Saturday, May 17, 2008
St Paul's
Saturday, May 10, 2008
I need a lounge suit.
The invite says "Lounge Suits & that Ilk" but first I need to find out what a lounge suit is. Luckily there is always Wikipedia to help.
"The modern suit originally was a 19th century English innovation in men's dress, usually referring to a lounge suit that was only worn in the country and at seaside.
"The lounge suit became popular in the later 19th century as informal clothes to wear in town, until becoming the accepted alternative to the morning coat in the early 20th century. As the lounge suit became popular, all men would have at least one suit to wear to church; rich Victorian men still wore a frock coat to church.
"At the end of the 19th century, an informal evening version of the lounge suit emerged in England, known as a dinner jacket in British English, in a dress code referred to as black tie."
Ah, so I need to buy a DJ!
My old one (and pleated shirt) went to charity several months ago as it was starting to cause my waist severe discomfort. And as Microsoft no longer holds black tie Christmas parties for staff, the need for a replacement has seriously waned. Off to the shops tomorrow, I feel.
"The modern suit originally was a 19th century English innovation in men's dress, usually referring to a lounge suit that was only worn in the country and at seaside.
"The lounge suit became popular in the later 19th century as informal clothes to wear in town, until becoming the accepted alternative to the morning coat in the early 20th century. As the lounge suit became popular, all men would have at least one suit to wear to church; rich Victorian men still wore a frock coat to church.
"At the end of the 19th century, an informal evening version of the lounge suit emerged in England, known as a dinner jacket in British English, in a dress code referred to as black tie."
Ah, so I need to buy a DJ!
My old one (and pleated shirt) went to charity several months ago as it was starting to cause my waist severe discomfort. And as Microsoft no longer holds black tie Christmas parties for staff, the need for a replacement has seriously waned. Off to the shops tomorrow, I feel.
Friday, May 09, 2008
"So, what's wrong with Reading, John?"
Not a lot's wrong with the place really but that's not important when you bear a grudge, no matter how trivial.
First, there's football.
Both Wolves and Swansea were doing appallingly badly (for different reasons) in Division 3 during the 1985/86 season and both were relegated while Reading were division champions by 7 clear points.
[[Funnily enough, three years on and in the 1988/89 season, Wolves are champions of Division 3 by 8 clear points and Reading avoid relegation on the last day.]]
Second, there's women.
Back in the 1985, I had left University and settled down to unemployment and living in a Swansea bedsit. Money was tight and I had no real job or prospects but I was happy. Well, as happy as you can be with no money, no real job or prospects.
My girlfriend of the time, Reading born, decided (quite astutely) that Swansea was not the place to start a career so we would have to leave when she graduated for ... Reading. So in 1987, I said goodbye to 5 years of Uni and unemployment and moved back to England.
Grudges, like football teams, are for life.
First, there's football.
Both Wolves and Swansea were doing appallingly badly (for different reasons) in Division 3 during the 1985/86 season and both were relegated while Reading were division champions by 7 clear points.
[[Funnily enough, three years on and in the 1988/89 season, Wolves are champions of Division 3 by 8 clear points and Reading avoid relegation on the last day.]]
Second, there's women.
Back in the 1985, I had left University and settled down to unemployment and living in a Swansea bedsit. Money was tight and I had no real job or prospects but I was happy. Well, as happy as you can be with no money, no real job or prospects.
My girlfriend of the time, Reading born, decided (quite astutely) that Swansea was not the place to start a career so we would have to leave when she graduated for ... Reading. So in 1987, I said goodbye to 5 years of Uni and unemployment and moved back to England.
Grudges, like football teams, are for life.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Braniac Live
If you like the TV show then you are obviously going to be curious about what parts can be transported to the stage in a theatre. The obvious answer is not a huge amount but you have to give them credit for trying. Space and time are limited so anything large or which requires a while to complete is out. Also risk to the public must be almost zero so no explodimng caravans. OK, so they started the show by blowing up a caravan but it wasn't a real caravan being destroyed with anything dangerous.
Fundamentally, unlike the heavy-science and adult-oriented TV show (need I mention Professor Myung Li?), the Live performance is aimed at kids. Parents are there to either keep the children in line or be victims to the messier experiments. Take the debunking of the "tapping a dropped fizzy bottle settles the bubbles" myth (boy, there are some stupid people in the world) where a grown-up in a protective suit had to share a shower cubicle with a coke can shaken up by most of the audience. Which contrasts with the tomato ketchup experiment where children poured red liquid over the heads of Brainiacs.
This isn't to say I didn't find it fun but expectations were high because of the TV show's ability to destroy the big stuff - and I do appreciate destruction on a large scale.
Labels: Comedy
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Reading Beer/Cider Festival 2008
Sunday was pretty quiet compared to what I heard Saturday was like. And quite a few barrels were empty too although enough to keep me going for a few hours.
1:45 - Breconshire Welsh Pale Ale (3.7%)
1:58 - Ballards Best (4.2%)
2:08 - Buntingford Apricot Plover (3.8%)
2:25 - Goofs Guinevere (4.1%)
2:44 - Arbor Trendlewood (4.2%)
3:10 - Isle of Purbeck IPA (4.8%)
3:32 - Zerodegrees Black Lager
4:00 - Waldstop Falling Stone
4:16 - Hammerpot Bottle Wreck Porter (4.7%)
4:44 - Hampshire King Alfred's (3.8%)
5:10 - Dark Star Over the Moon (3.8%)
5:40 - Hidden Pint (3.8%)
1:45 - Breconshire Welsh Pale Ale (3.7%)
1:58 - Ballards Best (4.2%)
2:08 - Buntingford Apricot Plover (3.8%)
2:25 - Goofs Guinevere (4.1%)
2:44 - Arbor Trendlewood (4.2%)
3:10 - Isle of Purbeck IPA (4.8%)
3:32 - Zerodegrees Black Lager
4:00 - Waldstop Falling Stone
4:16 - Hammerpot Bottle Wreck Porter (4.7%)
4:44 - Hampshire King Alfred's (3.8%)
5:10 - Dark Star Over the Moon (3.8%)
5:40 - Hidden Pint (3.8%)
Labels: Beer
7th place ... again
Wolves kept out of the the playoffs this season by a couple of goals, equal on points with Watford but one less on goal difference (and a heap less on goals scored).
Today Wolves needed Watford to lose and they seemed to be following the script. Away to Blackpool, Watford went one behind in the first few minutes and after an hour dropped to 10 men when a forward was sent off. Two minutes later Smith (who scored 2 against Wolves earlier in the season) levelled the score and Watford scraped through into the playoffs.
Ah well, always next season.
Today Wolves needed Watford to lose and they seemed to be following the script. Away to Blackpool, Watford went one behind in the first few minutes and after an hour dropped to 10 men when a forward was sent off. Two minutes later Smith (who scored 2 against Wolves earlier in the season) levelled the score and Watford scraped through into the playoffs.
Ah well, always next season.
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