In a bid to give up something for Lent (and hopefully lose weight) I am giving up chocolate for Lent.
If you see me eating any, tell me off.
If you offer me any, expect to get a poke in the eye or your arm bitten off!
You have been warned!
I'm off to eat my last Nutella bagel for 6 weeks - boo hoo!
Timmy "Not even a single Decker" Magic
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
oscar night
Last night was Oscar night in America and for once, Greta Britain came out on top!
The full list of winners shows the dominance of Slumdog Millionaire, a British funded film by a British director made in a former British colony. It won eight gongs, including best picture and best director, considered the two biggest prizes in the industry.
Kate Winslet, the oft nominated actress, finally won her Academy Award for her brilliant performance in 'The Reader' (see here for a recent post on it), and claimed that she had practised her acceptance speech from the age of 8 with a shampoo bottle.
The last award of note has to be that of the best supporting actor, Heath Ledger. Ledger won for his excellent performance of the Joker, the villain from the latest installment of Batman, 'The Dark Knight'. He had finished filming his part a matter of weeks before his sudden and tragic death from a drugs overdose. It was not his last film, however, as scenes already shot combined with other actors playing his role, will feature in Terry Gilliam's upcoming film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Heath Ledger put in a fantastic performance, which was well worthy of only the second posthumous Oscar in Academy history.
Timmy "Oscars Out" Magic
The full list of winners shows the dominance of Slumdog Millionaire, a British funded film by a British director made in a former British colony. It won eight gongs, including best picture and best director, considered the two biggest prizes in the industry.
Kate Winslet, the oft nominated actress, finally won her Academy Award for her brilliant performance in 'The Reader' (see here for a recent post on it), and claimed that she had practised her acceptance speech from the age of 8 with a shampoo bottle.
The last award of note has to be that of the best supporting actor, Heath Ledger. Ledger won for his excellent performance of the Joker, the villain from the latest installment of Batman, 'The Dark Knight'. He had finished filming his part a matter of weeks before his sudden and tragic death from a drugs overdose. It was not his last film, however, as scenes already shot combined with other actors playing his role, will feature in Terry Gilliam's upcoming film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.
Heath Ledger put in a fantastic performance, which was well worthy of only the second posthumous Oscar in Academy history.
Timmy "Oscars Out" Magic
Saturday, February 14, 2009
25 things
I finally got tagged in one of the "25 things" notes on Facebook, so am blogging it now and it will arrive on Facebook soon...
1) At the moment, I have 13 bottles of contact lens solution by my sink and 6 in my locker at work
2) I am an officially recognized police response cyclist
3) I have never been to Spain
4) I am really untidy
5) There is nearly always a packet of Wrigley's Extra Spearmint gum in the right hand pocket of every pair of trousers I own
6) My parents hate jazz music but I, for some reason, love it
7) I spent a summer working in Panama in 2003
8) That same summer was the first time I went somewhere abroad and had to look on a map to see where it was
9) My DVD collection is vast and very quirky, featuring films as diverse as Spongebob Squarepants and Tsotsi
10) My cornet playing is sufficiently bad that I have been moved off the section in 2 separate brass bands
11) In my time as a police cyclist I have burst 7 tyres by crashing into stuff
12) I can generally make my bike do stuff that no-one else on the team can or tries to do
13) As a result of 12) I frequently fall off spectacularly
14) Mornings are a real struggle for me - they happen all the same, but I am not always awake/conscious/sociable when they do
15) I have lived in 13 houses and move into a new one in a few weeks
16) I have a serious problem not eating Double Deckers
17) Aged 9 and 10 I was the undefeated champion of 'Un Dau Tri', a game to help learning Welsh. Sometimes even Welsh people couldn't beat me
18) After school I went to university to study Scandinavian Studies - and I use the Old Norse I learned here daily
19) When talking to people, I don't need to look at them to listen - it freaks some people out
20) I love being on my own
21) I do judo through work and have somehow been invited take part in the Police Championships this year
22) The first time I wore my contact lenses to work, I poked myself in the eye trying to puch my glasses up
23) The first time I wore glasses, my teacher asked me who I had taken them from
24) I love to photograph completely bizare things
25) I have a stuffed cow called Moses who lives in my camera bag
Timmy "All 25'd out" Magic
1) At the moment, I have 13 bottles of contact lens solution by my sink and 6 in my locker at work
2) I am an officially recognized police response cyclist
3) I have never been to Spain
4) I am really untidy
5) There is nearly always a packet of Wrigley's Extra Spearmint gum in the right hand pocket of every pair of trousers I own
6) My parents hate jazz music but I, for some reason, love it
7) I spent a summer working in Panama in 2003
8) That same summer was the first time I went somewhere abroad and had to look on a map to see where it was
9) My DVD collection is vast and very quirky, featuring films as diverse as Spongebob Squarepants and Tsotsi
10) My cornet playing is sufficiently bad that I have been moved off the section in 2 separate brass bands
11) In my time as a police cyclist I have burst 7 tyres by crashing into stuff
12) I can generally make my bike do stuff that no-one else on the team can or tries to do
13) As a result of 12) I frequently fall off spectacularly
14) Mornings are a real struggle for me - they happen all the same, but I am not always awake/conscious/sociable when they do
15) I have lived in 13 houses and move into a new one in a few weeks
16) I have a serious problem not eating Double Deckers
17) Aged 9 and 10 I was the undefeated champion of 'Un Dau Tri', a game to help learning Welsh. Sometimes even Welsh people couldn't beat me
18) After school I went to university to study Scandinavian Studies - and I use the Old Norse I learned here daily
19) When talking to people, I don't need to look at them to listen - it freaks some people out
20) I love being on my own
21) I do judo through work and have somehow been invited take part in the Police Championships this year
22) The first time I wore my contact lenses to work, I poked myself in the eye trying to puch my glasses up
23) The first time I wore glasses, my teacher asked me who I had taken them from
24) I love to photograph completely bizare things
25) I have a stuffed cow called Moses who lives in my camera bag
Timmy "All 25'd out" Magic
Thursday, February 12, 2009
true atheism - or is it?
I was listening to a podcast featuring Stephen Fry at a Q&A session at the Apple Store the other day and he was asked a question that set me thinking.
"Do you have to be careful what you say about religion?" - to which the answer was yes and no.
You have to be careful of what you say because the more militant extremes of religion judge you harshly and will tell it as they see it. Bear in mind, of course, that Fry is not only an atheist but also a homosexual.
You don't have to be careful, in that his understanding seems to be that he is happy with other people's religion if they are happy with his non-religion. This, I think, sums up my feelings on the subject. If you can put up with the fact that I don't smoke/drink/do drugs, I can put up with the fact that you do! I like to think I'm a non-judgy Christian.
Fry also mentioned the slightly over-the-top attitude of possibly the world's most famous atheist, Richard Dawkins. This reminded me of his well reported support of the Atheist Bus Campaign. Then I had another thought - look at the wording of the advertisement.
"Probably" no God? Probably? That doesn't sound like atheism to me! It sounds like Dawkins doesn't know (yet).
Dawkins stated that he preferred the wording "There is almost certainly no God" for the advert, but again the point stands - "almost certainly". Almost? What does that mean?
I'm almost finished = I haven't started yet
I'm almost dressed = I'll be another 20 minutes
I almost forgot you birthday = I forgot and was reminded by something/one
If you are going to make outlandish statements about faith, at least do it with some conviction. I could open up a big can of worms about creationism, evolution, the Big Bang Theory and other such science/religion debates, but won't.
All I can say is that I know therepossibly is a God and I'm fairly sure I love Jesus.
Timmy "Convicted Christian" Magic
"Do you have to be careful what you say about religion?" - to which the answer was yes and no.
You have to be careful of what you say because the more militant extremes of religion judge you harshly and will tell it as they see it. Bear in mind, of course, that Fry is not only an atheist but also a homosexual.
You don't have to be careful, in that his understanding seems to be that he is happy with other people's religion if they are happy with his non-religion. This, I think, sums up my feelings on the subject. If you can put up with the fact that I don't smoke/drink/do drugs, I can put up with the fact that you do! I like to think I'm a non-judgy Christian.
Fry also mentioned the slightly over-the-top attitude of possibly the world's most famous atheist, Richard Dawkins. This reminded me of his well reported support of the Atheist Bus Campaign. Then I had another thought - look at the wording of the advertisement.
"Probably" no God? Probably? That doesn't sound like atheism to me! It sounds like Dawkins doesn't know (yet).
Dawkins stated that he preferred the wording "There is almost certainly no God" for the advert, but again the point stands - "almost certainly". Almost? What does that mean?
I'm almost finished = I haven't started yet
I'm almost dressed = I'll be another 20 minutes
I almost forgot you birthday = I forgot and was reminded by something/one
If you are going to make outlandish statements about faith, at least do it with some conviction. I could open up a big can of worms about creationism, evolution, the Big Bang Theory and other such science/religion debates, but won't.
All I can say is that I know there
Timmy "Convicted Christian" Magic
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
curry, rice, naan, drink, tea bag
Today is Wednesday, which for the staff at Marylebone Police Station means one thing. It's curry day. I enjoy a curry, really I do, as I love spicy food, and although the curry can be hit or miss, it is generally pretty good.
Today was a simple beef curry with rice. What could go wrong with that?
Evidently lots. I tucked into a freshly microwaved and cooked onto the plate curry, which was at temperatures not amiss in the centre of a nuclear reactor. I munched on a bit of "so overcooked it was solid" rice and decided to stir my curry, to mix up the sauce and to try and allow some of the volcanic heat to escape.
That was when I saw it. A tea bag. At least, i think it was a tea bag. It certainly looked like a tea bag. So I poked it a bit and it broke, spilling a little of its contents. I took a gentle wander towards the serving hatch and attracted the attention of the cook who told me it was a "herbal bag" (which I reckon you could normally arrest someone for the possession of). I have never in my 8 or so years of eating curries come across a herbal bag. In fact, I didn't know such a thing existed.
My curry didn't actually taste of tea, but I'm still not convinced that the cook wasn't trying to cover up her blunder and confuse me with culinary terms that I, as a man, just wouldn't understand.
Timmy "Tea in his lunch" Magic
Today was a simple beef curry with rice. What could go wrong with that?
Evidently lots. I tucked into a freshly microwaved and cooked onto the plate curry, which was at temperatures not amiss in the centre of a nuclear reactor. I munched on a bit of "so overcooked it was solid" rice and decided to stir my curry, to mix up the sauce and to try and allow some of the volcanic heat to escape.
That was when I saw it. A tea bag. At least, i think it was a tea bag. It certainly looked like a tea bag. So I poked it a bit and it broke, spilling a little of its contents. I took a gentle wander towards the serving hatch and attracted the attention of the cook who told me it was a "herbal bag" (which I reckon you could normally arrest someone for the possession of). I have never in my 8 or so years of eating curries come across a herbal bag. In fact, I didn't know such a thing existed.
My curry didn't actually taste of tea, but I'm still not convinced that the cook wasn't trying to cover up her blunder and confuse me with culinary terms that I, as a man, just wouldn't understand.
Timmy "Tea in his lunch" Magic
Monday, February 09, 2009
a whirlwind few weeks
So, after the craziness of being up and down England, I came back to London where further craziness ensued.
Monday was back to work day, or it would have been had it not snowed. Lots. Pictures by my own fair hand (and a couple that weren't) are here.
Tuesday was work, and was mainly spent a) fielding calls about kids throwing snowballs, b) avoiding kids throwing snowballs and c) throwing snowballs at kids. I joke - but these guys weren't!
Wednesday was the day I found out I had passed my day 1 to be a police officer! Just the medical to come next week.
Thursday was obviously uneventful - I can't remember what happened apart from the fact I went to Songsters (awful eh?)
Friday was another day curtailed by snow. Work, then food, then home. Snore.
Saturday was the opening day of the Six Nations, which I managed to miss because I was viewing flats to ret and out with the Songsters in Beckenham. Poor judgement there I think.
Sunday was Army as usual.
Monday is now. It's 1pm ish and I'm at home in my PJs - what a life!
Timmy "Whizzing Weeks" Magic
Monday was back to work day, or it would have been had it not snowed. Lots. Pictures by my own fair hand (and a couple that weren't) are here.
Tuesday was work, and was mainly spent a) fielding calls about kids throwing snowballs, b) avoiding kids throwing snowballs and c) throwing snowballs at kids. I joke - but these guys weren't!
Wednesday was the day I found out I had passed my day 1 to be a police officer! Just the medical to come next week.
Thursday was obviously uneventful - I can't remember what happened apart from the fact I went to Songsters (awful eh?)
Friday was another day curtailed by snow. Work, then food, then home. Snore.
Saturday was the opening day of the Six Nations, which I managed to miss because I was viewing flats to ret and out with the Songsters in Beckenham. Poor judgement there I think.
Sunday was Army as usual.
Monday is now. It's 1pm ish and I'm at home in my PJs - what a life!
Timmy "Whizzing Weeks" Magic
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