Ages ago, thanks to my ex-workchums at BBC Wales (thanks guys!), I bought myself a Freecom Network Mediaplayer - basically a hard drive which you can connect to your TV. I gleefully set about downloading about 350 Gigabytes of ancient TV programmes from your local friendly non-official sources, looked forward to my digitally converged future, and pretty much left it sat underneath my TV set while I watched endless repeats of Top Gear instead.
Then last night, I rashly invited my neighbours to come and watch the recent Doctor Who 2007 Christmas special (the one with the Titanic) with me.
First problem - my Sky Plus had inconveniently forgotten to record any of the Christmas programmes I'd set it to record. So instead, I set about downloading it off the Internet, transferring it over to my Mediaplayer, and we could all watch it from there. After 20 minutes of frantically trying to get the laptop to see the hard drive (by mostly rebooting endlessly, and sticking the USB cable in and out), the file transferred over and I thought all was fine and dandy for the big show.
So the doorbell was rung, dinner was ready, wine was poured, and we all sat down to re-watch Doctor Who. Except about half an hour in, the hard drive started spluttering and freezing. Despite numerous reboots, the device refused to work, although the file itself was fine. Bah.
Thus it was that after a suitable soujourn into town for drinks, we all stumbled back into another neighbour's house at 1am, to finish off watching Doctor Who. On her trusty ol' VHS tape. Analogue 1, Digital 0.
Can you recommend any handy devices that'll let me watch downloaded videos on my TV? Preferably ones that come with a DVD player that'll upscale via HDMI, and ones that'll also record off a digital TV signal on demand. Oh, and if it can connect directly to my sound system, that'd be great too.
Quick question, Internet users out there:
Should you give Christmas cards to people you see all the time? Or just wish them a merry Christmas?
Is it better to be frugal when it comes to giving out Christmas cards (issued on paper after all) or to be excessive?
Take:
- ethereal vocals from Sarah Nixey, formerly of the fantastic Black Box Recorder
- an ancient overheard Christmas carol in the form of Silent Help
- mix in some drumbeats from ambient pop duo Infantjoy
- download it
- put on headphones
- listen and marvel at how you can give a simple song a haunting twist.
Done.
(spotted via my latest must-read-blog, BBC's Chartblog, who got it from arjanwrites)
Heading back south from Glasgow towards Newcastle, I find that another new train operator has taken over from GNER - National Express. Thankfully it's a much plusher train, with wood panel tables, comfy (albeit beige) seats, and more importantly free Wi-Fi. Score!
Then I put my knees up and suddenly find my trousers covered in chewing gum. On an ostensibly new train. Oh dear.
I appear to be on the inaugural transpennine slow train to glasgow replacing virgin cross country.
all the fluffy bunny marketing ladies in branded baseball caps, glossy magazines reminding you of the rebranding to FIRST TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS and non scottish conductors wearing kilts handing out free scottish shortbread cant disguise the fact i am stuck on a commuter train with very few facilities stopping at every tiny station in the north west all the way to glasgow. For the next four hours.
at least virgin trains had a power socket and on board shop.
Despite having spent the last three days trotting around all the shopping centres that Manchester and Cheshire have to offer - in the hunt for a new pair of spectacles actually! - and spending countless hours on shopping websites, I still don't quite feel that Christmassy.
It's partly because I'm still a bit ill so instead of rich mince pies I'm mostly craving plain jacket potatoes - and half-dreading the 12-hour drink fest that is the annual works Christmas party this weekend with special mystery guest star.
But it's mostly because despite all the driving around and listening to the radio at work all day, I still haven't yet heard The Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl. The definitive bitter-sweet Christmas tune, and one that never fails to give me Christmassy memories, such as snow falling on an American car park. Ahhh, snow, where have you gone?
Has it been taken off mainstream UK radio? Has it now been deemed too unChristmassy? Is there a mass conspiracy behind its' disappearance off UK Radio? Or is it just me?
(Warning: this post contains gratuitous descriptive imagery of bodily functions. Look away now...)
( More... )
I'm watching wild and surrealist British stand-up raconteur and comedian Russell Brand promoting his new autobiography of his "eventful" life, which apparently starts with him checking into a clinic for sexual addiction.
It strikes me that Russell must be quite lucky to have sexual addiction problems, what with ladies apparently finding him generally attractive and therefore there's always a dealer. And of course, sex is (generally) free at the point of purchase. What happens if there's a sexual addict who just can't get laid?
Today, as 260 million people (mostly Americans) sit down with their families eating turkey in the full knowledge they'll probably have to do it again in a months time for Christmas, I'm thankful I'm not one of them!
The whole hullabaloo over Christmas is bad enough, without having the dress rehersal that is Thanksgiving as well. Or have I got it completely confused and wrong ?!
