OK, I know you didn't know I'd been away, and indeed I haven't, but it felt like I was in Outer Mongolia. My old computers were so slow!
But now my newest one is back, better than ever. I still have a myriad programmes to download, but the most important (McAfee, Blogger, Yahoo, MSN) are here and ready to use. What is even better is, all my data was successfully rescued.
What a great way to celebrate Vincent's birthday.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Happy Birthday, Handsome
Dearest Vincent
We all hope you have an absolutely wonderful day.
Love and Kisses from Val and the Vixens
We all hope you have an absolutely wonderful day.
Love and Kisses from Val and the Vixens
Friday, June 29, 2012
Those of a sensitive disposition...
...look away now if you do not want to see a poor defenceless animal suffering.
Yes, folks, this is Alex's poor dog JJ being tortured into crashing out on the sofa during our lessons. Pity the poor mutt.
Yes, folks, this is Alex's poor dog JJ being tortured into crashing out on the sofa during our lessons. Pity the poor mutt.
Identity Crisis - Day 3
Goren in the dark. Dream come true. Though of course, in my dream, he's not fully clothed...
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Better Late ThanNever
When I woke up this morning (earlier than I needed or intended) I heard on the news that today the Queen would be unveiling the long-awaited and overdue monument to those who served (and the many who lost their lives) in Bomber Command in World War II. What's more, the only remaining Lancaster bomber that still flies would be doing a fly-past.
I couldn't get back to sleep, I decided I needed to find out the time of the ceremony and go.
So at midday I was at the Commmonwealth war memorial section of Green Park to see what I could see.
The reason this memorial had never been built before was that the powers-that-be felt embarrassed because British bombers killed around 600,000 German civilians. But they, not the airmen who sacrificed their lives, were responsible for that. Dresden will always be a stain on the Allies' conduct of the latter part of the war, but those who died believing their leaders had a reson for these acts cannot be blames, and should be honoured. The recently late Robin Gibb fought hard to get this memorial built.
The roofs of the nearby buildings carried film crews as well as other observers:
The Horse Guards rode past on their magnificent glossy black beasts:
Along with the veterans by the monument there were current members of the RAF in their grey uniforms:
I saw the Queen's car, but not the Queen (it was empty) but that's no loss to a non-royalist like me. I missed filming the formation of jets that started off the flypast. But I did manage to film the Lancaster and its poppy drop. Remember the Wellington Arch, Maui?
Later, despite the hot weather (at last! but too much! 28 degrees) I went on to Oxford Street, the busy central London shopping street. Bizarrely, a large number of the paper poppies had found their way there, so I was able to collect a souvenir. Now I just need to see a Spitfire fly and I will be happy.
The reason this memorial had never been built before was that the powers-that-be felt embarrassed because British bombers killed around 600,000 German civilians. But they, not the airmen who sacrificed their lives, were responsible for that. Dresden will always be a stain on the Allies' conduct of the latter part of the war, but those who died believing their leaders had a reson for these acts cannot be blames, and should be honoured. The recently late Robin Gibb fought hard to get this memorial built.
The roofs of the nearby buildings carried film crews as well as other observers:
The Horse Guards rode past on their magnificent glossy black beasts:
Along with the veterans by the monument there were current members of the RAF in their grey uniforms:
I saw the Queen's car, but not the Queen (it was empty) but that's no loss to a non-royalist like me. I missed filming the formation of jets that started off the flypast. But I did manage to film the Lancaster and its poppy drop. Remember the Wellington Arch, Maui?
Later, despite the hot weather (at last! but too much! 28 degrees) I went on to Oxford Street, the busy central London shopping street. Bizarrely, a large number of the paper poppies had found their way there, so I was able to collect a souvenir. Now I just need to see a Spitfire fly and I will be happy.
Identity Crisis - Day 2
This picture makes me think of Joan of Arc, for some reason. I'd certainly celebrate his saint's day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
You Cannot Be Serious!
My energy provider has just reduced my monthly payments by £17. Great news!
Oh, but hang on. They don't seem to be taking much notice of the gas side of the equation, though the monthly payments would be even smaller if they weren't really including it.
However, when I look at the latest bill, I see I am well over £600 in credit.
Yes, that's right, over £600!
They don't mention a refund. It would pay nicely for the repairs to my leaky gutter. Though I'd rather put it towards a new car. But hey, we can't have everything.
But EDF energy, I CAN have a refund. Don't take too long getting back to me.
Oh, but hang on. They don't seem to be taking much notice of the gas side of the equation, though the monthly payments would be even smaller if they weren't really including it.
However, when I look at the latest bill, I see I am well over £600 in credit.
Yes, that's right, over £600!
They don't mention a refund. It would pay nicely for the repairs to my leaky gutter. Though I'd rather put it towards a new car. But hey, we can't have everything.
But EDF energy, I CAN have a refund. Don't take too long getting back to me.
Identity Crisis - Day 1
It's Goren of the super-fast-growing hair!
And all because they couldn't be bothered to show these episodes in the right order.
And all because they couldn't be bothered to show these episodes in the right order.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Perfect
How lucky we are to have lived through the incarnation of the world's greatest, sexiest detective, with the wonderful Vincent D'Onofrio as Robert Goren.
But we have been lucky enough in the UK to have had a lifetime of perfect matches between actor and role.
When Agatha Christie met the actress Joan Hickson, she told her that, when she was older, she would be the perfect Miss Marple. The TV people were able to see this, too, and so we had many years of wonderful portrayals.
Poirot, too, was perfectly portrayed by David Suchet, who continues in the role occasionally to this day.
The finest ever Sherlock Holmes was indubitably the wonderful, plummy-voiced Jeremy Brett. He was also the finest Maxim de Winter in Rebecca, just as Colin Firth was the best Mr Darcy.
Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford was stuffed full of character by George Baker long past a real copper's retirement age (and indeed she has brought the character out of retirement recently. Sadly, George is no longer around to portray him). Here he is with his on-screen wife, who became his real-life wife after the death of his previous Mrs.
One of my favourite cop teams is Dalziel and Pascoe. Colin Buchanan is good as Inspector Pascoe, but Warren Clarke is irresisistible as the Fat Controller Dalziel (for my US readers, that's pronounced "Dee-ell")
Any perfect casting you would like to share with us?
But we have been lucky enough in the UK to have had a lifetime of perfect matches between actor and role.
When Agatha Christie met the actress Joan Hickson, she told her that, when she was older, she would be the perfect Miss Marple. The TV people were able to see this, too, and so we had many years of wonderful portrayals.
Poirot, too, was perfectly portrayed by David Suchet, who continues in the role occasionally to this day.
The finest ever Sherlock Holmes was indubitably the wonderful, plummy-voiced Jeremy Brett. He was also the finest Maxim de Winter in Rebecca, just as Colin Firth was the best Mr Darcy.
Ruth Rendell's Inspector Wexford was stuffed full of character by George Baker long past a real copper's retirement age (and indeed she has brought the character out of retirement recently. Sadly, George is no longer around to portray him). Here he is with his on-screen wife, who became his real-life wife after the death of his previous Mrs.
One of my favourite cop teams is Dalziel and Pascoe. Colin Buchanan is good as Inspector Pascoe, but Warren Clarke is irresisistible as the Fat Controller Dalziel (for my US readers, that's pronounced "Dee-ell")
Any perfect casting you would like to share with us?
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Playing Dead - Day 9
Even with the world's worst haircut and a crap script, He can still manage to look gorgeous.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Miserable Old Git
When I go to the supermarket I take the remnants of a loaf to feed to the birds in the supermarket car park, then I buy some more in the supermarket to give them an extra treat when I come out.
Recently I have been disappointed by how few starlings there were, and I put it down to two things: the presence of a lot of crows; and the failure of our migrating birds to return.
Our populations are different in winter and in summer. Our winter birds fly away further north, and birds from further south come to breed here. Starlings are thought of as common and ordinary, but they are really striking:
They are positively iridescent. But their babies, which have been out of the nest for a couple of weeks, remain drab brown for some time:
Many of you will have seen amazing film of starlings flocking together at dusk to land in their thousands at their chosen roost site. This is called a murmuration of starlings, which is weird, 'cos they do anything but murmur!
As I started my shopping trip, we were back to having lots of starlings congregating for some free food. Lots of babies were among them. I was delighted. When I came out, I started to feed them some more bread (only wholemeal will do, got to give them their protein!) trying hard to keep them away from the road. Suddenly an old man got out of his car and started berating me. "Don't you know that's illegal?" he said. Well, it isn't, and I told him so. "Well they shit all over the cars." And our cars shit all over their environment. He didn't like that. He denied it. Well, we build all over their territory, I said. "No we don't." I laughed and swept my arm round to indicate the acres of concrete car park. But he wouldn't understand. So I just told him to shut up and mind his own business. If we are to continue having these murmurations, we need to protect these wonderful little birds. The planet has too many people. Especially people like that crabby old sod.
Many of you will have seen amazing film of starlings flocking together at dusk to land in their thousands at their chosen roost site. This is called a murmuration of starlings, which is weird, 'cos they do anything but murmur!
As I started my shopping trip, we were back to having lots of starlings congregating for some free food. Lots of babies were among them. I was delighted. When I came out, I started to feed them some more bread (only wholemeal will do, got to give them their protein!) trying hard to keep them away from the road. Suddenly an old man got out of his car and started berating me. "Don't you know that's illegal?" he said. Well, it isn't, and I told him so. "Well they shit all over the cars." And our cars shit all over their environment. He didn't like that. He denied it. Well, we build all over their territory, I said. "No we don't." I laughed and swept my arm round to indicate the acres of concrete car park. But he wouldn't understand. So I just told him to shut up and mind his own business. If we are to continue having these murmurations, we need to protect these wonderful little birds. The planet has too many people. Especially people like that crabby old sod.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Don't buy from Amazon UK!
It's going to be tough, but I really advise UK customers NOT to buy from Amazon any more.
They used to arrange for faulty returns using Royal Mail. You could print out a label, stick it on your parcel, then take it to the post office to mail it.
No more. You have to arrange collection with a company called Yodel (short for "Your Delivery").
I've had problems with this company before. They left a parcel outside my front door where someone opened it and rummaged through it to steal the contents. They failed to respond to ANY contact from me.
I "arranged" a collection for today for either before 9.30 am or after 4 pm. Neither happened, and there was no card to suggest they'd tried to collect it while I was at work. They expect me to arrange a further collection date, but they cannot guarantee collection times. So I am expected either to lose a day's pay, or lose the substantial sum this crap satnav cost. The sums are pretty similar.
Amazon has my money on deposit gaining interest, I have a faulty item I cannot return, just to add insult to the injury of my busted computer.
Unless you have the ability to stay at home forever and wait for a faulty item to be collected, I really advise you not to buy from Amazon UK, in case you have to return something. The customer comes last for Amazon and Yodel.
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