Minute44 - Dan Schonhaar

I’ve not blogged in ages, sorry about that. Main reason is I’ve been putting a lot of my time into something pretty special and blog related. That’s right, I’m working on a total re-design. In the past what I’ve done is grabbed a pretty generic looking theme with decent web standards and built on that because I felt that it was a quick and easy way of getting nice looking results… also, I was pretty new to WordPress and didn’t know it all that well. What I’m doing this time, however, is build the whole theme from scratch by building a working XHTML template and then putting in all the bits that WordPress needs after.

continue reading Back to the kitchen! I smell somethin’ burnin!

Tonight I moved pretty much everything out of my house on Broadmeadows. I’m super sad to be leaving the house but excited at the same time because, as nice as the house was, it was a financial black hole from which not even loose pocket change could escape. Only things left to move now are my TVs and stands a chest of drawers and a couple more bits and pieces which will go tomorrow.

continue reading Moving Day

Over the last few years loads of sites have popped up on the web offering links to the latest episodes of your favourite TV shows and to new movies (some of which have yet to see a worldwide cinema release.) I’m talking about stuff like peekvid.

In the past weeks however one of the UK’s favourites, TVlinks.co.uk has been shut down by FACT working with the Gloucestershire police and trading standards authority. The individual who owns the site, a 26 year old man from Cheltenham, has been arrested on charges relating to the facilitating of copyright infringement. These charges are brought despite the man having hosted no media on his own servers and also giving a disclaimer saying he has no responsibility for media he links to. continue reading TV Links get taken down to China-Town!!

Yes… the main event is tomorrow guys. I will of course be uploading plenty of photos for you all to enjoy, and I’m sure they will include me looking rather crisp in my, seldom worn, suit. I’ve gotta head over to Gaz’s parent’s house some time after 12 tomorrow and from there we will be in the wedding car to the church.

I’ve been thinking about weddings and more specifically holding them in churches. I mentioned to Reedy the other day that I wouldn’t feel at all comfortable getting married in a church because I am not a christian. In fact I would feel bad doing it as I would feel rather hypocritical making vows in the name of a god that I don’t believe exists. He seemed quite suprised and just said well, it’s tradition isn’t it? Well I suppose it is… like Easter or Christmas, two very chritian holidays that I still celebrate and relish the time I get off work for. I think the difference is, however that you can completely remove all religious connotations from christmas (Except the name of course.. unless you call it X-Mas or Annual Gift Day) and easter and just enjoy time with your family and friends. Church weddings aren’t there yet. You still make vows in the name of god and there are hymns and this and that… not to mention the procedings are overseen by a Preist.

With Gaz however I think it’s being held at the watchorn dispite his beliefs for a number of reasons. First and foremost, his parents got married there… and his grandparents and christ alive knows how many other generations. Also his family and what I have seen of Shel’s are fairly traditional people and, like Reedy said, Church weddings are traditional.

I just wish them both a really awesome day regardless. Of course as best man I have ring-side seats for the whole show, I even take part… by handing the rings over. Lets just hope they know their left from right when it counts! The fun will come at the reception, however, where I have to give a speech. I’ve spent months whittling about this speech and being unable to come up with any decent material. But then I had an epiphany. I’m funnier just off the cuff anyway and I’ve known Gaz well long enough to be able to throw together some witty anecdotes about the tenure of our friendship that should get a few laughs… and maybe a few heckles from the bridal party.

It will mean Booze though and lots of it. and if there’s one thing I’m fond of, it’s beer. Although it remains to be seen if the ubiquitous community centre serves any beers worth a damn. If not it’ll have to be Jack and coke. Shorts will probably be better anyway as there will be, fuck knows how many, kids running about and sliding on their knees just waiting to knock a fresh pint out of my hand and if that happens I’ll probably go all Bruce Banner.

This evening I’ve been down to Derby with Nat and we saw Ocean’s 13. Although I’m not convinced she enjoyed it, I thought it was rather good and most definately bettered the fucking appalling Ocean’s 12. I think the fact that Julia Roberts played Julia Roberts in the second one saw the, once good, actress executed because she made no such apperance in this film. It was a very complex plot, a lot more complex than the previous two films but i think it was played well and was certainly shot well with a very very rat-packesque, 60s feel.

After the movie we went to the Dog and Partridge at Tutbury for something to eat… it was nice, I reccomend it, although I did detect an air of cliqueiness as I left with the local yoakles giving me the eye as I left. Oh well, it must just be like the Boundary, where if you’re not from Broadmeadows, upon entry, the music stops, everyone turns around and from somewhere behind the bar someone begins to whistle Ohio. I’m tellin ya man, it’s fucked up.

That’s about all I have to say this time guys and girls. Join me next time when I can tell you all about the Wedding… and show you photos! Good night!

Well, the annual Subculture beach party has been announced for Saturday the 4th of August. Fantastic, except that it’s the one weekend of the year where I have work commitments! It’s probably gonna be ok though because the work is usually out of the way by the tail end of Saturday which menas I’ll be able to drive down afterwards and get my drink on. The only bad thing is I’ll have to wait unitl the day itself before I know for sure. I hate not having a plan!

Well, on other news, this weekend is Gaz’s wedding and I have the pivotal role of best man in the procedings, a role shared with Scott, Gaz’s brother. I’m confident all will go to plan.. if not I’ll just get shitfaced. I’ve already told Holly that I can hang out with her on Sunday but I may need to be put in a cold shower to help me get out of the hang over. The only thing that is worrying me at this point is the speech I am to make… or the lack of one. My plan is to ad lib the whole thing but we’ll see how well that goes on the day.

Today is Pay day! Wooop!! It came around quicker than I thought actually I only realised it was the 27th when I switched my alarm off this morning and my phone said “pay day”. I was like, Kerching!!! Of course a chunk of it will have to go on clearing some out-standing bills but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue. I’m gonna go to ’snakes like I said in my last post and see if I can’t get a new pair of jeans. Failing that I’ll go to non-stop and get a pair.

Last night I watched Apocolypto again and enjoyed it just as much as the first time I saw it. Much laughing came at the expense of the half-wit chav at the video store though. Our first selection was Green Street which I’ve heard was really good and the chav came up and was like “Awesome film! Better than the Football Factory!!” So reedy instantly asked, in the most condescending way possible, “You mean more violent?” to which he replied “Yeah, huhuh” We promptly put it back on the shelf and grabbed Apocolypto to which the chav said “You know thats all in subtitles…?” I felt like going “Yes, unlike you, I can read. ;)” He was a knuckle dragging mouth-breather if I ever saw one. Which brings me to another pet hate of mine. Chavs that address you as “oi”. It winds me up no end. I just feel like turning around and exploding at them like “I hope you’re not addressing me you ignorant little worm! If you don’t know my name, excuse me will do. Now fuck off!”

I’ve managed to get Friday afternoon off work so I can chill with Nat in the because I will be occupied with Gaz’s wedding over the weekend. Might just go into notts or maybe Derby and get some dinner in ze evening.

Ooooh!!! The new series of FoneJacker starts on the 5th of July!! I seriously cannot wait for that as it always gets hearty belly laughs out of me. I’m a child at heart you see and a sucker for prank calls. “Good evening sir, my name is George Agdgdgwengo and I am calling from your bank…” Classic!!

In other news, I’ve been thinking about writing a short story. I’ve been loving the work of Philip K Dick recently and it has inspired me to do a kind if PKD-esque type sci-fi story with a little bit of Being John Malkovich thrown in. Sound odd? Well a lot of Dick’s work is quite weird and usually very complicated. For those of you not aware who he is, Philip K Dick is the writer responsible for A Scanner Darkly, Total Recall, Minority Report and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Better known as Blade Runner).

I only have ideas as far as now but here they are… tell me what you think.

Evan is an average man, works a steady job, has a wife, children, all the usual stuff but he has an overwhelming sense that he is being watched. He can’t prove what he suspects but he finds himself looking over his shoulder to see no one and feels a presence in rooms in which he is surely alone. But when his family is brutally murdered the psychological and emotional trauma leads him to discover the unimaginalble and he soon discovers that being watched is just the tip of the iceberg. He discovers that he, among countless others are the unknowing subjects of a global experiment designed to compormise all aspects of personal privacy.

Can Evan uncover the truth of his family’s murder before the shadowy figures running the experiment silence him permanently? How can he out-run an enemy who knows his every move even before he makes it?

That kinda shit! What do you think?

Comments please

Ta ta.

Hey people, Long time!

So how have you been? Awesome… yeah I’m good thank you.

So yeah… what have I been up to… not a lot really I’ve been out a few times and this and that… Oh yeah!! I now have all 9 seasons of the X-Files!!! Fantastic viewing! Seen a lot of films since my last post too. I’ll go into them at a later date as I plan on posting here more often again but on with todays order of business first…

The Weather, of all things, is whats prompted me to write this. It fucking sucks! Lene Is stranded in Ironville (well, Codnor Park) because all roads are blocked due to water “up to ya car windows, at least”. I don’t believe for one minute in the whole “biblical” apocolypse but I do, whole heartedly beleive that a large number of us will one day be snuffed out by nothing more than a spot of bad weather a’la The day after Tomorrow.

I didn’t go to santa pod at the weekend because I had not interest in camping in some muddy ass deluge to see cars not run down the strip because it’s wet. Instead I cooled out with Nat on saturday and watched the 40 year old virgin. That was fun. I also had a look in Rollersnakes at some trainers I’m gonna buy next month.

Look!

I like them because they are very very similar to the classic Emerica Reynolds V1 which I had a pair of in Navy and Yellow a long while ago. They were the best pair of trainers I’ve ever owned!! Now they are £70 which is a lot but when your mama says that she’ll give you £50 towards them it kinda softens the blow!! The RollerSnakes shop was a load better than I remembered it too, I’ll have to go back when I have more time and root around properly. I wanna buy a new pair of jeans too cos My weight loss program is working a treat…. My jeans are all about falling off me now!

I went to watch Fantastic4: Rise of the silver surfer with Nat last week week too. That was a good film. Good effects and a fun, action packed story. Lawrence Fishbourne as the voice of the surfer was fantastic too!! It did the (Nearly) impossible and was a sequel that bettered it’s original. Now I can but hope and pray that Die Hard 4.0 is a fraction as good as the ones before it. Somehow I doubt that it will be, as a very drunk Bruce Willis said at a recent Nicks game, “better than the first movie!”

Anyway… I’ll call it a day on this one. Like I said, I’ll try and get back into posting regularly again. Also… Leave me lots of nice comments on my past posts too cos in the recent hosting fiasco I lost all your past ones

Ta ta.

Well. where to begin? I was told today that in my next wage packet I’ll recieve a £250 bonus! It’s a good job I was sitting down I tell thee! So instantly began mulling over what I should spend the money on… I could use it to pay bills but thats just boring. An Xbox…A Nintendo Wii…. a PSP… hmmm, a digital camera? All good I thought but I can’t really justify buying any of those items. I’m not in the house enough to have a games console and I’m not killing time enough to have a PSP. I can borrow a Digital camera whenever I want one so I can’t justify that either.

So back to square one. Then it hit me. DOWNLOAD TICKET!! Best of both worlds you see. I get my download ticket without spending any of my wages and I can put a hundred quid towards bills and stuff and live comfortably. Now all I have to worry about is the medical costs incurred by the damage I do to my liver and lungs while at download. This is, however, an afterthought and I don’t care much for afterthoughts.

So I’m borrowing a tent, I have a sleeping bag I’ll buy up as much booze as I can and gather a reasonable size cache between now and then as well. I’m gonna borrow a 2 Second tent!! I’ll wait til everyone else is struggling with their tents and pols and ropes and shit and then just deploy mine, crack open a beer and laugh.

Last night I went with Nate and Trig to Sheffield so Trig could check out a 200SX. Nate’s got this new bit of kit that warns you if there are speed cameras or possible mobile camera sites in the area. It’s pretty decent but does have some annoying things. Like it detects cameras on roads you aren’t even driving on if they’re near enough and it also warns you about cameras that aren’t even on your side. Could be a life saver though, or at least a license saver. But yeah we go to this guy’s house on what appeared to be the most friggin ghetto crime zone of an estate ever and the 200 was parked on the road. It was in incredible condition, with the exception of the leather upholstery which looked like it had been… erm… well used. It also seemed to run pretty well, especially seeing as it had done 120,000 miles. The engine bay was spotless. The only concern I had was a slight tapping coming from the back of the head as it reved and as it was cold. Seeing as Trig is pretty much going to have the engine rebuilt or put a new block in there all together this didn’t matter too much. He gave the dodgy lumberjack lookin guy £100 of his finest English pounds and walked off with a receipt. It’s being MoT’d today and if it passes Trig will go and pick it up tonight… and will be dead by Monday, the way he drives.

While on the subject of Sheffield, my post yesterday is still hugely relevant it seems. SheffieldForum now has a WHOPPING 40 page thread all about this and the thread I started on FlashMosh is now on it’s 3rd page. It appears to be split right down the middle as well with some people saying that it was totally unjustified and the cop should be punished and the other half, my half, are saying that he was right, if a little heavy handed. But yeah, enough of that.

Tomorrow, I will be going to Notts for Kym’s birthday although I will be driving as not to incur many costs… I’m driving Nate down and possibly back as well if he doesn’t share a cab with the rest of them.

Ta Ta Peasants!

Well, I look at the news and what do I see. A Sheffield Police Officer has been removed from public duty while an inquest into an incident outside the Niche Nightclub some 7 months ago.

Check out the BBC news story.

As a member on the Sheffield Forum (I did my HND at Hallam) I thought I’d better address this and put forward my opinion, which is as follows:

This is based on what I have seen from the news story, I obviously don’t know any person involved with this so only have the publicly available facts.

This girl was seen to be acting aggressively inside the club and was rightly ejected by the bouncers. An argument then started but was ended fairly quickly. The girl then went and began to vandalise the doorman’s car. She was seen doing this and was restrained, again, rightfully. Around this time the police arrive on the scene. PC Mulhall attempted to restrain her at the top of the stairs in a calm, professional manner but the suspect struggled and attempted to run. At this time PC Mulhall grabbed the suspect and they both stumbled down the stairs. The suspect then resisted some more, visibly thrashing about. at this time a few more officers come to help Mulhall restrain her.

Now, because of the officers involved, the camera’s view becomes obscured but in his statement PC Mulhall said: Ms Comer had tried to grab his genitals and knee, and that he had punched her to subdue her and then to “deaden her arm”

The suspect, Ms. Toni Comer, has said that although her memory of the incident is vague at best, she was, to the best of her knowledge in the grip of an epileptic fit at the time the incident took place.

People have been very quick to judge PC Mulhalls actions but although I suppose he could have shown more restraint and perhaps punching wasn’t the best reaction, I don’t see him as a guilty party in the least.

Consider this: The girl was, by her own admission, agressive and drunk. She admitted damaging the car and triggering the call to the police. She resisted arrest, quite violently and on more than one occasion attempted to flee.

The police officer had to assume the worst, that she may have a weapon, because this, after all, was at Niche Nightclub. Anyone familiar with Sheffield will know that Niche has had a very tarnished reputation for violence and weapons for many years and has been raided by armed police at least once.

The most important fact to consider is that she was violently attacking the man’s genitals. I defy any of you lads to maintain a completely cool head when some drunk violent girl is grabbing at your genitals with full force. In my eyes the Officer simply reacted with a reflex, instinctively striking her arm to make her let go of his testicles.

In hindsight, should he have punched her? No, probably not but let’s think about the job police have to do. They have to make split second decisions while under extreme stress. Having to do this while having your testicles squeezed and grabbed, quite painfully is going to be nigh on impossible.

I’m not saying he should be praised for his actions but to haul him over the coals for it is simply absurd!

And as if by magic, the city’s race relations officer steps in and instantly turns it into a racial matter. this is instantly going to make PC Mulhall’s case 100times harder to fight because this criminal (I’ll call her what she is) has now been pretty much turned into a martyr. The Race relations officer drew comparisons to the Rodney King case in LA in the early 90s. Rodney King for fucks sake!! Like a man lashing out because his bollocks were grabbed is in any way similar to 2 officers beating a non violent man to death with batons.

What it boils down to is the fact that police officers are ill equipped in this country to deal with criminals as they exist today. If Toni Comer was blasted with a tazer or made to look down the barrel of a glock, I don’t think she would have resisted do you?

This country is a fucking circus! We’re becoming more of a laughing stock than the USA and that says something!

Anyway, rant over. I think I will be going to Notts on Saturday for Kym’s birthday, although I will be driving. The arrival of a £146 gas bill this morning means I’ll have to take it easy on the old spending. oh well, these things happen.

I really want to go to Brum for Kirsty’s party tomorrow and I would if it was simply a house party, because they’re pretty cheap but they’re planning on going to anarchy for the all nighter which I simply can’t afford so I’ll give it a miss this week.