Winter

Some shots from today:

Casino Royale

James Bond: Vodka-martini.
Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Do I look like I give a damn?



This sums up the refreshing new look at Bond found in Casino Royale. Most of the old cliches are gone, the Bond girl is intelligent and plays a significant role through the whole movie. If you enjoyed The Bourne Identity/Supremacy then this is for you. I would go as far as to say that this film is such a departure from the Bond model that if you see it, you shouldn't think of it as a Bond movie- just a damn good action thriller.

Sunny Days...

Welcome respite from the rain and wind (it's been proper stormy- 110km/h gusts) saw a visit to Llanymynech Quarry near Oswestry. Perfect conditions, and great company; Ricardo, Lee and Roger. We all had a great day climbing outside for the 1st time in 2007

Lee on Crab Stick 6c+

The Deep 6c+

How's that for a garage door?

REAL Mountain Biking

I borrowed a dvd from Simon the other day- absolutely stunning- here's a taster from Roam. The elevated home-made wooden trails are what's commonly known as Northshore, thanks to it's origins on the Northshore of Vancouver in Canada. What these guys can do on a bike is beyond belief:

Pan's Labyrinth...

Is a Spanish film by Guillermo Del Toro. I knew it was fairytale like, but I hadn't realised just how grown up this one was going to be: not one for the kids....
Very dark, gritty, gothic tale with very adult themes and quite graphic violence- beautifully filmed- quite powerful.

Ever been bothered by cold calls?

Then you've probably felt a little like this (predictably, this clip includes swearing)

Panda sneezes

I laughed :¬)

Things I like....

and things I don't like is the English title of a short film by one of my favourite directors: Jean-Pierre Jeunet. I haven't found a version on the net with subtitles yet, but I think it's possible to enjoy it without:




(French title is "Foutaises" in case it's deleted from youtube)

A new blog is born.....

Alison's a friend from my days as a Glaxoid in Hertfordshire. She's somehow managed to wrangle a year long sabbatical from her job as an engineer (yes that's not a typo- she's female, and an engineer- remarkable). Alison has joined the ranks of my friends inducing envy in me by going travelling around the world. Sigh. ;¬) Check out her blog:

floatingbunnycloud.bebo.com