Up’s and Down’s

Well its been a while, but not for the lack of trying. This should just get out before the end of the month. (I hope)

Spring Bouquet

I have been running again! I’m not sure how I've been able to stick to it this time; perhaps it’s that I'm changing my route more, or that I decided not to track any kind of stats. All I have done in that regard is measure the length of the routes. But is been fun and actually kind of easy.

I have had a few issues with pain in my legs but stretching it off has seemed to work for now. No issues with my fitness but I have been starting slow. I think I need to work on my technique a bit, my strides should be longer. (that could pull on my calf's come to think about it.) Here’s hoping that next time I post I will still be going strong.

Feeding

The internet has gotten a minor but much needed speed boost. Just enough now that several of us in the house can be online with no major issues. The new router helped a bit but more so for transferring files between machines. Its a nice bonus that helps productivity and has taken away a bit of stress.

Speaking of work I have the last few month open up other paths to look down. Its no good getting tunnel vision the should be plenty out there to find. Its been a crazy few months in almost every way but I’m through it.

Bee on Blossom

I have been meaning to have done a couple of ‘One Song’ posts but I keep on getting distracted. I have been listing to a lot of soundtracks (to the moon, Lain, Your Name and Ghost in the Shell to name a few). I may have to do a post about OSTs sometime. I should knuckle down and finish one off.

I have also been introduced to a cool Swedish metal band called Sabaton. I was listening to a Podcast about siege warfare and they played this song by Sabaton. It’s about how the Polish Winged Hussars broke a siege of Vienna. Most of their songs are about military history and the vocals are great. (they have also been the sound track for writing up this post.)

ABXY

Last week I woke up to the news that someone had died during the night. John Bain was a personality I have been following on youtube for years. He was one of a new breed of celeb, very professional but due to the personal nature of youtube the was a strong connection between creator and audience. He was strong willed and very forthright and a bit of a legend in his circles. He died of cancer at the age of 33.

Cancer seems to have been a shadow haunting me lately. A few of my friends and collogues have been diagnosed over the last year. It is very sad but they have the strength and will to fight it. They say is has a very high chance of impacting everybody's life in one way or another.

My Number is Up

My posts on here tend to come in spurts so who knows I may well get some of the posts I have been sitting on out some time this year.

2018's Film List [May]

Into May. INDEX

01. Panda! Go, Panda! The Circus in the Rain (04.05.18)
As fun and light as the first. The panda looks a bit like a proto Totoro. 

02. Ohayo [Short] (05.05.18)
A live action take on Satoshi Kon's fantastic animated short. They did well with the confines of the medium and it got the point across, it just lacks something... Maybe if they had taken it a bit further?

03. Retro Ahoy: The Secret of Monkey Island (20.05.18)
A great documentary about a great game. The history of point and click games is fascinating and what Monkey Island brought tot the table ushered in the golden age of the genera. This has reminded me I need to get the soundtracks to all of the Monkey Island games. A very well put together doc.

04. The Enduring Magic of the Radiophonic Workshop (21.05.18)
A short documentary on the great Radiophonic Workshop. The scale and scope has changed so much since the late 50s but the sound is still inspiring.

05. Deadpool 2 [Cinema] (22.05.18)
I don't know how I feel about this one. I enjoyed it a lot but it felt like is was missing something. According to rumours the is going to be a extended version so I guess that is about right. Domino stole the show for all screen time.

06. Avengers - Age of Ultron (25.05.18)
Very solid, with some great moments. It feels a bit rushed at first but from the farm onwards it is great. This is the film that thrusts the overarching plot forward and it is cool now to look back and see what was shown to us back then.

07. TANK [short] (26.05.18)
Very cool little film inspired by vector arcade games. I love the orange and teal colours and the simple but well shot story. Reminds me of when I used to play tank hunter back in the 90s.

08. Fantastic Planet (27.05.18)
What were they on in France back in 1973? One of the craziest films I have seen and that takes some doing. I liked it even if it felt rushed in places. I love the art style and the music but it is let down by its story telling.

09. Hellboy 2 - The Golden Army (28.05.18)
A nice bit of fun. Very well made and directed even if the plot is iffy in parts.It is a shame they never did the third film, this one set up so much towards it.

10. Solo - A Star Wars Story [Cinema] (29.05.18)
A one in a million shot. and they pulled it off. It sags in places but the film is fun and the ending is great.

11. Akira (30.05.18)
Wow this looks and sounds fantastic in 1080p. My first time watching with subs as well, much better than the god awful 1988 dub. Kaneda is very childish; it never struck me before just how immature he is. Still of the the greats.

A bit better than I had feared. Still down on what I would usually get through. Best is Akira, coming in late to steal the show.

2018's Film List [April]

April! INDEX

01. Sunshine (01.04.18)
Hand wave the premise and the film is not that bad. I liked the strange editing but other than that it is very by the numbers. I should say off the films of this type it is one of the more accurate and compelling.

02. Mad Max: Fury Road Black and Chrome (02.04.18)
"You will ride eternal and chrome"

03. First Squad (04.04.18)
A co Japanese and Russian production. I watched the Russian version as it seemed to be a bit more fitting. Interesting story and world building but it was lacking in places. The action had no weight to it and some of the 3d models were a bit out of place. Over all it was just OK.

04. Horus: Prince of the Sun (06.04.18)
The first film by Isao Takahata who sadly died last night (at the age of 82) one of the founders of the great Studio Ghibli and you can see here what aspects he goes one to make his own. The story is a simple traditional tale with all the hall marks of age old story's. It is obvious how unfinished it is but the way they made do in the battles works quite well. Takahata is up there with his collogue Miyazaki. He gave the world of animation so much and in 'Grave of the Firefly's' and 'The Tale of the Princess Kaguya' two very different films but ones that affected me deeply.

05. Panda! Go, Panda! (07.04.18)
That was charming. Another early work by Isao Takahata and very simple but utterly charming. The animation and art are very 70s but it holds up well. Not much to say about the story, it was a fun and calm ride.

06. History of the World, Part I (08.04.18)
Well it is a Mel Brooks film! It is all over the place but that is its charm. Very of it time in what it chooses to joke about but it is in good humour. Some very nice set pieces, I would have preferred less time in Rome and some more settings. Like Blazing Saddles the end is great.

07. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (09.04.18)
The is only one thing about this film that I don't like, the shifts in focus during a shot take me right out. It distracts from a all around brilliantly shot film. Some of the frames will go down to be classic like the sun rise from the first film. I like this direction the film takes, even the casino planet bit didn't annoy me this time around.

08. Far Cry 5 - Inside Eden's Gate [short] (12.04.18)
A pre game taster for the story in Far Cry 5. As far as these things go it wasn't bad, very by the numbers (but so are Ubisoft's games) not much to say other than I may give the game a go in a few months time when it is a fair bit cheaper.

09. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (13.04.18)
Time to breath in the world, time to explore the characters, time to soak in the changing atmosphere. 3 hours 20 is a long time but for a film this good it is just about right to do it justice. It is still easy to be blown away by what this trilogy achieves.

10. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (14.04.18)
A bit up and down. I love the setting but the animation style felt very cheep. Some nice twists along the way even if some of the catheterization were heavy handed. It is the blank eyes that get me. All in all not bad but could have been great.

11. Imaginaerum (16.04.18)
One of my 'comfort films'. It is better than it has any right to be. The story works on many levels and the direction is fantastic. I love this film to bits. I needed this to help me relax tonight.

12. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (20.04.18)
This was the first time that this film felt like a middle film. It's strange, the world is so vast with so many connecting parts that move about each other in ways that boggle my mind. All of my thoughts about this film come back to logistics, just how did Peter Jackson pull it off. Middle earth lives and breaths and through the glorious sound track it owns its place in history.

13. The Shape of Water (21.04.18)
Well it deserved its Oscar. The are so many ways to read into this film various themes and designs. Such a well thought out film. It looks sounds and in a very stylized way but it pulls it off.

14. The Maker [short] (22.04.18)
I really love this type of short film. The score is the driving force of the piece and the production quality sells the world. Some very interesting camera works and some of the shots were very well considered. Very simple story but it was told well.

15. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (27.04.18)
A long journey that is very much worth every moment. I should re-read the books sometime I think. Will the ever be anything like this trilogy? Epic fantasy had a close place in my life, nothing comes close to depth of lore to immerse myself in. Theses films are escapism at its finest.

16. The Avengers (28.04.18)
Six years ago we learned that not only can six super heroes be in a film together but it can also be a damn good film. Tomorrow I will see if they can pull off what, 20 superheroes? This film holds up and is so much more than a team up film, it is the universe finding its feet. It tells it's story without too much getting in the way, and that is how it earns its action. Which is far better than it is given credit for, the last battle is a war that has many levels and we see it all work together.

17. Avengers: Infinity War [cinema] (29.04.18)
I think I will go and see this again soon. The scope is huge but the time scale small and then the pay-off? It is out of this world. I'm at a loss for what to say. I loved it.

18. Iron Man (30.04.18)
It holds up. As a film and the entire cinimatic universe. It's come such a long way in ten years. It has felt longer than that but here we are down this road that Iron Man put us on. It is really such a bizar thing to think about, this is the film that changed comic book films and the post credits secne changed films as a whole.

Infinity War tops this month but man was the some damn good films. Heck the must be more than 30 Oscars in this collection. Next month looks to be smaller but I have some good plans.

Stephen Hawking 1942-2018

I awoke to some sad news this morning. The front page of the internet was covered with the news of the death of Stephen Hawking. It hit me hard.

"I’m not afraid of death, but I’m in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first."

I can't really say I have heroes but there are people that I admire and find fascinating. The is so much about Stephen Hawking that can be said, he is a hero to many and a testament to working through disability. He was also one of the great minds that the world has ever seen.

Science can have issues with the media. It is often said that scientists make for bad publicists and publicists are terrible scientists. But with Hawking people clung on to his words and work. Much of my interest in space and science came from watching him on TV, explaining cutting edge concepts in a manor that I can comprehend.

Even through his way of speaking you can hear his drive to teach and to spread the mind-bending reality of… well reality. The is something about the science he dedicated his life to, trying to understand not just the world but the universe.

"Not only does God play dice, but... he sometimes throws them where they cannot be seen."

This has taken all day to get on the page, working on and off. I'm just not sure what to say. But I know I needed to say something.

He is a giant that will hold up the people that follow on his shoulders.

2018's Film List [March]

The third month! Here is the year INDEX

01. The Pirates in an Adventure with Scientists (01.03.18)
Well that was delightful. Tightly plotted if a little safe in the story beats. Some very nice details as you expect from Aardman.

02. The Animatrix - Matriculated [short] (03.03.18)
The last of the shorts and this one feels the least like the Matrix. I recognised the style instantly, the style was like Æon Flux but a bit less extreme. Nice collection of shorts, very varied and all have something that makes them tic.

03. The Death of Stalin (05.03.18)
Laughing at the death of a tyrant and the chaos that follows. Put to screen in the most British way possible. All of the acting was pitch perfect with Stalin's daughter being the stand out. Very funny and very dark but it meld them both together and they don't clash.

04. Sekaikei Sekai Ron [short] (11.03.18)
Well that went over my head. Very cool aesthetic and the music was solid. The Title translates to something along the lines of 'World System'. Sekai-kei is a way to describe a story where the fate of the world hinges upon two peoples relationship - kind of. This short examines it to a point.

05. Sonic the Hedgehog The Movie (16.03.18)
Don't ask... It is bad very bad. The only good part is the mid 90's background art and the world design was ok. I'm not sure any person let alone a child should be given this to watch.

06. Annihilation (17.03.18)
Hauntingly beautiful. Horrifically brutal. Highly bizarre.
Almost at a loss for words. The film takes risks and in the last third pulls of a ending that is fitting for this film.

07. Justice League (18.03.18)
Wow. How can a major film look this bad? The green screen compositing and the cg elements don't blend at all. The colour correction makes the film grain pop out and well just ugly. But with the RLM audio commentary track it was bearable. Just.

08. Lili [short] (19.03.18)
An Israeli stop motion film. Some parts stood out more so that others, the fight against the storm and the music are both next level. It is simple and a bit heavy handed in how is presents its theme. Other that that well worth watching.

09. Mob Pyscho 100 (23.03.18)
A film to recap the events of season 1. I'm surprised at how much new stuff they made for this but the framing device worked a treat. I'm still blown away by the animation quality and mixed in with the rough art style of ONE it makes a truly unique look and feel.

10. Powers of Ten [short] (24.03.18)
A film made in 1977 and released by IBM of all company's. Giving it is full title will give a good understanding of what it is about: Powers of Ten: A Film Dealing with the Relative Size of Things in the Universe and the Effect of Adding Another Zero. The power of perspective is necessary to get through life, but so is blind luck (as is this being the tenth film this month).

11. Thor: Ragnarok (25.03.18)
The is a lot to take in and digest. Everything is done deliberately and with such care it is no wonder it's such a great film. Easy to enjoy to looking at what they did it come to life in other ways. I will end up watching it again soon as the directors commentary is meant to be awesome.

12. Barry Lyndon (26.03.18)
I was starting tot think I would never get around to this one of Kubrick's. It is only 3.05 long ( the intermission helped). So, the music is bloody good! It is unusual to see a film so objectively portray its story. The narration is pure genius and in no way diminishes the narrative. It is hardly surprising Kubrick had to get camera lenses used by NASA f/0.7 is insane. I knew much of the background production going in mu nothing story wise, and while it meanders all over the place (and Europe) it works well and show a slice of life in a time gap I know little about (post Restoration but pre Napoleonic wars). I loved it.

13. Cat Soup - Nekojiru-sou (28.03.18)
I could write a full essay on this half hour long animation. I took enough notes, most of witch I wont bore you with. Very surreal and very well put together, the subtitles were kind of pointless but I guess some of the clarification helped. I'll have to track down the inspiration for this.

14. Joker: Marginal City (30.03.18)
The was no reason why the dead android should have turned into a giant monster that sprouts tentacles! This film is basically just a add for the Manga and even for the time the are so many cut corners. Heck even the bad guys look was half nicked from X-men. But I guess it did it's job I now want to check out the Manga.

15. Roger Rabbit: Tummy Trouble [short] (31.03.18)
Now these I had no idea about, made by Spielberg in the few years that followed the film. Mostly it's what a normal episode of Roger's cartoon (much higher quality than most cartoon's of the time and I supposes than now as well) I loved how it still ended in the real world.

16. Roger Rabbit: Roller Coaster Rabbit [short] (31.03.18)
How Have I not seen these before that are great. Again the animation quality is off the charts and the slapstick it a greatest hits of all golden era cartoons. It is kind of strange seeing Jessica Rabbit in the cartoon world.

17. Roger Rabbit: Trail Mix-up [short] (31.03.18)
I suppose the is a slight connection to Easter here, so this has been my Easter short film binge. They were all great and I get the live action stuff is tough to pull off but it is a large shame the were never any more of these.

End of the month again. Best: Annihilation! It was just so damn compelling and I have had to put myself off from watching it again so soon.

Snow

Just posting this for an excuse to show some snow photos.

 It came down worse than I first thought it would. I was only expecting a dusting.

It has dumped enough that camp this weekend has even been cancelled. (kind of glad)

I have taken over 1600 photos in the first two months of this year. A lot of which I am very happy with.

I have started on a long post about my current obsessions the past few weeks. That due to its nature will be a few days off.

I should have recorded a video or two, some of the blizzards and drifts have been very cool.

Snow photography is a bit odd. just a sprinkling looks bad but a large blanket takes away details of what is covered.

That is it for now, though if the snow sticks around I will probably take a bunch more.

It’s not been a fun week

I hate doing self portraits. And don't get me started on #selfie’s (I had to look up the spelling)

But here is some I have taken and oddly my plight of the last few days doesn't show up too well but you can see the source of my pain.

 

 Me circa July 2007

Here is a small time line of my latest issue. Saturday evening sometime after the England game I felt pain in my upper jaw on the left side of my mouth. Fun! tooth ache for the first time in a year or two. It wasn't too bad just a bit annoying. Then Sunday morning arrived and it was full blown strong throbbing pain covering my entire left side of my mouth.

I must have been bad, all pain seems worse at the time but it was enough for me to take painkillers for the first time in over a year. so rolls around Monday. Now able to contact my dentist i come to the realization that its nothing to do with my tooth but a swelling in my cheek by by gum. I now have a swelled up cheek and no pain in any tooth.

A nice side effect of the swelling was struggling to open my mouth wide enough to eat. Then numbness only came in waves with some nice bouts of pain to keep things interesting. To add to the fun I was now going to by busy every evening this week.

I have almost ran out of ways to explained to people why my cheek is swollen and I am almost temped to start making stuff up. (The photos below show the state of my face as now, it was more pronounced yesterday and Monday)

Left - awful. Right - Slightly less awful due to a valiant effort by photoshop

I have taken my share of self portraits but usually put a spin on it, my main photo is always the same style. But in doing today's selfie’s (taken at 8pm in my bathroom, such is my life) I have included two and they show why I hate them. The quality is crap it is a reason most people cover them up with stupid filters. I even tried to rescue one with photoshop.

That's better 2017

I hope my mouth gets back to normal before Saturday. I'm due to meet with some important people in the town hall.