It's freezing.

Meanwhile today, a potential holiday destination in the Dodecanese peaked at 44C/111F...

Quote from: Matt2112 on May 27, 2024, 08:13:33 PMDavid Lynch has appeared on social media for the first time in almost 18 months - in a short teaser video promising something unspecified being released on "June 5".

I suspect it will mark the resumption of his daily YouTube "weather reports", but hoping for something much more significant.

Turns out he's merely collaborated on an album.  Bit of a let-down that, in all honesty.

I'm in.

Quote from: The Picnic Wasp on June 04, 2024, 10:16:45 PMWhy is Anushka Asthana shouting? Why can't the director remind her she's wearing a mic?

She's ITV's Fiona Bruce, i.e. should not be allowed anywhere near any kind of programme with political sparring.

Btw, and by contrast, I thought Julie Etchingham did pretty well chairing the head-to-head.

Quote from: Fishy on June 04, 2024, 12:26:48 PM

Quote from: Fishy on June 04, 2024, 11:31:36 AMChatGPT having internal server issues this morning..

Working now

Fixed itself, did it?

The Social Network

Finally got round to seeing this, only 14 years after its release.

The considerable talent on board - director David Fincher, Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield and, yes, even Justin Timberlake are all on superb form in this slickly woven story of the ages.

Aaron Sorkin's Oscar-winning screenplay of course uses all of his dramatic license to keep the story engaging, though at times the fixation with trying to render every other line a snarky slam-dunk can distract from the narrative.

However, this overall is a solid if not spectacular success, and still resonates given Facebook's seemingly immutable global influence.

Rating: ***

Quote from: pxr5 on May 30, 2024, 08:25:47 PMThe final series (nine appropriately) of Inside Number Nine. As brilliant as ever. I might watch them all again sometime.

This is high on my to-watch list as I've been told it's (forgive the pun) right up my street.

I'm in a meeting room of a building which seems to be partially submerged in a stormy sea at a dystopian-looking coast.

There's about 10 people including me sitting at the table, with a chairperson droning on in the usual corporate-speak.

I keep an eye on the worryingly large waves crashing around just the other side of the window and then notice an enormous tsunami heading straight for us.

I raise the alarm, frantically trying to direct the attendees' attention to it: "Tidal wave! Tidal wave! Get out NOW!!"  But they seem utterly oblivious to all this and simply carry on regardless. I try again with the same result, to the point where it's seconds before impact and I have to save myself.

I leave the room and have no option but to brace myself for impact in the corridor; seconds later, large splashes of water shoot out of the doorway I've just left and another a few feet to my other side - but the  catastrophic flooding and destruction I expected doesn't happen.

I go back to the meeting room: there's some water damage in there but it's still intact; however, the attendees have disappeared.
 

Quote from: pdw1 on May 30, 2024, 06:11:02 PM

Quote from: Matt2112 on May 30, 2024, 12:33:11 AMOf course, that last organisation is the most corrupt and most malevolent out of all that lot by some distance.

That is no way to talk about Dover.

Oh I like visiting Dover, I always bring back fond memories to go with the three points.

Quote from: dom on May 29, 2024, 04:34:53 PMGuess who's appearing on BBC QT tomorrow evening?  Guess they enjoy being wound up!

Like every week now, Fiona Bruce will trigger more folk than whoever is on the panel because she's such an abysmal host.

The full panel for the record is:

Damian Hinds (Tories)
Wes Streeting (Labour)
Nigel Farage (representing Reform UK)
Piers Morgan (Broadcaster)
Bishop of Dover (Church of England)

Of course, that last organisation is the most corrupt and most malevolent out of all that lot by some distance.

Saw footage of the latest SpaceX rocket launch on the news this morning - as it blasted off and the exhaust fumes rushed toward the edge of the screen, an automated air freshener that's by the side of the telly and pointing roughly sideways shot out a jet of fragrant spray with pretty much perfect timing.

Quote from: dom on May 28, 2024, 05:29:06 PMWinding up the right and calling out Farage. Wonderful institution!

In bad faith.  And we're paying for it.  That's not acceptable.

David Lynch has appeared on social media for the first time in almost 18 months - in a short teaser video promising something unspecified being released on "June 5".

I suspect it will mark the resumption of his daily YouTube "weather reports", but hoping for something much more significant.

Quote from: David L on May 24, 2024, 01:08:12 PM

Quote from: Slim on May 24, 2024, 12:55:26 PMWayne Rooney. He's not ageing particularly well, is he? Imagine what he'd look like without the hair transplant. He's only 38.

Younger than Cristiano Ronaldo, who's still playing and (presumably) will captain Portugal at the Euros.

Was always a gifted footballer in a fat bloke's body.......with the brains of a garden slug. Made a bit of money though, bless him

Gazza caned it far more than he did and was still a vastly superior footballer.

England have had nobody approaching Gascoigne's ability since - and at least he showed what he can do amongst the best in the world, whereas the likes of Rooney disappeared when up against cannier opposition.

So, then, Richard Marx at the Royal Albert Hall - two firsts for me.

The first thing to note of course is that this iconic arena is every bit as grand as it appears on the telly, so I really enjoyed drinking it all in (with the help of some Stella ) for a good few minutes before showtime, especially as all five tiers of the place were almost fully occupied.

I had a fairly central 7th row seat, which was obviously great for the view, but to my initial shock and surprise turned out not to be so great for the sound, which was too tinny for my liking and suffered from far too much reverb. I seemed to be in a sort of "non-sweet spot", beneath the house PA and too far from the on-stage amps. So the disappointing sound defied my high expectations, but the more Marx played through a tremendously well chosen two-hour set-list, abetted by three classy band mates on guitar, bass and drums, the less it was of an issue.

Yes, all the 80s US number 1 smash hits were present and correct, albeit re-imagined with other songs from the era to various extents to sound more contemporary and, by necessity, dropped down a key or so - Marx is 60 now and has lived most of his life without that hot-brushed mullet, soaring vocal range and chorus pedal-drenched sound of the early years...glorious as all that was.

But he still has that melodic voice - it still cracks impressively into a slightly gravelly RAWK tone in the higher registers and still retains a mellifluously smooth croon during the slow numbers: Right Here Waiting, of course the ultimate smooch song that alone will handsomely fund his retirement, is the obvious show closer and he performs it beautifully, both on piano and vocally.

It was worth the wait - and at £75.00 for a prime view, I suspect a hell of a lot better value than for certain other rock veterans playing the famous old hall this year.

Rating: ****