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Update 6/10/16: After a couple of email back and forward, Garmin have agreed there is a defect on their website but have not committed to a fix date. Oh well not a perfect result but I'll watch out for a fix.
Friday, 30 September 2016
Support Cause: Fix Garmin Online Service
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Support Cause: Heinz Sauce Packets
Heinz Feedback Form is hereFirstly, just for the record, I greatly enjoy many Heinz products but I particular enjoy your Tomato Ketchup. It is probably for this reason that I feel disappointed when anything gets between me and my Tomato Ketchup especially if I have some chips begging for some sauce but they can only sit and get cold.
My problem is the ‘rip and open’ packets which you use to ship your single-shot ketchup potions. I may be middle-aged but I regularly work out and I am often left frustrated at not being able to open these little packets. Heaven help anyone less able.
Surely with all the might of Heinz, the 1000’s of staff, it isn’t beyond the wit of man/woman to create a sauce packet which humans could open without resorting to ripping with their teeth. The tiny ‘rip point’ is simply rubbish.
Please put some of your smartest engineers to work on creating a solution which would enable your exasperated customers to get easy access to the wonderful product inside. What say you?
Thursday, 29 September 2016
Album Review: Passenger/Young as the Morning Old as the Sea
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It’s very clear that travelling is important to Mike Rosenberg and that reoccurring theme is always present usually in the context of love or lack thereof. The song after which the album is named manages to cram more places names into its lyrics than I’ve heard since I last played Risk. ‘Anywhere’ has a good beat and shows potential but is let down by its repetition. Many of the other tracks are fine, and that’s about it. The hushed vocals of Rosenberg never push the envelope and even when he has a full band supporting, they never seem to get a change to stretch themselves. Ultimately a pleasant affair which would sit nicely in the background however is unlikely to draw you away from other activities to come and listen. |
Film Review: Anthropoid
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On Wednesday nights I normally leave my London office punctual and head north by Train. Instead I thought I would stick around a little longer and catch Anthropoid. War movies are all about goodies beating the baddies, and hence my train journey would a little more blissful knowing our guys won the day. Oh how wrong I was. It’s December 1941 and Operation Anthropoid is the true story of 2 Czechoslovakians soldiers parachuting back into their homeland in attempt to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich. Heydrich is Hitler’s 3rd in command and was central to the development of program to solve the “Jewish problem”. Currently he is controlling Czechoslovakia with an iron fist and generally being nasty to everyone who gets in his way. These are dark times and although the film is a war story at heart, it is the relationships between the soldiers and the Resistance that is the central play. Although it may be slow in parts, the story is well told and you feel for the troubles experienced by the characters however this is not for a cheerful night out. It paints a desperate country in the clutches of Nazi occupation and there’s little to lighten the mood. |
Film Review: Girl with the Gifts
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Fact: Zombie movies are B-movies. Okay, there are a couple of exceptions such as World War Z and Zombieland but for some reason the movie industry is willing to pour bucket loads of money into a romantic comedy or a stag movie in Las Vegas, but not into some good quality flesh-eaters. I call this the “Bridget Jones effect”. Melanie is a 2nd generation zombie with some antibodies which could save the planet. The mad medic (Glenn Close) plans on scooping out her brain and slicing up her spinal cord to get at the good stuff. Of course not all humans share the medic’s viewpoint so lots of internal arguments commence. The story never quite makes sense since Melanie is not cured but still likes to rip open any non-zombie she can get her hands on. A vaccine made from these antibodies hardly seems like a cure everyone would be willing to put their life on the line for. In B-movie fashion, the acting is awful, the story in dumb (why on Earth would you walk through a pack of a 100 zombies to get a can of soup when you have the whole of London to explore) and almost everyone dies. If you like zombies then there’s some fun to be had but otherwise look elsewhere. |
Film Review: The Magnificent Seven
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First we had Seven Samurai then The Magnificent Seven and now The Magnificent Seven again. So you know the story. A group of pathetic and defenceless townsfolk enlist seven misfits and dropouts to rid themselves of a baddie, Bartholomew Bogue. Denzel Washington plays a great lead role who recruits the team while each of his misfits gets just enough script to understand their back story and what motivates them to undertake such a sure-death job. A great cast all-round, okay script and some impossibly silly gun slinging makes for a good couple of hours. |
Monday, 26 September 2016
Recipe: Chicken Laksa
Watching the Food Channel, I caught an episode of Jamie’s 15 minute meals in which he uses a squash as the base for a spicy noddle soup, Laksa. Since I’d never cooked a squash and never heard of a Laksa, it was time to give it a go.
What a list of ingredients for a ‘quick’ meal, and when you watch the video Jamie rattles through them so fast there is no way to keep up. So back ‘n forth I'd go trying to not miss anything. Even so, I skipped the coconut milk and limes although thankfully I'd laid out everything at the beginning and so spotted these during the clear-down.
Verdict: The laksa had a great blend of flavours, some of which were a little unusual for our household. Heather and Adam gave it the thumbs down, while the rest of us gave it a more positive reception. The chicken is particularly nice and the honey with sesame seeds is very eye catching. Watch you don't over cook the noddles since they will start to dissolve.
The recipe can be found here
Sunday, 25 September 2016
Recipe: Jaffa Cakes
At the weekend Mary and Paul turned up and set me a technical challenge to create some Jaffa cakes. Didn't look too difficult so dug out the jelly and chocolate and gave it a go.
Now we all know Mary (aka Win) loves to provide 'help' and 'direction' in the kitchen so it wasn't long before she was also elbow deep in chocolate.
Soon after Paul (aka Mark) had also rolled up his sleeves and was stroking the tops of the Jaffa Cakes, trying to get a smooth finish, using a cocktail stick.
Verdict: This is probably the most difficult recipe I've tackled so far. The fact that the "Great British Bake Off" used it to challenge contestants isn't surprising since although the ingredients are very simple the construction of the jaffa cake is tricky.
The final cakes were pleasant however the effort is not worth the outcome and I’ll be sticking to McVitie's in future.
The recipe can be found here
Saturday, 24 September 2016
Album Review: Bastille/Wild World
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As before, many tracks start with Dan Smith's vocals building up to heavy beat choruses. The album is peppered with the band playing with different sounds either from synths, old soundtrack or even just echo distortions. Lyrically the band may have even improved on their previous outing, with Currents and Lethargy coming over as my personal favourites. Two Evils is a much darker sound with just a guitar to back Dan’s haunting sound. It’s a lovely break from the normal Bastille sound, and acts as a gateway to several darker songs such as Four Walls (about capital punishment) and Blame (about a gang fight). Overall an excellent album and Bastille just keep getting better. |
Recipe: Chicken & chorizo jambalaya
My brother Mark was in town for a game at Anfield (a 4-1 win to Liverpool against Hull made his day) and since he's a bit of a chorizo fiend I thought I would try out this recipe.
Based on some recipe comments, I added some frozen peas and a extra bit of kick using my home-grown chilli flakes.
Verdict: Tastes very much like a paella. A little bit spicey for some of the family but with a little yogurt all ultimely enjoyed it.
The recipe can be found here
Competition: Win Loungewear
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Competition: Win Samsung S7 Edge
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Competition: Win Welsh Goodie Bag
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Thursday, 22 September 2016
Film Review: Hell Or High Water
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Imagine Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid but with the horses replaced with cars then you have Hell Or High Water. The story see a couple of brothers (Ben and Chris) decide to go on a bank robbing spree in order to raise some money fast. Ben, the brains, and Chris, the muscle, take on a near-to-retirement copper (come on script writers … do all older cops need to be retiring?), Mr. Clauson, as he goes on one last crusade to track them down. Mr Clauson’s banter with his Indian partner, Alberto, is often excellent and explores how white men view native Americians. Ben and Chris similarly have creative exchange of opinions and are always a pleasure to watch. Ultimately it’s a old story however with its strong script and performances it elevates itself above a straight retell. |
Film Review: The Infiltrator
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Wasn’t ‘Breaking Bad’ such an awesome series? And apart from the fantastic script, the playoff between Walter White and Jesse Pinkman as they built a drug kingdom had everything you could, and couldn’t, imagine. Bryan Cranston, who played Walter, hasn’t really tried too hard to break any possible type casting but has at least become a good guy in The Infiltrator. Here he is a cop trying to destroy a drug kingdom by going deep undercover and offering to laundering money for some of the most powerful drug lords. The story keeps you on edge as exposure is always a near and real danger. His make-believe fiancĂ©e (Diane Kruger) plays a great side-kick when undercover and could really do with a more central role. The film can be a little slow at times, and the end –game a little flat, however the journey has enough twists and turns to provide some enjoyment. |
Sunday, 18 September 2016
Recipe: Chocolate Malteser Pie
This recipe was shared by a friend, Karen, on Facebook and it was calling out to be tried. Could this possibly replace our famous banoffee pie? Let's find out.
The video didn't quite align with the instructions, so I have corrected the recipe in my version.
The recipe makes enough for a 26cm pie dish but I could only muster up a 22cm one which meant plenty of mixture was left over. So Sue, Adam and me peeled a few oranges and went fruit dipping. Oh how yummy ;)
Verdict: Woh! This is a seriously nice cake and the blend of the base, filling and cream work wonderfully.
The recipe can be found here
Support Cause: Lower university fees down to £3,000
A petition to lower university fees down to something more reasonable.
Petition here
Petition here
Saturday, 17 September 2016
Support Cause: Re-open A&E department to children at County Hospital, IMMEDIATELY
A petition to reopen the Stafford's hospital A&E to children and not just adults.
Petition here
Petition here
Album Review: King Creosote/Astronaut Meets Appleman
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Well, this album is exactly what I was hoping for when I started out on this mission to review 50 albums in a year. Grabbing a totally unknown artist (to me at least), then giving them a serious ear from start to finish, and finally falling for its graces. I’ve listened to this album about 6 times now and it continues to get stronger for me. King Creosote (Kenny Anderson) is from Fife, Scotland and he embraces his mellow Scottish accent throughout the album. Its starts with a couple of beautifully haunting numbers, You Just Want Me (you need to be spaced to watch this video) and Melin Wynt before throwing in the perfectly named upbeat Wake Up To This. On the downside, Faux Call is a muddle of instruments and doesn’t know what it is. Peter Rabbit Tea is 2 minutes 49 seconds repeating a sampled child’s voice saying ‘Peter Rabbit Tea’. Awful and no place in the middle of the album. Ultimately a somewhat mixed bag but with several strong numbers, particularly at the beginning, which deserves to have more listeners. Unfortunately though I need to score it down due to some weaknesses showing through. |
Friday, 16 September 2016
Film Review: Bridget Jones's Baby
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Opening night at a packed cinema with Sue and I feel in the minority. Behind me a group of 6 girls cackle. In front 3 smaller groups discussing shoes and shit. Thankfully I spot another guy, no doubt dragged by his girlfriend, sitting near the back. I’m only there ‘cause its free with my season pass. Bridget’s single but a bit of a tart. One minute she’s jumping on a stranger at a festival, the next she’s hooked up with an old flame. And now she’s up-the-duff. Bridget Jones’s Baby is an excellent return for our lovable and somewhat clumsy heroine. Situations are funny, jokes are plenty and you really feel for the different characters orbiting Bridget as she crashes through life. If you’re a girl, go see it. If you’re a bloke and want to meet girls, go see it. Otherwise just go see it. |
Thursday, 15 September 2016
Competition: Win an iPad Pro
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Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Film Review: Ben Hur (2016)
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When I recently tried the remake of Ghostbusters then I had half expected it to fall short because the original script had been so tight but with Ben Hur I had greater expectations. Okay the stuntmen wouldn't be putting their life on the line in quite the same way, but with modern film making and some impressive GCI I was onto a winner. Well not quite. For such an interesting story, director Bekmambetov, with a few exceptions, managed to sterilise the warmth between the Ben Hur royality. A luke warm script made some scenes drag on and you wished Judah Ben Hur would hurry up and get captured so we could have some real action. Much of the film making would feel quite at home as a TV movie where the viewing angles are such that crowd scenes never have more than 20 people. The Jesus story was lost on me and felt tacked on rather than important to the main purpose. Then just when you thought there was no hope, Morgan Freeman turns up. A sharp and powerful performance which helps to narrate happenings. The horse racing scenes are also a credit and pull you right into the action even if at one point a horse running through the crowd is rubbish CGI. |
Film Review: Bad Moms
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I eventually catch a break with a comedy film with Bad Moms. It’s not perfect but there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments as a group of mums bond over their fight back against the school’s over-controlling Head of PTA. Back-stabbing and under hand tricks ensure the silliness and pave the way for the underdogs to show everyone a better way and the inevitable good conquering bad finale. Occasionally it feels like you’re watching an episode of Loose Woman but it soon returns to the entertainment. Ghostbusters had the same problem, and script writers and actresses need to be careful that they don’t stereotype themselves when they play out girlie ‘chatty’ scenes. |
Thursday, 8 September 2016
Recipe: Mustard Chicken
This one was just a random pick from Mary Berry's Complete Cook book. For a moment I considered the tub of cream it would need then said sod it, diet starts tomorrow.
The recipe was quick and easy. I served with some brown rice.
Verdict: okay taste but I would prefer a bit more mustard, although wife and kids were happy with the mild flavour. I would suggest that you dont use brown rice since it tends to be a bit drier and the cream mustard sauce isn't really moist enough. Try mash potatoes or perhaps even white rice.
The recipe can be found here
Volunteer: Gatehouse Theatre Interview
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Spent a couple of hours chatting to Darren, Front Of House (FOH) manager of the Gatehouse Theatre about other voluntary work I had done in the past. Good news. I passed although I would have felt somewhat disappointed if I couldn't even pass an interview to show people to their seat ;) |
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Wednesday, 7 September 2016
Film Review: Ghostbusters
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Girl Power movies work. There are plenty of great examples from Hunger Games, Thelma and Louise to Calendar Girls and all of them take you on a journey from underdog to domination. This was my expectation. For the boys, the original Ghostbusters gave you that feel good factor every time they saved the day (“We came, we saw, we kicked its ass”), but this remake never quite pulls it off and by the end the women all still seem rather pathetic. The script was also somewhat lacking. This is supposed to be a comedy but not once did laughter come over me. A smile perhaps but I didn’t take away any of the original punchy lines from the original. Who can forget “Yes it’s true. This man has no dick” or “Okay, who brought the dog?”. Girlie sentiments are never far away, and while this story is as much about the characters as the action, some of these interactions distract rather than strength the main narrative. Ultimately a watchable but somewhat forgettable film, and personally I’ll be sticking with the original. |
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