FFL Reborn

It's odd, but I don't think I ever really talked about the Fantasy Film League on this blog.

The FFL was a site run by some friends that I first got involved with in around 2001 or 2002. I'm not sure exactly when, my memory is fuzzy. It was an online game, something like a fantasy sports league, where you pick a team (in this instance, a director and some actors) and their 'performance' (i.e. appearance in the box office ratings) would earn you virtual money. At the end of a season the winner of the league won a huge bunch of kudos.

It was Mr Birch and Mr Smith's big idea. Mr Wilson and Mr Estall helped them run it and after a while I came on board to help write articles and film reviews and to get up at 4am every few Saturdays to take part in Online Tonight, a San Francisco-based radio show hosted by David Lawrence (now best known as The Puppeteer in Heroes).

I love movies, but I've never been a real film geek and I certainly don't go often enough, but it was great fun writing DVD reviews and talking about the UK and US box office top ten on a nationally syndicated US radio show.

It all died in May 2006 when everyone's work commitments made it impossible to continue. I think that some tinkering with the format of the game also alienated some of the fans.

Well, now the FFL is being resurrected. The site is back up (along with a presence on Facebook and Twitter) and Mr Smith is working on a new, faster, shinier and (most importantly) more automated game engine. All the old team are back on board. I've already written a review which is up on the (as yet unfinished) site, and Mr Birch and I have recorded an inaugural podcast - very much a dry-run, pilot sort of affair. Hopefully, November's podcast will be available to the world on iTunes.

If nothing else this should act as a push to force me to go to the cinema more often; something that MLYW and I have been trying to do for ages.

Zealot, Heal Thyself

Have I commented on this pair of morons before? Dale and Leilani Neumann, of Wisconsin, who let their daughter die because they thought that praying for her was more appropriate than seeking medical treatment.

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8294225.stm

They appear to have got-off incredibly lightly.

What astonishes me is that their sentences have been spread out and staggered so they can continue to raise and 'care for' their poor, brain-washed kids.

The judge was right to point out that god (if 'he' exists) can maybe "work through other people, some of them doctors". But his comment that the sentence would give them time to "think about Kara and what God wants you to learn from this" is fatuous.

By their own selfish actions they should have already proven to themselves that either (a) god doesn't exist, or (b) his 'plan' for their daughter was for her to die.

So, the only logical punishment is to lock this pair of loons up for a year and take their kids away. If (a) is true, then this is an appropriate punishment for such cruel treatment of a sick child. If (b) is true then their god will surely look after them all.

They said that they:

"believed healing came from God, and that they had not expected their daughter to die as they prayed for her."

Reading on, I see that they've got the gall to appeal against the sentence! What?!?

Actually, screw it. Break their legs and dump them in a pit. They can carry on praying to their god to help them. I'm sure once he deems that they've been punished enough he will heal them and they can then climb out.

Lookee-Likee #102

You never see Bob Dylan and Colonel Gadaffi in the same room, do you?

Thieves, Come To Sunny Andover

A colleague had his bicycle stolen from the office car park a few weeks ago. By chance, he came across information identifying the thief. He reported this information to the local police, but they told him that as the information was 'second-hand' they were unable to investigate.

Since then there's been a mini crimewave of bike thefts. The thief has been brazenly stealing cycles from buildings in Andover (including on different premises owned by my employer) and has been seen on CCTV footage at least 3 times. The thief has been identified by another employee (also a theft victim) on the CCTV images.

One of the theft victims has been provided (anonymously) with the thief's temporary address and a description of his current hangouts.

So, with all this evidence what are the police doing? Yes, you've guessed it! They are dropping the case through "lack of manpower".

Meantime, the local newspaper invites you to take your push-bike along to the local police station where a friendly bobby will stamp your postcode on the frame and advise you on basic bicycle security...

So - if you want to steal stuff, come to Andover, where they won't bother to arrest you, even if they know who you are!

We're rich, I tell you. Rich!

I've been in the new job for three days and already they've given me a paycheck for 10 days work. Result! If it carries on like this, I'll be able to retire by January.

Starting Over

Yippee-do! I shall be starting work again on Monday, at HSA in Andover - just 7 (ish) short months after I left there - this time as a permanent employee, rather than a contractor.

That is all.

West Country Accent 2

How do!

I've been cast as 'Oracle DBA' in my good friend Mike's team of Oracle gurus at Simplyhealth in Andover.

That is all.

Sorry to be so brief!

West Country Accent

How do!

I've been cast as 'John' in Ottershaw Players' production of Blue Remembered Hills, by the fabulous (but sadly dead) Dennis Potter.

That is all.

Sorry to be so brief!