softlad spends, UK economy saved!

Been bargain hunting in real life stores as opposed to online.
Taschen hardback book, 'Gil Elvgren - The Complete Pin-Ups' - £6
Tony Nourmand & Graham Marsh - 'Film Posters - Exploitation' - £6
'Battlestar Galactica Series 1 - 3' DVD boxed set - £30
'The Coen Brothers Collection' DVD boxed set - £10
Note how the in-store prices are less expensive than the online equivalent. Actually bought the Gil Elvgren book at HMV but they don't sell books online any more(?!)

The Coen Bros. set has the widescreen version of 'Blood Simple' as opposed to the 'pan and scan' budget release. I've not seen 'Barton Fink' nor 'Hudsucker Proxy' either so bit of a result. Lots of people have been raving about the new 'Battlestar Galactica' so I thought I'd give it a go.
Also noticed on a website a few days ago the release of 'What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective' by Steinski. It's a two disc limited edition so I've quickly bagged one from Amazon US. Also got '2001' on Blu-ray to make up the customs allowance.

I love Gil Elvgren's pin-ups, I've had his calenders in my kitchen for the last few years. Here's a little insight into before and after which I found on this site.



Goldfrapp at Lovebox Sun 20/07/08
Goldfrapp are playing the Lovebox Weekender at Victoria park in east London. Having never been to a festival I'm torn...

Pros:
Goldfrapp - Live! And most likely there will be the full gear including dancers.
The Flaming Lips - a real experience live by all accounts and I loved 'The Soft Bulletin'.
The Go! Team - Loved 'Thunder, Lightning, Strike' and they were great on BBC 2's 'Later'.
Other GMB members in attendance.
Cibelle - I have a CD/DVD single of hers which is off-kilter latin loveliness so she would be worth checking out.

Cibelle covers Nirvana's 'About A Girl'.

Cons:
If it rains you're fecked.
Dislike the thought of being crushed at the front of the crowd for the Main Stage to the same degree that I dislike the thought of being stuck half a mile away from said stage.
Queuing for basic things like food, drink and toilets.
Being surrounded by young, fun people all day long. *shudders*
Being surrounded by thieves, gate crashers and druggies. *shudders*
It's on a Sunday which means that I'd really want to book the Monday as a day off.

Can't make my mind up, I just don't know.....

Spain win Euro '08
Spain beat Germany and deservedly so with Torres getting the winner. For a short while at least all is well in the footballing world. Viva España.

Goldfrapp Vs Royal Albert Hall - no contest.

What a soiree - it had everything bar the kitchen sink. Fan-bloody-tastic.
First time I've been inside the RAH and it's big. Massive big. I must admit sitting there before the kick off I did wonder whether the Seventh Tree songs could be done justice. Turns out that everything went swimmingly.
I was almost late getting to the hall in the first place and in my hurry it appears that I missed notices on the doors stating that by attending everyone was giving implicit permission to be filmed. Make what you will of that. Possible live DVD in the works somewhere down the line?
Just managed a quick trip to the bar as I was gasping. £3.80 for a bottle of Becks!
Me; "Can I have a plastic cup to take into the hall please?"
Barman aka Lord Snooty Snootington of Belgravia; "This is the Royal Albert Hall! We don't do that here!"
Brilliant, wouldn't have expected any less.
Have to say that Goldfrapp are unique, "Number one in a field of one" as Mad magazine would have it. No other band has all the qualities of Goldfrapp at the moment - not one. Best pop group around, tight band, a live show to kill for and a constant will to explore and experiment. Peerless.
Photos were taken however the camera was set incorrectly (arse!) so I've had to try and salvage what I can to put up on Flickr.
Icing on the cake was getting to meet a few people from the Goldfrapp Message Board; Halloween Jack, Alpa, Micky and poor old Peter who I hijacked and took to Cuba. Sorry, that should be Leytonstone.

So Spain tonk Russia 3-0 and meet Germany in the final. Of the two teams Russia were the ones that had the makings of being able to stop the Germans. A twist of fate could play a part though as one of Spains best players, Villa, is now injured and out of the final.; cue the Barcalona Posee in full effect. Still, regarding who'll win the final, my heart says Spain but my head says Germany.

I should stay in more.

Not very often I find myself in a record store these days but I popped into HMV today to get the new Goldfrapp single 'Caravan Girl' only to find that it's actually released next week. Arse. Having made the trip and noticing there was a sale on I took a wander 'round the store thinking I might get a Chris Rock or George Carlin DVD when I noticed this;


It's not really all that apparent at first glance but 99% of the films in this section are made by / star black people. What purpose does this section serve? Seriously. I find it hard to believe that people go into HMV and ask the staff "Excuse me where do you keep the black movies please?" so why does this section exist? Not doubt it was created with the best of intentions but I thought we were all supposed to be living in a multi-racial society? I can't help but think that it's the same mindset that has produced the MOBOs and personally I think it's wrong-headed.
Ended up getting a 'Best Of Smash Hits - The 80's' annual - £3! And comes with a free Wham! & John Taylor poster!! Also got 'The Devil Wears Prada' on DVD for £3. Bargained up big time baby!
Felt like a shoplifter when I left.
But that might just have been the security alarms going off.

Also went to WHSmith (boy, when I paint the town red it stays red!) and there right next to all the books on 'Travel', 'Cookery', 'Art' etc there now exists a fantastic new section;

A sub-heading is born.

Off to the Royal Albert Hall tomorrow to see the imperious Goldfrapp. Big update pending. All excited? I know I am!

The Candy man can.

Just finished watching 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles' for the Nth time. LOVE this film, a comedy that can bring a lump to my throat time and again just the way 'It's A Wonderful Life' does. PT&A and 'Uncle Buck'. Fan - tastic. Both directed and written by John Hughes on full tilt and both PT&A and Hughe's 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' have cameos by the excellent Edie McClurg and Yellos 'Oh Yeah'. As for John Candy - whattaguy.

'Oh Yeah' - Yello

The Garden Of Delights.

I went to see The Garden Of Delights which was part of the Greenwich Festival Bites Weekend. Bunch of gay and lesbian bods in PVC demonstrating S&M role play - I kid you not. Fun for all the family. Lasted about 45 minutes and remained intriguing from beginning to end. Two thumbs up (as it were), definite entry in the diary for next year.

Hardly ever drink but I went for a pint at a certain reputable pub in Greenwich before heading home.  Sunday, five in the afternoon, lovely day, beer garden, parents with kids in tow etc.  Sitting there chilling when I clock one of the barmen, who appears to be in charge, wearing this t-shirt in green;

He's in his early twenties this bloke and just as I'm about to go, as chance would have it, he was stood in front of me behind the bar doing the glasses.  

softlad - "Alright mate.  You the Manager?"  

Barman - "No," - he sounded apologetic - "I'm just the most experienced here so I'm sort of in charge."  Italian accent.

softlad - "Listen not being funny or anything but that t shirt... I mean I don't even have kids but that t shirt makes me uncomfortable that you're letting kids in here and you're wearing that shirt."

Barman - "I know." Shrug.

softlad - "Hey, whatever.  You wear whatever you like mate but to me that's not appropriate for a family pub.  Have a good day yeah?"

Barman - "Yes." Shrug and a look of 'What can I tell you?'

Exit softlad. 

I'm the new Mary Whitehouse - didn't see that coming.

Eat my foot!

Euro 08 quarter-final and ITV finally enter the fray. Jim Beglin: "They're not very fluid at the moment the Dutch. They're not flowing." Is this Alan Partridge's "liquid football"?

The Exxon Mobil ad on TV - watch the pretty computer graphics as an Italian MILF and your Mum and Dad shovel shit down your ears whilst trying to convince one and all that Exxon Mobil really, really care. To point out that what they care about is actually vast profits and feck all else seems a trifle blindingly obvious but I'm off to Google 'Italian MILF' so I don't, er, care.

Been experimenting with Sainsbury, Asda and Somerfield own-brand bargain basement milk chocolate and I like it. Yes, it turns out I have cheap and slutty taste buds but at about 25p for a bar who gives a hoot - huzzah!

Say wha'?

Player quote of Euro '08 so far? Ballack of Germany when asked about his blatantly pushing the Portugese defender (and fellow Chelsea teammate) Ferreira to score the third and decisive goal; "Oh it was difficult to say. There were a lot of pushes during the match in the box, I'll have to see it on the TV."

I'm currently all Mac'd up and been unhappy with Safari for some time now. Then I somehow stumbled across a possible reason why from someone who evidently knows more about these things than I do. That pretty much made up my mind up to try the new Firefox 3.0. I've used it for several days now and it's loading quicker than Safari and it's more stable. Fingers crossed it keeps up....

Song 01.
'Central Reservation' (William Orbit Remix) - Beth Orton
Love the way the remix just takes off in the middle. Delightful.

Panekiller.

Long story short. The window in the bedroom got broken and I now know that;
A) it costs £125 + VAT to get a window boarded up.
B) it costs £310 to have a 4' x 3' sheet of window replaced. Interestingly it was offered at £265 for cash which is basically the £310 without the VAT.
Now the wrangling with the insurance begins...

Mark Lawrenson commenting on Austria V Germany on BBC1s Euro '08 managing to muddle up two expressions to announce "That's got hospital food written all over it". Indeed.

'Hancock' arriving.

Just used the PS3 to watch the second HD  trailer for 'Hancock' (which clocks in at over three minutes long) and have become convinced that I now don't need to see the movie as they appear to have supplied the plot and a great many of the good bits.  Cheers Columbia, much obliged.

Went to the Blackheath Kite Festival yesterday (Sat) to get some snaps after spotting it was on using the excellent Upcoming site.  Quite funny as the weather was changeable.  When the sun went in the wind built up and the kite fliers were in their element.  When the sun came out however the fliers were becalmed but everyone else was pleased.  Needless to say the weather swung one way then the other all afternoon.  Interesting couple of hours.  No pies were eaten.

Ads on TV are annoying but how much more annoying they are in a recession when they're by banks, petrol companies and car manufacturers.  One car ad has the matchless "A whisper is louder than a shout".  Er, it what sense?  In no sense at all matey, no sense at all....  And Halifax - always intensely annoying with their 'Look - it's our smug staff!' shtick - have now taken to ripping off Terry Gilliam.  Having buildings set sail was done in 'The Crimson Permanent Assurance' but what's a piece of plagiarism when you can't be arsed thinking of something original.  Grrr.

Now to try posting a photo.....

Looking good.  Now I need to fink....

Testing one, two, one, two....

I now have a blog.  Gawd help us all.