Last night I watched the movie Traffic. I saw it at the cinema when it was first out, but we bought it second hand at a car boot sale, and settled down to watch it. Does anyone else think that this movie is just really really bad? I mean, its well shot, its got some great camera angles (particularly when the helicopter lands in Mexico with Michael Douglas's character in it and when the car bomb goes off), and its got some good use of slightly coloured lenses (not excatly the most innovative thing in the world, but hey, I didn't think of it). My problem is with the plot(s). Its just one of the most cliched and reactionary movies I've ever seen.

First off, I HATE the plot with Michael Douglas and his daughter, which relies on almost every possible cliche out there. Rich kid, ignored by parents, does some drugs, gets addicted, clashes with parents, runs away from home. She's so desperate for her next fix she starts banging her drug dealer and moves into prostitution. Finally she is saved only because her parents learn to listen. Heartwarming stuff! And of course you twin this with ole Michael's character - father with important job is away from home a lot, something awful happens to family, father has to re-evaluate, father learns that family is more important and that all he needs to do is listen. Could it be any more heavy-handed? And that awful last scene where the daughter stands up in the rehab centre, suddenly taking it seriously, and can at least get through the day because, well, at least everybody listens. Uuurrrghhhh.
I'd like to see a movie where the straight A student takes drugs, but because they're a straight A student, and therefore assumed to be quite intelligent, they don't get addicted, carry on getting straight As and have a great time. I hate the horrible assumption that illegal = bad. Douglas's wife makes the point that his whiskey habbit is just as much an addiction as anything their daughter does, but then this point is dropped, because, you know, thats legal, and "it just takes the edge off", so it must be ok then.

Secondly, I hate the Catherine Zeta Jones plot line too. There's some good moments, and in general its not too bad (my personal hatred for Zeta-Jones not withstanding). However, the ending just ruins it for me. The drug barron escapes, the cop-who-lost-his-partner comes round to confront him and in the ensuing scuffle, he manages to plant a bug underneath the table, and leaves with a small smug smile of self-satisfaction. The message being "don't fuck with the DEA because in the end they will get their man". The film just couldn't help needing to show that this bad bad man wasn't going to get away with it for ever. Warning kids, don't be attracted to this lifestyle, because eventually WE WILL GET YOU.

And of course, thats why the film won Oscars. Its a sheep dressed in wolf's clothing. Looks all inventive and clever from the outside. Seems like its saying revolutionary things (I'm thinking of Douglas's "How do you have a war against your own family" speech) and then just loses it balls, thinks "shit we better not upset those republican Oscar-voters" and cops out. So illegal drugs are bad, families should listen to each others, there is nothing wrong with a daily whiskey or five that you can't live without, and never ever think you can take on the mighty US of A because eventually they will get you and then you will go down. Utter shite.
- posted by Adam @ 9:41 am

 
Ok, so I get into work this morning and discover just the single best thing in the world (i'm not sure how to articulate heavy sarcasm using the written word, but thats what this is).
Anyway, a bit of background. for about 4 months I was working on a project to link an old bespoke billing system in with SAP. It sucked. The old system was a DOS wonder and by far the least useable software I've ever set eyes on (just as an idea, Ctrl-F5 was Copy, Alt-i was paste !?!?!?!!!!!) it was horrible. But I battled onwards and finally got something like the results they wanted. So now people can use the old system and each night an extract runs to update SAP.

So what do I discover today? That there is a separate project running to decommission the bespoke system entirely, and migrate it into a totally different billing system. *sigh* 4 months of my time, completely wasted. Weekends at work, banging my head against this crippling 25 year-old system for NO REASON AT ALL because all along there was another plan to just decommission it. And the worst thing: when I was first given the project, my first question was "why don't we just decommission it, and migrate all the data to a new system which is better" ... AAARRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ... its all too much sometimes.

- posted by Adam @ 11:18 am

 
Pixies Could Reform
Oh my god, that would just be too cool.
Although as the initial sheer excitement dies down a little, I'm beginning to think not all reunions are good. I mean, what if they got back together and just didn't cut it anymore? What if their new songs, horror of all horrors, were arse?
The pixies wrote 5 of the finest albums ever. Maybe its best to leave it that way? But how could I say no to new pixies material?? hmmm ...
Having discussed this with a few friends, one of them ventured forth a fantasy gig setlist, which, bar the admission of Hey! and Where Is My Mind (because they're too quiet!! huh, what does he know?) is a pretty good list. Just how good would this be:

Debaser (right out of the starting blocks)
Head On (ratchet it up another notch)
The Sad Punk (and evolving from the sea wouldn't be too much time for me to walk beside you in the sun)
Nimrod's Son (eclectic crowd pleaser)
I Bleed (break it down)
Here Comes Your Man (everyone's happy middle section)
Gigantic (everyone's happy middle section)
Velouria (getting somwhat more excited)
Tame (hips like cinderella)
Hang Wire (every morning and every day - I'll bossanova wit'cha)
Tony's Theme (stomping crowd pleasing build up to the finale)
Oh My Golly (stomping crowd pleasing build up to the finale)
U-Mass (stomping crowd pleasing build up to the finale)
Down to the Well (medley of greatness finale)
Is She Weird? (medley of greatness finale)
Gouge Away (medley of greatness finale)

Encore:

I've Been Tired

Second encore because it was just too wonderful:

The Happening (if they could pull this off I could die happy - "I'm almost there to Vegas where they're putting on a show they've come so far I've lived this long at least I must just go and say hello").
- posted by Adam @ 11:17 am

 
Actually, this morning, there is just this one thing I have to get off my chest. No biggie, but I hope you agree with me ...

Pet Hate: Darius Danesh. I caught the opening bars to "Colourblind" in the car this morning, and it just reminded me how utterly wrong this guy is. Here is the living embodiment of why second chances don't work out. After the whole "Baby One More Time" debacle (which I'm sure has won awards for the most cringe-worthy television ever) he should have put out of his misery. Taken into the courtyard, and executed there and then, as an example to others. There ya go Darius, feel the love now bitch. But no, he was allowed to return, and makes it to the last 3 in Pop Idol, where somehow his previous life as a goatee-bearded music torturer counted in his favour. And then, once it was over, and the record deals began rolling in, he stands there and says "no no, I will not do a cover version, I will write my own song" and promptly pens the single worst excuse for a song I have ever had the misfortune to hear. And people applaud him for not towing the record company line! Christ alive, I'd rather hear a rehashed, puked-all-over cover version of White Christmas than the abomination he eventually released. And all these people saying it was such a risk for him to release his own song. What the fuck? He'd spent 2 months on the conscience-invading plain of Pop Idol - he could have released an acapella cover of the muppet show, sung in Danish, and it would have got to number one. And actually I'd really rather he had. At least that would have had novelty value. So, Darius, your Ivor Novello award maybe some way off, but your "Adam's C*nt of the Week" award is in the post. Sheesh.

- posted by Adam @ 9:11 am

 
So is a blog posting about a blog a metablog?
I'm just not entirely sure what I should write here, and so I think I've settled on the idea of writing about what I should write here.
So firstly, I hate the word "Blog", but not as much as "Journal" or "WebLog", so I'm sticking with it for now. As soon as I come up with a better term, I'll start using it.
Secondly, should I consider an audience when writing a "blog" entry? I mean, I can hardly pretend that this is somehow a space for my private thoughts, and after all, if I wanted that, then I'd keep a diary*. So, whatever I'm writing, it has to be assumed that other people are going to read it. So does this fact alter what I chose to write up here? Do I feel, for example, more compelled to entertain? To enliven or interest? I certainly don't plan on any spill-my-guts honesty, because, and lets face it, if I was going to do that, then I'd sure as hell not do it in front of 10s of millions of strangers.
Nor do I really think this is a place to indulge in second rate poetry and hacky prose (not that I don't indulge in general, you understand, just not here)
So I guess whats left is occassional musings, thoughts and rants, which I guess is what a blog should be.
Given all that, what else is there left to know that is important to this:
1) I have owned the domain name www.wayoutwhere.com for over a year without actually getting webspace to use it with. I mean to very soon, which is why this is a Blog for a website that doesn't yet exist
2) I work at Cable & Wireless UK. You know those movies that are so bad they're funny? That's exactly like my working life.
3) I'm 27 a week tomorrow


- posted by Adam @ 10:14 pm

 
This is the first post of my new blog. Today I went to Bletchley. There were lots of teenage mums and people with 6 fingers there (very good swimmers, if you know what I mean). The offices in Bletchley have a pond in the gardens there, and a duck and some ducklings have taken up residence. Have you ever noticed how quickly ducklings grow? Puts human babies to shame to be honest. Sam - if you are reading this, then grow quicker, you lazy bastard.
- posted by Adam @ 6:42 pm