TV: The Virtual Revolution, How 20 years of the web has reshaped our lives

BBC site

A 4-part documentary series on the BBC hosted by Dr. Aleks Krotoski.

From the BBC site: The presenter “is an academic and journalist who writes about and studies technology and interactivity. She completed her PhD thesis in Social Psychology at the University of Surrey at the end of 2009, examining how information spreads around the social networks of the World Wide Web. As well as presenting The Virtual Revolution, Aleks also writes a column for The Guardian newspaper, and hosts Tech Weekly, their technology podcast. She blogs on the Guardian Unlimited network.”

Aleks’ web site

TV: The Good Wife

Another good US-produced drama series.

Wikipedia entry
Official site

The queen of TV bookclubs, Amanda Ross

 As Amanda Ross launches her new TV Book Club, the woman who made Richard & Judy the most powerful couple in publishing talks to Alex Clark
(Guardian interview)

The TV Book Club

The secret of outstanding leadership

A major new study says an obsessive focus on people, rather than a rod of iron, is the key to navigating tough times.
(Guardian article about the Work Foundation’s report “Exceeding Expectation: the principles of outstanding leadership”)

TV: Mo

Julie Walters plays Mo Mowlam in a Channel 4 drama.

Guardian article

Book/TV: Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape

Saw the first of this 3-episode series a couple of weeks back. Great TV.

Publisher web site

Video re the book of the series:

Video clip from the first episode here.

One last Thing... Gordon Ramsay

Sweary chef Gordon Ramsay bites his tongue as Rich Pelley dishes nonsense on laughter lines, puffins and 'women's work'
(Guardian feature)

Sunday stuff

Church in the morning. Lots of old choruses which was great to be reminded.

Lunch at home and then Isaac and I watched the Man Utd / Arsenal match at Sue and Anthony’s. Great match with Man Utd playing really well including an amazing moment of skill from Nani.

Lark Rise to Candleford continues to be a good watch on a Sunday evening.

Saturday at home

Most chilled day of the year so far with Isaac, Hannah and I staying in all day. Isobel is at Euro Disney from yesterday through to end of Monday. Very quiet without her.

Football: Torquay 1 - 2 Bradford (League 2)

First good result for a while.

Substitute Gareth Evans hit two goals in the final 10 minutes as Bradford snatched a dramatic victory.
(BBC match report)

Football: Liverpool 2 - 0 Bolton (Premier League)

Liverpool moved a point behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a win over Bolton at Anfield.
(BBC match report)

Football: Wolverhampton 0 - 0 Liverpool (Premier League)

Liverpool's inconsistency returned with a vengeance as they were held to a draw by a valiant Wolves at Molineux.
(BBC match report)

Isaac’s Parents Evening at School

Another good report for Isaac with mostly green and a couple of yellows for being ahead of or on target re progress to date. Discussions with 3 of the teachers. Isaac has been included in the gifted and talented group.

In praise of… world histories

Guardian article that references the current BBC series A History of the World in 100 Objects

Isobel 9 today

Time marching on, Isobel being 9 today and growing up quickly.

Rachael’s 40th birthday

Rachael loved her Pandora bracelet and charms. Other family members also bought her additional charms, including a safety catch.

After church, the family and Grandma Jean had a birthday lunch at the Bar and Grill near Showcase. Very chilled with everyone enjoying the food.

Lazy rest of the day.

Saturday stuff

Started the day with Isaac at the Men’s Breakfast at Gateway for local churches. Good breakfast and discussion led by Warren with the following questions on the back of an Aaron and Hur passage:-

1. who can be a mentor to me?
2. who can I be a mentor for?
3. consider God’s purposes for your life?
4. what needs to change?

Isaac and I went to M&S to get a birthday cake for Rachael after shopping at Tesco for Thai chicken curry items.

Isobel had her birthday party with 4 friends at home. Grandma Jean helped Rachael while Isaac and I went to the cricket club to watch the Chelsea/Preston FA Cup tie – very one-sided, 2-0 to Chelsea.

All of us went off to Costco to get a birthday cake for church tomorrow to celebrate Rachael’s birthday.

I cooked the Delia Thai chicken curry for Rachael as part of her birthday treats.

Football: Lincoln City 2 - 1 Bradford (League 2)

Lincoln extended their winning run to three with a 2-1 victory over luckless Bradford, now without a win in six.
(BBC match report)

Not going well still.

Obituary: John Berry, commercial artist

Commercial artist best known for his work on the Ladybird People at Work series

 
Guardian obituary
The Wee Web page

Life Group: Meeting Notes: Go Fish #2

2nd in Andy Stanley’s recent series titled “Go Fish”. 1st one back at the Barrows after the birth of their 4th child.

Played the talk in a number of parts and discussed the content after each part. Good discussion with Ben, Dave, Tracey. Joly and I.

Ben shared about his decision to leave work and join the Burn full time.

Football: Liverpool 2 - 0 Tottenham (Premier League)

There is hope . . .

Liverpool made up crucial ground in the race for the Premier League's fourth place with victory over Tottenham at Anfield.
(BBC report)

Dinner with work colleagues

A great dinner at Valentino’s in Bingley with work colleagues and supplier staff from the main project I am working on at the moment. I had mixed Italian meats, salmon, cassata and capuccinos (plural). Lots of music talk!

Football: Bury 2 - 1 Bradford (League 2)

Bury held on for a win against Bradford to lift themselves into the League Two automatic promotion places.
(BBC match report)

Obituary: Bill McLaren, Scottish rugby union commentator

Nana and I used to love watching ruby matches together when Bill was commentating.

BBC obituary
Guardian obituary
Wikipedia entry

Wolfgang Simson videos on the Starfish Manifesto

A big fan of Wolfgang’s writing. These videos should be worth a watch.

Via

Sunday Chilling

A rare treat as we went out for Sunday lunch. Went to Harvesters at White Rose, Good food and very chilled.

Quiet rest of the day. Watched the 3rd and final episode of the 2nd series of Wallander.

Saturday Shopping

Rainy day so thaw quickening. Went to White Rose with Isaac to get Rachael’s 40th presents sorted. Isaac played a blinder and his rabbiting on helped me get some great things - he was primed by Rachael about Pandora bracelet and charms etc. Lunch at KFC after booking Rachael’s birthday lunch for next Sunday.

Although I had Will’s Bradford City season ticket, I didn’t get to use it as the game was cancelled.

Watched So You Think You Can Dance.

Isaac stayed up late and we watched Live at the Apollo (Micahel McIntyre was great on wine in restaurants and herbs and spices in home cupboards) and Match of the Day (great goal keeping by the Hull keeper to keep a clean sheet, a number of world class saves).

The forgotten world of pre-rock pop music

Conventional wisdom has it that pop music began in the 1950s, but as early as the 1920s, dance bands were soundtracking British life in the same way
(Guardian article, includes links to YouTube videos)

Football: Stoke 1 - 1 Liverpool (Premier League)

Stoke's Robert Huth denied boss Rafael Benitez a vital victory with a dramatic last-minute leveller against Liverpool.
(BBC report)

Thought this was going to be a good result only to be denied at the very end. Very disappointing again.

Film: 3 Idiots

This film is the highest grossing Bollywood movie of all time.

Trailer:

Official site
Wikipedia entry

The Bollywood conundrum
India's latest blockbuster, 3 Idiots, has broken box-office records around the world – but it won't even make a dent in the British mainstream. Former Bollywood fan Nirpal Dhaliwal has a fair idea why
(Guardian article)

Film: Still Walking

Trailer:

Official site
Wikipedia entry

Film: A Prophet

Trailer:

Wikipedia entry
Official site (French)

Dinner at Vicars, Saltaire

Weather finally improving after all the snow and ice. Work car park still icy this morning.

Got a lift to Vicars in the minibus for an HCC Dinner for elders/ trustees and team leaders. Arrived at 8pm.

Great food. I had prawns in tomato, stilton and broccoli soup, chicken and apricot wrapped in bacon, pear and ginger crumble with custard followed by coffee upstairs..

Saw the Vicars book club advertised on a blackboard in the restaurant – called Cover To Cover.

Home at 11:45. Great night.

Music: Daisy Dares You

New singer featured in this “First Sight” series article in The Guardian.

BBC Sound of 2010
MySpace
Wikipedia entry

TV: Glee

New drama from the US.

Trailer:

Wikipedia entry
Fox site
Guardian article

TV: Survivors (Series 2)

This series started this week. Good to have it back. See this previous blog post.

Catch up on series 1:

Series 2 trailer:

Interview with series creator:

A criticism of social networking online

Read this Guardian piece with interest but do not agree totally. There does need to be a balance of virtual and real world interactions.

Children of the virtual world

 At home, at school, on the bus – Evan Baden's photographs show that wherever they are, kids are hooked up to hi-tech gadgets. But should we waste time worrying about it?
(Guardian article)

 
Other pictures from the Guardian article

Recipe: Thai-style chicken soup with lime (and other citrus recipes)

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipes

Recipe: Philadelphia Smoked Salmon Tagliatelle

Recipe

TV ad:

Football: Liverpool 1 - 2 Reading (FA Cup)

An extra-time goal from Shane Long capped a stunning comeback from Championship strugglers Reading as they knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup.
(BBC match report)

350 years since Samuel Pepys’s first diary entry

Guardian article
Times article
Pepys diary
Wikipedia entry

Sunday activities

Up early for All Age Worship. Not a bad turnout given the weather still being not good.

Family WII session in the afternoon. Hannah won the bowling, she is very good!

Out for the first Culture Club session of the year – watching and discussing the Rachel Getting Married film.

Home in time to watch the 2nd episode of Wallander.

Culture Club: Film, Rachel Getting Married

Good turn out (Sue, Anthony, Dave, Mark, Eryl, Tracey, Christine plus ?, John).

Info on the film and the session here.

Good discussion with  most people chipping in. Enjoyed the film.

In praise of… priceless information

Guardian article about the UK government opening up access to information owned by them including OS maps and postcode data.

Leo Tolstoy: the forgotten genius?

Leo Tolstoy is widely considered in the west to be the greatest writer of all time and this year sees the release of a film, The Last Station, to mark the centenary of his death. So why is his native Russia lukewarm about the literary genius?
(Guardian article)

Is Tolstoy the greatest writer of all time? What do today's novelists think of the great Russian author Leo Tolstoy?
(Guardian article)

Wikipedia entry

Busy Saturday

Snow continuing to lie and be added to. Really glad of the 2 days off without having to take the kids to school and get to work,

Went out to Tesco for some food shopping, mainly bhaji stuff.

Lots of time doing All Age Worship slides for tomorrow’s session.

Out to church to hear Josh and Bevin Bold speak about their work in Kurdistan on the Iraq/Iran border. This was a Burn event.

UK covered in snow

This NASA photo was mentioned by Five Live Drive last night on the way home (click the photo for a larger one).

Car trouble

So first day back to work and school after the holidays and the car wouldn’t start in the snow and ice. Called Green Flag, took 15 minutes to get through but a local garage was here very quickly. New battery required. Got it replaced at Kwik Fit at the Bradford city centre end of Toller Lane. Ania collected me from there while I left the car to get sorted and she gave me a lift back. Car now starting great.

TV: Wallander

2nd series of 3 episodes started tonight. Starting to get a bit dark and depressing.

Trailer:

Wikipedia entry
BBC site

All Age Worship planning

First planning session of the year with not much time as we are “on” next Sunday morning. Planned at ours after lunch with Ben, Ann and Dave. The theme was “prepared” as the next mark of a disciple in our series.

TV: Flash Forward

Missed this series when it was broadcast recently. Tried to see it on the web via Five’s iplayer but it started mid series. However, the first 10 episodes were broadcast on Fiver on New Year’s Day. Started watching them today with Rachael. We both got pretty instantly hooked. The remainder of the series resumes in March.

Trailer:

Wikipedia entry
Official site

Football: Reading 1 - 1 Liverpool (FA Cup)

BBC report

Not a great performance from Liverpool but at least they did not lose the game.

Football: Bradford 1 - 1 Cheltenham (League 2)

BBC report

A home draw after 3 home defeats and another man sent off. Isaac was at this game.

Audrey Tautou Chanel No 5 Commercial

Wikipedia entry for Audrey Tatou

Present Sense: village group exports recycled gift idea worldwide

Saw this in a pre-Christmas edition of The Guardian.

Guardian article
Present Sense

Obituary: John Lawson; Leading stained-glass artist whose work was in demand all over the world

John Lawson, who has died of cancer aged 77, was one of the leading stained-glass artists of his generation. He designed glorious windows not only in Westminster Abbey and many other British cathedrals and churches, but also in mosques, palaces and hotels as far afield asDubai, Oman and Brunei. For the last three decades of the 20th century he was chief artist for the internationally renowned Goddard & Gibbs Studios.
(taken from the Guardian obituary)

Film: Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs

The latest Movies for Juniors film that we watched as a family. Loved the jelly bears!

Trailer
Wikipedia entry

Film: Home Alone 2

Evening meal of Chinese takeaway and Domino’s pizza while watching Home Alone 2 from the recently acquired 4-film collection.

Trailer:

Wikipedia entry

Aborted walk

I took the kids out to get some fresh air and exercise. Went round Lister Park on the normal circuit. Kids wanted to play on the playground when we started but by the time we got there after part of the walk we only stayed for 5 minutes as we were all complaining about the bitter cold. Still good to get out though. Snow still lying.

iPod dock

Rachael put up my Christmas present of an under-kitchen cabinet iPod dock, CD/radio player. Great to be able to play the iPod at the touch of a button when doing chores.

Film: Talk To Her

Missed this 2002 film early in the decade.

Via

Trailer:

Wikipedia entry