26.point.1

Jimmy Eat World

// February 26th, 2008 // No Comments » // Reviews

At the Leeds University Refectory - 22nd February 2008.

Jimmy Eat World are one of my all time favourite bands. Can’t say plainer than that, since their rerelease “Jimmy Eat World” album back at the start of the decade they have no put a foot wrong - “Futures” was an amazing collection of tracks and “Chase the Light” again delivered anthems that I relate to on a day to day level. So, getting to see these guys for the second time in a year was an amazing opertunity.

So, that they came to Leeds and they managed to almost… ALMOST… make the Leeds Refectory sound half decent is indeed much real praise for them, as it is globally recognised that the Leeds Refectory is the worst music venue in the world. There are huts in deepest Africa that are both cooler, and have better acoustics than the shithole that is the Leeds Uni Refectory. And did I mention the big stupid pillars that obscure the views of anyone on the stage?

But JEW were brilliant, they hit a few duff notes if I’m honest, and played a few too many tracks that weren’t from “Chase the Light” - it was the “Chase the Light tour” after all… But apart from these small things, they played a blinding set! The crown was mostly rocking along (with the exception of Ryan) and even James had a godo time. Great night. Shit Venue.

Alcohol is bad. Definately.

// February 21st, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

Well, the morning after the night before I can say that the after effects of getting trashed two nights in a row really aren’t that great. I haven’t really crashed yet, but I keep burping red bull and my vision is more than a little blurry. On the plus side, last night was still a great night - a night where I tried red bull for the first time (didn’t at all effect me like I thought it would), got told that I came off as a really great boss, got told by random student girls that I looked like a student and could have been 22 years old (think they were very pissed themselves), and … well, was just an amazingly good night.

Here’s to more like it… just maybe without the headache.

alcohol is good…isn’t it?

// February 21st, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

pissed as I write this, 5 pints of cider, 2 jeager bombs & 2 sambukas almost had me in the beds of two students this wet Wednesday evening. Is this a good thing? no idea… just glad, that rationale has kept me in my cold single bed :(

Under the weather…

// February 19th, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

Can someone tell me how the weather can go from balmy wonderfulness, with sun and pleasant breezes to this, in 2 days?

The good old English weather is great isn’t it!

Anyway, I’m actually under the weather in another way too - I spent what felt like an hour yesterday at a local doctors registering for their service - filled out 37 forms and filled my little urine sample bottle. All very exciting. The reason being that a couple of months ago I had this mental sneeze that just took me by surprise and in the wake of it my right arm started tingling with quite ferocious intensity. I originally thought I was having a heart attack, but when the pain slowly faded I was releived.

Anyway, this has happened a few more times since and a couple of weeks ago my tongue started to go numb at the tip - again, very distressing. Though possibly not so much as thinking your heart is about to explode and that your arm might drop off. Anyway, having Googles these conditions the general internet consensus is that it’s probably trapped nerves or Multiple Sclerosis (the irony of the latter would not be appreciated, me being Mathew Stephen Pallatt, and also being a Multiple Sclerosis Person).

So, instead of downloading an “untrap your own nerve” PDF file from the internet and having a friend carve me up, I’ve decided to bite the bullet and go see a medical practitioner. Not something I’m normally happy doing. But I think that this time the long term benefits might outweigh the short term scaryness.

I hope.

Weight a second…

// February 11th, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

Well, after great results in the first month of the year we’re half way through the second month and I’m happy to report that after gorgin myself for the first 2 weeks of the month - I’m absolutely no heavier than I was at the start of the period. Of course I’m absolutely no lighter, but as I’ve spent the last 2 weeks eating pancakes and burgers that’s not a real surprise.

Having weighed myself today I’m officially redoubling my efforts for the next half of the month and have re-”goaled” myself to have lost 8lbs by the end of the month - which will mean I’ll have lost 29lbs in 2008.

Good luck to me!

Juno

// February 8th, 2008 // 1 Comment » // Reviews

As you can probably tell by a cursory glance over this page I’m not someone who is prone to thinking things are “okay”… Or at least when I do, I’m not really in the habit of writing about them. This is because I’m all about the passion - and “okay” isn’t really passion worthy. So, you probably expect grand sweeping statements of love or loathing… However, the following statements only go a small way to describe how I feel about Juno, as to put into words the pure brilliance of this movie is impossible.

Juno is the best film of the last 10 years.

Okay, maybe that’s a little extreme.

Juno is the best film of the last 5 years.

Sounds a little better.

Actually, to be honest I’m not sure what the timescale is, but Juno is the best film that I’ve seen in living memory - it’s like a combination of every great movie I’ve seen in recent times, and is completely reminiscent of none of them.

As a side note, I’m completely in love with Ellen Page - it’s a horrid fact and true. If only she existed in a body 10 years older and had really low standards then I might have found the most perfect woman in the world…

But this isn’t about one woman, it’s about a movie which manages to hit every note pitch perfectly - it’s funny, it’s heartwarming, it’s surprising, it’s glorious. Not once from start to finish does it (or ANY of the fantastic cast) put a foot wrong as it tells the kooky love story of the crazy Juno, her family, friends and the life inside her.

If this were Desert Island Discs and I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life, it would be this one. This movie is absolutely perfect in every way possible - including the soundtrack, which is amazing too.

10/10 (11 if it was possible)

I’m published…

// February 8th, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

…or something… I got into work this morning to an email from an apparently “established” internet city guide from the UK - Schmap… They’ve apparently seen a lovely photo of mine on Flickr that they want to use in their guide.

This means that as of today my most excellent random snap of the Plymouth Gin tower can be seen at Schmap. Go see!

Wall movement…

// February 7th, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

It seems the wall problem that I’ve been having is about to be sorted…

Having gone through three different “maintenence managers” in a month at my letting agents, it seems the latest one - Gaynor - has managed to broken a truce. My landlord is buying me wine to keep me sweet and stop me taking him to court for the serious illnesses I’m bound to have contracted living in this mould infested hovel, and is also going to send in some nice men with hammers and paint to make the problem go away.

So all in all it turns out that my patience has paid divenends. Until LS1 phone back next week and tell me it’s all off that is…

I almost didn’t eat in January…

// February 7th, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

Well, I did, though the sums would suggest not.

As I said previously, I lost 21lbs of weight in January - now presuming this is all fat, and that I haven’t dropped a stone in muscle (hard to imagine that with my weedy arms) - and taking the words over at “weightlossresources.co.uk” as gospel…

“To shift 1lb of body fat, you need to ‘lose’ 3500 calories.”

That would mean that in January I didn’t eat 21 x 3500 calories. This is 73,500 calories that I abstained from or worked off at the gym. The recommended daily intake for a man is 2500 calories a day, for 31 days. This is 77,500 calories… Minus one from the other and in January this means I consumed a grand total of 4,000 calories. This is one and a half days food.

Greg pointed this out to me this morning, and I’m not sure it’s a good thing.

Flat and round

// February 6th, 2008 // No Comments » // Random Stuff

Yesterday was Shrove Tuesday. Last night I ate pancakes… I love pancakes.