Way's World

Saturday, 29 May 2004

I've fallen in love...

...with a car.

My Dad and I went to the Christchurch Motor Show this afternoon. We had absolutely no intention of buying a new car (Dad's just got one, and I can't drive!) but it's nice to sit in the new models and see what's available.

We'd got halfway round the show when I saw this - the Daihatsu Copen.

 
 

It's tiny on the outside but surprisingly roomy on the inside, and I think it's gorgeous! Get more info on Daihatsu's website here and make your mind up...

Friday, 28 May 2004

Film Review - The Day After Tomorrow

This evening I went to see "The Day After Tomorrow" as a belated birthday treat from my parents.

I went to see this film with some trepidation - after all, it's directed by Roland Emmerich, one half of the team that made the awful "Independence Day," "Stargate," and "Godzilla" movies. Fortunately though, my doubts were unfounded, as this was a thoroughly enjoyable film.

The film follows Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), a palaeoclimatologist who predicts that global warming could trigger another ice age within 100 years or so - unfortunately for Jack (and the rest of the planet), his timing is a little bit out - the events kick off within the week! Whilst Jack is in Washington trying to convince the politicians that something must be done, his son is trapped in a flooded New York (a huge understatement, as you'll know if you've seen the trailer).

When huge tornados tear through Los Angeles and Europe becomes engulfed in a deep freeze, the White House finally realise that Jack is right and embark on a mass evacuation of the United States. Jack meanwhile struggles through the ever-worsening weather conditions to try and rescue his son.

    

The effects in this film are superb - although the storms depicted in the film are devastating, they are also absolutely breathtaking. Even though they're CGI effects, you can't help but watch in awe as the weather conditions show just how insignificant we are on a global scale.

It doesn't have the plot depth of my favourite disaster movie, "The Poseidon Adventure" (but lets face it, that was hardly Shakespeare!), but it is still a highly enjoyable film - and you really have it to see it on the big screen!

Wednesday, 26 May 2004

I'd like a Guaranteed Traditional Speciality Pizza, please...

Of all the foodstuffs in the world, pizza surely has to be one of the most simple. Get some dough, bung your toppings on and cook it, right? Wrong!

A three page document (consisting of eight articles and six subsections) has been published under the state seal in Rome, stating the true definition of a real, Neapolitan pizza.

If the pizza is made according to the specifications laid out in the document, restaurants can label their pizzas STG, or Guaranteed Traditional Specialty.

More info here!

Thursday, 20 May 2004

I've got a cute what?

As I said on Monday, I've not been well the last few days, bunged up with what I thought was just a cold and cough. I haven't been able to shake it off, so I've just been to the doctors and I've got acute bronchitis! Bugger!

Wednesday, 19 May 2004

I wonder what Tesco's would make of this?

Ever wanted to barcode yourself? Now you can!

Monday, 17 May 2004

The Family Online - RSS Feed!!

Following on from my earlier post, I've not been sitting around doing nothing - I've been trying to convert my blog into an XML/RSS feed, and I think I've finally managed it...

I'm posting this to see if it works, fingers crossed! (If you don't know what XML & RSS feeds are, don't worry...!!)

- UPDATE -

Yes, it worked!!

I feel awful!

I've had a cold for a couple of days now, but this morning I've been coughing and spluttering like nobody's business! I feel terrible!

Sunday, 16 May 2004

It's my birthday...

...and it's cost me forty quid!

I was using my computer last night, and just as the clock ticked past midnight my mouse broke! The left mouse button had given up, and it's not much use without that, so I've had to visit PC World to get myself a new one. I had a five-button mouse before, but I couldn't find one that fitted my hand (I'm left-handed) so I splashed out and bought myself a Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse instead. Other than that, I've not done anything at all today!

However, Linda got me a new radio alarm clock, and I also got some vouchers and money off a couple of friends, so that's not too bad for a 32 year old I suppose...

Thursday, 13 May 2004

Back from my hols!

I've not posted for a few days as I've spent the last week in Somerset, staying at the Sandy Glade Holiday Park in Berrow (just outside Burnham-on-Sea).

Monday 10th - Left Poole at around 10.30am, and stopped off at Clarks Village. It's an outlet shopping centre in the village of Street in Somerset. There's loads of shops there (some expensive, some cheap), although the only two I was really interested in were Cotton Traders (where I bought a pair of snazzy red boots - okay, it sounds dodgy, but they're okay really!) and the Cadbury's Store (bought loads of chocolate!). Spent a couple of hours walking round the rest of the village then headed off to the camp site, arriving at around 3.30pm.

After dumping everything off in the chalet, I went for a swim in the heated (?!) pool - it was bloody freezing initially, but soon warmed up.

Tuesday 11th - Visited Cribbs Causeway Shopping Centre - plenty of shops (again), but I didn't buy anything except a couple of PC magazines, although I did have a pizza from Pizza Hut while I was there... 8-)

Wednesday 12th - Today I went to Wookey Hole - famous for it's cave complex, but also home to a traditional paper mill. The caves were absolutely stunning - you couldn't take photographs inside, as the flash can cause rockfalls (so best avoided, then!) but if you click the link you'll see a few shots on the official website.

After walking through the caves we visited the paper mill, and then headed off to Wells for a wander. It's a tiny place, but it has a cathedral which qualifies it as a city (the smallest in England, apparently). Once we got back to the site, I went for another swim in the pool.

Thursday 13th - This morning we went to Hinkley Point, and visited a nuclear power station! The visitors centre was set up for Hinkley Point 'A' (an old magnox reactor), which is now out of service and is currently being decommissioned. Hinkley Point 'B' is operational (it's a newer AGR, or Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor), although it's actually run by a different company to the 'A' site. Unfortunately, due to the threat of terrorist attacks, they are no longer allowed to give guided tours of the facility itself, but the visitors centre was very interesting nonetheless.

We spent a couple of hours there, and then headed off into Taunton for a wander round yet more shops! Went to one of the best clothes shops around (Primark - ridiculously cheap but very good quality) and bought myself a pair of jeans for a fiver.

Got back to the camp around 3.30pm, and packed up - we headed home today, rather than face getting up and heading off early tomorrow morning!

Sunday, 09 May 2004

I'm having a spot of trouble...

I've just been polishing my shoes using one of those squeezy pen type polishers (like this) and I squeezed it too hard - the liquid polish shot out onto the bedroom carpet, which is a light grey colour. I've just spent about thirty minutes trying to get the stain out - in the end I resorted to using the Vanish Stain Remover Stick that I found under the sink.

It's worked really well - too well, in fact, as the patch of carpet is now cleaner than the surrounding area...!!!

Wednesday, 05 May 2004

The siege continues...

On Sunday, an armed man burst into a house just round the corner from where I live. Apparently it was his ex-wife's house, and he's a bit peeved that she's now living with another bloke (or something - the news people don't really seem to know).

Anyway, the area was soon swarming with armed police, as you would expect. Around 20 households have been evacuated in the immediate area, and although some of the families have been put up in hotels, others are having to rough it in a local sports hall, sleeping on gym mats.

Fortunately, the woman and her kids escaped later that day, so now the bloke is in the house on his own. He is no threat to anybody now.

Now call me unreasonable, but I would have thought the best course of action would be to gas the bloke, then the police could charge in and arrest the man and let everybody get back to their homes. But no, negotiators have said that they will not put a time limit on the siege, so it could drag on and on (and on...) Meanwhile, the twenty families continue to live their lives away from their homes and pets (they had to leave everything behind, although they are allowed to go and feed the animals).

Here's a tip: It's been three days now - THE MAN HAS TO SLEEP. Shoot the bugger, and be done with it.

+++ UPDATE +++

He's saved the police the bother - he's done himself in. At least everybody can get back to normal now...

Sunday, 02 May 2004

My nephew - pictures!!

As I mentioned last week, my brother and sister-in-law have had a baby boy, Adam James. My mum has now returned from Ireland with photographs!!

Here's a shot of him with his Dad, Andrew - the rest of the photo's can be seen by clicking here or the link on the right hand side of the page!

Saturday, 01 May 2004

Time for bed!

I've just seen the time - it's 10 minutes to 3 in the morning!!!!! Thank goodness I've not got to get up in the morning - I'd never manage it! Off to bed, methinks!

(On a side note, my parents come back from Ireland later today - hopefully I'll have some pictures of Adam to post here...)