053/2014 : Around The World In 80 Beers

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Dave On Film

Elle was going to London for the weekend and I was having a day on the beer. Yvonne came over and we met up with Kelly and Jamie. Started off in the Hourglass to watch a pretty boring Leeds game.

Then we went to a newish bar called “Around The World In 80 Beers”. You are given a passport :

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There are different continents and different beers from each continent. Every time you drink one you get a stamp. After ten stamps in one continent you get a free beer. Twenty stamps in one continent gets you a free food platter! Winner!

If you manage to get all 80 stamps, you enter into a competition to go around the world to different breweries. I’ve accepted the challenge and I will nail it!

We are 8 into the 80 already.

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052/2014 : Sitdown Standup

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Dave On Film

Played Sitdown bingo in the huddle at work today. I got down to the last five with a chance to win £30 but then I got eliminated. Booooo!

If you don’t understand the rules of Sitdown Bingo it’s dead easy. Everyone gets a Bingo ticket and you all stand up. If a number is drawn that is on your card, you’re out and you have to sit down. You keep going until only one person is left standing and that person wins. It’s a cracking little game.

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051/2014 : David Thorne

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Dave On Film

As happens around once every six months, one of David Thorne’s comedy email chains starts doing the rounds on the internet…and it gets me quite mad. Usually there’s a link to a “Viral Funnies” type website with no actual link back to David Thorne’s website…and it’s a shame because some of the stuff on his website is the funniest stuff I have ever seen online.

His website is : www.27bslash6.com/ and you just have to read through some of the articles to have one hell of a laugh.

My personal recommendations are

“Missing Missy” – David is asked to create a poster for a missing cat…what follows is hilarious.
“Justin’s Floodlight” – The guy who lives opposite David has a floodlight that “burns with the light of a thousand suns”
“Dear Neighbour, you are not invited to my party” – David’s neighbour is having a party and warns David…David takes the note as an invitation to go to the party…hilarity ensues!

Basically, just go to his site and read it. Accept no imitations!

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050/2014 : More beta

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Dave On Film

Played more Titanfall after work. Oh yes!

Having to fly solo improve at work for the first time. Should be interesting with my three and half week’s training that has covered minimal support. Hopefully there will be no support issues and I can concentrate on completing the project I am working on…we shall see!

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049/2014 : Titanfall

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Dave On Film

Oh.

My.

GOD!

That is all. I don’t think we’re allowed to really talk about it. That’s usually the way that Beta testing works. Although it is an open beta so I don’t know.

Just get the beta and play it. It’s immense. Once you’re into the actual gameplay…just Wow! This is going on the “must-have” list for release day!

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048/2014 : Pacific Rim & Titanfall

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Dave On Film

Watched Pacific Rim tonight. Wasn’t sure what to expect but thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a definite “no brain needed” film, but sometimes it’s good to watch films like that where you can just suspend all belief and just immerse yourself in explosions and big massive robots fighting big Godzilla-type creatures.

Also downloaded the Beta of Titanfall on the Xbox One. Unfortunately not had chance to play it yet but I have heard really good things about it. Hoping to get some time on it tomorrow, or alternatively on Wednesday night.

A decent episode of The Walking Dead tonight too. Even if part of it was spoiled by Scott on Facebook…!

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047/2014 : BAFTA & Robocop

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Dave On Film

Woke up in Masham. Had breakfast which was lovely.

Headed home before heading out to the cinema to see Robocop Click here to see my review

Watched the BAFTA awards tonight. 12 Years A Slave won loads of awards. I need to watch that, along with Captain Phillips.

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Film Review : Robocop (2014)

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Dave On Film

It’s big reboot time as Robocop’s circuits are reworked, repaired and upgraded into 2014.

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The general story remains the same, OCP are looking to put robotic police officers on the streets of Detroit first then America. After they had been successfully deployed abroad, they need to do so in the states, but heavy opposition means that OCP need to win over the public. So instead of putting machines out on the streets, they look to put a man in a machine. All the current candidates are unsuitable…until BOOM! Good cop Alex Murphy is blown to bits by an arms-dealing bad guy. His body is signed over to OCP and the metal is added and Robocop is set loose.

This is one of the best reboot films I have seen and I was very impressed with it. One major difference though is the shift away from the revenge story and more focus on the relationship between a now-robot Murphy and his wife as well as his kid. This was a very small part of the original film, with Robocop only visiting his old house once and his wife not even knowing. This time around, she gave full consent and keeps in touch with him.

This sets up a more sentimental Robocop. His “death” isn’t anywhere near as brutal as Boddicker’s annihilation of Peter Weller’s Murphy and Joel Kinnaman’s search for revenge is a small twenty minute segment which ends as quick as it starts.

There is a lot more focus on OCP’s top bosses having more control over Robocop, being able to track his movements and shut him down if necessary.

It’s well worth a watch. Fans of the older films will notice lots of nods back to the original. From the theme music of the originals being in there, to phrases such as “dead or alive you are coming with me” and even a reference to the “I’d buy that for a dollar” advertisement in the first film.

The violence is somewhat toned down, but after they ran over budget, they needed to recoup money in some way and giving it a 12A rating is the best way.

Great casting is the key too. Gary Oldman is fantastic as the Doctor who created Robocop, Michael Keaton is great as the take-no-shit boss of OCP and Joel Kinnaman plays the lead fantastically. Oh and Samuel L Jackson…can he go through an entire 12A rated film without calling someone a MotherFucker…? You’ll have to watch and see… 😉

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046/2014 : Black Sheep Brewery

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Dave On Film

Headed up to Masham today to visit the Black Sheep Brewery. It was my valentines present from Elle. We had booked into a pub for the night too.

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The tour was really informative. They told us loads of stuff about how the brewery came about and when we walked around the brewery we saw the whole process. It’s mad to think that the yeast they are using was 93 years old when they acquired it and they had been using it for 21 years themselves! Madness!

Had some samples of a few beers too.

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Had a lovely lunch at the brewery with a few more beers before going back to the hotel. We checked into the tiniest room ever (which we knew when we booked it) but it was really cute too. It was the Bay Horse pub. All the other rooms are normal sized, so don’t be put off. We were just very late to book. Haha.

Had tea in the pub with some more beers before embarking on a bit of a pub crawl around Masham. Ended up doing “Obviously” and “Chico Time” on the karaoke. I don’t think the locals were really ready for that!

Had a cracking day.

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045/2014 : Valentines

Posted on February 15, 2014 by Dave On Film

Did all the present giving last night. Just organized the date today to go see The Bodyguard later in the year.

Looking forward to the Black Sheep brewery tomorrow. Will be interesting to see around it and of course sample some stuff 😉

Work still going really well.
Three weeks in now and thoroughly enjoying it. Had some good feedback in a 1-2-1 today, which was nice to hear…I must be doing something right!

Hope you all had a cracking Valentines day.

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