Ten Day You Challenge - Three Films

Three Films

I would warn that this post contains spoilers, but the films are so old it is really unnecessary.

1.  The Breakfast Club - '....But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain... and an athlete... and a basket case... a princess...  and a criminal...'  Considering that a good 90% of this film is just five people in a room it is one of the best films ever and everyone should see it at least once.  Having Judd Nelson in it didn't hurt either.  I am glad that is has never been remade as it would just ruin the memory.  

2.  Drag Me To Hell - a pretty dire film it has to be said, but I love it simply because it does not have a happy ending, boy does not get girl, girl gets dragged to Hell.

3.  Tremors - I guess this could loosely be termed a B Movie.  A western town is being terrorised by giant worm like creatures which apparently predate the fossil register (according to the Seismologist who just happens to be in the area).  There were 3 sequels made, in each the worm evolved to more sophisticated creature.  Tremors 3 was not that bad either.

My experience at the hands of a PUA Student

For those of you who are unaware, PUA stands for Pick Up Artist.  There are various online providers of PUA courses and they also arrange meet ups and parties, there are books and other materials available too, it is big business.

Not long after I became aware of these materials I happened to catch School For Scoundrels on the telly one Sunday afternoon, the original version with Terry-Thomas and Ian Carmichael, and I thought how similar it seemed.

As I understand it, it was originally thought up to help men attract women who were out of their league, after all, who doesn't want a beautiful partner?  It also helped shy men who struggled to speak to women overcome their obstacles and live happily ever after.

All this is very commendable, I would certainly like to learn how to have enough confidence to speak to men outside of work/college.

However, it soon become a tool for amusement.

Men who had no problems in getting women, some of whom were actually in relationships already, would choose a woman in whom they had no interest whatsoever and then make them fall in love with them.  All the while laughing at them with their friends, and even girlfriends or wives.

This is what happened to me.  He had links to PUA sites all over his social media page but at the time I had no idea what this was so took little notice.  He said all the right things, we seemed to have the same tastes in films, books and music.

We used to speak every day, first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  Had he asked, I would have given up everything to be with him.  As far as I was concerned, he was 'the one'.  I know that at the time we were both working shifts, but I realise now that it should have been much easier to arrange meet ups.

All of a sudden, all references to PUA had been deleted from his profile, all the posts, videos, events, all gone, he had met the woman who was to become his long term partner.  I don't know whether he used his techniques on her, but she seems to be able to forgive him anything, she still, 4 years later, seems to be as smitten as I had been.

Has anyone else had any experience of this?

Sunday Night Mash Up

Evening All!

I didn't do my normal round up last Sunday as I wasn't in a good place and I didn't really have anything to say.

This week on Thursday I received my exam results, I was sent a text at midnight.  Yes midnight.  After making me wait over two months I am sure that another few hours would have mattered.  I had passed my Tax exam but failed my Audit one, so have already booked and paid for my resit, unfortunately I cannot resit it until December which is when I will be sitting my next two exams.

On Thursday I also had my review with my doctor.  She is pleased with my progress now that she has doubled my medication. She has also given me a prescription for daily Vitamin D tablets that I will have to take once the super strength ones I take have finished.  Slightly scary was the way the screen flashed up red with a 'Severe Depression' warning when she issued my double dosage anti-depressants.

Thursday again.  I wasn't able to play bowls this week due to my appointment with the doctor, but apparently it all kicked off. The rules governing what you can and can't wear to play are a lot more relaxed in the league we play in, or so we thought.  Up until now, as long you are decent and are wearing flat shoes anything goes so during the hot weather it has been mostly long shorts, tshirts and flip flops.  The team we played Thursday, who we have already played once admittedly when we were all wearing about five layers, decided that two of our players (one an 8 year old) were not dressed suitably.  After a somewhat heated discussion the game did not go ahead.  And I missed it all!.

Thursday evening, yes Thursday again, I developed a cold sore, over the course of the last couple of days it has spread pretty much across the whole of my top lip, and boy, does it hurt.

You may have noticed a new tab at the top of my page, I have started another blog.  Well less of a blog, more of a collection of Urban Legend stories and their variations.  I have always been fascinated by these sorts of things and I used to be an avid reader of The Fortean Times until they changed the format of the magazine a few years back.  Radio 4 Extra are currently running a series of Fortean type stories with the Rev Lionel Fanthorpe, and listening to those has brought it all back into the forefront of my mind.  I may keep this new blog going, or I may not, it depends on the reception it gets.

Not sure what is going to happen this week, hopefully if it is exciting I won't miss it this time.

Ten Day You Challenge - Four Books

Four Books

1.  The Swish of the Curtain by Pamela Brown.  I loved this book and the tv series that followed, the book cost me 75p when I bought it which was a fortune back in the day.  It is about some very posh children who set up their own theatre company in a derelict hall for which they raise money to repair themselves.  It is very much of its time and probably would not be appreciated by today's youngsters.

2.  The Hal and Roger Series by Willard Price.  A very un-PC series of books that were bought for me by my Grandad, which probably was one of the reasons I loved them so much.  It was about two young brothers who travelled the world trapping animals for zoos and private collections.  They faced danger in every book from cannibals to sharks but always came through.

3.  The Famous Five.  Who hasn't read the Famous Five?  Julian, Dick and Ann, George and Timmy the dog.  I always imagined myself as George, a complete tomboy with a dog.  I would have loved to live on the coast and have my own boat and island.

4.  The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett.  I can read these again and again.  In these books I see myself as Granny Weatherwax, Susan Sto Helit or Lady Sybil rather than Nanny Ogg or Sergeant Angua, certainly not Mrs Palm.

How easy is it for you to see your GP?

I don't mean to see a specific GP at your practice, but any GP.

I am old enough to remember the days when you just arrived at the surgery at the opening time, walked into the waiting room and asked who was last for Doctor XXXX?  Everyone was seen on a first come first served basis, no-one pushed in or demanded to be seen first.  If someone came in with a poorly child then everyone automatically let them go next.  The receptionist's role was simply to decipher the buzzers to let the waiting patients know which doctor was free.

Then came appointments, you could call in or phone for an appointment, sometimes being seen within minutes.

When my last GP retired (he was the sole doctor at the practice), I moved to my current practice.  The appointments system was still in place, but it was generally easier to call in than phone up as the phones always seemed to be engaged.  

An online booking system was briefly introduced but it was very shortlived, as was the self check-in system once you got to the surgery, I never got to try any of these and do feel somewhat deprived.

The latest system, and this has now been in place for some time now, is this.  Should you need a GP, you have to phone the surgery (good luck, the phones are still almost constantly engaged), once you have got through your name is added to a list. The doctor on triage duty will then phone you back AT SOME POINT and discuss your issue over the phone.  If the doctor then decides you need a prescription or a sicknote, you then have to go to the surgery to collect it.  If the doctor decides you need a face to face appointment you have to phone back to reception to make one.

So, as I don't really want to discuss my problems over the phone whilst sat at my desk, or stood in the corridor outside my office, or on the bus to or from work, I potentially have to book a day's annual leave.  My last appointment to discuss my current medication was made by letter!

Does anyone else have the same issues?

Silent Sunday - 04/08/13

Ten Day You Challenge - Five Foods

Five Foods

1.  Patatas Bravas.  I love these and have them at least two or three times when I am in Spain.  I have tried making them myself, but they just do not taste the same.

2.  Chocolate and Churros.  Again, something I have in Spain, particularly good very early in the morning, not been able to find an equivalent to have at home.

3.  Strawberry Gateau.  Guess where this is from (and no, it is not Dagobah).

4.  Fresh home made bread.  I had to stop baking bread as I would just eat almost the whole loaf straight from the oven.

5.  Hummus.  I had to stop eating hummus as I developed a sensitivity to it, or at least one or more of the ingredients, I have it now and again, but only in very small quantities.