Tag: ANYTHING

bookmark_borderRandom

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Why buy a domain name if you have no plans to do ANYTHING with it and, as it’s been sitting there for over four years now, it should be obvious that no-one is going to come along and offer you a fortune for it. I want www.mclean.co.uk goddammit!! (and yes I’ve asked what the price would be, still no movement).

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Car Insurance time again, and if my current insurers — Direct Line — give me a competitive quote I’ll probably stick with them. Just can’t be arsed with all the faffing about to save £12 … ohh and that reminds me, need to get the road tax renewed. How much is a year again? Brilliant, not even June and I’m spending that months wage already! grumble grumble

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In other news, I’m looking for a good Windows font application that will print out a nicely formatted font sample sheet. Typograf might do it but it costs and I’m cheap. Anyone know of a good freeware alternative?

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Red Hot Chili Peppers new album, Stadium Arcadium. Meh. Disappointing. I think they’ve had their ‘moment’.

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And finally, I’m in a meeting all day today (offsite, so at least I’ll get lunch on the company), so don’t expect much in the way of posting. Not that that will make much of a change.

bookmark_borderThe Aristocrats

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Movie info from IMDB
Movie reviews from Metacritic

The Aristocrats of the title are the closing line of a joke, a family act that feature in a joke so disgustingly offensive comedians rarely tell it in public, or at least that’s partly why. The beauty of the joke is that the “act” can be swapped out for any one of a million perversions and so the joke has been on the go for decades – it’s reportedly the oldest joke in the industry.

This documentary deconstructs the joke, it’s origins and it’s place in comedy folklore, and features most of the best known comedians currently on the planet giving their understanding and their take on the joke. It’s also the first time I’ve ever be warned that the movie I was about to see was “very offensive”.

Completely composed of face to camera interviews and rehashings of the joke, we learn that it’s the middle part, the impromptu section, of the joke that fascinates. As it’s usually told by comedians for other comedians (after the audiences have left) the middle section relies on the ability to shock rather than any of the more standard comedy techniques – there is no wry observation or biting satire here.

I’ll happily admit that, whilst there are (and I did) laugh out loud sections, any documentary that deals with a topic that deliberately tries to shock is always going to bring uncomfortable moments, but the power of the joke is that whilst you are laughing you are willingly following the comedian beyond the usual line that society deems acceptable. It’s all relative and subjective of course but if you watch this and don’t find ANYTHING that shocks or sickens then you need some therapy.

However, it’s comedy and it’s the laughs that remain at the forefront. On the face of it, the coarse language and topic may seem blunt but that’s half of the point. The comedians ability to deliver the material and be funny with it is what is being challenged here. To take people beyond the subject and into comedy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

This documentary WAS offensive, but like all good documentaries it explains without patronising, and offers it’s subject for what it is, allowing the viewer to decide. I loved it and laughed my socks off; the South Park section being a highlight which is available online.

More info:
The Aristocrats Joke – a database of versions. WILL OFFEND!
Wikipedia entry for The Aristocrat

bookmark_borderOld Dog

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The matchsticks snapped, the caffeine hallucinations haven’t kicked in yet and sitting here with my head soaking, hair dripping, at my desk this is about the best I can come up with. Sorry.

You know, sometimes it’s almost like I’ve just started blogging. It’s ridiculous really, you’d think I’d know better than to post about not being able to post. Next I’ll be moaning about how life is crap and posting photos of kittens. Honestly… I despair sometimes.

Instead how about a little referrer log snooping? That’s always good for a giggle, right?

First up an apology, despite being the second hit for this search, I don’t do riddles: “I am the beginning i am the end .you can see me twice in a week but not in a day.Once in a year but twice in a decade. So who am i?”

And whilst I did live there for 20-odd years, I was unaware of any XXX establishments and certainly took no photos, so no point in looking right? Wrong?

Equally I am NOT the best person to ask about decorating a 8 & 3 bedroom.

And… that’s about it. Well that filled a couple of minutes eh?

Hmmmm.

I guess I should really be pondering the reasoning behind my desire to post something today. The desire to post ANYTHING is an odd one sometimes. Feels like I’m cheating you, dear reader, if I don’t post. But I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t mind being cheated out of reading this tripe eh?

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Sod’s Law
I watch (well the TV is tuned to in the background) BBC Breakfast every morning. This morning I was most miffed that I was going to miss my favourite ever Professor explaining Sod’s Law. However thanks to the wonders of the web, we can all enjoy it: Sod’s Law: a rocket scientist writes…

(More info on Sod’s Law also known as Murphy’s Law)

In other news, work is still not great but my fate should be known soon (cue The Clash: Should I Stay or Should I go – or in this case, Will I stay or Will I be made Redundant? and no I don’t know why I wrote that in semi-caps…)

My surfing has been limited over the past few days, but I have to agree with Vaughan (very scary in EXACTLY the same way, the truth will out!), and Stuart on supermarkets strikes a chord (and yes, I AM a snob too), and my reaction to the ‘£50,000 grant/no shouting at kids in supermarket’ thing is similar to Vodkabirds, namely that it would be a miracle to get the parents of these little shits to do ANYTHING that involved discipline.

Note: I am not saying all parents are bad, but as usual the few tar the many.

That’s all for now. You are excused.

bookmark_borderMade in Taiwan

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I remember, as a child, receiving a toy car. I don’t remember the exact make or model, but I do remember that, on the underside, were the words “Made in Taiwan”. Taiwan. It sounds exciting and different, although growing up in Dumbarton ANYTHING sounds exciting and different, but this was other-worldly, and for the first time I felt a sense of adventure. What was this Taiwan place like? What type of people lived there? Where exactly was it? It must be millions of miles I away, I thought, what a journey for a little toy car!

It was a moment that made me realise that there was more to life than my little world, that the world was a big place, with many different places, people, and ‘stuff’.

However that moment has since faded into the memory of childhood, and the reality is one of a diminishing world, where boundaries blur, distances shrink and communities flourish and die.

Blame the Internet? I’m not sure, too many other factors involved. How do children today see the world? Is it an exciting place, with limitless experiences and possibilities, or is Taiwan just where their friend from the Pokemon chat room stays?

The joy of the internet gave us instant communication, but what about the longer, deeper effects? Should we limit the time our children spend on the PC, or watching television? How will they experience this kind of wonderment?

This kinda thing worries me you know…