A Favourite Film

I see that since I started this blog that there have been just 197 visits to view my profile. I agree that my profile is perhaps not riveting stuff, but those 197 of you that have visited this dank corner might have noticed that one of my favourite films is the late Michelangelo Antonioni's BLOWUP.

As I am not a film buff of any sort (see my post here concerning film directors) it is perhaps surprising that I love this movie as it is considered to be "arty" which I suppose it is.

Set in "Swinging London" in 1966 it is wonderfully atmospheric - hardly any music apart from some Herbie Hancock jazz and the famous cameo of the Yardbirds with Jimmie Page and Jeff Beck performing "Train Kept a-rolling" - and I think that the film can be enjoyed as much for the clever use of incidental sounds as for its excellent photography and fine acting from David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave.

Here's the trailer:

I suppose I have watched this film at least thirty times and yes, like other members of the "cult" have been to Maryon Park (a central part of the film) and made a few photographs there too. Whilst at the park I spoke to one of the park-keepers - and of course he was full of fascinating information, since he has to deal with enquiries from the many eccentrics (like this writer) who just have to visit the scene.

The Internet Movie Data Base has plenty of information and many fine critiques submitted by members and of course lots of fascinating trivia plus a list of MISTAKES.

While researchinng for this piece I found that another fanatic has cleverly put together a short video illustrating the errors; shame about the soundtrack, but quite amusing nonetheless:

Finally enjoy this clip featuring Hemmings and the amazing super-model, Verushka. Listen to the sounds at the beginning of the scene - atmospheric!

Until the next time

"Snugfit" Seems to be the Word

As a person who should perhaps "get out more" I had never heard of pervy spray-on latex (ugh).

Now though, as reported in Wired, some genius at London's Imperial College has come up with a genuine spray-on fabric product which apparently rejoices in the name "Fabrican":

Free safety goggles with every can?
Picture Source: Wired.com

As the article states, there should be a number of applications for this interesting development quite apart from making pretty T-shirts for gentlemen who take care of their hands and are good to their mothers! Medicine is one area mentioned and the idea occurs to me that the product could be sprayed onto the mouths of politicians, EU officials, football commentators and Z-list celebrities, thereby improving quality of life for the rest of us.

There is a video showing the process "as it happens:

No more "Fruit of the Loom" - "Fruit of the Spraycan"!

Until the next time

And just how much do we pay them?

The decades pass but the capacity of those overpaid parasites in the European Parliament to make themselves look ridiculous continues to amaze me - as much as I amaze myself at being amazed!

This time they have proposed a new regulation whereby food will be sold only by weight or volume, not by number.

So forget for example about buying a dozen eggs - if this absurd nonsense becomes reality.

What's the matter with these people? I cannot believe that in world with two active wars, an environmental disaster, the Middle East permanently in turmoil etc., etc., they cannot find something more useful to do.

To think that this absurd proposal was given more than ten seconds' consideration (and expensive translation into umpteen languages no doubt) beggars belief.

There have been protests thank God.

Until the next time

L'Internet de Merde

Grr, grrr, grrrr!

If you are not presently living in France, but intend to do so, a friendly piece of advice: when choosing an Internet Service Provider do not choose Orange (who really should be called Lemon).

This organisation, part of France Telecom, the national PTT, is useless.

I do not live in one of the "middles of nowhere" of which there are so many in France; I live in Evian les Bains a small, but well-known town, famous of course for its mineral water. There is absolutely no excuse for the appalling service I receive here.

This evening I used the excellent Myspeed Internet speed testing service to test the service - when the page eventually loaded that is. Myspeed gives download and upload speeds to and from a variety of locations across the world. The so-called "ADSL" (= broadband) service this evening offered 395kb/s - steam age in other words, whilst Myspeed was unable to measure the upload speed!

Pathetic.

They couldn't organise a pipi in a pissoir! It has taken half an hour to prepare this article...

Grr, grr, grr.

Until the next time

Perspective

I am a long-term reader of the English satirical magazine, Private Eye.

This fortnightly, currently celebrating its 50th birthday, is amongst my favourite reading, its happy combination of conscience and humour generally being irresistable to me.

A regular feature - and the motivation in fact for this post - is "Number Crunching" where comparisons are made between two sets of figures to make a point. A recent example contrasted the 18 months' prison sentence handed down to a single mother who had lied to the authorities concerning housing benefit payments amounting to a total of around £40,000, and an MP who had fiddled his parliamentary expenses (also around £40,000). The MP undertook to repay the sum and was described as honourable/honest etc... No jail sentence then!

The latest issue contains the following example. I feel that I need not comment further.

From Private Eye Issue No 1265

Until the next time

Election Fever

This one is for my English Readers, many of whom have probably had enough of the month-long electioneering that finished yesterday in advance of today's voting.

Despite being an ex-pat, I do like to follow news from England, and the UK and for political information Guy Fawkes's blog is excellent and often very amusing.

Having a look today I found a couple of videos that I would like to share.

First some mayhem on an underground train - apparently with Guido himself in attendance:

And next some rather powerful Conservative propaganda...



The pundits are predicting a hung parliament, so I suppose very soon there'll be the whole thing to be gone through again!

Best of luck, and of course,

Until the next time