Nibbles
India’s school Christmas play is fast approaching. Last year she was Mary. This year she is a Christmas mouse. She has two lines to say (something about mice hurrying home). Although I have no idea how a Christmas mouse will feature in the Nativity -- in the corner of the stable perhaps? -- I suppose we should be grateful that she at least has a squeaking part.
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Oxford United
At the moment supporting Oxford United is a bit like putting your favourite CD on the turntable... only to discover that 30 seconds into Track 1 that the CD has picked up a jump. So you fast-forward into Track 2 and it all sounds smooth until 30 seconds into it and pop, Track 2 jumps too! Fast-forward into Tracks 3, 4 and 5 and they're all the same: start off nice and then it all goes belly-up. You hope that's it's just a fleck of dust that's causing the read-errors, but when you take the CD out of the machine and turn it over... you see there's a big scratch right across the disc and it's completely fucked.
At the moment supporting Oxford United is a bit like putting your favourite CD on the turntable... only to discover that 30 seconds into Track 1 that the CD has picked up a jump. So you fast-forward into Track 2 and it all sounds smooth until 30 seconds into it and pop, Track 2 jumps too! Fast-forward into Tracks 3, 4 and 5 and they're all the same: start off nice and then it all goes belly-up. You hope that's it's just a fleck of dust that's causing the read-errors, but when you take the CD out of the machine and turn it over... you see there's a big scratch right across the disc and it's completely fucked.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The End is Nigh
Strong rumours have it that Oxford United will go into administration today, probably just before or during the club's televised game versus Cambridge United tonight. Ian Lennegan apparently wants to draw a line under the business so he can concentrate on his new Wigan rugby league venture.
The situation is inevitable, and if the club doesn't go bust today, it will happen sooner rather than later. I had thought the end of the season, but it's clearly going to be before Christmas. The business model is unsustainable. Merry and Lennegan's business plan assumption that we would bounce back up at the first (or at worse second) attempt has been undermined. Things cannot continue as they are and the credit crunch has killed off any hope of new investment or buying the Kassam Stadium.
Fingers will be pointed at Kassam, but Merry & Lennegan have to be held responsible for striking poor acquistion and stadium rental deals with Kassam, and Jim Smith is ultimately the manager who failed to keep us up, drank away our chance of bouncing straight back and then frittered the transfer money away on poor signings and big wages.
I'm upset and gutted to the pit of my stomach.
Strong rumours have it that Oxford United will go into administration today, probably just before or during the club's televised game versus Cambridge United tonight. Ian Lennegan apparently wants to draw a line under the business so he can concentrate on his new Wigan rugby league venture.
The situation is inevitable, and if the club doesn't go bust today, it will happen sooner rather than later. I had thought the end of the season, but it's clearly going to be before Christmas. The business model is unsustainable. Merry and Lennegan's business plan assumption that we would bounce back up at the first (or at worse second) attempt has been undermined. Things cannot continue as they are and the credit crunch has killed off any hope of new investment or buying the Kassam Stadium.
Fingers will be pointed at Kassam, but Merry & Lennegan have to be held responsible for striking poor acquistion and stadium rental deals with Kassam, and Jim Smith is ultimately the manager who failed to keep us up, drank away our chance of bouncing straight back and then frittered the transfer money away on poor signings and big wages.
I'm upset and gutted to the pit of my stomach.
Monday, September 15, 2008
It’s a pirates life for me
When pirates sailed the Seven Seas they used to entertain each other with horrific stories about Sirens luring men to their deaths on the rocks; giant waves smashing ships to smithereens as if made from matchwood; and great ocean beasts swallowing seamen whole.
Today pirates scare the hebe-gebes out of each other with tales of how you might entertain 20 under 6’s at a children’s birthday party.
“Y’ah! Tis a story to chill the very marrow of yer bones. Twenty princesses and pirates all armed to the teeth with modeling balloons! A great pink sponge cake with a Barbie sticking out the top! Paper plates of iced gems and tortilla chips all smashed to smithereens! Musical statues and sleeping lions! A place no man should ever have to visit! Beware the children’s party!”
I quite enjoyed it really.
When pirates sailed the Seven Seas they used to entertain each other with horrific stories about Sirens luring men to their deaths on the rocks; giant waves smashing ships to smithereens as if made from matchwood; and great ocean beasts swallowing seamen whole.
Today pirates scare the hebe-gebes out of each other with tales of how you might entertain 20 under 6’s at a children’s birthday party.
“Y’ah! Tis a story to chill the very marrow of yer bones. Twenty princesses and pirates all armed to the teeth with modeling balloons! A great pink sponge cake with a Barbie sticking out the top! Paper plates of iced gems and tortilla chips all smashed to smithereens! Musical statues and sleeping lions! A place no man should ever have to visit! Beware the children’s party!”
I quite enjoyed it really.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
A funny old game
I really expected England to get a thorough thumping at Croatia's hands last night, so the 4-1 drubbing dished out to the home side was a pleasant surprise. Walcott is predictably the back page headliner today -- his hat-trick was taken with composure and professionalism -- but the player who made the biggest difference to the side was Emile Heskey. Put in to hold up the ball and worry the Croatian back four with his strength, Emile did exactly that; and although a blunt weapon, he provided some excellent touches and vision in addition to the job assigned. Ultimately it was Heskey's strength, experience, support and drive that allowed Walcott and Rooney to get in the game and on the score sheet. Well done Emile!
I watched the second half of the match at 'the club'.
It's the first time I've ever venture into my local snooker club for anything other than a game of snooker. As expected, it was a great venue to watch football with strangers: partisan, beer-fuelled, chavvie and terrace-like. I loved it!
Apart from the result and some good England performances, what impressed me most about last night's game was the reaction of the Croatian fans when their team were 4-1 down: they were rhythmically chanting, clapping and bouncing up & down as if they were 4-1 up! The stadium was rocking!
4-1 down at Wembley and we'd be ripping up the seats.
Of course there's no mention of the crowd's amazing support for their team in the press today: all that the Croats get is lambasted for the 30 seconds of monkey chants directed at Emile from a tiny number of supporters.
And Setanta Sports is shit btw: terrible camera work, terrible commentary, all round shabby presentation. And you have to pay extra for it. No live England matches on terrestrial. No England match highlights on terrestrial. Well done the FA. A fucking disgrace.
I really expected England to get a thorough thumping at Croatia's hands last night, so the 4-1 drubbing dished out to the home side was a pleasant surprise. Walcott is predictably the back page headliner today -- his hat-trick was taken with composure and professionalism -- but the player who made the biggest difference to the side was Emile Heskey. Put in to hold up the ball and worry the Croatian back four with his strength, Emile did exactly that; and although a blunt weapon, he provided some excellent touches and vision in addition to the job assigned. Ultimately it was Heskey's strength, experience, support and drive that allowed Walcott and Rooney to get in the game and on the score sheet. Well done Emile!
I watched the second half of the match at 'the club'.
It's the first time I've ever venture into my local snooker club for anything other than a game of snooker. As expected, it was a great venue to watch football with strangers: partisan, beer-fuelled, chavvie and terrace-like. I loved it!
Apart from the result and some good England performances, what impressed me most about last night's game was the reaction of the Croatian fans when their team were 4-1 down: they were rhythmically chanting, clapping and bouncing up & down as if they were 4-1 up! The stadium was rocking!
4-1 down at Wembley and we'd be ripping up the seats.
Of course there's no mention of the crowd's amazing support for their team in the press today: all that the Croats get is lambasted for the 30 seconds of monkey chants directed at Emile from a tiny number of supporters.
And Setanta Sports is shit btw: terrible camera work, terrible commentary, all round shabby presentation. And you have to pay extra for it. No live England matches on terrestrial. No England match highlights on terrestrial. Well done the FA. A fucking disgrace.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Kaah chooow!
India's first day at school today. I think we're more excited than she is, which is just how I wanted it: I haven't made too much fuss as I'm hoping she'll approach it just as she did with nursery and the transistion will be seamless.
Back to school = end of summer, and it really has been the worse summer I can remember: The wettest, dullest summer on my personal record. I blame global warming.
That global warming brought a thunderstorm down upon us last night at the kids bedtime. We got hit with hailstones the size of ice cubes. They rattled against the window panes and cannoned-off the sills with gusto. If we had any gin in the house, I'd have been out catching them in a tumbler. Elliot, who had not experienced a thunderstorm before, heard the thunder and wondered what was happening. I told him that the noise was thunder and asked if he would like to see the lightning outside. He was very enthusiastic and excited, until we got to the window and he looked out...
...to discover that Lightning McQueen was nowhere to be seen.
He was gutted.
India's first day at school today. I think we're more excited than she is, which is just how I wanted it: I haven't made too much fuss as I'm hoping she'll approach it just as she did with nursery and the transistion will be seamless.
Back to school = end of summer, and it really has been the worse summer I can remember: The wettest, dullest summer on my personal record. I blame global warming.
That global warming brought a thunderstorm down upon us last night at the kids bedtime. We got hit with hailstones the size of ice cubes. They rattled against the window panes and cannoned-off the sills with gusto. If we had any gin in the house, I'd have been out catching them in a tumbler. Elliot, who had not experienced a thunderstorm before, heard the thunder and wondered what was happening. I told him that the noise was thunder and asked if he would like to see the lightning outside. He was very enthusiastic and excited, until we got to the window and he looked out...
...to discover that Lightning McQueen was nowhere to be seen.
He was gutted.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Cannibal Rampage
The Times published an article last week on the very real threat of global famine and the causes behind it (climate change, population growth, wealth growth & changing tastes in China, meat production, resultant hoarding of stable foods and cereal by governments and food price hikes).
If you type the word famine into The Times article database, you quickly find a host of articles relating the unsavoury, but historically accurate fact that in times of famine, desperate people have no choice but to turn to cannibalism to survive. 14th Century England, Stalin's USSR, airplanes crashing in the Andes, the list of examples goes on and on...
Clearly an early, controlled, adoption of cannibalism in the Western World (i.e. before we get too desperate) would help control climate change on two fronts: a ready and waiting nutritious food-supply that would dampen population growth. Perhaps we should start with butchering and eating old people?
I can almost see Delia cooking herself on TV.
I'd make a lovely sausage.
The Times published an article last week on the very real threat of global famine and the causes behind it (climate change, population growth, wealth growth & changing tastes in China, meat production, resultant hoarding of stable foods and cereal by governments and food price hikes).
If you type the word famine into The Times article database, you quickly find a host of articles relating the unsavoury, but historically accurate fact that in times of famine, desperate people have no choice but to turn to cannibalism to survive. 14th Century England, Stalin's USSR, airplanes crashing in the Andes, the list of examples goes on and on...
Clearly an early, controlled, adoption of cannibalism in the Western World (i.e. before we get too desperate) would help control climate change on two fronts: a ready and waiting nutritious food-supply that would dampen population growth. Perhaps we should start with butchering and eating old people?
I can almost see Delia cooking herself on TV.
I'd make a lovely sausage.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
d20 = 1
E. Gary Gygax died on Tuesday aged 69.
For non-gamers, this means zip.
For gamers, it means the godfather of the hobby/modern gaming industry is dead.
Gygax was the co-creator of the UberGeek phenomenon Dungeons & Dragons. And what a phenomenon it was. Gygax created a whole new leisure activity, which captured and fostered the imaginations of millions (particularly teenage boys), spawned a huge wave of copy-cat and evolution products, and has been a driving factor in the success of a great many modern computer and video games: computerised versions of the classic D&D pen & paper mechanics still form the structures and cores of virtually all fantasy and character-driven computer games and RPG's today. Add in the piggy-back revival in fantasy literature and films, and Gygax's creation can hold its head up as an innovative and classic design that truly was ground-breaking.
Although I haven't played a RPG for decades, I am a gamer, and a lot of my interest was sparked by a set of D&D that a friend purchased and brought into school. It was the source of many happy memories and enduring friendships.
Thank you Mr. Gygax.
E. Gary Gygax died on Tuesday aged 69.
For non-gamers, this means zip.
For gamers, it means the godfather of the hobby/modern gaming industry is dead.
Gygax was the co-creator of the UberGeek phenomenon Dungeons & Dragons. And what a phenomenon it was. Gygax created a whole new leisure activity, which captured and fostered the imaginations of millions (particularly teenage boys), spawned a huge wave of copy-cat and evolution products, and has been a driving factor in the success of a great many modern computer and video games: computerised versions of the classic D&D pen & paper mechanics still form the structures and cores of virtually all fantasy and character-driven computer games and RPG's today. Add in the piggy-back revival in fantasy literature and films, and Gygax's creation can hold its head up as an innovative and classic design that truly was ground-breaking.
Although I haven't played a RPG for decades, I am a gamer, and a lot of my interest was sparked by a set of D&D that a friend purchased and brought into school. It was the source of many happy memories and enduring friendships.
Thank you Mr. Gygax.
Shake it baby
We had a massive 5.2 ricter scale earthquake last week. I didn't feel a thing. That didn't stop the news channels having a field day covering the seismic event. The BBC News had a brilliantly edited piece that opened with the usual suspects -- man in street tells reporter that his chimney fell down, lady in street tells reporter that a roof tile landed on her car, old man says he slept through it all -- but finished with a young couple in hospital, clutching their newborn baby.
New Mum Girl: "I'd just had 'im when the earthquake struck. The bed moved and my curtains shook!"
I bet they did.
We had a massive 5.2 ricter scale earthquake last week. I didn't feel a thing. That didn't stop the news channels having a field day covering the seismic event. The BBC News had a brilliantly edited piece that opened with the usual suspects -- man in street tells reporter that his chimney fell down, lady in street tells reporter that a roof tile landed on her car, old man says he slept through it all -- but finished with a young couple in hospital, clutching their newborn baby.
New Mum Girl: "I'd just had 'im when the earthquake struck. The bed moved and my curtains shook!"
I bet they did.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Loco loco!
Ticket to Ride update: I watched Channel Five's Lockdown a couple of weeks ago. It featured some high security prison in the San Francisco area jammed full of white tattooed-up nazi gang members who were at war -- that means randomly shanking/stabbing -- hispanic tattooed-up ganag members. The two groups clearly had a lot in common: a love of crime, a love of gang membership, a love of tattoos, a love of boby-building and stabbing each other. They also shared a coverted gym, where 190 of them all slept together, with no bars or guards separating the two warring factions. As someone unused to prison life, I would describe the set-up as scary.
Anyway, half-way through the programme, the camera pans across the gym, and in the no-mans land between whites and latinos there are sets of tables and chairs, and there, on one table, are two muscled-up latino ganagbangers playing...
Ticket to Ride.
Ticket to Ride update: I watched Channel Five's Lockdown a couple of weeks ago. It featured some high security prison in the San Francisco area jammed full of white tattooed-up nazi gang members who were at war -- that means randomly shanking/stabbing -- hispanic tattooed-up ganag members. The two groups clearly had a lot in common: a love of crime, a love of gang membership, a love of tattoos, a love of boby-building and stabbing each other. They also shared a coverted gym, where 190 of them all slept together, with no bars or guards separating the two warring factions. As someone unused to prison life, I would describe the set-up as scary.
Anyway, half-way through the programme, the camera pans across the gym, and in the no-mans land between whites and latinos there are sets of tables and chairs, and there, on one table, are two muscled-up latino ganagbangers playing...
Ticket to Ride.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
I've got a ticket to ride
..and it's alright!
I got bought -- or rather I bought it for myself and asked my mum to cough up the cash -- a copy of Ticket to Ride Europe by Days of Wonder for Christmas. It's a route-building game set in 1905 Europe, where you claim train routes by drafting cards and using them to pay for your little coloured plastic trains to link up exotic city destinations. I did my homework on the board game geek websites before putting the order in, and by gum it's a corker of a game. Really nicely produced, super simple rules and some tight, strategic and fun gameplay.
Vic and I have played half a dozen 1-on-1 games now, and it holds up really well as a two player game: there's very little hostile blocking going on, and it's all about racing your opponent and taking a gamble on picking up extra routes. It's quite a strategic game, but it's light, not fluffy.
Now, here's the bonus: Days of Wonder run Ticket to Ride online as a free play experience. You can register and play online right now. They give you a special code with the physical boardgame to track your scores and create new games, but you don't need a code to jump into someone elses game. I've already become rather addicted to the whole thing: it is in this arena where I can get my fix of a busy four or five player game, which is a completely different experience to Vic and my two player 'race' games. I've been sticking to the less complex -- and frankly not as good -- United States map, so our physical games on the Europe map retain their challenge.
I've already clocked up 20 games online, plus the 6 we've played at home, and after 26 games I have to say the game is top drawer. I'd say it's the best "family" boardgame out there -- better than Risk, Monopoly, Settlers or Carcassone. Heartily recommended.
..and it's alright!
I got bought -- or rather I bought it for myself and asked my mum to cough up the cash -- a copy of Ticket to Ride Europe by Days of Wonder for Christmas. It's a route-building game set in 1905 Europe, where you claim train routes by drafting cards and using them to pay for your little coloured plastic trains to link up exotic city destinations. I did my homework on the board game geek websites before putting the order in, and by gum it's a corker of a game. Really nicely produced, super simple rules and some tight, strategic and fun gameplay.
Vic and I have played half a dozen 1-on-1 games now, and it holds up really well as a two player game: there's very little hostile blocking going on, and it's all about racing your opponent and taking a gamble on picking up extra routes. It's quite a strategic game, but it's light, not fluffy.
Now, here's the bonus: Days of Wonder run Ticket to Ride online as a free play experience. You can register and play online right now. They give you a special code with the physical boardgame to track your scores and create new games, but you don't need a code to jump into someone elses game. I've already become rather addicted to the whole thing: it is in this arena where I can get my fix of a busy four or five player game, which is a completely different experience to Vic and my two player 'race' games. I've been sticking to the less complex -- and frankly not as good -- United States map, so our physical games on the Europe map retain their challenge.
I've already clocked up 20 games online, plus the 6 we've played at home, and after 26 games I have to say the game is top drawer. I'd say it's the best "family" boardgame out there -- better than Risk, Monopoly, Settlers or Carcassone. Heartily recommended.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Wits & Wagers: A Review
We managed about a dozen games of Wits & Wagers over the Christmas break with an assortment of friends and family. Generally the game was well-received, I think mainly because (a) people like new games, (b) it's quick to play, (c) it's easy to learn and (d) there's no downtime. I guess about 50% of people have asked to play it again and that's a good indication that the game is a good one, with decent appeal.
The only problem with the game is that it is incredibly American-centric. It's clearly an American game written for a US audience. As a result, the questions can be REALLY frustrating for UK/European players. 'European' questions are dumbed down for the US market (e.g. "In what year did the 'European Front' of WWII open?" aka "In what year did WWII start?" -- 5 out of 6 in our group knew it instantly), whilst some of the US sports, entertainment and politics questions are so obscure for Europeans as to be complete guesswork (e.g. "How many home runs did some player you've never heard of hit during his baseball career?"). The game is crying out for a European version/set of questions.
Although I like the game, it's US questions mark it down, and I think GiftTRAP retains its place as our current top family 'party game'. Wits & Wagers sits nicely alongside it and Apples to Apples on our hot family game shelf.
Verdict: 4 stars
We managed about a dozen games of Wits & Wagers over the Christmas break with an assortment of friends and family. Generally the game was well-received, I think mainly because (a) people like new games, (b) it's quick to play, (c) it's easy to learn and (d) there's no downtime. I guess about 50% of people have asked to play it again and that's a good indication that the game is a good one, with decent appeal.
The only problem with the game is that it is incredibly American-centric. It's clearly an American game written for a US audience. As a result, the questions can be REALLY frustrating for UK/European players. 'European' questions are dumbed down for the US market (e.g. "In what year did the 'European Front' of WWII open?" aka "In what year did WWII start?" -- 5 out of 6 in our group knew it instantly), whilst some of the US sports, entertainment and politics questions are so obscure for Europeans as to be complete guesswork (e.g. "How many home runs did some player you've never heard of hit during his baseball career?"). The game is crying out for a European version/set of questions.
Although I like the game, it's US questions mark it down, and I think GiftTRAP retains its place as our current top family 'party game'. Wits & Wagers sits nicely alongside it and Apples to Apples on our hot family game shelf.
Verdict: 4 stars
