Gattaca

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Drama

Review at Bag of Spoons

Batman Begins

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

Review of this locally filmed action film on Bag of Spoons

Assorted films from a long flight

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Other

One of the benefits of a long flight is a chance to catch up on films I missed. Reviews on my blog of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Sin City and Unleashed.

Miami October 2005

Yes that is a plasma screen

Here for a few days for work. Very hot. I'm staying at the Marlin Hotel on South Beach. Somehow I ended up with a huge suite. I later learned that the hotel belongs to the founder of Island record and has a couple of recording studios as used by Aerosmith, Prince and others. So who knows who may have stayed in this room.

Update 30/10: Added a few pictures to show how the area looked after Wilma passed through. I was very glad to get out before then

Recording your travels and other things

I've been looking at 43 Places as
another way of logging where I have been. You can add comments and
pictures as well as seeing what others think. There's a Flash map that
shows countries you have visited.



The site is part of a group that also includes:



43 things - for things that you want to do/learn



All Consuming - to log books,
music, films etc that you are consuming or have consumed. I've played
around with a couple of other sites that log books, but this is one of
the best



I will continue recording these things here and on my blog, but this sort of site makes it easier to see what others are up to. It's part of the wonderful world of social software

Lost our wedding group

I just got some more slideshows to upload and our group seems to have vanished.



Is it just me?



I'm making enquiries.

Secret Drumming

For some time I've been wanting to do something musical. I dabble on the
guitar and piano, but lack anyone to collaborate with. Saying that, I have
been teaching Tilly the piano and accompanying her when she plays the violin she has just
started at school.

Through the Herts Linux User Group I met
Malcolm who is involved with
Secret Bass drumming
group. Today I got around to attending a meeting. This involved finding a small
village in darkest Hertfordshire down twisting lanes, but I got there. The venue
is a wonderful straw-bale structure in the woods.

There were six of us there with
myself as the only complete beginner. I was taught the basic techniques and we
worked on a Senegalese tune they had picked up from another group. I was pleased to
find I could pick it up quite fast and even keep up with the others. Someone had
brought along a small metal drum that he started to demonstrate and a jam ensued,
complete with some dancing. Then we did a bit of Swahili singing! I know it all
sounds a bit new-age, but I really enjoyed it. I'm sure my hands will be sore
tomorrow.

I intend to go along again.