Palm Sunday 29th March 2015

I was saddened to hear of the crash, of German wings flight 4u 9525. As I have often visited Düsseldorf. I wish to extend my thought to the family, friends and co workers

I have started a new job this week.Wednesday and Fridays

My daughter had a bad throat infection last week. We had to struggle giving her medicine. I hope she is out of the woods

I  have been enjoying watching Tots TV with my daughter. I used to watch it in the 1990s. I remember eating instant noodles and watching Tilly, (elle parle Francais) and the boys Their very naughty

X files revival

The X Files’ big television comeback is moving ever closer with new reports suggesting a limited run of episodes is on the cards.

FBI Special Agents Mulder and Scully, played by David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, are rumoured to be returning for a “short stack” of shows that will resolve plotlines from the cult Nineties series and spin-off movies.

With both lead actors having busy schedules, fewer than 10 episodes are believed to have been ordered so far, according toTVWise.

Fox bosses hinted that The X Files could get a revival earlier this year, sparking great excitement among sci-fi fans hoping for more UFO mysteries.

TV executives Dana Walden and Gary Newman have been in talks with The X Files creator Chris Carter since, with all involved said to be “hopeful” about plans for a comeback.

Duchovny said recently he would be “more than happy” to reprise the role of Mulder, but not for a full 20-episode season, while Anderson admitted to being “f**king overjoyed” at the idea.

The X Files, which became the longest-running sci-fi series in the US, ended in May 2002. It spawned two films, Resist or Serve in 2004 and I Want To Believe in 2008.

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H/T The Independent. 

I am pleased at the revival, though I am somewhat wary as I want to Believe was one of the bleakest cinema trips  I have ever taken. I think Stargate is  now the longest running SF series

Gracias

Thank you to the nice couple who let my daughter get seen by the doctor first, on thursday. My daughter had a fever of 39 degrees, and a nasty throat infection. She is now better

Best Irish pubs in the world

The Irish times, have run a feature on the best Irish pubs, in the world. They did actually ask me for some input

Here are my top picks

Desmonds New York City,

I did not want to go in. My brother knew better, we spent five St Patrick days here. Meeting people
listening to the wolftones, drinking brooklyn ale.. watching a documentary about sectarianism, in Glasgow. Some one offered to by my shirt. Meeting people from HS, in. The two hours after the parade are epic

desmonds tavern


The Corkonian, Colonge

I discovered Germany from here. I spent a great St patricks here. A good Irish pub, should be a base. A safe place to explore, and strike out from. The Corkonian was that. I remember mentioning the Irish civil war, in a fit of academic distraction and the German waitress stepping back.


The Corkonian


Jonos Ealing
Under it last manageress Bridget. This was my home from home. I could be found at the penultimate seat at the bar, if it was the quiz, take your pick, or listening to Free McGuinness. Here we were.
Its a family tradition to go to Jonos if relatives from home come to visit, or if there is an all Ireland


Facebook page for Jonos  Not updated

Fitzgeralds Charlotte NC,

Website for Fitzgeralds

 I watched the infamous Henry handball football match here. Again another aspect of an Irish pub, A place to catch up on things, A place to get up to speed, even if your in the Deep South. Popular with a younger crowd. So get there earlier if you want a quiet pint

For number five, I could mention Cassidys in Corpus Christi, Why because we met interesting people there. Though the beer, and the music I forget. An Irish pub, in Hawaii, well it said it was Irish, and I kept knocking the waitress over, and the Dusseldorf Altstadt.....

Happy Birthday Buffy

Buffy the Vampire slayer the series. Not the motion picture starring Kirsty Swanson and Luke Perry, which is a firm favorite of my sister. She is firmly of the where were you in 1992 crowd.  BTVS the series is now 18 years old. That means in two years it will be twenty years since I left the University of North Carolina. There will be no reunion for me.
I must have watched some minutes of Buffy in Uni. I remember watching the extended promo while eating, in Chris room in Craige. I corrected Amy that Buffy was not Xena. Though as the program would have clashed with Voyager I think I watched that.
It was during my last year in Glasgow university I rented some Buffy videos from Blockbuster. I remember the blockbuster boxes, bright yellow. That was a lonely year. The internet was something you found only in libraries. Mobiles were still rare. I had a radio alarm clock to keep my company in my room.

Buffy was beautiful. Really all the girls were. Alysson hanigan in her teens, Charisma carptener in the full bloom of woman hood. Yes there is some Dawson casting in the series. I think it made sense, A 28 year old woman would intimidate a teen

I watched it on Sky one via my ITV digital set. Did anyone else have one of those. I think the company still owes me money. I followed the spin o. off Angel. I am still disappointed, that Glory did not face Angel, and his team too

I remembered the adverts outside St Pancras telling us that Buffy would die.

I would have watched ripper

Round up 14th of March

My stepson has started his new school, and has braces

The dog has a new home upstairs

My daughter has beautiful curly hair

I have a new job teaching ESL classes at an oil company. I am the least intelligent person in the room. It is very interesting. Speaking of work, I missed a training session today oops

The weather has been turning cooler, I hope.

I wish Ireland luck against Wales tomorrow Come on you boys in Green!

Babadook

Have you noticed that horror films never happen in bedsits. They always happen in big empty houses, with basements and attics. Babadook, an Australian production is set in a huge house. With a lot of 1950s and earlier furniture.

The story concerns a Mother, a widow. Who lives with Samuel, who is her very troubled six year old son. The mother works at a nursing home. While affording a very large house. It could be that the house belonged to her husbands family, or there was a settlement.

Samuel is very difficult, and not only difficult but strange. The boy watches magic videos, he wants to be a magician. Samuel fashions Heath robinson, weapons to defend himself against monsters that live under the bed, and in the cupboard.

We watch a family barely hanging on,, begin to slip. Samuel gets into trouble, at school for fashioning a dart gun. Actually the boy displays enormous skills with his hands. His dart gun, and backpack which throws cricket balls . Mum takes the boy out of school. They are stuck in the big house. No one is sleeping...

Then Samuel picks a book, The Babadook
This is very effective. Childrens books are scary enough. The Babadook looking a bit like stupid peter, a bit like freddy kruger, will come and get you. You will wish you were dead...

The poor boy is terrified.

Things go down hill, a flirtation between Mum and a carer, crashes and burns. The Boy spoils his cousins birthday party. Then almost has a fit. Mum begs for sedatives

Is the devil scarier then maddness.. is Infanticide not a greater horror then all the armies of hell.  This is my problem with horror movies. A storm may kill our loved ones, or a drunk driver, or evil men. I have digressed

We see Mum under possesion turn on the boy, and let her frustration loose. She tells him, he is not loved. That she wishes he was dead. There is a good juxtapositon as the Mum becomes the tormentor, the crazy one, who drives her son, to distraction

My mind wanders again do the South Australian police really wear grey uniforms. Its  Anglo Celtic Australia we see here. Mum had the sunburnt look, which I have not seen since I came to South America

There is a snippet of HG wells a trip to the moon.

Mum falls under the influence, and the boy battles her. The ending is strange, but not open.

My wife praised the boys acting