Oooh, the first Sunday Roast of 2008. Exciting! Well, if you’re me it is. I’m just hoping that y’all will enjoy it. It’s been long enough since I last wrote a roast that it feels really rather weird to be sitting here staring at the blank blue screen of WriteRoom once more. Plus I’ve flipped my computer set-up around in an effort to combat the return of some RSI. The PowerBook is now relegated to second screen (aka Safari 95% of the time), whilst my extra monitor is now my main screen and I’m typing on the full semi-ergonomic Micro$oft keyboard once more. It’s currently easier on the wrists, but I’m still not sold on the whole arrangement. Getting the screens at good heights/depths is proving tricky, especially when you’ve got to take the keyboard of the laptop into consideration! Ah well, where there is a will there is a way. This is just the price I have to pay for wanting to write whilst my wrists are buggered from some ill-advised hedge-chopping over Christmas.
Now, you’re going to have to bear in mind that I’ve been collecting these links since before Christmas. The date on one of the news articles is the 11th of December! So it’s more than a little likely that you might have already seen some of this stuff. I don’t care. If I still think it’s relevant then I’m going to link to it. So there 😛 And I’ve kept my commentary snappier this week simply because there was so much to get through. Over a hundred links needed sifting and… Damnit! It’s ten to eight in the evening guys! I want some dinner. Now enjoy.
Here’s a new game for y’all – web breakout. Though don’t use Bright Meadow as a starting point, because the number of links I throw into an average Roast just makes a mockery of the whole thing!
On the cultural nature of friendships
I am not mocking their injuries, but only in Southampton could people be injured by exploding fondue
I’m surprised I’ve not heard more buzz about this, but perhaps I’m just looking in the wrong places? Anyway, Australia is planning censorship of the web. As are the Japanese for that matter.
I like me a good bit of urban art, and this lot is really rather pretty
In keeping with my e-book rantings lately, I bring you a couple of pieces that I would have enjoyed even more than I did if I’d been able to curl up in bed with them:
Scroogled – Google controls your e-mail, your videos, your calendar, your searches… What if it controlled your life? By Cory Doctrow
When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth – By Cory Doctrow
Firmly in the camp of “I WANT, not need”, the Pleo is adorable. Pricey, but adorable. The perfect solution for that London flat I’m soon going to be living in that doesn’t allow pets? (Or the Southampton flat I’m *currently* living in that doesn’t allow pets for that matter).
I just couldn’t find the energy to excited when it was announced that Google were stepping into the Wiki-arena. Then Stowe did his customary precis of the situation and a few baby little tingles started on the back of my neck. Not exactly because of what Google was doing, but because I also lean more towards the “need a personality, need a voice” POV than the “wisdom of the masses, neutral voice” that Wikipedia supports and it’s nice to know I’m not alone!
I tried to trace back to the original of this picture, but I’m not that net savvy. This engraved MacBook is divine however.
More lovely graffiti – this time a modern day Geisha (good shot JB!)
Perfectly following on from a conversation Neko, illyna, the Not Spouse Creature and myself had over tea recently – an informational poster on how to spot a Cylon (and come on, the glowy spine thing is *such* a give away!)
It is one of my life ambitions to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights). It’s one of those things that you think about for a while, then it drifts to the back of your mind, till some gorgeous images reawaken the dream. Um, anyone live in an area where they get aurora, and can I come for a visit pretty please?
What happens when you book your hotel online
I know it’s a bit late, but this merry Christmas video had me giggling like a nutter. It’s the reindeer at the end. Perfection!
One of the (many) reasons I have yet to contribute to Wikipedia – for something that claims to be so open to everyone, the Wikipedians sure do seem rather dictatorial
This raccoon is just too cute for words! Forget robo-dinosaurs for my London flat. I want one of the these
Thank god I’m not the only one with an internal narrator. I think mine is called Max. No reason, he just is.
What’s your Twitter karma like? Mines not too bad (and let me re-add someone who I’d accidentally un-followed in my recent New Year round of friend-list-tidying (sorry Paul!)
And lastly a whole raft of movie trailers to look at and enjoy. Or ridicule my taste. Either is fine.
Mamma Mia – so I’m an Abba fan. Sue me.
Sweeney Todd – mwhahahahaaa! Johnny Depp does do psychotic so well!
Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day – I doubt this will ever hit general release over here, but I will look for the DVD (if I remember of course…)
21 – maybe, maybe not. I’m not sold quite yet… This could be a good example of a smashing song on the trailer selling it to me.
The Other Boleyn Girl – oh screw it. The book was awful but so fiendishly compelling (read trashy) I finished it in one evening. The film looks just as good. If very historically inaccurate. Plus, Eric Bana looks hot!
Made of Honor – you can tell a lot about my state of mind from the trailers that grab my eye. Clearly I’m in ‘chick-flick’ mode… Oh dear.
The Dark Knight – I wasn’t excited about Batman 2 till I saw this trailer, and then the tingles started. Moose still isn’t that excited (but she did admit that Christian Bale in a suit was one good reason alone to watch it). Roll on the summer I say.
Hey, thanks for the link! Thanks, also for the other great links in the article. I had fun checking them out. The Australian censorship is frightening; we have had filters at various places where I’ve worked, and they’re awful. Believe me, I don’t want to come across pornography either, and I certainly don’t want children to do so, but it seems so often that the default is to block something rather than let it through the filter, which means that perfectly inane sites get blocked because they have the keyword ‘sexy’ (try looking up hairstyles with a word like that blocked!) or homosexuality (try researching the pros and cons of same-sex marriage for an article when you can’t even access the Wikipedia article on it, let alone more varied articles!)
Also, the pictures were lovely.
I too am dying to see the Northern Lights, I went to the Ice hotel a couple of years back, but it was not the right conditions. I am Now living in Norway for a few months and hoping for a glimpse. I got a new camera tripod in the hope of taking some snaps.
Thanks for the link!
I have to agree with the Batman feeling, even though I was incredibly disappointed with the first one. Heath Ledger is just… doing it right. I hope it pans out to be a great film, and one of those rare sequels that is better than the first one.
I’d like to ask what disappointed you about Batman Begins. Given the late 90’s trash we have been put through I found it a nice adaptation that actually conveys a sensible back story to crate a Batman close enough to the comic hero to be accepted while still being writers(/directors) interpretation. Further, as a ‘set-up’ movie for an many sequels as they choose to make I found it perfect struck the balance of world-scale-plot causing a city level problem in which for the Batman story to unfold. I don’t need no trailer to be itching to watch the sequel.
Although the awesome trailer does help , Batman Begins is one of the few ( if not the only) superhero movies that I like ( I also have issues with most adaptations of literary classics and 80’s cartoon series’s)
I’d be really surprised if 21 was a good movie. The book was fun, but there’s not a whole lot of plot there. What I’d like to see is a chart of books and the movies they’re turned into and a rating of each. Do better books make better movies? Or can you make an excellent movie from a lame book?
I’d guess the former.
Abi, I think it all depends on the film. Bad films are made from great books all the time. And as film is a completely different format I think a lame film could be made into a great film – though offhand I can’t think of any examples. If I find any I’ll let you know.
I’m not getting all tingly about The Dark Knight for a couple of reasons:
1) I’ve never really been into superheroes and comics/graphic novels
2) It’s not out until July – far too early to get that excited about it yet.
I did enjoy Batman Begins though, so I’m sure closer to the time when I see the trailer at the cinema I’ll be more interested.
Just for the record I’m geeking out totally about the Dark Knight. But those of you who know me probably guessed that already 😉
Just popping in to say: good roast, worth the wait – and yeah, I’m only reading this Monday night 🙁
As for the raccoon, I suggested someone the other day those would be exactly what they needed to spice up their inner city garden a bit. “You need raccoons” I said. “You’re weird” they said.
Hey, I love raccoons too.
Caryn – work censorship does amuse me at times. My favourite is still when you click on a ‘forbidden’ page, you get a nice error message saying “ooops, looks like something on the site you are trying to look at breaks some of our arbitrary rules – go look at this webpage for an explanation of our guidelines”… And then the page with explanation of their own guidelines is banned!
steve – lucky! Just make sure you take some photos for me too!
JB – I actually liked the first one. I’m girl enough to admit that Christian Bale saved the movie for me though. Heath Ledger in that trail? Spine-tinglingly good 😀
Inquisitor & Kirbs – yup, Batman Begins was good.
Abi – as Moose said, sometimes a film can be ‘better’ than the book. Sahara at least I enjoyed as the popcorn movie it was, whilst the book was just plain dire! And don’t forget that Blade Runner was a phenomenal film made of a mediocre story (Do Androids Dream of Electronic Sheep). In fact, most of Philip K. Dick’s books make better movies! They are the exception though I do agree – it would be interesting to see though how most adaptations fare against the books.
Neko = you’re right. That doesn’t surprise me!
Nils – but who do you think would win in a fight between raccoons and penguins?
since Christian Bale’s in it, dark knight should rock
Neko pointed me in your direction so I’ve been reading, lurking and enjoying. Could I ask why it’s called a Sunday roast? As in the colloquial American use of the word “roast” as a good-natured mickey-take?
Or am I being a bit thick?
Nick
fulnic – You’re exactly right. It’s called the Sunday Roast because it’s every Sunday, (normally) around dinner time, and I tend to take the good-natured piss out of things 🙂
And welcome fulnic and film dude to Bright Meadow and the comments 🙂
Penguins vs racoons? Penguins, of course. How could you question that??
But have Penguins ever had their own cartoon series ?
YES!! Kirbs- how can you forget PINGU!!!! (OK, not strictly a cartoon, but reeking of awesome nonetheless!!)
I still think the Raccoons would win though. Unless we are talking about Cas’s penguin army, in which case, the penguins, any day.
Thats why I added in the cartoon precursor 🙂 … Racoon’s have a base cunning that Penguins (even Cas’s penguin army) can’t equal , they can also climb as well as swim and them teeth and claw’s look nasty … my vote go’s to the evil Racoon’s with their inbuilt robber’s mask’s
Well, penguins have nukes, don’t they?
Which the robber Racoon’s can steal with their inbred thief / Ninja skill’s … Why would nature feel the need to mark them out as thieves by giving them the face mask if it wasn’t trying to warn us all about their master cunning and inbuilt crazy skills?
I would rather not get embroiled in this Penguin vs. Racoon war but I’d like to add two examples of Penguin malevolence.
1) The SAS Penguins from Madagascar. Excellent work by avian special forces.
2) Bender’s Penguin army from Futurama. ’nuff said.
As further evidence to my theory , a quick on line search has reviled that Racoon’s are not just evil but are backed up by Crabs
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article85048.ece
Kirbs, given that The Sun makes Wikipedia look well-informed I declare your source, and therfore your argument, null and void.
You are clearly under the influence of the penguin master plan if you think that they can be beaten by mere racoons, crab backed or otherwise. Another example of those evil penguins lulling people into a false sense of security. Just smile and wave boys; smile and wave.
Even Nazi Racoon’s wearing little Swatzicha armbands with Stalinist crab comrades?
Yes, even those ones. Though I am impressed they were able to find such tiny Nazi armbands.
OK, how – by all things holy – does one throw away comment turn into WW3 with penguins vs. raccoons?! Penguins with thermonuclear devices even?!
*throws up hands*
Who cares. I love you guys. You rock and have possibly made this one of my favourite comment threads ever for Bright Meadow (and with over 3,700 comments, that’s saying something!)
Do you think the Penguin will ever make it into the Batman movies again? Would that prevent you from going, Cas?
Anyway, to follow up on my earlier comment, Batman Begins disappointed because it just wasn’t good enough – the Batmobile missile launching system was cringeworthy, the Scarecrow was wasted, and it was lit terribly. Granted, Nolan was going for a more noirish Batman, but approaching something with a noir aesthetic doesn’t mean you make everything take place in darkness – you’re still supposed to be able to see something. The fight scenes were impossible to see – just a flurry of movement, bad guy falls to the ground. Christian Bale was great as Bruce Wayne, but – sorry folks – didn’t really pull Batman off for me – he was a bit wooden. Does he always talk out of the corner of his mouth like that or only when he’s Batman?
I haven’t given up hope yet though.
How does one get from raccoons to nuclear devices? Easy.
It’s clear this was the penguins’ doing then.
(I actually didn’t have this in mind. Just googled and came up with it. The internet = da bomb.)
/ bows ironically and somewhat flamboyantly in Cas’ direction /
Holy cow! That’s a lot of comments! I guess I’m kinda glad I [somehow] sparked the raccoon vs. penguins debate! 😀
Oh Nils… That is just supreme and has elevated you to the position of blogging god for the rest of time!
So , i’ve been doing a little bit of extra research and it turns out that not only are Racoon’s evil Nazi’s but they also steal folks underwear … I’ve never heard of Penguins doing that
http://www.allthetests.com/quiz15/quizpu.php?testid=1125717511&katname=Fun%20Tests
Kirbs sweetie, I think this may be the point where you need to step away from the keyboard… just for a little break until the racoons are no longer clouding your mind.
😀