Hello there. :) I’m Steve, and I’ve always been a bit plain and simple really.
I don't drive, never went to uni, and have never drunk a glass of alcohol, so I guess I have yet to grow up. :)
Today however I’m an English teacher/radio ma Site statistics:Click here
Doctor Who: The Shakespeare Code 2007-10-14 01:59:00 The Doctor
and Rose-clone Martha travel back in time and meet William Shakespeare
, who’s trying to put on a sequel and getting hassled by three witches…This one works. Yes it’s got early-90s level CGI work, a thoroughly overmilked running joke, and bares a suspicious resemblance to The Unquiet Dead too, but hang on, it’s fun, and without all the usual pretentiousness.Transplanting the show’s love of taking well-known modern London landmarks and turning them into camoflaged alien bases, here it’s the original Globe Theatre that is the catalyst. The Doctor’s reasoning, that just as humans express science using maths the carrionites use words, was a great idea too. And the final chase away from Queen Elizabeth was fun as well.On a more personal level, I guess I was also able
2001: A Space Odyssey 2007-10-14 00:30:00 This is curious.If you can stomach the slow 2-hour+ running time, one might even call it fascinating.Left to their own devices, Clarke and Kubrick come out with a movie that steadfastly refuses to be pigeon-holed. Initially it looks to be all about an alien monolith, however midway through one realises that the exposition is taking far too long, and we are now in a different film about another subject entirely – artificial intelligence.And then there’s the last section – deliberately provocative and nonsensical. Like the final episode of The Prisoner, I think it deliberately means nothing in order to feed off of the viewer's presumption that it’s a film, so surely it must mean something, right???I could watch this film’s awesome pondering documentary-like visuals for hours. In Read more:Space
, Odyssey
, Space Odyssey
Doctor Who: Smith And Jones 2007-10-12 01:59:00 The first episode of the latest dumbed-down series of Doctor
Who started off in the same way as usual…1. Present day London.2. Zombies.3. Fairly high-profile alien activity forgotten by the final scene.This was the new series’ third story to be set in an earth hospital, and was this time about the hospital itself getting stolen and dumped on the moon, complete with patients and staff. The first third of the programme hung on the awe-inspiring question of just why this had happened.The ‘explanation’ for moving the hospital to the moon was because these intergalactic police drones don’t have jurisdiction over the earth. I'm sure I don't have to point out the inherent flaw in that reasoning.New companion Martha notices that everyone can still breathe on the moon, an observation that Read more:Smith
BOLIVIAN DIARY by Ernesto Che Guevara 2007-10-11 01:59:00 I made a good choice in skipping the foreword of this book, as it totally and utterly gives away the ending.Unfortunately, so did the back…On the whole though, it’s probably a good idea to read a foreword before ploughing into someone’s real-life diary. Che’s daily notes on who’s done what and where they’re going are thoroughly confusing, because it’s just not written to make sense to anyone but himself. We’re not introduced to these protagonists, and neither is their overall objective clearly set out at the beginning. As a result, one gets the impression that they were just wandering fairly aimlessly in the jungle for a long time, without much plan other than to hope that this would somehow cause a revolution to take place.The irony is that, in reading the foreword afte Read more:Ernesto
, Guevara
Over the Hedge 2007-10-07 01:59:00 Funny!Over The Hedge
is about a group of animals who wake up from hibernation to discover that, during the winter, an entire town has been built where their wood had previously been. So they have to pool all their individual natural skills to adapt to life foraging for the humans’ leftovers.Like many of today’s cartoons, this starts slowly but never stops accelerating. Garry Shandling plays well against-type as an old conservative, and Bruce Willis plays David Addison as usual, while William Shatner… well, he’s always played himself, hasn’t he?This was brilliant, funny and I even learnt stuff watching it. Apart from the absence of the traditional “Khaaan!” joke in the closing credits, I’m at a loss as to how to wish this were any better.
Remember That Night – David Gilmour, Live At The Royal Albert Hall 2007-10-05 01:59:00 I’ve never quite understood why recordings of concerts appeal to people.I mean I can understand the appeal of listening to music, sure, I mean that’s the whole point of music isn’t it, to listen to it, but really – why on earth watch 2 hours of close-ups of people’s fingers pressing buttons, pulling strings and clapping their hands to show us how it’s all been made? It’s just a glorified Making Of video. You might as well sell me a DVD of David
Blaine with all the other volunteers left in.Anyways, this DVD of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour in London earlier this year fell into this category for me.Not that that’s a bad thing. I was perfectly happy to zone-out for most of the show and let the awe-inspiring music take me on a journey through my thoughts and imagination. It Read more:Remember
, Night
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, Albert
No title 2007-10-03 01:59:00 Out with flatties at GBS in Howick tonight, bidding farewell to Tim downstairs, as he and his cat Smokey are moving to Australia later this week.
A Klown By Any Other Name Would Still Be Just As Scarey 2007-09-20 01:59:00 Since my last post on the history of the world's most famous burger-lovin' clown, the story has become even more intriguing.These four clips of are all just 30 seconds long, and will therefore take just two minutes for you to view. They are each of a different famous TV clown, but they all bear an odd historical connection. The first three are even all played by the same guy - TV weatherman Willard Scott (in an extraordinarily diverse career) - but the fourth? Well, I think he clearly owes something to each of the others, despite his official inspiration being another clown entirely...Clown 1: (Willard Scott in the 1960s)Clown 2: (Willard Scott in the 70s, clearly selling out)Clown 3: (Willard Scott in the 80s, clearly taking "selling out" to prolific new heights)Klown 4: (so... put 'em
BBC Shortwave News sketch #3 of 3 : Standby 2007-09-16 20:00:00 Sketch about the apathy (or lack of it) of the three churches in Revelation chapter 3, at Cession / Community Church. Words by me with Brett Jones, graphics by Dave Pitman.Click here for sketch
1 : Restart.Click here for sketch 2 : Antivirus.
BBC Shortwave News sketch #2 of 3 : Antivirus 2007-09-09 20:00:00 Sketch at Cession / Community Church about the third and fourth churches in chapter 2 of the book of Revelation. Words by Steve Goble with Brett Jones, graphics by Dave Pitman.Click here for sketch
1 : Restart.Click here for sketch 3 : Standby.
Sleep Yourself Thin 2007-09-09 19:59:00 After 14 hours asleep in bed, I found I had broken the 80kg mark again! Read more:Sleep
, Yourself
Eagle vs. Shark 2007-09-06 01:59:00 You have to wonder why this film was made.It wasn’t for the thickie characters, who all - and I do mean all - seem to be disliked by both their writers and actors.It can’t have been for the story, which is textbook right from the opening scene.Heck, even as a hopeful piece of kiwiana it steadfastly refuses to even acknowledge place-names, to the extent of a character not stating an area-code for a reasonably long-distance phone-call.There are one or two jokes in here (notably the phone message about “Justice is waiting for him”), but the whole thing is written, directed and even edited with such apathy, that you have to wonder if they unwittingly made a film about themselves. Read more:Eagle
, Shark
Katie Melua: Concert Under The Sea 2007-09-05 01:59:00 Usually I have a problem with DVD extras that include a “Making Of” feature, however in this rare instance it’s part and parcel of the main presentation.This documentary of how, on October 2nd 2006, Mr Jan Hauge successfully put on a pop concert over 300 metres below the North Sea (in then-named Statoil's Troll A platform) seamlessly segueways into the show that’s really selling the DVD – KatieMelua
… err… unplugged.Although very well edited, the whole full-length viewing suffers from abysmal picture quality, and sound which almost, but not quite entirely, fails to take-in the whole reason for the show – the gorgeous acoustics of the 300 metre vertical tunnel above them. Just listen to the wonderful echo on Melua's speaking between the tracks, it's a lovely long reverberat Read more:Concert
, Katie Melua
BBC Shortwave News sketch #1 of 3 : Restart 2007-09-02 20:00:00 Sketch at Cession / Community Church tonight based on the first two churches in chapter 2 of Revelation. Words by me, graphics by Dave Pitman.Click here for sketch
2 : Antivirus.Click here for sketch 3 : Standby. Read more:Restart
Psalm 39 (Good News) 2007-08-31 01:59:00 1 I said, “I will be careful what I do and will not let my tongue make me sin; I will not say anything while evil people are near.” 2 I kept quiet, not saying a word, not even about anything good! But my suffering only grew worse, 3 and I was overcome with anxiety. The more I thought, the more troubled I became; I could not keep from asking: 4 “Lord, how long will I live? When will I die? Tell me how soon my life will end.” 5 How short you have made my life! In your sight my lifetime seems nothing. Indeed every living being is no more than a puff of wind, 6 no more than a shadow. All they do is for nothing; they gather wealth, but don't know who will get it. 7 What, then, can I hope for, Lord? I put my hope in you. 8 Save me from all my sins, and don't let fools laugh at me. 9 I wi Read more:Psalm
, Good News
Psalm 20 (Good News) 2007-08-30 01:59:00 1 May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble! May the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from his Temple and give you aid from Mount Zion. 3 May he accept all your offerings and be pleased with all your sacrifices. 4 May he give you what you desire and make all your plans succeed. 5 Then we will shout for joy over your victory and celebrate your triumph by praising our God. May the Lord answer all your requests. 6 Now I know that the Lord gives victory to his chosen king; he answers him from his holy heaven and by his power gives him great victories. 7 Some trust in their war chariots and others in their horses, but we trust in the power of the Lord our God. 8 Such people will stumble and fall, but we will rise and stand firm. 9 Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer u Read more:Psalm
, Good News
Moon Lighting 2007-08-29 01:59:00 The following photo never happened:That's the thing about taking a flash-photo in pitch darkness - it's a sure-fire way of getting everyone in a 'natural' pose, yet because everything looks so bright, it still gives a completely misleading record of the event.Oh, but the surprise flash, if you're lucky, can make people laugh too...What is accurate about these photos, is that they portray flatmate Dave as our leader that evening. While the rest of us were certainly interested in watching the total eclipse of the moon going on above us, and indeed keen to photograph it too (who wouldn't be?), the above picture also shows Dave clearly trouncing our feeble efforts in terms of professionalism.Still, as the evening drew on, a great many laughs were had, and I realised that, rather than waste my Read more:Lighting
Nehemiah 2007-08-28 01:59:00 On my quest to finish reading the bits of the Bible that I’ve never read before, today I finished Nehemiah
. It’s rather different to the other books I’ve read, because so much of it is told in the first person. We get insights into the working of Nehemiah’s mind, as he sets out to achieve the impossible, or at least very very improbable, task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall.Towards the end I was really rooting for this guy. It seems that every time the Bible presents us with an easy-to-pigeon-hole good guy, by the end of their life they go and get all arrogant and blow it. I was really hoping that this guy would not fall into that category. Today I read the last chapter of Nehemiah and, sure enough, he gets all zealous and starts threatening and attacking people.Stuff.
Torchwood season 1 overview 2007-08-28 01:58:00 Torchwood season one has been an uneven ride.Just like new Doctor Who, the weakest scripts have easily all been written by the same person.Like new Doctor Who, the guest-writers have made it worth watching, although their wildly contradictory scripts suggest that none of them have been told the show's premise in any detail. For example, in some episodes Torchwood is a secret organisation. In others, the United Nations, (Greeks Bearing Gifts) the army (Day One)and even the cops (They Keep Killing Suzie) seem familiar with them. In several episodes, they actually have their top secret name "TORCHWOOD" written in large letters across the front of their car.Jack gets a new back-story every few weeks, leaving the audience to try and reconcile, among other things, how he's both stolen someone
Torchwood: End Of Days 2007-08-28 01:57:00 *** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***What a rushed ending. Lots of factors from previous episodes are brought into play together here, but we’re still suffering attempts to mimic the worst aspects of new Doctor Who. It’s another very public invasion, complete with TV parodies, and it gets forgotten almost as soon as it’s started. Did I understand this right? Did Jack really order all five of them to round-up every single historical interloper from all over the world in a few hours and incarcerate them in the Hub?We’ve even got that teenage cliché of borrowing evil from other sources but forgetting all the baggage that goes with it. Even if ‘Abaddon’ really were just a big snarling monster, he's not really in the same predicament as he was in The Satan Pit.The unstoppable force meets the u
Doctor Who: Gridlock 2007-10-21 01:59:00 In the opening TARDIS scene, the Doctor
offers to take Martha to another planet.This “other planet” turns out to be another Earth.We’re into the third series of modern Doctor Who now, and still there has only been one story not set on or just next to a planet called Earth.Also, following the pattern of the last two series, once again we’re opening with a present-day Earth story, followed by one in Earth’s past and one in Earth’s future. All three future Earth episodes (The End Of The World, New Earth and this one) feature the Doctor bumping into the Face Of Boe by pure coincidence. They're also all written by the same person.New companion Martha is almost identical in concept to old companion Rose – here she even gets to repeat Rose’s regret at joining the Doctor without Read more:Gridlock
What Goes Up Might Come Down – David Gunson 2007-10-21 01:00:00 David Gunson is a British air-traffic controller, who moonlights as an after-dinner speaker.And on the basis of this CD, he was hilarious."Airports are difficult to hide, however, you can put billboards up but people tend to notice the odd jet flying in and out. Consequently the Government knows where 80% of the UK's airports are."The extraordinary thing is that he knows what he’s talking about. As a result, his entire act is based on hum-drummingly mundane facts, which gives every surreal gag a kick of believeability that no amount of fiction could ever have accomplished. To that end, Gunson takes his beaurocratic life and effortlessly proves that he’s a self-employed civil servant, and only in a job because we’ve made the business of flying so dangerous. His account of the Frenc Read more:David
Scrubbed 2007-10-18 01:17:00 You know how adverts for digital TV always claim that you won't have to put up with any more of that mythical poor analogue reception?So we were all watching Scrubs tonight, only with about a six minute delay, off of the MySky box, which is basically the local version of Tivo.In other words, while we were watching the start, the rest of New Zealand was already six minutes into the episode.Anyway, mid-way through, being digital, the picture started to freeze, pixilate and jump, as the sound cut-out. This kept on happening, and each time the middle of the screen was obscured by a large caption informing us that the recording had been interrupted due to atmospheric conditions. Soon it became so constant that there was barely a sentence left complete, and it was reminiscent of watching an LW
No title 2007-10-25 01:59:00 “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22 “Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:4-5
UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack And Other Stuff – “Weird Al” Yankovic 2007-10-23 01:59:00 It’s easy to understand why the words “MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK” are so small on the above cover – this is a brilliant album in its own right.“Weird
Al” fits in all his regular genres – parody, polka, shaggy dog story – and spices them up with musical sketches from his movie that suffer little from the loss of their pictures.To that end, this is that rarest of beasts – an album without a single dud track on it.Spam is a parody of REM’s Stand. (you know how it goes already!)The title track UHF isn’t really that funny, but it’s a powerful rock track that just sucks you in and takes you wth it.By the time we’re into Attack Of The Radioactive Hamsters From A Planet Near Mars, there’s no doubt that this is Al at the top of his game.And, as with all his best tracks, Read more:Original
, Motion
, Picture
, Soundtrack
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