

THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER

COOL HAND LUKE

THE COOLER

COP LAND

COPYCAT

THE CORE

CORNERED

CORPSE BRIDE

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (2002)

COUNTER STRIKE

THE COUNTERFEITERS

COURAGE UNDER FIRE

COYOTE UGLY

THE CRAFT

CRANK

CRASH (1996)

CRASH (2004)

CREEP

CRIME STORY

CRIMINAL

CRIMSON TIDE

CRITTERS

CROCODILE DUNDEE

CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON

CROSS OF IRON

THE CROW

CRUEL INTENTIONS

THE CRUEL SEA

THE CRUSH

CRY FREEDOM

THE CRYING GAME

CUBE

CUL-DE-SAC

THE CUP

CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER

CUTTHROAT ISLAND

CYBORG 2: GLASS SHADOW

CYPHER