Tag Archives: 2009

Invictus [2009]

Yesterday, I went to see the much hyped film ‘Invictus’ – which I have to confess has had me very excited over the last few weeks.

I thought that the film was fantastic!!

I am more of a Nelson Mandela fan than a rugby man myself, however this film has deftly managed to drag me away into the world of rugby and has really piqued my interest and inspired my imagination, especially with the 6 Nations going on at the moment, and also with it being exactly 20 years today – 11th  Feb 2010 – that Mandela was freed from Robben Island.

You don’t need to be a fan of rugby to see this film – if you don’t appreciate the sport itself, you are likely to be in awe of some of the fantastic “in-game” camera work that they have captured with some truly outstanding shots -  and of course there are the other important elements to the story.


The film is a bit of a halfway house between those wanting a Mandela bio-pic (such as I) and those who want a film about rugby, so I think some people could feel disappointed that a fairly balanced middle ground is reached. It is worth remembering that this film is trying to be neither of these things.

The main ‘flaw’ for me was that the  turn around of the Springbok from zeros to heroes comes by a little quickly(!), but with ‘Invictus’ running at 134 minutes I would presume that this became cutting room floor material, and is largely incidental.

The quality of acting in this film is marvellous and at times I actually forgot that I was watching Morgan Freeman – marvellous casting decision!

Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens have done a great job on scoring the soundtrack to the movie and the inclusion of ‘World In Union ’95′ really sets the thing off. The soundtrack has scarcely been off my Spotify player.

I was very fortunate that the UK première for this film happened right outside my office window on cold Sunday evening, and so I got to experience all the hype for that, in addition to seeing Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon and Clint Eastwood.

Very much looking forward to this film coming out on DVD and I’d recommend it to everyone! Such an uplifting and positive movie which hopefully will ‘inspire us all to greatness’.

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

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New Years Eve 2009

I just wanted to make a quick note of the awesome night that I had in Hitchin, Herts on NYE (2009) / NYD (2010).

I was invited, along with a few good friends, out to North Hertfordshire and, I have to say, I’d rank it as one of the best New Years that I’ve ever spent! (although I did, of course, miss Mister Greg).

Parlor games, movies, great food and an abundance of drink, plus a gorgeous house and fantastic company all helped to make the night a success, however it was seeing in the new year with friends, whilst in a hot-tub, drinking champagne and watching fireworks that the evening will stick with me for I think.

Once all the hot-tub fun had subsided (and by golly, it was so cold when we got out!), we had a bash at trying to write some messages with some sparklers that our hosts had saved over from Bonfire Night.

I took the pictures on a friend’s camera, with another friend, Luke, co-ordinating four slightly merry friends – haven’t we done well?!

We don’t think that the neighbours appreciated us rapidly pointing at people and shouting ‘C’….’U'…’N'….etc at 1am in a bid to get them organised though heh!!

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Build Up to New Years Eve 2009

So another year has been and gone, and already it feels dated to be writing ’2009′ but not quite right to be writing ’2010′.

We’re entering a decade which, as of yet, has no formal name/coloquailism for it, but which promises to be a very exciting one in many areas, especially technology.

At the last minute today (30th December), a few friends very kindly asked me to head out to Hertfordshire to see in the New Year with them, so I’m pleased to have some plans in place for that, as New Year without friends would be terrible!! Alas, Greg is already committed to a New Year elsewhere as he’s out with work colleagues, and I’d originally shoo’d him out, not wanting to ruin his night by making him stay in with me (as was the original plan). Sure we’ll battle the airwaves to try and drunkenly shout ‘I love you, Happy New Year’ down the phone to each other around 00:32 when the networks recover heh!!

I am excited that this year, and this shows my geekiness, you can watch the Times Square NYE Ball drop online! If I am still up at 5am (and this is likely) I will try and watch via my mobile phone, which has flash support.

I have added the link for the webcast below so you can see the New Year in online if you fancy – the content linked to will automatically become active tomorrow (31 Dec) at 22:50 GMT.

NYC is -5 GMT, so if you’re in the UK, you’ll probably want to tune in around 04:50 01 JAN 10 for NYE itself.

Watch live streaming video from TIMES SQUARE: NEW YEAR 2010 at livestream.com

The stream will also be available to iPhone users at iphone.livestream.com/2010/
Every year as the clock nears midnight on December 31st, the eyes of the world turn once more to the dazzling lights and bustling energy of Times Square. Anticipation runs high. New Year’s Eve at the symbolic center of New York City has become more than just a celebration – it’s a global tradition. The world holds its breath…and cheers as the clocks strike twelve. As the famous New Year’s Eve Ball descends from the flagpole atop One Times Square, an estimated one million people in Times Square, millions nationwide and over a billion watching throughout the world are united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and expressing our joy and hope for the year ahead.

The full schedule for the night is as below (all times are per NYC, so UK viewers, remember to add five hours on – i.e. their 4pm is our 9pm)

4:00 p.m.

The Revelers

Revelers start arriving late in the afternoon on New Year’s Eve.  By approximately 4:00 p.m., the Bow Tie of Times Square (42nd to 47th Sts. between Broadway & 7th Ave.) is fully closed to traffic.  Revelers are directed by the NYPD to gather in separate viewing sections.  As one section fills up, the revelers are directed by police to the next viewing section.  As the evening progresses, revelers continue to fill the Times Square neighborhood along Broadway and Seventh Avenue moving uptown from 43rd Street to as far as Central Park.

5:50 p.m.

Beginning of Times Square New Year’s Eve WorldWide Webcast

6:00 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.

Opening Ceremonies – Lighting and Raising the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball

The celebration begins with the lighting and raising of the New Year’s Eve Ball atop One Times Square.  The Event Organizers, Tim Tompkins and Jeffrey Straus will be joined by representative of the Philips Lighting Company to flip the giant switch which lights the New Year’s Eve Ball and begins its ascent accompanied by special pyrotechnic effects atop One Times Square.

6:05 p.m. to 6:13 p.m.

Musical Performance by Taddy Porter

The Times Square New Year’s Celebration gets started with Taddy Porter performing Shake Me and I Gotta Love at the Nivea Countdown Stage at Duffy Island in Times Square between 46th and 47th Streets.

6:16 p.m. to 6:24 p.m.

Musical Performance by Delfina

The Times Square New Year’s Celebration continues with Delfina performing Kiss On My Listand Window at the Nivea Countdown Stage at Duffy Island in Times Square between 46th and 47th Streets.

6:25 p.m. to 6:28 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minillo will play Simon-Sez with a group of revelers at the NIVEA Kiss Platform to entertain and warm-up the audience in Times Square!

6:45 p.m. to 6:49 p.m.

Univison Musical Performance by Zone D’Tambora

Zone D’Tambora performs Caramelo at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

6:51 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.

Univison Musical Performance by Ana Isabelle

Ana Isabelle performs Bidi Bidi Bom Bom at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

6:58 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Carson Daly

As we approach the New Year, Carson Daly will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”,  read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.

7:10 p.m.

Times Square 2010 Hats and Balloons

The Times Square Alliance sanitation crews clad in bright red uniforms begin to distribute tens of thousands of fun handouts to the Times Square revelers for cheering in the New Year.   Nivea is providing festive blue New Year’s Eve hats and blue balloons tied with silver mylar ribbons along with useful Nivea Lip Care product to keep our lips looking and feeling beautiful for that unforgettable kiss at midnight.

7:15 p.m. to 7:25 p.m.

NBC’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly: Musical Performance by the Broadway Show “Hair”

The Broadway performers of the hit musical “Hair” sing Let The Sunshine In at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

7:30 p.m. to 7:33 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Nick Lachey and Vanessa Minillo introduce the Kiss Chain at the NIVEA Kiss Platform!

7:58 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Ryan Seacrest

As we approach the New Year, Ryan Seacrest will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”,  read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.

8:52 p.m. to 8:55 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Two romantic revelers will be featured at the NIVEA Kiss Platform for a special midnight practice Kiss …3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!

8:58 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Anderson Cooper

As we approach the New Year, Anderson Cooper will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confettie release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.

9:58 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Surprise Guest

As we approach the New Year, a Surprise Guest will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.

10:10 p.m. to 10:16 p.m.

ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Daughtry

Daughtry performs a medley of Everytime You Turn Around and Life After You at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

10:37 p.m. to 10:43 p.m.

ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Daughtry

Daughtry performs a medley of No Surprise and Home at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

10:58 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Hourly Countdown with Raúl de Molina

As we approach the New Year, Raul de Molina will appear at the Nivea Countdown Stage to wish the Times Square revelers “Happy New Year”, read some of the confetti wishes to be mixed into the confetti release at midnight, share his personal wish for the New Year and lead the revelers in counting down to the end of the hour.

11:05 p.m. to 11:08 p.m.

Nivea Vignette

Two romantic revelers will be featured at the NIVEA Kiss Platform for a special midnight practice Kiss …3..2..1.., Kiss like a billion people are watching!

11:20 p.m. to 11:25 p.m.

Times Square Sing-Along Featuring the Liberty Bells

The USO’s Liberty Bells perform a seventies medley and a special Service Salute at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

11:38 p.m. to 11:46 p.m.

ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve: Musical Performance by Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez performs a medley of Louboutins, Waiting For Tonight, and Let’s Get Loud at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

11:59 p.m.

The Sixty-Second Countdown

The Times Square 2010 Special Guest and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg push the Waterford crystal button that signals the descent of the New Year’s Eve Ball, and lead the final sixty-second countdown to the New Year at the Nivea Countdown Stage.

The New Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball

The lighted Ball descends 70 feet in sixty seconds.  The Ball is a geodesic sphere, twelve feet in diameter, weighing 11,875 pounds. The Ball is covered with 2688 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs.

12:00 a.m. — New Year’s Day

2010 Sign

At the stroke of Midnight, the lights on the New Year’s Eve Ball are turned off as the numerals of the New Year “2010” burst to life shining high above Times Square.

Times Square Confetti Release and Pyrotechnic Effects

The world-famous New Year’s Eve confetti is released from the rooftops of buildings throughout Times Square creating a celebratory blizzard of colorful confetti as revelers welcome the New Year accompanied by colorful pyrotechnic effects.

12:15 a.m. – End of Show

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Alexandra Burke – Overcome

So, it’s Monday morning,  and without doubt, the highlight of my week is that Alexandra Burke’s debut album, ‘Overcome’ is out!

Alexandra-Burke-Overcome

Very pleased that it was on Spotify first thing this morning!

Alexandra has done a lot of press for the album recently, and had a reported thirty songs that were being considered for the album. She has said in interviews that she wanted to do a double CD, though the record label wouldn’t hear of it due to it being her first!

I had a listen to the album whilst at work, so I made a few thought notes against each track, which I have shared below. I know many of the words that I have used aren’t real words, but they seemed appropriate when I was note-taking ;)

NB – these are in order of how the ‘random’ function on Spotify played them, so are not in track listing order.

Bad Boys (feat. Flo Rida): Anthemic – and easily the song of the album (and my song of 2009 thus far!)

Overcome: Great, powerful ‘feel-good’ song. Potential single?

Bury Me (6 feet under): weird… but in a good way! Love the classic sound to it with the piano coming through!

All Night Long: dancy R’n'B song, catchy chorus – album track maybe, but also a club favourite?

They Don’t Know: Christina Aguilera/emo-esque clean vocal song… you long for her to belt, but, surprisingly, this never comes. Good track, unexpected style more than anything.

The Silence: Perhaps what I was expecting from ‘They Don’t Know’ – like, very much! Almost 80s power-ballad’y! Another potential single?

Good Night, Good Morning (feat. Ne-Yo): Another R’n'B track, no doubt will be released as a single due to collaboration with Ne-Yo. I like it, but it’s not really my taste… that said, this song is perfect for the number one spot of the UK charts given the tracks that tend to get top spot these days.

Gotta Go: Nice ballad track, album track in my opinion.

Dumb: punchy and great for dancing along in a club! ‘dumb dumb dumb’ *jigs*’ – infectious! Love it!!

You Broke My Heart: Adore those opening bars, a little Duffy-esque in vocal style, but with much needed attitude! Power tune if ever there was one, with some great chords thrown in for that ‘sass’ factor! (I can’t listen to this without rolling my shoulders and wagging my fingers heh!)

Hallelujah (Bonus Track): Her version of this track speaks for itself really… what a set of lungs!

Broken Heels: Bouncy song, great to dance to at a party but an album track I think. My neck is sore from head-dancing heh! (NB – I’d suggest you listen to this track in private, otherwise your colleagues may look upon you and your head-dancing strangely!)

Nothing But The Girl: Different to the rest of the album, love how this builds up, a good pop record.

A frantic few months for Alexandra, but they have definitely paid off and, in my opinion,  resulted in what must be the pop album of the year!

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Michael Jackson 1958 – 2009

OK, so I was in two minds as to whether or not to do a post… there is so much already on the internet about this tragic event that I really have very little  information to add to what has already been said. Friends who know me ’in the real world’ will also know that there are other periferal aspects that I am unable to comment on at present. However I reasoned that this is such a huge event, and something I am sure to look back on in later life, and so I’ve decided to say a few words for the purpose of my blog.

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I saw mention of something being wrong come up on twitter around 21:30 and at first wrote it off as a rumour; after all, I’d not heard of TMZ, and Sky News are hardly a reliable news source in my opinion. However it soon became apparent that there was some weight to the rumour and I was quick to switch on to BBC News 24, and I stayed there until around 3:30 this morning watching this all unfolding.

On the note of BBC News, I thought that their coverage was occasionally disgusting (referring specifically the male anchor chap who was on around midnight GMT when they confirmed Jackson’s death). I don’t see why, less than 5 minutes after announcing death, they went and did a hatchet-job character assassination on him! Why skirt the issue for hours and then, as soon as he dies, absolutely slate him and bring people on the phone to try and portray him badly? Not what people wanted to hear at that time, surely? I can’t believe that when they went back to Uri Gellar, the male anchor said “Uri, your friend is dead”, and said it completely deadpan and without compassion. What a twat.

Truly this was the first time that twitter has broken a story for me, and it has been ‘interesting’ to read the reports of the roles of social media in this instance. I just wish that the subject matter had been a happier one.

I think I understand why a lot of people feel confused about all of this. I never met the chap, never saw him, and only really knew him through his music (which I adored and has landmarked key moments of my life thus far); however I feel a strange feeling of loss and sadness. My family is small, so I don’t really have too much experience of death and so I do feel at a bit of a loss as to how I am feeling, how I’m supposed to feel, and why I do. I’m still slowly getting used to the idea of ‘he’s really not with us any more’.

I sincerely don’t think that we will ever see such an immense public reaction as this again, and I think that it really did come straight out of left-field… I mean, he was only 50 years old! It really does make you appreciate the fragility of life. I am still struggling to comprehend all of this I think… perhaps when the media hype quietens down, I’ll be able to process my thoughts a little more clearly. I hasten to add that I am not one of these die-hard-I love you Michael-kind of fans, moreover I am a lover of music, and I think that Jackson truly was the master of his craft!

My favourite song of his (and one of my all-time favourites) has to be ‘Beat It’:

So many of my memories include Jacko songs, especially some great nights out back in the Village in Manchester – with most of them revolving around this song.

Back in the day when I was at college and all of my friends were getting into thrash metal, and I wasn’t(!), they used to tease me that the music that I listened to was manufactured rubbish (in fairness, at the time, it largely was heh!). However the next day, I came in and put on ‘Beat It’ and we all rocked out to Van Halen’s guitar riff, danced around the common room and agreed that even though Jacko wasn’t thrash metal, he certainly was very, very cool!

I really don’t think his success will ever be matched, and I would say that I think we’ve genuinely lost *the* biggest star that we will ever produce in our generation. Through his music, and the decades/generations to follow, I am sure he will live on. Certainly, when I am old and half-dead, you can bet I’ll still be skipping along paving stones to ‘Billy Jean’ and contemplating how I can fit ‘Thriller’ and myself as a zombie into my funeral to give everyone a fright heh.

“Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world.
Through it — my music, I know I will live forever.” Michael Jackson.

RIP x

Jacko

Manchester Pride 2009 : Tickets now onsale!

WHOOP!

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I’m already rather planned for this; I sorted my hotel and whatnot way back on Boxing Day 2008, and am sorting myself out with Big Weekend Tickets over this holiday weekend. Excitement took over I think heh!

Hopefully this year, whilst they’re giving out all of the stickers, cards and fun stuff at the parade, I won’t only get targetted by the STD people…! Oh, the shame!!!

The Early Bird tickets for this year’s event went onsale on 1st May.

Big Weekend Tickets are currently priced at £12.50. Daily tickets are also available in advance at £10 per day.

(NB -  prices will go up to £17.50 for Big Weekend after 1 July 2009, and prices for all Adult ticket types at the Box Office on the day will be significantly higher)

Although tickets do not ‘sell out’ per sé (there’s usually unlimited quantity), the hike in price is a good enough reason to buy them early if you already know that you’ll be going is it not?!

In my opinion, you’re best off buying the tickets in person at the usual outlets in Manchester so as to avoid the booking/delivery fee, though if that’s not possible, or if you want to book online, you can do so via See Tickets.

Can’t wait to be back home and partying like anything once again! Manchester Pride is definitely one of the highlights of the year.

Hurrah!

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Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Surely this has to be one of the most eagerly anticipated movies of the year?!

I CAN’T WAIT!

Posted a couple of trailers below, one is one of the ‘old’ ones from 2008, whereas the second is the new (and final) trailer which has just been released.

Although the dementors do not attack London in the book, I do think that it adds a great twist to the movie. I work near to Trafalgar Square, so for all I know, I could now be a movie star hehe!! Alas, I don’t recall seeing any dementors over the skies when I was passing through…

Some of the scenes were filmed at my local rail station too, so that’ll be interesting to see too.

I really cannot wait for the release of this film… it looks to be one of the highlights of the year!

Don’t you just love it when…

… in the middle of the Oscars, Beyoncé starts singing bits of your favourite music in a number called ‘Musicals Are Back!’ ?


The Youtube link above is unfortunately ambiguously labeled (and poorly spelt too!), however, Beyoncé, Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens all appear.

I have been looking forward to seeing this since I first heard about it a week or so ago… I have to say that it isn’t stunning and admit that it does get a little lost in itself pretty much from the onset, however it still counts fab in my books.

The best bit…? It definitely has to be at 1:17 on the clip, “Wait a minute… something’s missing…” :D

Oh, and hurrah to Slumdog Millionaire for doing so well (amazing film), and although I’m a little miffed to see The Dark Knight didn’t pick up too many technical awards, they did OK, and Heath Ledger’s posthumous Oscar award for Best Supporting Actor was definitely deserved!