Just Another Info-Dump

It's a while since I wrote one of these What's Hot posts, but there is so very much to tell you all about right now it would be remiss not to. I know, I really should do these with more regularity but what can I say? Maybe I will now, who knows...

So what are we reading/watching/listening to?

You should all have listened to the fourth series of the utterly brilliant Those That Can't. The final episode is still on the Iplayer for a day or two, so catch it even if you have missed the rest. We were all rocked by Chris Corcoran's announcement that series four is to be the last ever, especially as this is by far the best series yet. I guess going out on a high is for the best, but I for one am very sad! Should you have missed previous instalments, there are links to series' two and three here . Links for this series will be available once the current episode drops from the IPlayer. There was good news from Elis James on his appearance with Louise Elliott today in the form of an upcoming second series of the utterly fantastic Social Club FM! A big whoop all round for that!
Whilst on the subject of the fabulous Mr James; series two of Pantheon of Heroes is being recorded next month, to be aired some time in December. Tickets for the recordings are available here! There is also a show airing tonight on BBC Wales about his career to date. The pics below link to some youtube vids of outakes from the recording of the show.


Another of those things I should have told you about sooner was the second series of Everyone Quite Likes Justin of which the last episode again is sadly all that remains for you to hear. This has been a brilliant series, far better than the last although it does seem it was given a rubbish timeslot, so I hope the listener figures have been good throughout.

Back on our TV screens at the moment is Gwlad yr Astra Gwyn. If you did not pay attention the last time, be sure to give the show a try now. It has English subtitles (although not through the red-button setup, but through Sky accessibility) so there is no excuse even if you do not speak Welsh!

Last week I was lucky enough to see Greg Davies' Back of My Mum's Head Tour, at which he was supported by the equally great Ed Gamble. See the review for the details, but do make the effort to see the show if it tumbles by your town!
I was also able to see Wil Hodgson who is very funny indeed. (Review to follow in my usual lazy, procrastinatory way!)

There is a huge amount of brilliant live comedy in the area right now. Sadly, I am not in a position to see as much as I would like as the hub-creature is still in a bad way following his surgery but I will share with you everything I do get to! (or will at least try!)

Anyhoo... there is much more to be honest. Comedy is hot news right now, with a great deal of new TV and radio shows as well as the usual glut of comedians dragging their Edinburgh-honed shows far and wide. I shall endeavour to be more organised and share things as they arise so I am not left with 812 things to tell you about!

But for now that's enough to go along with!

CCF12 PREVIEW: Committee Meeting

The Committee Meeting: Chris Corcoran and Elis James

Much as I like to spend a couple of hours being talked at in the name of entertainment, there is a huge delight in losing oneself in a concept show… which is what makes this offering from Chris Corcoran and Elis James such a brilliant night out!

The title tells all you need to know really: this show is played as a committee meeting, with Chris Corcoran taking the lead as chairman of the club and Elis James as Rex the caretaker whilst the audience become the club members contributing their own thoughts and opinions. Obviously the format is such that each meeting will be very different from the last, so you quite literally never visit the same show twice.

Of course, playing a show as dependent on audience contribution is always a risk, but the pair are so good at improvising and able to bring out the best in people that it just works really well and is definitely a show you should experience.



Gráinne Maguire

With a range of writing credits including The News Quiz, The Now Show and 8 Out of 10 Cats, Gráinne Maguire is equally confident whether tackling politics or telling tales of her home life. She is engaging and enthusiastic, with a charm about her that radiates to fill the room and a consistently paced delivery. She is definitely worth seeing if you get the chance, so head along to the Cardiff Comedy Festival for a preview of her 2012 Edinburgh show, ‘Where Are All the Fun Places and Are Lots of People There Having Fun?’


Head to the event page here:
The Committee Meeting/Gráinne Maguire

More Events

Social Club FM

I promise I will get better at doing these right away… once again, though, I have to admit that I have had to rewrite many times (not that it should surprise anyone!)

So anyway, having just listened to the third instalment of this show I can only say it is every bit as brilliant as you should expect!

*Deleted bullshit gushy nonsense*

See I did once say I would never attempt to review anything Chris Corcoran had touched on, but I am supposed to be a professional – I should be able to do this, right? So here goes; I have plied the inner-fangirl with what some might consider dangerous levels of caffeine, so she should be quiet for a while… let’s see how well this goes…

Brilliant, original, unique… and hugely funny.

That should do, no?

What you actually wanted full sentences? That might be harder to do…


Okay:

The main characters of Rex (Elis James) and Mr Chairman (Chris Corcoran) are already well-established, having stemmed from the live Committee Meetings so there is already a certain chemistry between them. The relationship between the characters is clear and uncomplicated and is played out perfectly by Messers James and Corcoran. There is a subtlety to the dialogue which I love because it isn’t always obvious where the laugh will come from, drawing the listener further into the story and whilst at times the plot might seem to descend into an almost farcical slapstick situation, it never feels contrived or sensationalised; a testament indeed to the sheer brilliance of the pair!

And I will leave it there, I think, whilst it still seems *fairly* professional!


I am afraid as always if you have awaited my go-ahead, you have missed the first episode, but episodes two and three are available on the Iplayer (if you hurry!). New episodes air on Fridays at 7pm on BBC Radio Wales.

I will add a sound-bite later, but for now you can see the pair on this collection of Committee Meeting videos:

The Shameful Obligatory Fangirl Post

There really are no words...

This post needs some updating, so whilst I get around to rewriting, just enjoy the beautifulness and visit
Chris' all-new website: http://www.chriscorcoran.net/
The website for the absolutely fabulously amazing pilot episode of The Committee Meeting: http://www.thecommitteemeeting.co.uk/
Or watch the episode here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01by7cb/Comedy_Feeds_2013_The_Committee_Meeting/
If this is your first visit, I do generally have more to say than this - please bookmark and return when I've had time to update!

Obviously, I have to mention The Book… hilariously funny! (Buy it!! I am still saving up for that kiss-based commission so big thanks to those of you who have bought it through my links already – a couple more and I might progress beyond a peck on the cheek!) I guess it would be considered cheating were I to order a replacement of my own – but I have to admit that being carried everywhere I go is taking its toll. It really is a cracking handbag book though!

And because I know a few who will truly appreciate this image, here is the money shot:

(not literally, of course… that would make this a different kind of blog altogether!)

The first from series 3 of the absolutely brilliant "Those That Can't" - for my money one of the best moments (much as for the thought of Korkey dangling trouser-less from a building than anything else!!)
	And as for this one - well some might suggest I have had a little too much time on my hands... or am avoiding something... or just wanted an excuse to spend four hours listening to old podcasts and snipping soundbites... regardless, enjoy it!

A quick update: Click the pic to go to the all new Korkey's Six Nations page


No captioning needed really - a small celebration of some great tongue action!


And because we all need another reason to lust after him...

Have you ever seen a man with such long fingers? ...

'Nuff said, really!


Oh, what's this?

A new picture?

I've montaged because whilst a some of these images are just stolen from about the web (mostly originating from the BBC) some are my own pics and some I have spent much time tracking down or screen-capping the exact pic I want... and it pisses me off slightly that people feel the need to take without getting in touch or at the very least back-linking. You will notice that throughout the entire blog when I use images from other blogs or websites which aren't easily found, I link to the source... takes a second to acknowledge them and really is a matter of common courtesy. Not too much to ask the same is it?


..

Links here to series two, three and four of Those That Can't. Should the BBC ever decide to release podcasts/cds of the show, I will obviously remove the links so don't rely on them being here forever!

SERIES TWO: EP ONE EP TWO EP THREE EP FOUR EP FIVE EP SIX

SERIES THREE: EP ONE EP TWO EP THREE EP FOUR EP FIVE EP SIX

SERIES FOUR: EP ONE EP TWO EP THREE EP FOUR EP FIVE EP SIX

I was lucky enough to recently land a copy of the fabulous Rob Brydon's Identity Crisis in which we get to see very much of Chris Corcoran. I really do not know why this is not available on DVD, but nevertheless I was grateful when a friend sent a copy simply because it meant I could take screencaps of this one VERY beautiful moment! And yes, ok, many of these pics look much the same as the others but there was no way I could not share every last one of these with you all. This man truly is sex-on-a-stick, isn't he?!

Where to start... eyes... cheekbones... wind-ruddied skintone... the hair... but that jumper... definitely made for snuggling in front of a fire with a hot chocolate after a long Autumn walk. (It's not just me, you were thinking that too- admit it!)

More from Identity Crisis... just because....







And yes, they are montaged again... if you want any individual images, get in touch. I am not Korkey-hogging... just would like to know that people using my stuff are going to backlink at the very least.


A little Korkey-porn for you all here. A montage of Chris hosting the Rhod Gilbert show of June 6th. (brilliantly assisted by Ben Partridge, although strangely you do not hear much of him here!)


And this little gem I found sitting around a dark corner of the interweb all lost and dejected, so rescued it especially for your viewing! Also featuring Rhod Gilbert and Dan Mitchell.

Without Portfolio

Last night I found myself finally getting around to watching Rob Brydon’s Identity Crisis. Any amongst you who have both watched it yourselves and read more than one post of this blog will be aware of two factors which I am sure make you wonder just how I have avoided watching it thus far.

These being:

1. The presence throughout the show of the delicious Chris Corcoran
2. The fact that I actually quite like a bit of Mr C and would make the hugest effort to have him all HD and beautiful in the corner of my living room

Regardless, I have felt mostly indifferent each time it has cropped up on the TV listings until now.

It was bothering me slightly that to see it was on I just had that “Meh” feeling and got on with something else instead - not just because of the Corcoran-apathy, but because I genuinely love Rob Brydon's work too! I realise now though that the timing needed to be right.

The show was fabulous… but this is not going to be a review, mostly since it's a really old programme so my opinion is fairly irrelevant, but also because it seems to have gone deeper than purely entertainment having led me on something of a personal journey of introspection regarding my own lack of national identity.

The issue of timing comes of the fact that it coincides with the Rugby Six Nations.

Major sporting events tend to highlight the national pride (or lack thereof!) in everyone; in fact, it often feels that I personally am the only individual void of any kind of pride in ‘my’ team.

In a previous job, my colleagues were all very heavily into football. I have no interest myself, so just held back from their conversation. When international tournaments were happening, they somehow expected me to suddenly care about the game, making me out to be strange for having no opinion on how last night’s match went or often not even knowing whether there was one on. I had a heated debate with a very dear friend during the most recent [maybe World, maybe European] Cup over the fact that she had watched an England match and was gutted that we had lost: “I thought you didn’t like football?” “I don’t, but it is England isn’t it!” I don’t understand this. It makes no sense to my mind to endure *half-guessing* 90 minutes (?) of anything unpleasant just to show support for your country; but that’s just me, it seems…

It works the other way too… you may remember (or may not, here’s the page just in case!) my references to the rugby world cup back in the autumn; I do quite enjoy watching rugby. What baffled me, though, was the outpouring at the time from my footie-loving, ‘egg-chase’-hating friends giving their opinion of the plays and outcomes; challenged on their sudden interest, they expressed the same opinion; of course they are interested, their team are playing after all!

So why do I not feel the same? As much as I like to watch rugby, I still cannot muster that national pride to cheer on my team. In fact during the World Cup itself, I noted that occasionally there might have been a choice of matches and I would opt to watch the ‘other’ one, missing the England match. A Welsh friend tried taunting me after a particular match (probably the last one, although I do not remember at what stage or to whom we left the tournament) and was a little down-hearted that his goading invoked such little reaction. His final word on the matter was something along the lines of admiring me for being the bigger person; I never did tell him I just did not care! Especially given that he thought even more highly of me when I sent messages of sympathy over the theft of his Welsh team’s semi-final and afterwards the loss of their third place play-off match against Australia.

And now we are in the midst of the six nations tournament, I find myself headed down the same pathway; being mostly indifferent when ‘my’ team are playing; caring more for other teams than England; feeling I do not quite belong to this nation that supposedly owns me.

So what is the point to all this rambling?

Well, believe it or not it does bother me that I have no affiliation to my country.
Nationality matters. Even with the current pull northwards to Wales, I will still be an English person and am fully aware that moving will not change who I am. Yet if I do not know who I am, how can I teach my children to discover their own identities? There is a heavily ingrained Englishness within me somewhere, believe me; I have studied my family tree and taken at least three separate lines back to the early part of the eighteenth century (the earliest being a 1703 baptism entry) and at no point does anyone move farther than thirty miles from where I now live – that inherent heritage will not go away simply because I move fifty miles north.

So why the calling? Why do I feel such a one-ness whenever I visit Wales, even when I think back on childhood visits? Why the initial round of recurrent dreams which instigated my current need to move away? The desperate need to learn the language and the frantic house-hunting? Why do I feel such a longing, almost becoming of home-sickness when standing at the edge of the county gazing forlornly at the Welsh coastline?

I have no answers, but at least thanks to Rob Brydon (and of course the gorgeous Mr Corcoran!) I do at least have an inkling as to the right questions to ask…




And I am aware of the gleaming irony of using an image representing Cornwall whilst talking of my own heritage, but it kind of illustrates my point to say I really don't much care!

Ethically Challenged

I know you will have looked at the image accompanying this post and be thinking “Here we go again!” but I promise, this is not just another post about the luscious Mr Corcoran… there is a bigger issue here altogether which has really got me irked.

I set off on one of those peculiar Google journeys this morning… I wasn’t even looking for him, I promise… I was happily researching a completely unrelated topic when I saw the name pop up in a result, not a page of any consequence to my research, but today being a fairly productive one thus far I thought I deserved a little diversion… then I find myself on another search tangent, which eventually had me at this Ebay listing for Chris Corcoran's Random Thoughts:



Even those amongst you (how?) who are as yet unfamiliar with the book itself can clearly see the label: £1.99… that is all this book costs… yet this store is selling it on for a whopping £4.69.

“Fair enough,” you say, “the seller has to cover costs” – um, no actually… because firstly this seller is clearly representing a book store given the huge volume of stock he is carrying so is even making a profit by selling at £1.99. Also, his allowance of £2.99 for postage is MORE than it costs to ship from the UK to the US… I checked...and the packaging itself is going to cost pennies to someone mailing out a high volume of goods so what is the justification for blatantly ripping people off in this way? Especially given that these US buyers could easily order from Amazon for $0.68! (In itself another irritation… sixty-eight cents for all that effort! Gah!!)

The thing is it isn’t just the buyer being sold short here; whilst the prospective buyers are paying double the value of this book is anyone mailing off a cheque to Mr C in recompense for the inflated royalties? Um, doubt it!

And don’t think I am only complaining because it is this book in particular, it’s just that I noticed it because I know the book; truly, it would have irritated the crap out of me whatever book it may have been… but you will have to take me at my word on that one!

I am all for free enterprise and people being allowed to earn a living, but this really takes the piss… in a BIG way!

I mean, is it really so different to someone who buys a DVD, copies it and sells both on? The financial boost to the seller is exactly the same, yet only one is technically illegal. Time for artists to make a stand, I feel!

Sunday Summary 22/01

It’s been a funny old week for us at FE-HQ! The hub-creature and child-shaped people were all wiped out with the flu… which of course meant more running around than usual for me! Not good since I was hit with a minor version of their virus later in the week. Spending a day with no other symptom that a husky voice, I thought I was getting off lightly, but it seems not, since my energy has been zapped and I am now stuck with the worst case of vertigo ever! But I have done some work regardless, because that’s the level of commitment you can expect from me!

Highlights of the week:

• I had plenty of peace as no-one wants to visit the Plague House!
  
• I managed to set an all-time record for reading Chris Corcoran’s Random Thoughts … 34 minutes, don’t you know! And still laughed aloud throughout… really it doesn’t get old at all!
  
• I did some more work on a particularly dark project which is panning out to be something I am really proud of! (more on that another time, though!)
  
• I finally figured out a way to (legally) include content other than that from Youtube, so can better highlight my reviews now!
  
• Having a heap of downtime, I was able to complete a batch of reviews and an abridgment of a bigger piece to include here
  
• I have managed to spend some time tidying up the blog, adding media to posts without it and coding in the all-new “Related Posts” widget… what do you thnk?
  

There’s a load of other stuff that’s gone well this week… far too much to go into really, but you get into picking apart every small aspect of life and it’s just ridiculous really!

Let’s just say that in spite of the viral attack, this week has been a good one!

And because it really made me laugh, I want to share this with you!

A new show written by and starring Jason Byrne, starting Saturday 4th Feb at 10pm on Radio Two.

Twenty Questions (Halved)

I know you will think this is another procrastination ploy, but it really isn’t. In truth, I have had such an über-productive day I have time to stop and do something I have been meaning to do for a while now.

I love that so many of you send me questions from time-to-time about the blog and other stuff, so I thought I’d take a moment or two to address some of them; I thought I’d do it publicly in order to stop the same questions being asked time and again (see, a time saver not a waster!)

Why do you opt for anonymity?

In general, I write because I love to use words not because I want people to recognise me so tend to take on more ghost-writing/pseudonym work so I can write for the sake of it. In terms of this blog itself, I like that I can be really honest and open about the things I want to write about. There are certain people in the real world who do not know quite how ill the hub-person is or how bad our life gets and I really do not need the fuss that would be generated by their knowing. I prefer to just be able to knuckle down and get on with things but still have the room to make a passing reference if it feels relevant.

For all your talk of worry about the husband, you don’t sound as if you care much…

On the contrary, I do care greatly (I think you are confusing caring for love, they are two wholly different concepts!) Firstly, detachment is a great tool for hiding from negative situations and as you should know I am a great hider! Secondly, the man with whom I live is not my husband as I knew and loved him; my husband died nine years ago, leaving someone else to use his body. I made a decision at that point to either stick around and look after this new person or to bolt and leave him to fend for himself. I signed up for “sickness and health” so waited in the hope that my husband might one day return.

What is your favourite [insert noun here]?

I have no favourite film, book, comedian, DVD, animal etc… The concept of favourites is much the same as the concept of genre; it all depends on mood. To use the word favourite suggests that you will always choose that above others and I just can’t commit to that in any context. As a for instance: I love the film “The Usual Suspects”, but if I am in the mood for a good hearty laugh, I won’t find it there, so will choose something else – therefore The Usual Suspects is not my favourite film; my most read book (ignoring the blatant over-reading of Chris Corcoran’s Random Thoughts!) would be a book of poems by T.S Eliot, but that isn’t my favourite book by a long shot because I have read far more thought-provoking ones… I could go on, but I am sure you get the point!

Describe your ideal man…

I have been asked this a few times (hence it’s peculiar inclusion here!) but it is wholly irrelevant. In fact, I am only answering at all as I have been asked more than once, and that is the point of this…
So, to be glib… um, tall (very)… stunning blue eyes… maybe a bit of a beard… um… into rugby… perhaps even just the slightest bit Welsh… NOT REALLY!!
Honestly, see the previous question; were I looking for a man (which clearly I am not – even though it has been a while!!) I wouldn’t have an ‘ideal’... next question please…

How do you relax?

Believe it or not, this is my relaxation. I spend much of my time working feverishly on various projects (I’m not sure how many projects a person should ordinarily juggle, but I am currently working on 4 larger things between writing articles and doing the little jobs I’ve picked up of late) so when I am not spending time on them, I will be burying myself in something vaguely funny and writing about it here.
I do also meditate when I have the time, but can rarely find that special place nowadays as I need to keep an ear open for the hub-person. Reading and very long baths are great for a true switch-off.

Would you consider yourself an animal lover?

I’ve always found that a peculiar phrase; it conjures up an odd image indeed! But yes, I like animals. It comes mostly of growing up in the countryside, surrounded by cows, sheep and horses. We also spent a lot of evenings as a child driving around Exmoor watching the deer and ponies and as a parent I have spent pretty much the last fifteen years or so at one zoo or another so animals are very much a part of our lives. In fact, Miss Middle so loved our local zoo that we had to buy season passes as we were there almost weekly when she was younger… but before you ask; no, I don’t have a favourite animal… or zoo for that matter… but I could tell you some I don’t like!

You once described yourself as a “perpetual learner” – explain (please)

Did I? Since leaving college I have always been taking one course or another. I had wanted to go on to Uni and become a teacher, but my father forbade it, telling me it was a waste as I would only get married and have children once I left university. But I showed him! By… erm… leaving home, getting married and having children… but I have since taken an OU course towards a degree… and once life is more settled I will take the rest I need to complete. Just so I can say “Yes, I have one!”
I have also taken home study courses in psychology, accounting, child day care, project management (ironically!) and have studied Reiki, crystal therapy and am currently studying past life therapy amongst other things.
I also devote a lot of time to learning new languages. I have been learning Polish for a long time (although it is far easier now as I have the Rosetta Stone to help me!) and have learnt Welsh and a little Vietnamese (just because I can!) and because I worked with children with autism and Down’s syndrome, learnt some basic Makaton.
I do feel it is important to be constantly updating your own skill-set, so am always looking for something new to learn.

Are you a musical person?

Not sure of the context… I don’t whistle as I walk if that is what you mean.
I do love music, yes. I have a whole philosophy pertaining to music that I won’t go into here. I had music taken away from me for a few years when we were subjected to a particularly unpleasant neighbour (the long and short being that her music was always so horrendously loud that even if we tried to listen to our own, we could not hear it above hers) It is only in the last two years or so that I have felt like listening again, so have changed my tastes immensely. I do feel, though, that whilst we have memories, they are simply thoughts and pictures, whilst adding a piece of music to the memory takes you right back into the moment with all its emotions, smells and textures.
In terms of playing music, I always wanted to play the clarinet and cello but my parents could not afford lessons, who knows, maybe that will be my next “something new”… I did play the recorder (descant, treble and tenor!) in my primary school orchestra and had a keyboard I taught myself to whack out a few tunes on.

You seem to have an opinion on most things – what is your stance on piercings/tattoos?

Hehe… do I come across as opinionated? I’d like to think not…
Piercings and tattoos, eh – my opinion is that they should be mandatory, such as to stop those whinging mopes who claim everyone with a tattoo is somehow a second class citizen.
Obviously, not really – but I do believe each to their own. I personally have my ears each pierced twice and have one tattoo, with more of both planned. I do not think tattoos or piercings reflect a person’s ability to do a job, so should not be relevant to deciding whether or not to accept an application from someone, although I would question the merit of employing someone with a number of bad tattoos, simply because either: a) they do not realise they have made a poor choice in their artist and as such clearly would not have the aptitude to work at whatever role I am trying to fill or b) they did realise their artist was no good but either returned to them for more work regardless (doesn’t care enough) or went to a different artist without figuring out how they chose badly in the first place (lacks initiative and/or has very bad problem-solving skills) This to my mind is the only level of judgment that should be allowed on the basis of body art. (Oh, except if the job is, eg, in a nursery/day care centre where certain piercings could in fact be a danger, therefore it would be acceptable to request that they be removed.) I do always find it funny when you go into, for example, a DIY store and see people with yellow tape across their eyebrow… because, yes, that looks far more acceptable. When I saw a chunk of metal in your face I wondered if you had the aptitude required to take my money in exchange for a bag of nails, but with that yellow tape instead, I am sure you can do this! Careful now, don’t stab yourself in the face with them!

Honestly!!
But apart from that, I have no stance as such…

You once mentioned “losing faith” – so are you a religious person then?

No.
I am a spiritual person, there is a difference. I personally do not believe going to church makes me a better person (I have a vague recollection from my A-level days of a quote to that effect, probably by Marx, but I can’t remember it now!) In fact, if I don’t go to church, I am happier, more rested and better able to spread joy, so in that context going to church is a bad thing! I also find that a lot of the church people I encounter are extremely judgmental and condescending.
I do believe in a God-head, but as an idea, not a person. I have read a variety of religious texts and note that they are all pretty much bringing in the same stories (for instance, many religions have a story of the son of their chosen God being born of a virgin) but in my mind these stories are metaphorical rather than factual and have simply been adapted to suit the crux of the followers of that particular religion.
I have studied the Ascended Masters and hold very much to the multi-religion ideal they represent and this multi-faith approach is very much in keeping with my general eclectic style. Either way, my belief system is a simple one: live a good life, deal with the sh!t you get dealt in the best way you can, do not mistreat people or the world in which you live and your life will pretty much work out ok…. Sounds alright, wonder if I can get that on a bumper sticker?

Anyway, that’s the ten most-asked questions. If you have more, don’t be shy. I have enjoyed the challenge of answering these, so it’ll be good to do it again sometime!


Since we closed on an ideological note, I’ll leave you with this piece of excellent philosophy from the fabulous Bill and Ted:

Try As I Might

I am aware that of late this blog has taken rather a turn for the serious, but life is like that sometimes.

I was reminded recently of my post regarding death in comedy and yes, there are punchlines to be found. The trouble is you have to feel inclined to look for them, secondly when you have spent the best part of ten years mourning someone yet still they are not gone you tend to use up every ounce of funny you can draw from the situation.

That said, I am trying; there are a million unfinished posts just waiting to be uploaded, mostly waiting for the timing to be right or for me to find/create some fitting media to accompany them.



In the meantime, back to task:

Seeing as Christmas is fast approaching, the whole comedy world is releasing a book or DVD. I have been lucky enough to be surrounded with people who love to laugh as much as I, so they have kindly loaned me copies of their purchases in order that I can review as much as possible without the need to buy everything; and that is very much appreciated as my home needs laughter right now!

I have to say, I have watched nothing that has disappointed me so far. Check the all new Amazon widget (to the right) for a vague idea of the things I have seen thus far.

Reviews will be forthcoming in the next few days as I re-watch some things and frantically beg for copies of others. I constantly feel the need to apologise for ads on this blog, but in all seriousness; this is my work. I write for a few agencies for free in addition to the commission stuff I do and this is just another on the list of “things I do for love” (and no, I won’t do that!) So please do use the links, even if you aren’t buying what it directs to, I still get credit for your purchases. So if you are heading to Amazon any time soon, please do it through one of my links.

And whilst you are there, buy this:




It’s only £2 and is a fab read!! Ok, I am still fangirling over Chris Corcoran in a big way.

*digression alert*

See, here’s the thing… child two was using my computer a little while ago to download more images for her drawings. One of those was the lovely Chris Corcoran. So now, whenever I download anything and the little window thing opens up to ask where you want it, there he is!



But that isn’t the only thing…

I genuinely don’t know why/how, but her other pics don’t show up on my slideshow screensaver – Chris does… don’t ask, because I can’t figure it out. They are all in the same location, and everything; but I’m not complaining. The thing is, if I leave the office for a while, when I return his is always the picture on the screen. Like he’s just there smiling back at me “I’ve been waiting for you!” … And I know, that’s just a little creepy, but that’s the kind of thing that keeps me going (and not in that way, dirty!!) in a time when everything seems so utterly pointless.

On which note, time for a coffee, as I don’t think I’ve had anywhere near enough caffeine yet today …

Oh yeah, one other thing: Following on from my rather vague (for once intentionally so!) review of Rhod Gilbert's show last week, he has now announced dates for the full tour. Check out his website : tickets are on sale next week... and YAY! there are a few shows within a couple of hours' drive of here, so I have a week to decide which road I would rather spend two hours staring at...

To All Appearances

I may just have found the perfect way of getting rid of the door-to-door religion salesmen!

I am generally far too polite for my own good and end up chatting to them for an age when they come around, but for the most part I do not mind this too much. As with my attitude towards the type of comedy which challenges our thought patterns, I view these visits as a great way to affirm my own faith; particularly when my own belief system is being as heavily challenged as right now. Spending time only with those who share your own beliefs leads to a certain complacency so I relish the opportunity to defend my opinions to those who view things differently. It is also endemic of my eclectic nature that rather than holding to a particular belief system I follow a path of my own making by taking parts of formal religions so it is nice to hear how things are viewed by certain groups of people.

Occasionally, however, I would rather not be stuck on the doorstep for almost an hour discussing my views on what the bible says about the current economic climate. This morning is one such day.

Having been through a particularly difficult phase with the hub-person yesterday, I will admit to being scared of what I might wake to this morning, so opted for the sofa. Worried about him, though, I found myself awake much of the night, heading up a few times to listen at the door to check all was well. This means I slept the sum total of about four hours to wake at around ten – a fact I am sure will offer great reassurance to my regular readers given my need for a predictable Saturday!

Then a knock at the door.

Now, we are currently being subjected to an onslaught of charity do-gooders* begging for bank details, so I contemplated ignoring it. Unfortunately, though, the knock came as I was headed past the door, so I knew I would have been seen. I answered, then, to a man I could barely recognise through my bleary eyes and with the glare of a bright winter’s morning although the magazines in his hand showed it was, in fact, my regularly visiting Jehovah’s Witness. “Sorry to have disturbed you in this state!” – ummm… ok. Not quite sure what he meant by that – I had flung a sweatshirt and leggings over my nightwear (the office is cold today!) so wasn’t especially in a state of undress or anything, but clearly was not looking great! So he just handed over the usual magazines; no reference to articles of interest, no query as to whether I agreed with the current passage of bible study, just a “here you go, I’ll leave you in peace”.

Confidence knocked for the day then. Although a glance in the mirror showed exactly what had scared him so. Only three small factors, but enough to make me seem as though I had a thoroughly enjoyable Friday night: I have a degree of ptosis which looks far worse when I have not slept well (and I haven't!); I also have the driest eyes on the planet (once had a 10-minute blot paper test and there was absolutely no moisture) so they are red and sore-looking before I apply medication; add to this the fact that I am having the worst kind of bad-hair day having opted to forego blow-drying my hair before settling down to sleep last night.

Attractive creature, eh?!
Funnily enough, as I write this Rhod and Chris are currently discussing people lying in dating ads to make themselves seem more attractive.

Before I sidetrack, then, onto something else, I will conclude what I set out to say: namely that in future if I am wanting to avoid talking to the man at the door I will simply rough up my hair, rub sand in my eyes and affect a greater droop of my eyelid.






Anyway – connected with the subject of appearance and since it fits with this morning’s intellectual debate from Messers Gilbert and Corcoran, what of the whole issue of lying to impress when signing up for internet dating sites?

Is there really any point? I mean it’s all very well, I guess if you are looking for nothing beyond exchanging a few emails; but if you are truly looking for a partner why would you make claims to be someone you are not? You are not likely to form an actual relationship if you have to start with apologising for every lie you have told on your application, are you? Surely what you would want to do is sell yourself short so when they meet you their first thought, rather than disappointment is “Not as bad as I expected!”

Or maybe it’s a sign of my current state of mind that “not as bad” sounds like quite the compliment.

*I should make it clear that I have nothing against the idea of charity, but I have huge issues with the current wave of door-knocking beggars. The smugness they respond with when you say no. “Do you not think the future of our children is important?” – of course I bloody do, but I choose to show this by actions which benefit others rather than by throwing money into a scheme which is unlikely to ever be seen in this area anyway. I also know that the person currently judging my attitude towards parting with “just enough for a daily paper” (which as it happens I do not buy anyway!) most likely does not have a monthly standing order either and is taking money from the charity for the time they are running around the streets guilting people into handing over their cash.


And since I want Amazon credit to treat myself to some new books, please clicky some of the linkies...


If you've not watched this film yet, then you really should click, buy, watch 'cos it's fabulous!

Fangirling Like a Crazy

I received the brilliantly funny “Random Thoughts” by Chris Corcoran last week.

It’s an amazing book, but I can’t bring myself to review it properly here. I greatly value my integrity and feel sure that anything I write about it will at the very least seem sycophantic and to be honest if you are ordering anything from Amazon (or any other online store for that matter) it’s no big deal to add another £1.99 to your order and make up your own mind!

When it arrived, I had just poured a cup of tea: I intended to read a little of the book whilst my tea was steeping and then get back to work, but ended up reading the entire thing before doing anything else (well, I did whip the teabag out of the cup between chapters and once left the book for a couple of minutes whilst I transferred some laundry from the washer to the dryer).

Today I read it for a third time and still laughed aloud as much as the first.

There is not much more I can say than that, really; mainly because I am very much in love with Mr Corcoran right now so to start trying to review anything he has touched on would just appear gushy and insincere regardless of how hard I try to remain objective.

So buy the book. As Chris says himself: “If it’s rubbish, you’ve only wasted £1.99” …. but it isn’t, so you’ll have wasted nothing!




And because I am fangirling in such a crazy-assed way at the moment, I should admit to having watched this video starring the delicious Mr Corcoran - oh and Elis James several times over the last few months - and it doesn't get any less funny!

Woe-is-me Weekend

I always hated routine. I swore down I’d never be one of those “coffee on Wednesday, movies on Friday” kind of people… in fact when I was younger those people irritated me no end because you had to think about what day it was before deciding whether to visit them – and I never remembered that until I was almost at their house… I used to spend my time wishing they would just get a damned life!

I don’t like to think of it as getting old, rather finding a new perspective, but in a phase of my life where so much is taken up by random occurrences and such, it is good to have just one day in the week you can rely on.

Saturday is my comfort blanket amidst the chaos of hospitals, school functions and taxiing people around hither and thither. So seriously, the man who messes with my Saturday…

FEEL MY WRATH!!


It is a simple one, but nevertheless enough of a routine to make Saturday a calming, relaxing day.

I wake naturally, sometime around 9.30 and am breakfasted in time to spend an hour in the company of James Martin before heading into the office to work whilst listening to Rhod Gilbert until lunchtime, at which point I will decide whether this is a work-in-pyjamas day, a couch-potato day or even the kind of day I might decide to do something constructive (although usually avoided on a Saturday!) Mostly it becomes the former since I am in the office already and in a work-minded mood.


Not so impressed this morning, then, to have slept in; especially since I had plans which were to commence the moment Rhod's radio show finished.

Getting finally settled in the office at around 11.30, breakfast in hand, I thought it would be reasonably easy to get back into the flow. Until a phone call at 12.15 from the doctor's surgery asking why the man-person had not arrived for his flu innoculation - oops!! I honestly thought it was next week. No worries, says she... just get here within the next half hour!

So I had to wake him, get him dressed, washed and medicated and out the door pronto.

Seemed pointless, then, to wait until later to do all I wanted, so my leisure day has pretty much passed by in a whirl of shopping, (which I hate!) kids fighting over unimportant nonsense and a moany hub-creature because he had only had about 3 hours sleep when I woke him.

Thankfully my mood has lifted slightly as all is peaceful now - I left two children in town (intentionally, honest... I didn't just forget to bring them home!) the hub is sleeping again and child three is making jewellery to sell at a charity event tomorrow.


Not only that; I have been downloading a lot of images for tomorrow's event (I'm facepainting so need to have a few ideas to work from!) and as Miss Middle has been gathering more pictures for her current drawing fad, every time I download something I get to see the sexy eyes of Chris Corcoran staring back at me. Can't ask for more, really, can you?

Well - obviously, I could ask for a whole lot more, but in terms of rebuilding a destroyed Saturday, it's enough for me!

And some more drawings to look forward to seeing too! She's fab, isn't she!!

See... very easily pleased!!


And since I have mentioned both Miss-Middle's drawings and the fabulous Rhod Gilbert in this one post, I shall give not one, but two pics she drew! I know you are probably tiring of my constant references to her artistic nature, but I'll be honest, I am milking it for all it is worth whilst she isn't making me pay royalties and they are really good! Just don't anyone explain the principle of commissions to her.....