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'My Corduroyed Life' - Mark A's Journal
I need to better manage my time…
Apologies that this is a month late! I decided around the 15th of Jan, when I finally got my hands on some time to write a huge blog, that there was little point doing a Dec review as I’d only confuse myself with what had gone on in December and what had gone on in January. However, I am now struggling to remember bloody anything from December. Gah!
One thing that I have done is add three new sections to the format.
WORK
The build up to Christmas was difficult for me as, unlike most jobs, it’s a busy time getting prepped for our EFL courses that start in January. This was coupled with the fact that I was feeling so very, very run down. I desperately needed the break, and after my week off I came back somewhat rejuvenated. When I came back, I was busy but also motivated: ESP did relatively well, and Languages For All is keeping me on my toes. I am also organising an International Evening for March which is proving to be fun. After the horror of letting my mailbox build up to over 100 messages, I have set myself a New Year’s Resolution to never have more than 10 emails awaiting responses in my inbox when I leave work. This is proving a lot more difficult that I thought it would be!
I have decided to do my usual January overtime back at the Careers Service. Previous years I have blown the money, but this year I am going to spend it on a holiday.
JOB HUNTING
Has begun with something resembling enthusiasm. In January, I applied for 9 jobs. It helps that Rob is looking for jobs at the same time and there is friendly competition there (we also help each other). The problem is that I am not as miserable in my job at the moment as I have been in the past, so I am being fussy about what to apply for. As per last year’s failure, my second New Year’s Resolution is to get a new job in 6 months.
MONEY
After managing to eek out Christmas relatively well, and having a very cheap NYE, I somehow managed to blow my salary in less than two weeks in January. I think I need to do some sort of spreadsheet to help me look after my finances properly.
LOVE LIFE
Rob and I decided that we would spend NYE together watching silly camp films. Having had numerous disappointing NYEs, we decided that we would have the best chance of a good night if we did that. And we were right – best NYE ever! I love my man.
NINJA
Unfortunately, I had to postpone my brown belt grading due to my sinus headaches kicking in at the most inappropriate time possible. I was gutted, but there was no way I could go through the brown belt grading without the necessary build up. Due to overtime and other stuff, I have struggled to get to classes recently: this is definitely a ‘must try harder’ area right now!
HEALTH
For two weeks in December, I had vicious sinus headaches: it fucked up the whole build up to Christmas and made me generally irritable. I then followed this, only days after I was feeling right again, with a 6 or 7 day bender of getting hammered every night. I ate more food than I thought humanly possible over Christmas too. Subsequently, I’ve done very little exercise. I feel unfit and unhealthy.
BOOKS
I am still reading and enjoying Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but the fact that my copy is hardback and huge puts me off taking it in my bag to read on the bus.
I read The Timewaster Letters by Robin Cooper in a couple of hours when I was bored over Christmas after I picked it up for £2 in a cheapo bookshop. It was a delightfully silly and sublime book, and the guy’s childish letters to people and their diplomatic responses made me laugh out loud!
I have also read the stunningly intelligent and harrowing novella Address Unknown by Kressmann Taylor: a truly powerful piece of fiction that jars you with its startlingly mundane depiction of the horror of the Nazis taking over Germany.
Another one of my NYRs is to educate myself. By this I mean that I firmly believe that I have pretty much learned jack all since I left University, and I should read the odd academic book. I have invested in a few history books as I always enjoyed history at school (even in my teachers were the most incompetent pair of cunts ever). I am currently reading a book on Race Relations in America in the 20th century: another harrowing read!
MUSICA
I have acquired the new Darkness album and Madonna album, and I have been enjoying them greatly. I’ve also grabbed a copy of the Brian Adams greatest hits, and am only slightly ashamed to admit that I really like it. I’ve also had a miniature early to mid 90s renaissance and am currently enjoying Babylon Zoo, The Cure, The Wonder Stuff, and a smattering of Levellers.
One thing I must do is mention Pandora. Huge kudos to Chris for leading me to this site. I don’t normally bother with radio, let alone t’internet radio, but this is different. You type in one or more artists that you like, and it then picks tracks by them and music similar to them. The more artists you put in, the more accurate its tracks. I have discovered many new delightful songs via this fabulicious website.
FILM
I’ve watched a lot of schlock recently after organising a delightful schlocky horror night in with like minded geeks (no girls were allowed). I’ve also watched a lot of cheese due to NYE staying inage.
Leprechaun 3
Another Leprechaun movie that performed exactly how it should have: cheesey, silly, gorey, funny… fantastic.
***
Overboard
A (very) light comedy. The kind of thing that you want to hate, but find yourself loving in spite of yourself…
****
Mean Girls
A good teen comedy with lots of silly twists and much bitchiness. Probably mostly for the gays and the girls.
***
Singin’ In The Rain
Rob was dumbfounded that I hadn’t seen this. I was dumbfounded by the tap dancing ability of its stars. Plot was a bit meh, but it was done with such joy and cool tappiness that it didn’t really matter.
****
Ruthless People
This was a very funny camp comedy. Bette Midlar stole the show, which is pretty amazing considering Danny Devito was on fine form. Full of hilarious meanness.
****
Killjoy
A bizarre amalgamation of schlock and gangstas in da hood film. Delightfully schlocky and cheesy, but who was its target audience?!
***
The Dummy
This could have been beautiful cheesy comedy schlock, but it was just dull. The director cast himself (ugly) as a stud, and the dummy was about as menacing as a mentally retarded care bear.
*
Camp Blood
Comedy schlock in the camera style of The Blair Witch, but with a comedy killer clown. Fun.
***
Nosferatu
Considered a classic. I considered it a fun and different viewing experience. Done very well, but not my thing to be honest. The ‘Harker’ guy was extremely camp.
***
Brokeback Mountain
Gay cowboys; rave reviews: I am quite happy to admit that I went to see the film because of that. However, I was stunned by the beauty of the story, the script, the acting, and the scenery. This verges on being a masterpiece, and my only tiny whinge was that the aging of Jake and Heath wasn’t particularly convincing.
*****
The Warrior
Slow paced, subtle, and beautiful Indian drama with moments of harsh brutality. This probably isn’t for everyone, but I found it a worthy film and a good choice for a Sunday morning matinee.
****
TELLY
Lots of telly!
Charmed - Season 2
This is a very fun series. Not quite Buffy, but still fab.
****
The Shield - Season 2
As per the previous series, this had me on the edge of my seat gagging for more at every term. I think it’s helped by it’s darkness and crazy plot, but the superb acting and real characters are what make the programme.
*****
Sliders - Season 1
Initially hired because it seemed to resemble the wonderful Quantum Leap, I just didn’t get into this. I liked the professor and the black singer dude, but the hero and heroine irritated me.
**
Doctor Who - Series 1 (or 27 if you’re a proper geek)
I know I reviewed each episode separately at the time, but I’m going to review the series as a whole now I have the box set just because I can. As a whole, the series works so very beautifully: there’s enough ‘grand plot’ for the geeks who want it, but it doesn’t take over and the episodes definitely stand alone too. I simply overjoyed that not only have I loved the return of my favourite telly programme, but so have enough people for it to continue for a long time.
*****
Doctor Who - The Christmas Invasion
I am SO glad that David tenant rocks! I loved his new Doc, and I am so looking forward to his next series. This episode teased so much for both that and Torchwood, and presented us with a suitably Christmassy yarn and the way to heal the Doctor is a cup of tea! I loved that…
*****
Doctor Who - Attack of the Graske
Fun, but ultimately too easy because it’s made for kids.
***
Wonderfalls - The Complete Series
Another cancelled travesty by Fox. The concept sounds rubbish (that of a girl who does good things for other people from the guidance of talking cuddley toys), but the series is a wonderfully intelligent sitcom with some classic moments and some wonderful characters.
****
RPG AND GAMING
Ours Ars Magica saga is going great (despite one member of the troupe breaking the geek code and cancelling on us for a girl last week
World of Warcraft is as wonderful as ever. I have got Pizzak to a mighty 43 now, and he has his riding wolf and a set of plate armour. However, the big big big news is that Santu is now a level 60 Holy Priest. He rocks so much and heals so well! My current thing with Santu is to get exalted status with the taurens so that I can have troll on a kodo. Huzzah!
Talking of World of Warcraft, Wizards have recently launched the World of Warcraft RPG. Oli has got a troupe together to play this. I have decided to either play Santu, or Grashnahkt (a Tauren Hunter).
Pixie’s Sunday night D&D sessions have been cool, even if I have only managed to make 50% of them due to general crapness scuppering me.
BLOGGING & T’INTERNET
The lack of a Dec monthly review was a disgraceful omission, but I truly think that my best blog ever was the facial hair one. I am conceited enough to say that, and to laugh at it every time I look at those ridiculous pics. I also see it as a major achievement for a silly blog on an unpopular and limited blog provider actually getting noticed by a band I praised is something of an achievement too…
Other than the discovery of the magnificent Pandora website, Bowch has discovered some little gems too: silly film piss takes with bunnies in, and Computer stress relief.
BLOGROLL
The further adventures of Mark’s geeky friends! There are three new additions this time too: all wonderfully readable for different reasons. Experimental Jifflings is written by a good mate who set up a blog, couldn’t decide what to write for ages, and then ended up writing simply ‘delicious’ commentaries on food, cooking and restaurants. I have also added Vernon Vanderbilt to the ‘roll, who is an RPG friend who is American and fabulous and a v (geddit?!) interesting read. The last addition is the ever eccentric and peculiar, but loveable Vyle who’s surreal efforts this month have been delightful (he’s another geeky RPG friend). Also, now Tats has moved her blog from the original blog where I discovered she was the googlewhack of fishmonger malarky, should I now call her Tats?
Alley Katt
Bowch
Big Fat Man
Experimental Jifflings
fishmonger malarky
Gribble The Munchkin
Monkeys and Pirates
Nathaniel Westbury
Picture of Flowers
Pickled Pixie
Prince Gaz
Shooting Parrots
Vernon Vanderbilt
Vyle
BLATENT PLUGS
This new section is so that I can point out cool stuff that my friends are doing (that isn’t necessarily a blog) that I think are worth pointing out.
Microsatellite - A friends’ band
Wax Planet - Another friends’ band
The V - A friend’s musical project
GZW - A wrestling RPG run by a mate
5 THINGS THAT I CURRENTLY WOULD LIKE TO EXALT
Another new section where I write the 5 things that make me think everything is right in the world (in importance order 1-5). Some are serious; some are silly: life is serious and silly too! This Top 5 will ignore Rob as he’d always be no. 1 (and even if he wasn’t, I’d still have to put that he was!).
1) The (mostly) positive media coverage of civil partnerships in the UK.
2) The joy that is Ars Magica providing an RPG system that actually makes sense (unlike D&D).
3) David Tennant being utterly fabulous in the Dr Who Christmas special, and the prospect of seeing him in the new series.
4) World of Warcraft
5) Catching up with a friend I haven’t seen for nearly 12 months after he’s been away.
5 THINGS THAT CURRENTLY WOULD LIKE TO SMITE
The final new section where I write the 5 things that make me want to scream and curse this fucked up world (in importance order 1-5). Some are serious; some are silly: life is serious and silly too!
1) The injustice of me getting my car stolen, not being able to replace it, and the fuckers who stole it not getting any repercussions.
2) The atrocious John Cena losing the WWE Title but then gaining it back within three weeks! GAH!
3) The fact that the delicious Christopher Parker (Spencer from Eastenders) has confirmed that is definitely not gay in AXM Magazine.
4) George W Bush generally being a gimp… a gimp that a lot of nutter Americans like.
5) The Pope being a Nazi who has said he will make none of the reformations that the Catholic church needs.
ANYTHING ELSE INTERESTING?
There probably was, but my short term memory smells. I had a great Xmas and New Year, I remember that.
THE WHOLE TWO MONTHS IN A FEW WORDS
Busy, rockin’, pretty damned positive…
Have fun,
M x
Current mood:
good.Current music: So Far Away by Stabbing Westward.
Okay, type Mark Adams Manchester in google...
The first two results are me, and my work profile. I was pleased with that. That impressed me.
Then I saw the sponsored link on the right:
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It appears that my pimp has gone all technological...
Have fun,
M x
Current mood:
amused.Current music: We Don't Care by Girls Under Glass.