Cheesecake & The Gibbiot vs Unhealthiness

Hmmm Cheesecake & The Gibbiot sounds like an unconventional detective agency – I like that. (Nothing to do with the content of this blog just a thought)

Sometimes you get an idea. You think to yourself “I could do this thing and it would be good”. Then you share the idea with someone else and they say “Yes that is I good idea I will do it to”. Meanwhile back in your head the sensible part of your brain is finally awake and screaming “YOU AGREED TO WHAT!”

That is what has essentially occurred in this case. In a moment of, all to frequent, madness I decided I would try for 20000 sit ups in 2011. I then compounded my mistake by mentioning to this loon. It appears I will now have a fellow traveller on my journey.

Ok so it didn’t quite play out exactly that way. Cheesecake and The Gibbiot discussed it sensibly and we have agreed to this health inducing scheme.

I, for my part, intend to start on Monday 3rd Jan 2011. There you go I have actually written down a date thus committing myself to the whole enchilada.

Will every sit up be perfect? Probably Not. Will I be able to walk after the 1st week?  Unlikely. Am I determined? Currently YES!

Wish us luck. Perhaps next time we meet I will be half the man I used to be? (You understand I mean that in a good why right? Wait…. where are you going? Please don’t run away)

2011 - The Year of the Cheesecake?

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days now and I thought I would finally write something down. I have decided that in 2011 I'm going to go the whole resolution route. If my little escapade last year taught me anything it was that if I stick to a task I can complete it. Bearing that in mind I have decided I'm going to do the following.

• 20000 sit-ups in 2011. I figure if I can cycle 500 kilometers in 2010 then I can up my game and try something I bit more hardcore as it were.
• More writing - Not in the way you think though. I've bought myself a diary and I'm keeping it to myself. I think it will help me make sure I remember things a bit better. I find unless I have a to-do list my personal time management really suffers. Fuck that sounds awfully grown up. Not sure I like the sound of this or not. Time will tell.
• More reading - I think I need to push myself out of my comfort zone a bit more. I tend to fall back on the same genres and themes whenever I look for a new book. Hopefully this will broaden my horizons a bit. 
• Eating better - I always suffer a bit around Christmas. At the moment I am firmly wallowing in the post Christmas doldrums. I need to eat better. More of my five a day and all that. I hope this will work well in conjunction with point one.
• Try and get over my shyness - Once I know you I'm all good but until I do I tend to be bit awkward and can a appear somewhat brash. This is all front on my part (God this is why I love the Interweb. I can pretend I am talking to myself and it is much easier to get this sort of stuff out there). I just need to get better at talking to people face to face.

So there you have it. Will I achieve all these goals? Will I be a farty blubbery mess by the end of January? Fuck knows. Hang around I'm bound to let you all know.

PabloCheesecake vs the Bookshop of Woe

Strap yourself in. Things could get bumpy.

Unfortunately since just after Christmas Day Mrs Cheesecake has been feeling under the weather. Today in order to give her some peace and quiet I decided I would pootle of to town and spend some book vouchers I still had lying around.

I arrived at my local book emporium, not naming any names but it rhymes with Otterstones, to discover the Sci Fi and Fantasy section was closed. Arrrrggghhhh not the chuffing Dark Fantasy/Dark Romance ohh no. Nor the Erotica section which seemed to be doing a brisk trade. Nope my old fav was in accessible do to some sort of flooding?

Now I should stress this isn’t a moan about the staff. They are all very friendly and very helpful. My problem is that there were shelves and shelves given over to things like soft porn but they couldn’t have just moved that out the back for a bit? Seriously is Erotica selling better than Sci FI and Fantasy? (No not that kind of Fantasy you dirty sod) I just wanted to browse a little but I was denied. I ended up in the diminutive horror section. For reference this is stuck between Dark Fantasy and Erotica so I was getting the full on dirty mac stare from other patrons (which was nice obviously).

Later I stood and watched a while as various other geeks wandered up to the closed section looked around in a slightly lost/distracted fashion and then shuffled off in a irritated manner.

Damn but genre peoples are given short shrift aren’t we?

Christmas Booty

If you are expecting me to enlighten you with a tale of Christmas bottoms then this is so not the blog your looking for.

Ahh your still here. Then I will outline, in brief, the precious prezzies I have snagged this Yuletide.

1. A pair of Doc Martens Paratrooper Pro boots from my other half. I can now stomp about till my hearts content.
2. Marvel heroes t-shirt
3. Farscape complete boxed set - 87hrs of sci-fi goodness. This may take a while to get through.
4. Hood, Scarlett and Tuck all by Stephen Lawhead - A nice trilogy reworking the Robin Hood legend.
5. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol 1 & 2
6. A Moleskine 2011 diary.

Not bad for a 36yr old geek.

A hope everyone else was as lucky. 

The Christmas onslaught continues...

Up and out the house at 8am this morning. Straight to the local Tescos and we blitzed our Christmas food shop in two hours. The good news was that the shop was reasonably quiet so I didn't suffer my usual trolley rage. We have been saving vouchers all year so we were able to spend a small fortune and get lots of luverly grub and then get the cost reduced by 50%. I bought a tub of fizzy cola bottles and my annual twiglet habit has also been sorted for another 12 months.

I also purchased some splendid new lounge wear. Regular readers of my blog may remember my Animal PJs from earlier this year? Well this time I think I've gone one better.





They are, as ever, subtle and in keeping with most of the rest of my wardrobe. Marvel characters all over them. I'll have to see if I can find some DC ones as well. I may go all out and get some of the SpongeBob Ones to complete my collection.

Elsewhere we managed to do some tinkering around the house and completed a number of little DIY projects. The best example is that we finally have coat hooks so the bannister is no longer the de facto place for all coats. Nice to see the gargoyles next to the fire place as well.

Christmas is on the horizon and the next couple of days should be fun. I'm looking forward to seeing family and over indulging on an almost biblical scale.

Merry Christmas all. Have a good one friends.

I forgot the title....oops

I really don't think I should be watching Pineapple Express after an afternoon of drinking. This film is seriously weird. Gary Cole is a comic god though. I've decided to try another blogging tool. Today's blog is brought to you by ecto. Much like Mars Edit it seems to cover all the bases when it comes posting a blog. I'll try it over the next couple of weeks and see how I get on.

A Christmas Tune

There are many wonderful Christmas songs out there but this is my favourite with out a shadow of a doubt. 

This was the encore at his gig in Nottingham last night and when he finished you could hear a pin drop. Just stunning stuff.

Twas the Thursday before the Thursday before Christmas

Only got one more day of work left in 2010 so I'm starting to get excited at the prospect of two weeks out of the office. When it comes to Christmas I'm a big kid at heart. I look forward to falling asleep in front of old films on the TV, admittedly the low level narcolepsy probably helps with that.

I also like preparing food for Christmas dinner. This year I am going to engineer a monster trifle. It's been a while since the incident so I reckon it will be ok....Ohh sorry you want to no what the incident was do you? Ok I'll spill A few years ago in a fit of pique I purchased a family size trifle from the local supermarket. In a case of eyes bigger than belly, which I know is hard to believe, I demolished the entire thing. Turns out this was not a good idea. I don't think I have had trifle since. This year however I'm gonna get back on that horse.

I am also considering attempting to tackle one of my great white whales. Game of Thrones will be on TV next year and it seems sensible to read the books. I've got my posts for The Eloquent Page in hand so I think the time is nigh.

 

Time And Relative Dimensions in Tea (or Coffee for that matter)

Looky looky what arrived in the post yesterday. This is just the best thing in the world and ( I know your wondering) yes it is bigger on the inside.

 

Assorted Bits and Pieces

Mac Software

Now that I am more comfortable with my shiny new MacBook I've been delving into all the different applications that are available for me to try out. So far there have been a couple of apps that have impressed. I installed Delicious Library 2 last night and had a play. Wow how cool is this. Using the webcam it reads the barcode on an item eg book, blu-ray or DVD and then imports all the details direct from Amazon into a collection database. It works very well. I am seriously considering purchasing a licence so I can add all my books and DVDs. The demo version is limited to 25 records. Best feature is it tells you exactly what is imported. Spookily it sound a bit like Stephen Hawking!

The other app is NewsFire. This is an excellent RSS feed reader. It manages to cope with the 94 feeds I fool without so much as a grumble. It also displays the information in a very readable format. Best of all...it's free!

Tis nearly the Season to be Jolly

I know it's only the 2nd December but the wintry weather has made me come over all festive. I'm lucky that at the end of a long cold day I get to shuffle back to our little Hobbit hole and cosy up next to her inside the doors. I'm an Autumn\Winter kinda guy, what can I say I always have been. I'm looking forward to a couple of weeks of large dinners and putting my feet up in front of a roaring fire.

Movember

Glad to report I managed to raise £65 for charity in November. My moustache wearing helped raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer charities. Next year I am going to attempt something a bit bigger but more on that in 2011.

A New Tattoo

Mrs Cheesecake is getting some new ink. Arty type that she is she has designed it herself.

I, as ever, am jealous.

Good night peoples

 

 

 

 

I would cycle 500K and I would cycle 500 more

After 11 months I have completed my mission for 2010. I have managed to cycle 500 kilometres. I did a bit of research and to give you an idea of how far that is Oxford to Aberdeen is four hundred and ninety eight kilometres. If you do the math you'll have worked out I could have done more as 2km a day times 365 days works out at 730km but I factored in things like holidays. I also only cycled five days a week rather than seven. I wanted a target that was sensible and achievable.

For 2011 I've decided I'm going to try something different. So here and now in black and white, drum roll please, I'm going to attempt 20,000 sit ups in 2011. Again I have set some parameters for this challenge. Only going to do sit ups four days a week as I intend to still take a couple of days off  week and also still do some cycling. Every alternate day I will also be weight training.

You know how the saying goes. What doesn't kill you makes stronger. I sure hope so.

Roll on 2011another challenge ahoy.

Till next time

Mr C

Techno Excitement (take 2)

MacBook Musings

I decided to take another crack at writing a blog using MarsEdit for Mac. I wanted to see if I could re-create the same look and feel as one of my standard posts from my PC. I really didn't take a proper in-depth look at the MarsEdit the last time I used it. I've looked again and I'm happy to note that all the functionality I have seen in Windows Live Writer is available.

World of Warcraft

The latest update, Cataclysm, will soon be upon us and I am looking forward to the changes that are due. I'm particularly looking forward to trying out the archeology profession. I was amused when I read the archeology trainer is called Belloc, nice nod to Raider of the Lost Ark there. WOW is incredibly addictive and I'm sure large chunks of December will come and go will I play the game.

short and sweet this evening

Later taters

Cheesecake out

Techno Excitement

After much ummming and ahhhing on my part I finally decided to take the plunge and purchase my first Mac. I decided I have grown accustomed to the mobility that my laptop gives me so it was really a toss up between the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro. I wanted to be able to upgrade my tech easily in the future so I have gone for a mighty Pro.

So far so good. I guess I would equate the experience with learning a new language. I've been using IBM compatible machines since the earlier nineties, my Mac experience so far is about two hours.

Oh I managed to upload and include a photo. There is hope I that I manage to tame this savage new beast after all.

Not a huge blog but be gentle I'm still learning.

Till next time

Pablo Mac 'n' Cheesecake

The Usual Tosh

This week has been marred by a nasty case of man flu. I have a bad cough that sound like I’m barking (yes more than normal). My head she aches and my throat she is sore. Needless to say with only the weekend left to go before I go back to work I am finally starting to feel better. Bloody typical really. Anyway I will persevere with this post and see if any insightful gems appear. (I would’t hold your breath).

The walking dead

One of the highlights of the week was last night. FX showed the first episode of The Walking Dead. I have to admit to being suitably impressed. I haven’t read any of Robert Kirkman’s graphic novels but based on the first ep of the show I intend to remedy that real soon. Kudos to Andrew Lincoln and Lennie James for making a zombie apocalypse seem 100% believable. I was particularly impressed with how the psychological toll that both men have suffered was portrayed. Looking forward to next Friday all ready.

Does a lot of good work for charity

Whenever I give my time to a charity I have two simple criteria. Firstly it has to be a cause I believe in. Secondly it has to be fun. Since the beginning of the week I have been sporting a chopper moustache in aid of Movember.

The funds raised through Movember’s UK campaign benefit the The Prostate Cancer Charity, the UK’s leading prostate cancer charity. I have managed £50. That’s not bad but I’m sure we can do better (HINT, HINT). The team I’m in have raised over £100 so far. All good work just for looking a bit daft for a month. No great stretch for me I look pretty daft anyway!

Oh before I forget. If you haven’t already and want to donate my donation page is here http://uk.movember.com/mospace/607202/

World of Warcaft: Cataclysm

In around a months time the next update to World of Warcraft is launched. I think it’s fair to say that I have spent a quite large amount of time playing this game so I’m just a little bit excited about this release. Put it this way I wouldn’t bother trying to contact me on the 7th December.

Speaking of which I’m off.

Chopper Cheesecake

Just a typical Saturday

Mrs Cheesecake and I pootled off to into town today. We started the morning with what turned out to be a truly uninspired breakfast at a local department store. I mean using powdered egg for the scramble? For fuck sake! I was lead to believe that rationing ended years ago. Couldn’t manage a few real eggs un-named department store? (c’mon we might need to go back one day). The only highlight of the whole escapade was that we ran into a demolition expert friend of mine called Thor. Ok admittedly he is only a few weeks old but I have high hopes he will one day embrace a life in demolitions. Strangely his mother  refers to him by another name. Steadfastly refuses to call him Thor.

Afterwards we headed to the local cinema and sat down to watch Red. I’ve not read the graphic novel but I liked the look of the trailers I have seen. Turns out this is a real fun movie. Bruce Willis and Karl Urban beat the shit out of one another and Helen Mirren gets to do some epic wet work with some heavy munitions. Add John Malkovich, Mary Louise Parker, Morgan Freeman, Brian Cox and Richard Dreyfus into the mix and this makes for a rather splendid comedy thriller.  Mrs Cheesecake and I both rated the film. In her words ‘it was violent and brilliant’. I don't think I could have put it more eloquently myself.

Next week we are all about the sci-fi. We are going to see Dr Who Live. I am so excited it is bordering on illegal. Really looking forward to seeing the show. I have also managed to snag a couple of tickets to the Tron Legacy preview event. This could very well be the film of the year for me. Tron had a profound effect back in 82 so there is a distinct possibility that the sequel will be as mind blowing. If it isn’t IHollywood will incur my wrath (it’s ok I don’t really have a wrath but don’t tell them. I want them to be quaking in their Hollywood boots. It’ll keep them on their game).

In my head, if I were in Tron. I would be like this.

The more likely, and disappointing, reality would be like this.

Catch you on the Game Grid.

End of Line

Hmmm that blog seems to have wandered off into Tron flavoured waffle didn’t it? What do you mean you didn’t read that far? Ohh suit yourself.

The Post with No Name…

Sounds ominous doesn’t it?

The truth couldn’t be more banal. It’s been ages since I wrote anything on my personal blog so I thought tonight would be a prime opportunity to do so. Immediately I had this idea I felt trapped. What should I call this mighty work? (The blogging world was my lobster so to speak). I wanted to write about just random thoughts and stuff that had happened in the last month but I just couldn’t figure out where to start. I very quickly discounted the titles Random Bollocks and also Never-ending Tosh. These both seemed to some up the content of what I was going to write but I just couldn’t bring myself to use either.

Hence the title. Now that I’ve got that out of the way let us begin.

TRON LEGACY

I managed to snag a couple of free tickets to the 23 minute preview event next week. I am so jazzed about this. I remember seeing Tron when I was knee high to a grasshopper and it blew my mind. Based on what I have seen so far of the sequel I can only expect it will do exactly the same. This is one instance where I think that 3D will enhance rather than detract from the viewing experience.

ZOMBIES ZOMBIES ZOMBIES

Zombie Appreciation Month moves on a pace over at The Eloquent Page. Three reviews down and two more to go. This Friday I’ll be posting my thoughts on Feed by Mira Grant.

It has been a lot of fun but I think I’m just about all zombied out. (Is zombied a word?)  Looking forward to reading something (anything) that doesn’t include the walking dead. Just need a change of pace I think.

LIVING WITH A WEBBO

I like to tinker around on my little website or write some random nonsense here on my blog. My better half however is far more advanced at this type of technical wizardry than I. She runs http://www.michael-sheen.co.uk all by herself. It is bonkers the amount of time she puts in just to give her visitors a seamless M Sheen related experience. Hats off to her. She deserves some sort of Webbo award.  I may make her one. Its ok she doesn’t read this blog she’ll never know I suggested it.

FEELIN AUTUMNAL

I am very lucky. Every working day I get to walk across a university campus and see the changing seasons. At this time of year the colours are truly remarkable. No matter how shit my day has been I am always cheered by the walk home. I’m also look forward to my favourite time of year – Winter. I love the dark nights and a roaring fire. Gosh I’m getting all dewy eyed just thinking about it.

Enough of this sentimental jabbering.

Adios

Pablo

100 Posts Young!

Wow....100 blog posts. Who'd a thunk it. I actually started writing for fun back in the halcyon days of 2008 but didn't really get my blog head on properly until 2009. I was planning a big old celebration for reaching 100 (in blog years) but all I ended up doing was thinking about it. So here, briefly, are my thoughts.  I've mentioned this before so if you’ve already read before please feel free to skip to the next bit of twaddle.

Writing a blog for me is a pressure value release type thingy (nice use of a technical term there). I write because I find it a cathartic experience. Real life can be, at times, a grind and waffling on my own little island in this ocean we call the internet is just plain fun as far as I'm concerned. 

Went a wee bit philosophical there didn’t I. Can't be having that can we.

Enough of the preamble. What's in the grey matter I like to call my brain today. Lets give it a shake and see what falls out.

Pot Noodle, Wagon Wheels and Ruffle Bars

A million years ago when I was a nipper I remember that things were bigger. It certainly seemed that way? I was thinking about this the other day. The thought process goes something like this - Is it just because I am grown up (I use the term very loosely) things appear smaller or have items I recall as a child actually shrunk? I experienced this niggling doubt recently when I purchased a Pot Noddle - it seemed to be much smaller than I remember. 

The same seems to be true of a lot of sweets I used to enjoy as well. I used to love Raspberry Ruffle Bars. They used to be bigger damn it. I'm also 100% sure that Wagon Wheels used to be the size of a small plate. Do they even sell them anymore?

Less than 100KM to go

As a little update, in case anyone cares. I have cycled past the 400KM mark on my epic journey. I now have a minuscule 93KM to go. This has been a real challenge for me and I'm quite (ok very) smug about it. I had no idea at the start of this year I would manage this. Ever since I broke my back I have struggled to exercise effectively but I think I have finally found something that works for me so yay!

What Tattoos Do You Do?

I have been considering getting more ink. I already have a number of tattoos but I think I want more. I'm a firm believer that tattoos should mean something to you. All the ink I have certainly means something to me. Yes even the tattoo of Bugs Bunny. (Long involved story I won't go into here but get me drunk and I will happily ramble on for hours). At  present I cant decide what way to go. I should probably start by getting the Celtic knot work piece on my arm finished. Then perhaps next I should go with something in-keeping with my character? Maybe a self portrait?

After writing this bit above I discovered my sister got a new tattoo today. That has to be some sort of strange cosmic convergence or something?

In Conclusion

I guess as long as there is an interweb I will continue to prattle on. If your interested keep reading, who knows what we’ll find out. If not don’t let the virtual door hit you on the ass on the way out.

Ta Ta For Now

Pablo

Resident Cheesecake

Everyone has to have a few guilty pleasures in their life. You know what I’m talking about. Those little things that you know in your heart of heats are embarrassing,cheesy or just plain wrong. I have decided to admit my own personal shame. Here goes…….

Hi.

My name is Pablo.

I enjoy the Resident Evil movies.

All of them.
 

Back in 2002 when I sat down to watch the first film I didn’t have high expectations but by the time, the mighty, Colin Salmon was sliced and diced the movie had won me over.  Odd that this is yet another movie where Michelle Rodriguez dies. (Actually while I think about this how about letting her do  movie version of Anita Blake? The first couple of books before it went off on that weird supernatural pornfest it is now)

2004 brought us Resident Evil: Apocalypse. More of the same. The sinister Umbrella Corporation continuing to reek havoc on the good people of Racoon City.

Three years later and Resident Evil: Extinction hit our screens. The contagion released had gone global.

As each film was released and the plots got more and more outlandish I discovered that they had managed to worm a place in my heart. They are cheesy as hell but I love the fact that the don’t take themselves too seriously. The Resident Evil films are brain candy of the highest order. They are dumb but they know it and they are loads of fun.

Resident Evil: Afterlife is due for release in the UK next weekend. It’s in 3D, which I admit I’m not totally sold on yet but I’ll still be there.

WOW. Now that was liberating. I may do this again at some point. I am sure that I have a few more cinematical skeletons in my closet.

Later
P

Pablo Cheesecake vs Scott Pilgrim

(For those that are curious even though he looks awfully weedy he appears to be quite adept at kicking ass so there is a good chance that I would loose in our epic battle.)

versus

I saw Edgar Wright’s latest film this morning and thought it was, as I was already lead to believe, an epic tale of epic-ness.

Soundtrack was cool. Chris Evans and Brandon Routh were standout evil exes. Kieran Culkin got all the best lines. Great fun all round. Certainly in my top ten for this year.

Not a huge blog really just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the film. Look here’s me as an evil ex.

Whatever

Pablo Pilgrim

You sir are the grand-daddy of all liars…

When I say you I actually mean me. I posted at the end of July and said that normal service would be resumed and then managed to post nothing to this blog since then. That was a bit shit wasn’t it.

What say we take another run at this….

Normal service has now been resumed (hopefully).

the eloquent page

The real reason I haven’t posted anything this month is that my book review site, www.theeloquentpage.co.uk pluggy plug plug, has been up and running for just over a month now. I’ve had some nice feed back.  I’ve even managed to snag a couple of advance review copies of some books. Its an interesting process and I find I have to be a bit more structured when it comes to my reading. If I want to add new content on a weekly basis I have to make a concerted effort to read regularly every night. Not a complaint there more of an observation.

500K Trek

As of today - 351 kilometres down 149 to go. All things remaining equal I should finish hit my target around the end of November. I’m quite chuffed really. I really feel like I am in the home straight now.

Edwin Morgan

I went a bit misty eyed for Glasgow when I heard of Edwin Morgan’s passing. I remember reading ‘In the Snackbar’ as part of my English standard grade. We used think it was hysterical to call the poem ‘Innes Nackbar’. Teenagers really are arsehats aren’t they. It also got me thinking about all the other great things I read at school. Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon was a pretty epic read as I recall. Dulce et Decorum est by Wilfrid Owen is still firmly lodged in my brain as well. Ironically I studied Latin for two years and the Latin in this poem is one of the few things I remember. When I left school I had the lowest ever recorded score for a Latin exam – 2% in case your wondering. In hindsight I should have tried harder. Defining the word tandem as a bike for two people in the vocabulary test probably wasn’t a crash hot idea.

Till next time, Valete

Pablo Cheesecake

 

Random bits and pieces from my head to the interweb…

Been a while since I wrote anything non book related. I am still reading daily but needed to flex my blogging muscles about something else for a bit of change of pace. I also get to waffle a bit more here than on the website.

Comic Con

Out of the new info that has been released at SDCC I am starting to get just a little bit excited about all the superhero films that are in development. I still have everything crossed that the Green Lantern will rock my socks. In my opinion if Whedon can get it right The Avengers will be a fanboy’s wet dream. Thor looks suitably shouty (still missing The Blessed but we cant have everything).

Mrs Cheesecake is wetting herself about Tron Legacy. I’ve seen the new footage and I have to agree.

British TV

Wasn’t Sherlock Holmes absolutely kick ass! The chemistry between Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman was just great. Some people have accused Mark Gatiss of being to hammy as Mycroft but personally I thought he managed to make him appear just the right side of eccentric.

It’s brilliant programming like this that proves how top-notch Aunty Beeb can be. I tell you what the current government better leave well enough alone.

While we’re on the subject of TV I have to admit another growing excitement. I follow George R. R. Martin’s blog and I have heard nothing but good things when it comes to the casting for A Game of Thrones. Sean Bean and now today Charles Dance. Epic stuff. I will read the books before the show starts I promise.

Fantasy Con 2010

Not long to go until Fantasy Con. Mrs Cheesecake and I are attending the full Con this year. Looking forward to it. Last year we just managed the Saturday but this year we have planned a bit better. If your attending please do say hello. Can’t miss me 6ft 2, bright red hair, goatee beard  and slightly maniacal look in my eye. As a disclaimer I am a lot less frightening once you get to know me. Mrs Cheesecake however is a nutter. It’s ok I told her I was going to write that.

A fat man cycles

At the beginning of the year I set myself a challenge. Cycle 500KM in 2010. This weekend I hit another milestone,the 300KM mark. Why the lunacy you may ask? Two reasons really. I’ve never been very good at finishing things. I thought if I set myself a grand epic task I could prove to myself I could accomplish something for once. Secondly ever since I broke my back I have not been able to exercise as much as I used to so. So far so good. I have a horrible feeling if I do manage this I’m going to have to increase the distance for next year. Oh dear.

Till next time

Mr C

Normal service will now be resumed…

I’ve been on holiday for the last seven days and decided it would be a good idea to take a short break from the internet. I have glanced occasionally at Twitter and checked my e-mail but apart from that I have enjoyed a much needed internet free week.

In our extensive free time Mrs Cheesecake and I  have managed to refurbish our living room. I have reclaimed my DVD and book collections from the boxes in which they have dwelt for years. The living room is now ours. We have managed to stamp our own mark on it. Perhaps not to everyone’s taste but it works for us.

Needless to say the cats offered their own unique brand of assistance.

Mrs Cheesecake also managed to find something that she thought she had lost years ago.

I also had the opportunity to see Inception last Saturday. What a fantastic movie. If someone had told me that it was possible to pull off a heist movie set in a character’s mind I would have been sceptical by Christopher Nolan has done just that. The cast were superb. I particularly liked Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I read the latest Batman 3 rumours with interest.

San Diego Comic Con is on at the moment. Man I wish I was there. I am such a geek it would be like achieving some sort of Nerd-vana if I got to attend. Maybe another time (in fairness though you would have to drug me to get me on a plane for a flight that long. I can hardly manage East Midlands to Glasgow so Trans Atlantic would probably cause me to wet myself repeatedly).

Really pleased with the initial responses regarding the launch of The Eloquent Page. It’s early days and I know I have to be more regular with new content but I’m still learning. I’m still quite new to this whole running a website malarkey so be patient. I promise I will get better.

Anywho back to reading. Need to get another review up on the site.

Later Peoples

The Eloquent Page

After much procrastination on my part my latest internet endeavour is finally up and running. Check out and please comment on http://www.theeloquentpage.co.uk


- Posted using BlogPress from my mobile t'interwebs

Mobile Bloggage

Trying out another mobile blog client. It's an interesting experience. All of the functionality from a full web client appears to be here but it is quite compressed.

I guess it's good for doing small blogs rather than writing epic essays. It appears I can auto-tweet/post to Facebook. Well it says I can. We'll find out shortly.

I'll have to take a look and see what it looks like once posted. Hmmm trippy interweb shennanigans.


- Posted using BlogPress from my mobile t'interwebs

Pablo Cheesecake v Man v Food

As with most things I have eclectic tastes when it comes to food. I will try just about anything once. As an example I was recently in Wales on holiday and got the opportunity to try ‘laver bread’ which is made from seaweed and looks a bit like black/green snot. It’s really unusual to taste (tastes a bit like the sea) and not as unpleasant as it sounds. My convoluted point being that I enjoy trying new things when it comes to my gastronomic adventures.

Ensuring that I am kept bang up to date with all the latest taste sensations I have been doing my due diligence. I recently discovered the TV show Man v Food from the Travel Channel in the US of States. Check this out.

Adam Richman, the host, is a legend. He’s even on Twitter as well (@adamrichman). He dares go where other’s fear to tread. I want his job. Travelling from city to city trying out all the food challenges that the US has to offer. If they ever do a UK version of this I am going to apply for the job. Cheesecake v Food – I like the sound of that!

Mrs Cheesecake has been flexing her gastronomic muscles as well. She is has been working through the recipes on the Pioneer Woman website. This is gradually making me a larger but more contented Cheesecake. We haven’t had a bad recipe from this site. Please note butter and cream are your friend.

If that’s not enough Mrs Cheesecake has also started growing her own fruit & vegetables. Before you ask: apples, pears, strawberries, rhubarb, onions, carrots, potatoes and about a dozen different herbs. Damn we’re even reducing our carbon footprint by growing out own.

What’s next for this intrepid couple of gastronomes? Who knows. Stick around and you might find out.

Adios
Pablo Cheesecake

Wild Target

I consider Bill Nighy to be a masterful actor. Yesterday I sat down to view his latest film, Wild Target. Nighy plays Victor, a professional hitman whose life is turned upside down with the arrival of his latest victim a con-woman called Rose, played by Emily Blunt.

Trained in the art of murder since his 7th birthday Victor is a ghost. So good at his job that his peers are in awe of him even though they have no idea who he actually is. Privately he lives a lonely existence in a roomy house where the vast majority of the furniture is unused and covered with plastic sheets. He is so non-descript you would walk past him in the street without a second glance.

Enter Rose, a flighty con-woman who has duped Ferguson (Rupert Everett) into purchasing a fake Rembrandt. Keen for revenge Ferguson hires Victor to take Rose out. Victor follows Rose and as he tries, in vain,to murder her he is slowly charmed by her free spirit. In the spur of the moment he saves Rose, and stoner Tony (Rupert Grint), from a second hitman and ends up becoming their protector.

The rest of the film deals with the unlikely trio and their escape from Ferguson and his cronies. Victor comes to realise he is missing out and is just existing rather than living.

Wild Target is one of those comedy films that doesn’t make you laugh out loud very often but does ensure you are always smiling. It sort of reminded me of Saving Grace in that respect. As an aside if you haven’t seen Saving Grace seek it out it’s brilliant. I left the cinema feeling amused and up beat.

Bill Nighy is great at showing the inner conflict of this character. He lets Victor’s emotions dance across his face. Emily Blunt is quirky and Rupert Grint likeable. Rupert Everett is as sleazy as ever while Gregor Fisher and Martin Freeman get some nice screen time.

Check it out. You never know you might like. It’s ok I won’t tell.

Flash Ahh-Ahh - Another Old Skool movie blog

If Brian Blessed were a cake he would be fruit and nut. Now don't get me wrong I don’t mean that in a nasty way. He's is as mad as a bag of snakes and I love him for it. More on the King of Bellowing later, I just had to get that off my chest from the get-go.

There have been a number of attempts to bring Alex Raymond's creation to life. From the Buster Crabbe film serials, via Defenders of the Earth, right up to recent abysmal TV series (oh come on…it was shit and you know it). Hell there is even a 3D version in development right now. What I'm really interested in though is the 1980 film.

The Mike Hodges vision of Flash is deliciously camp. Rightly so in my opinion. Look at this example below of one of the original strips. Strewth he's got no strides on! That’s right Flash is all about no pants action. 

With this as the source material there is really no surprise we ended up here. Actually it's quite tame in comparison isn't it.

The Cast

Everyone is great in this. Max Von Sydow is the worlds greatest pantomime villain as Ming the Merciless. Having Peter Wyngarde as Klytus is inspired as well. I understand why he had to wear a mask though. Can’t have Jason King stealing all the limelight now can we.

 
(As an aside. When I grow up I want to look like this)

Topol, Melody Anderson, Timothy Dalton, Richard O’Brien, The dude from Blue Peter (yes I know it was Peter Duncan. It was a joke) they are all perfect. Damn shame Flash, Sam Jones, got dubbed but them as they say is the breaks. Even spotted a young Robbie Coltrane as a baggage handler near the beginning of the film. Though if you blink you will miss him.

Brian Blessed is brilliant as Vultan, King of the Hawkmen. His subtly nuanced shouting makes the film for me. He wanders around wearing a strange leather nappy/S&M outfit as though it is the most natural thing in the world. Why he is not playing Odin in Thor I will never know. He was robbed dammit.

The Music

It’s Queen people. Come on with this and Highlander they rocked the 80s movie soundtrack scene. Ok I’m not sure if there was actually a scene but lets just imagine there was. Just sit back and enjoy. Go to your happy place and let this nonsense just wash over you.

The film never did particularly well it the box office. Sam Jones even won a Golden Raspberry for his acting but personally I think this masterpiece needs your love. This is a pulp hero made flesh in the campiest manner available and it rocks.

All together now, FLASH….AHH…AHH…He’ll save everyone of us.

Flash Cheesecake

Pablo Cheesecake v The Internet Connection of Much Crapness

I think it’s fair to say that everyone that reads this blog will be connecting to it via the technological wonder that is the Internet. I think it’s also fair to say that the speed at which you are able to access this content plays a large part in your enjoyment of said content. Recently my home interweb connection and specifically the ISP that provided it have been fucking me about in a grand old fashion.

Wait I’m getting ahead of myself here. Lets go back in time and I can explain from the beginning.

Since I have been using the internet at home, roughly since the mid 1990s, I have been using BT as my internet service provider. They have proven to be historically reliable and based on that I started to grow ever complacent with their diminishing service. Recently I checked the contract I had with them. It read something like this

“Dear Complacent Ass we have promised you up to 20MB broadband speed. We are now sat in our ivory tower quaffing champers and laughing at you. You are only getting 1.5MB. Ignoring your existence love and hugs BT”  (I may have paraphrased slightly there).

Turns out you can only mess me about for a few years before I finally get the hint. Another well known ISP *cough* Virgin Media *cough* were able to offer me up 50MB for an additional fiver a month. The best part about it is, and this is the kicker, I’ve run a speed test a couple of times since changing supplier and I am getting at minimum 30MB. So even at worst the connection speed it is still nearly 30x faster than before.

**SPLUT** Sorry that was the sound of my head exploding like a ripe melon as I try to get my brain around that number.

If the story has an moral, and I’m not sure it has, its that BT can take a long jump of a short pier. I wouldn’t piss on them if they were on fire. They relied on my customer loyalty and when it came the the punch provided to little to late. I called them today to cancel my account. First question I was asked
“Is there anything we can do to stop you cancelling your account?”
“Can you provide up to 50MB broadband speeds?”
“Erm…..no”
“Then I guess there is nothing you can do”
*resigned sigh* at other end of phone.

Gosh I feel better I’ve go that rant of my chest.

Later Peoples

Pablo VirginMediacake

Testing, Testing, 123...is this thing on?

I have been messing about with a MacBook for the last week and I thought it might be a good idea if I tried a blog to see how to experience compares against blogging on my PC. I've downloaded a trial version of the bit of software called Blogo and thought I would give that a whirl.

I have to say I am suitably impressed. The user interface is very clean and simple to use. There is no great difficulty figuring out all the formatting options. I should stress that I am still finding may way a bit when it comes to using the MacBook but I am sure this was exactly the same back in the day when I first started using PCs.

Hmmm not a long blog but I like to think at least a little bit educational.

I am curious to see what this looks like when it's posted.

Laters
Pablo MacCheesecake

Calling all the Heroes.....

When it comes to film there is nothing better than sheer unadulterated escapism. I want, nay demand, the following: flying people, explosions, cunning stunts and superpowers. Over the last couple of years it seems that the big movie studios are starting to get my none too subtle hints. Comic book movies can be cool. Iron Man worked well. The Dark Knight was epic in scope. I am, and probably always will be, the eternal optimist so I’ve decided to take a look forward at what’s on the horizon when it comes to comic book adaptations.

The Green Lantern

I have high hopes for this. I like Ryan Reynolds and I reckon he can pull off Hal Jordan (oh that just doesn’t sound right now that I’ve typed it). If Ryan happens across this little blog I have but one thing to ask (ok two). Can you reign in the zany about 70% ?. While I’m making demands would like to see Kilowog in the mix as well. Ohh check out this most decent fan art I found on the interwebs.

Deadpool

Gosh it’s that chappie Reynolds again. This time as the merc with the mouth, Deadpool. Again Ryan if your reading this please feel free to go entirely the other way with this one. In fact the more batshit insane the better I think.

Captain America  - The First Avenger

I saw The Losers (another comic book inspired movie fact fans) at the weekend and I enjoyed all the performances. Chris Evans did his usual charming goofball shtick. I’ve seen the concept art and he certainly looks the part but again like Reynolds in Green Lantern dial down the sass (good word there from Mrs Cheesecake).

 

The Avengers

We have much love for Iron Man here at Casa de Cheesecake. Judging by the pics seen so far The Mighty Thor will indeed rock. The Hulk will most likely be back and if rumours are true we’ll see Hawkeye and possibly Ant Man/Giant Man. Throw the First Avenger into the mix and it’s all good. I’m sure Joss Whedon can do the business. I always enjoyed his TV shows, even the ones that were cancelled way to soon.

Actually that reminds me. I was once in Belgium and saw an issue of The Avengers in Flemish. De Vergelders (who knew Marvel published in Flemish. That’s pretty cool.)

Rumour- Monger

There are loads of other adaptations we are likely to see soon as well. More Batman, unlikely it will be The Dark Knight Returns but we can live in hope. More Spiderman, a shame they are going for a reboot I enjoyed Raimi’s take. 

One final thought. If anyone out there wants a cracking comic that would make an excellent film you could do a lot worse than Alien Legion. Consider yourself told.

Direct from the Cheesecake Cave

Captain Cheesecake

What makes a film for me…

The other day I got to thinking. I was wondering about what makes a film special for me. What are the different ingredients that make a movie resonate and ensure I will return for more. I should stress I’m going to jump around in genres here a bit. There is no one film that will contain all these things (at least I don’t think there is?) After some thought I came up with the following list.

a Futile Gesture

Nothing better than a character(s) in a movie laying down their lives for very little point. With a cry of either "You go on without me" or "I'll hold them off" the plucky sidekick is instantly doomed and royally screwed. Examples: Almost the entire cast of Aliens, Miles Dyson (Terminator 2), Spoon (Dog Soldiers) Ok I admit boxing a werewolf is cool but be honest he was fucked.

Breaking the 4th Wall

Wikipedia defines this as  “The presence of the fourth wall is an established convention of fiction and drama, which has led some artists to draw direct attention to it for dramatic or comedic effect. When this boundary is "broken", for example by an actor onstage speaking to the audience directly, or doing the same through the camera in a film or television program, it is called "breaking the fourth wall”

Mel Brooks is very good at this and he does it all the time, see the example below. Nothing funnier than a glimpse behind the curtain so to speak. Other good examples in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, National Lampoon’s Animal House and The Mask.

time travel / Time machines

Doesn’t matter if it’s Back to The Future, The Time Machine, Primer, Twelve Monkeys or The Time Traveller’s Wife. Messing about with the linear nature of the universe is just epic. I enjoy nothing better than the headfuck that is a good temporal paradox. I saw Hot Tub Time Machine the other day and it dealt with the macguffin that is time travel excellently. It was also great to see Chevy Chase on screen again as I love Fletch. I tried reading the article on Wikipedia about time travel but my head threatened to implode and then explode.

swords

Highlander alone should be reason enough to have this on the list but there are many other splendid films that feature the merry swash and buckle of swords. Kill Bill would not have been half as special if it had been all gun rather than sword play.  Other prime examples include Zatoichi, The Sword and the Sorcerer and The Princess Bride.

The Lower Lip wobble

Something that always amuses me, when it really shouldn’t, is when an actor attempts subtle emotion on screen. Some lovely lower lip acting going on in this scene from Jerry Maguire. Fucking hilarious!

an epic finale

I have much love for Who Dares Wins, I’ve discussed it before at some length. One of the reasons is this ten minute sequence toward the end of the film. If your not that interested in watching the whole clip cut to around 9.05 and enjoy the macho hall jogging.

So there you have it. All you Directors out there please take note. All you need do is create a film that has even one of these elements and I’m there. Two or more and I will be your willing slave for life.

Cheerio

A Cinematic Cheesecake

Judging a book by it's cover

One of my greatest pleasures in life is getting lost in a good book. I read a lot and enjoy seeking out my next purchase almost as much as the reading itself. Last weekend I shuffled off into town and found myself in my local bookshop with a crisp tenner burning a hole in my pocket.
 
At this point I'll pause briefly to explain one thing. I am a creature of habit and tend to stick with authors I know and trust. If I read a title from an author and enjoy it then they can be pretty much guaranteed my continued support for life, what can I say I am nothing if not loyal.

I do, however, occasionally like to dabble in the unknown territory of a NEW AUTHOR - please note when I say new author they could have been around for donkey's years it's just that I've never read any of their work. I guess I mean a new author to me. (Just so you know.)
   
After much rummaging and lots of uumms and aahhs I ended up picking up The Age of Zeus by James Lovegrove. Why? Check out the cover below and the answer becomes clear.



It's got fucking Anthony Hopkins on it! With added lighting coming out his chuffing head. How cool is that? If that’s not enough we have some military types and a helicopter flying near a mountain. Also a review of the author on the back by someone called Saxon Bullock. Saxon Bullock FFS what an absolutely epic name. Cha-ching I'm sold. (On a side note I can't believe I  just wrote cha-ching in a blog. I feel like I've just jumped the blogging shark)
 
I had never realised before how much sway an interesting cover has on my book buying, When I buy anything from an unproven author the cover has got to grab hold of my brain. Here's another perfect example.



How could you not want to read this.  I just oozes mysteriousity. Loving the art deco retro 1920/30s feel and it’s just a little bit creepy. I am so buying this.

Now some of you may consider my new book buying policy a trifle devil may care and I suppose your right. It is entirely possible instead of ending up with an exciting new author to enjoy I purchase something incredibly shit just because I was taken in by the shiny promise of the cover. Well so far so good. I’ll live with the risk. It’s a chance I’m just gonna have to take. That’s the kind of extreme bibliophile I am!

 

Now ssssshhhhhh! I’m reading

Mr Cheesecake

Undefined Randomness from the Cheesecake of Darkness

Spies and Vikings

Its been an age since I purchased any new books. My e-reader is pretty full and I am slowly working my way through the backlog. There are however a couple of upcoming titles  which I am very keen to get my hands on and will have to go old school a buy paper copies of both.

Mark Chadbourn's The Sword of Albion will hit the shelves soon and as I've got all his other books it seems likely I'll buy this one as well. Spies in Elizabethan England - oh yes I think so.

I am also really looking forward to Wolfsangel by MD Lachlan. I've heard lots of good things and so will be rushing out to buy once it is released into the wild. Vikings! Yeah I'll have me some of that. Hmmm when it comes to Vikings you do have to go some to top this though......

  
Consider the gauntlet well and truly laid down Mr Lachlan, good luck sir! Full Led Zepplin inspired goodness can be located here.

B-Movieathon

Even shite movies deserve some love. When I was a teenager I amassed a vast collection of B-Movies. I went though a phase where the longer or sillier the movie title the more interested I was in viewing it. How could you not love Class of Nuke'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown?

Not long ago I realized a lot of the so called 'mainstream' stream films I've been watching were missing the sense of silly fun that comes with a good B-Movie. I decided it was time to get back in touch with my B-movie roots. I’ve purchased the following from Amazon and I await it's arrival in the next couple of weeks.


That's right peoples a 12 disc B-Movie boxed set. Hell Comes to Frogtown, The Stuff (come on who wouldn't love a film about a rampaging yogurt?) Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Night of the Living Dead. The list just keeps throwing out gems. Return of the Killer Tomatoes - you have to appreciate the joy of this. People need to know that one of George Clooney's first movie roles is about killer fruit.

'But Pablo' you cry 'B-Movies are laughably bad'. You are essentially right but lets not forget the heartwarming story of Mr P Jackson. I'm sure some of you may have seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy but would that exist, or indeed be as good, without the bugnuts insane delights of his earlier work? I demand you go now and seek out Bad Taste, Braindead and Meet the Feebles. Once you've viewed all three then we'll talk.

Gadget Envy

Mrs Cheesecake got a new phone recently. She is not a great fan of touchscreen tech so instead got herself a Crackberry 8900. I have to admit that even though it's not the smart phone I would buy for myself I do find it quite a neat little bit of techno-wizardry. I still have 12 months to go before I can get a new phone so I must gaze on enviously as she tweets and msgs effortlessly.

Till next time. Don't you go changin.

Cheesecake Out

Centurion

Before I start I have to admit there may be certain amount of bias in this blog.I have much love for Neil Marshall’s films.

Dog Soldiers was a brilliant werewolf flick. Loads of lovely nice dark humour. My brother-in-law, who is in the army, confirmed that the banter and actions of the squaddies were very realistic and well observed. Obviously with the exception of the fighting werewolves bit.

The Descent managed to scare the crap out of me and pisses on The Cave (which came out around the same time). Never seen night vision used more effectively for a scare before or since.

Doomsday is like the bastard son of Mad Max and is a hell of a lot of fun. It was nice to see Glasgow and particularly George Square/Queen St Station get trashed.

Today I sat down and watched Centurion. The story of the legendary Ninth Roman legion and how they went to the north of Britain to take out the Picts. As far as historic records are concerned the Ninth just disappeared without a trace. No one knows what really happened to them. Marshall has used this gap in the history books as the basis for the film.

Lots of familiar faces here. Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Liam Cunningham, Noel Clarke and David Morrisey. Lots of violence as well. Blood and guts all over the place. Picts vs Romans makes for multiple beheadings.

I loved it all. The action was first rate. The scenery was stunning and the pace was just right. One for the blu-ray collection when available I think.

I read the other day that Neil Marshall will be directing a new version of The Professionals. To wet your appetite here is my first foray into the world of You Tube. Enjoy!

Now that I have started fannying around with Windows Movie Maker fuck knows what will appear on Ya Toob next. Perhaps something special for the two year anniversary of the blog?

Valete

Pablus Cheesecakeius