OK, so my day, by which I take to mean the entirety of August7, starting at midnight, has totally and utterly sucked.
My bus home from Summer in the City got half way up the motorway only to find the motorway closed because of an accident, and so we sat stationary for hours. I was already supposed to be getting back in at like gone 1, I ended up getting in after 4. It was hell. Especially as I had to be at work by just gone 8, and not for a short shift today - oh no that would be too easy - but for an entire full 9hour day, on literally no sleep except for some sketchy "trying to sleep on the coach" sleep, which didn't help at all.
Add all this to the fact I was already more than a little peeved to not still be at Summer in the City ANYWAY, you can generally imagine how I'm feeling right now.
But enough of my whining. Because ONE cool thing did happen today. The epilogue to Lost leaked. And given that Lost is the best thing to happen to television since the actual invention thereof, this cheered me up a little
A 12minute sequence, made up effectively of 2 scenes, titled "The New Man In Charge", aimed to show what happened during Hurley's tenure on the Island, and hint at where it would go next. It's on the DVD box-set for the 6th season and complete season box-set to be released in a few weeks, but it leaked (very temporarily) online earlier
Without wanting to spoil anyone who hasn't seen it, it definitely gives some answers we didn't get before, which I like, but somehow feels like it was made purely for that purpose - to tie up loose ends, and after the finale I was very much in the camp that I was fine with the end anyway. My loose ends were tied.
There will be people who love this completely, and will call it the definitive end of the show. But while I sure liked it - I will never not like new Lost footage - and appreciate it for what it is: I can't bring myself to say I loved it, and Vincent and Jack in the bamboo will always be where my story ends.
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Friday, 6 August 2010
BEDA - Aug6 - Summer in the City
Regular readers of this blog will of course be aware of my YouTube obsession. I’ve been vlogging on and off now for about 2 years, and in that time have forged numerous friendships in the Youtube community, as well as finding people who I watch all the time even though I know they have know idea who I am. YouTube is one of very few places where you can say that and it’s not stalkery at all. And Summer in the City is one of very few times that UK YouTubers all get together and generally party hard, and realise that we’re all the same.
After an early morning to get to the coach station the day got off to a disastrous start – I’d booked 2 coach tickets, one for today and one for another event I’m attending next week, and of course, in the early morning rush I’d printed the wrong one out. Thankfully I could pull up my email on my blackberry and show the driver the confirmation, or I’d have been in serious trouble!
Finally arriving in London I quickly found Lidewij, my dutch friend from Vidcon, and her group of friends, who I quickly came to learn were just as awesome as she was. Throw in Steve the Aussie, and this was gonna be an ace day.
The 100’s in attendance split into teams (our clean team name being Team Double Rainbow, our not so clean name being a rather… dirty… dutch word which I won’t repeat here - partly because I can't spell it =D) and embarked on a huge scavenger hunt which would see us take in just about every sight in London, before eventually crashing out around Leicester Square for drinks and food – preferably in that order. Lidewij left us to head to some concert, and the rest of us headed to Yates’s bar to enjoy some cold beverages.
And then all too soon the day was over. I wish I could have stayed for the full weekend, but unfortunately work shifts worked against me and meant that I had no choice but to get to the coach station and return to my normal life.
I’ll see Lidewij again next weekend at a John Green event (back in London again), and this is just about all that’s keeping me sane, the promise that there is more fun to be had in the near future. Because leaving a group of friends behind is always difficult. Whether you’ve known them 9hours or your entire life. If you’ve clicked with people, you’ve clicked with them.
SitC2011 is a long way off, as is VidCon2011. So my plea: Lets not wait for the next official gathering to all meet up!! Everyone should just come visit. You are always welcome here, and there will always be an airbed. Just let me know you’re coming and turn up. =)
After an early morning to get to the coach station the day got off to a disastrous start – I’d booked 2 coach tickets, one for today and one for another event I’m attending next week, and of course, in the early morning rush I’d printed the wrong one out. Thankfully I could pull up my email on my blackberry and show the driver the confirmation, or I’d have been in serious trouble!
Finally arriving in London I quickly found Lidewij, my dutch friend from Vidcon, and her group of friends, who I quickly came to learn were just as awesome as she was. Throw in Steve the Aussie, and this was gonna be an ace day.
The 100’s in attendance split into teams (our clean team name being Team Double Rainbow, our not so clean name being a rather… dirty… dutch word which I won’t repeat here - partly because I can't spell it =D) and embarked on a huge scavenger hunt which would see us take in just about every sight in London, before eventually crashing out around Leicester Square for drinks and food – preferably in that order. Lidewij left us to head to some concert, and the rest of us headed to Yates’s bar to enjoy some cold beverages.
And then all too soon the day was over. I wish I could have stayed for the full weekend, but unfortunately work shifts worked against me and meant that I had no choice but to get to the coach station and return to my normal life.
I’ll see Lidewij again next weekend at a John Green event (back in London again), and this is just about all that’s keeping me sane, the promise that there is more fun to be had in the near future. Because leaving a group of friends behind is always difficult. Whether you’ve known them 9hours or your entire life. If you’ve clicked with people, you’ve clicked with them.
SitC2011 is a long way off, as is VidCon2011. So my plea: Lets not wait for the next official gathering to all meet up!! Everyone should just come visit. You are always welcome here, and there will always be an airbed. Just let me know you’re coming and turn up. =)
Thursday, 5 August 2010
BEDA - Aug5 - Is it tomorrow yet?
This must be a Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays. The words of course of one Arthur Dent in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy just moments before the planet Earth is destroyed. But it sort of applied right here in "real life" today.
Tomorrow is Summer in the City, when I get to go meet up with 100's of YouTubers in London, and hang out and go on epic scavenger hunts and generally have fun.
Unfortunately that made today the pre-Awesome day. And pre-awesome days are generally completely notsome purely because they're spent anticipating fun not having it.
I went to see Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore with my mate Amy, (full review here, please go comment over there if you've seen the movie - or even if not tbh, I like reading your comments [/shameless plug] ) which wasted a little bit of time, but generally its been a very dull day, just biding time.
Not sure exactly when I'm going to manage to blog tomorrow - as I'm out all day, and not arriving back in Notts until post-midnight - but I'll take my laptop and will try and fit a write up about all the awesome in around said awesome. I'll figure something out, don't you worry.
Until then... Gonna go watch some TV and then get an early night so I can wake up early in the morning for my coach.
Tomorrow is Summer in the City, when I get to go meet up with 100's of YouTubers in London, and hang out and go on epic scavenger hunts and generally have fun.
Unfortunately that made today the pre-Awesome day. And pre-awesome days are generally completely notsome purely because they're spent anticipating fun not having it.
I went to see Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore with my mate Amy, (full review here, please go comment over there if you've seen the movie - or even if not tbh, I like reading your comments [/shameless plug] ) which wasted a little bit of time, but generally its been a very dull day, just biding time.
Not sure exactly when I'm going to manage to blog tomorrow - as I'm out all day, and not arriving back in Notts until post-midnight - but I'll take my laptop and will try and fit a write up about all the awesome in around said awesome. I'll figure something out, don't you worry.
Until then... Gonna go watch some TV and then get an early night so I can wake up early in the morning for my coach.
Wednesday, 4 August 2010
BEDA - Aug4 - Fuck Proposition 8
I'm not going to lie to you readers. I almost forgot to blog today. But never fear. Something VERY important just happened, and I felt compelled to blog, and as such made my way over here.
For those of you who may be reading this who aren't familiar with Proposition 8 I'll give you a quick recap of the story so far (I doubt there are many, but it's possible.) In short, in 2008, a referendum took place in California on whether or not to ban same-sex marriage - reclassifying marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Despite huge campaigns from both sides of the debate, the anti side narrowly won, and the referendum passed. This was a huge blow for equality, and one which has been fought vehemently since the day it first passed.
Well finally, today, August 4th 2010, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker residing in San Francisco has overturned the ban, ruling that it is unconstitutional, and that it goes against people's RIGHT to marry whomsoever they may choose.
This is only the first step in what will be a monumental process - there will inevitably be numerous appeals from the other side, but this is a first step. A first step towards equality, and fairness for all.
You may be sat there thinking: "I'm neither gay, nor living in California, what does this have to do with me", and hey, I could think just the same, all of that applies to me too, but I'm not. Because humanity is a shared thing. And our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community are just as much a part of our shared existence as me or any straight person.
And after all: if you take away a person's right to love and be loved, then what is humanity anyway?
For those of you who may be reading this who aren't familiar with Proposition 8 I'll give you a quick recap of the story so far (I doubt there are many, but it's possible.) In short, in 2008, a referendum took place in California on whether or not to ban same-sex marriage - reclassifying marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Despite huge campaigns from both sides of the debate, the anti side narrowly won, and the referendum passed. This was a huge blow for equality, and one which has been fought vehemently since the day it first passed.
Well finally, today, August 4th 2010, Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker residing in San Francisco has overturned the ban, ruling that it is unconstitutional, and that it goes against people's RIGHT to marry whomsoever they may choose.
This is only the first step in what will be a monumental process - there will inevitably be numerous appeals from the other side, but this is a first step. A first step towards equality, and fairness for all.
You may be sat there thinking: "I'm neither gay, nor living in California, what does this have to do with me", and hey, I could think just the same, all of that applies to me too, but I'm not. Because humanity is a shared thing. And our brothers and sisters in the LGBT community are just as much a part of our shared existence as me or any straight person.
And after all: if you take away a person's right to love and be loved, then what is humanity anyway?
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
BEDA - Aug3 - VOTE FOR NINA!!!
I think it's fair to say that today was not as good a day as yesterday. I had another early shift at work, and to be honest was too tired to do much else, so just came home and had an afternoon nap. I then spent the remainder of the afternoon writing and editing my reviews from last night - which are about to (if they haven't already when you click the link) go up at Nottingham Trent University's Platform Magazine , where I'm Film editor this year, and am now about to go and see The Rebound, Catherine Zeta Jones' new rom-com which will also have a review up on Platform probably by the morning, so you should defintely keep checking the Film section over there as it's being updated all the time, and comment and stuff so I know you're there =)
In the mean time, a friend of mine by the name of Nina Jankowicz is in a competition to try and get a music video she made played on the Jumbotron at the US Open of Tennis in New York. So if you could watch the video and then click here and go and "like" it, that would be great. This would be the most amazing exposure for her if she could win, and she deserves it completely!!!
In the mean time, a friend of mine by the name of Nina Jankowicz is in a competition to try and get a music video she made played on the Jumbotron at the US Open of Tennis in New York. So if you could watch the video and then click here and go and "like" it, that would be great. This would be the most amazing exposure for her if she could win, and she deserves it completely!!!
Monday, 2 August 2010
BEDA - August 2nd - Of Fresh Bread and Psycho Ex Girlfriends.
So here we are again. It’s been a busy day since last I sat down to write a blog, and – at just minutes to midnight as I write these words, I fear it will probably be August 3rd local time by the time I post... but it’s still August2nd in half the world, so that’ll do for me.
I had an early shift at work today, so I had most of the day to myself, and I think its fair to say I made the most of it.
I spent the afternoon baking bread – filling my flat with the most pleasant aroma I think it’s ever had in it. You can see a picture of the finished product below. I’m not totally sure why I chose to do this, but you know: it was one of those things which felt like a good idea at the time, and in retrospect – with the beautiful food in my stomach – seems an even better one than I first thought.
I then figured I’d hit the cinema for the promised viewing of The A Team – and decided I’d catch The Karate Kid too while I was there – short reviews of which I will post as the official August 3rd blog post (and full reviews of which I will post on Platform Magazine’s website in the morning, so watch out for that link)
In short: both were substantially better than expected, although Karate Kid was a bit slow.
Perhaps the most amusing bit of the day however was as I was walking to the cinema. Walking down the street towards me I suddenly realise I am looking at the person I hate most in the entire world. My psycho ex. And man oh man has she let herself go. When last I laid eyes on her 11months ago, she was a vision of almost complete perfection – getting modelling jobs left right and centre and generally never having so much as a hair out of place. Today it was almost as if she wasn’t clean even. I only got a glimpse of her as I walked by (I was NOT going to start a conversation), but honestly: I can finally feel like maybe that relationship ending was a good thing – a stage I’d never quite got to up to now.
So it was a rewarding day, one I have a lot to show for. Maybe all days are this eventful and I simply don’t notice because I don’t try to recount them every day, but honestly: if I achieve as much on every other day of this month as I did today: this is gonna be one hell of a month.
I had an early shift at work today, so I had most of the day to myself, and I think its fair to say I made the most of it.
I spent the afternoon baking bread – filling my flat with the most pleasant aroma I think it’s ever had in it. You can see a picture of the finished product below. I’m not totally sure why I chose to do this, but you know: it was one of those things which felt like a good idea at the time, and in retrospect – with the beautiful food in my stomach – seems an even better one than I first thought.
I then figured I’d hit the cinema for the promised viewing of The A Team – and decided I’d catch The Karate Kid too while I was there – short reviews of which I will post as the official August 3rd blog post (and full reviews of which I will post on Platform Magazine’s website in the morning, so watch out for that link)
In short: both were substantially better than expected, although Karate Kid was a bit slow.
Perhaps the most amusing bit of the day however was as I was walking to the cinema. Walking down the street towards me I suddenly realise I am looking at the person I hate most in the entire world. My psycho ex. And man oh man has she let herself go. When last I laid eyes on her 11months ago, she was a vision of almost complete perfection – getting modelling jobs left right and centre and generally never having so much as a hair out of place. Today it was almost as if she wasn’t clean even. I only got a glimpse of her as I walked by (I was NOT going to start a conversation), but honestly: I can finally feel like maybe that relationship ending was a good thing – a stage I’d never quite got to up to now.
So it was a rewarding day, one I have a lot to show for. Maybe all days are this eventful and I simply don’t notice because I don’t try to recount them every day, but honestly: if I achieve as much on every other day of this month as I did today: this is gonna be one hell of a month.
Sunday, 1 August 2010
Blog Every Day in August (BEDA) - Aug1
This is a very short post for the first day in August, the beginning of BEDA (Blog Every Day in August).
I'll be updating here with stuff going on in my life every single day this month - which should be interesting given that I am spending at least 3 days away from an internet connection, but I'll work it out.
I'm going to see The A Team tomorrow, so that should provide me with something to talk about tomorrow. For now though: I'm watching Sherlock, so I'll see you all tomorrow.
I'll be updating here with stuff going on in my life every single day this month - which should be interesting given that I am spending at least 3 days away from an internet connection, but I'll work it out.
I'm going to see The A Team tomorrow, so that should provide me with something to talk about tomorrow. For now though: I'm watching Sherlock, so I'll see you all tomorrow.
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