Monthly Archives: March 2009

I didn’t know honest Guv !

You have to laugh don’t you. Well, that’s exactly what I did when I read this afternoon that the Home Secretary, yes the Home Secretary has been found out trying to pay for a TV package as part of her parliamentary duties – give me strength!

Her husband decided to watch a couple of “Adult” films on pay per view and then claimed for them back on expenses! Nothing wrong with his taste, everyone is entitled to watch what they want to as long as they are consenting adults, heck he even paid for “Surf’s Up” and “Ocean’s 13″ too. That said, are you trying to tell me you can’t distinguish between that and a bill for web connection? NO! What a pathetic excuse and from the Home Seretary Jacqui Smith herself!

Ms Smith said she “mistakenly” claimed for a TV package when billing for a web connection and would repay the cash.

Downing Street said she had done the “right thing” by quickly rectifying the “inadvertent mistake”.

The Home Secretary is already under investigation by the parliamentary commissioner for standards over her use of the second homes allowance.

MPs can claim for subscription television services but they have to be used wholly, exclusively and necessarily to perform their duties.

BBC political correspondent, Gary O’Donoghue, said a source told him Ms Smith was “livid and shocked” when she found out about the films.

He said he was told Ms Smith was not at home when they were viewed and said she had no intention of resigning over the matter.

Mr O’Donoghue said he was told Ms Smith had given her husband a “real ear-bashing“.

Last month Ms Smith was criticised for claiming taxpayer-funded allowances for a second home while living with her sister.

But she insisted she had …

Jade Goody, reality TV star has died

Reality TV star Jade Goody has died at the age of 27, her spokesman Max Clifford has confirmed.

She died at home with her family in Upshire, Essex, overnight on Saturday after a high-profile battle with cervical cancer.

Goody was diagnosed with the disease in 2008 but it spread to her liver, groin and bowel and she was told it was terminal in February.

Her mother Jackiey Budden said: “My beautiful daughter is at peace.”  Obituary

Goody shot to fame after being a contestant in the third series of Big Brother in 2002 and was taking part in a version of the show in India when she was told of her illness. Full Story here

The harsh reality of her death comes on the very day that she would have been fighting so hard to see, Mother’s Day. Jade was without question a mother first and a star second. She loved her kids and would have so loved to have spent a final day at home with them. It wasn’t to be.

Natasha Richardson dies aged 45, terribly sad

British actress Natasha Richardson has died from injuries sustained in a skiing accident, her husband Liam Neeson’s publicist has said.

Richardson, 45, daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave, fell on a beginners’ slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada on Monday.

Neeson said that the family were devastated by the death of their “beloved Natasha”.

She died in a New York hospital where she had been transferred.

Richardson initially showed no sign of injury after the incident but about an hour later she was taken to a nearby hospital after feeling unwell. It was later confirmed her injuries were critical.

Neeson, 56, her mother, Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave, 72, and two sons, Michael, 13, and Daniel, 12, had gathered at her bedside after she was flown from Canada to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York on Tuesday.

Alan Nierob, Neeson’s publicist, said: “Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha.

“They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.”

Richardson starred on film and TV but won most acclaim for her stage work.

Weeds – a credit crunching bargain !!!

I can’t quite believe what I’m looking at! Amazon sent me and probably thousands more an email this morning showcasing their latest blu-ray offers and included in the mix are truly amazing bargains! Weeds season 1 and 2 priced at $12.99 each – Hurry!

When Weeds was launched a few seasons ago I didn’t know how to take it – the soundtrack put me off the programme and despite the top notch acting and comedy I couldn’t get it out of my head so I left the programme in limbo a third of the way into season one!

However on receiving the email this morning I am sorely tempted to give Weeds another go especially considering both season one and two are priced at just $12.99 each! That’s right, $12.99 for a full season of blu-ray goodness folks!

Season three is priced at a very respectable $17.99 and considering Amazon want over $80 for the boxset (season 1-3) it’s a bargain! If you are looking for a review on Season 1 then look no further …..!!

For those of you in the UK or worldwide the three seasons are multi regional – to check those and other titles please visit the following website

Young Victoria on a Saturday Night!

With only minutes left before I had to make a decision on whether I go to the cinema or not last night I chose in the affirmative and went, cap in hand to watch the latest film on the life of Queen Victoria.

Although I had seen the trailer for the film a few weeks previous I still wasn’t certain if it was a film I wanted to see, purely based on the fact that I couldn’t see another film beating Mr Brown (Judi Dench and Billy Connolly). I really loved that film; full of honest acting and great characters. If you were looking for another option then why not check out Victoria Regina made in 1937 and starred Helen Hayes as the Queen.

We arrived at the cinema and made our way to the cinema of the Gods (right at the very top floor of the cinema but I don’t think any Gods were present last night!) minus popcorn and diet coke and nibbles (although I did smuggle in a bottle of energy drink, naughty me!).

Despite the poor audio and the framing not quite right, the film was charming and was over before you knew it. It did what it said on the tin and despite a few “poet licence” moments from Julian Fellowes it was a lovely film. I can rest easy that Mr Brown remains the top Victorian film despite “Young Victoria” trying her best to win the race.

I have always enjoyed films that make you want to know more as soon as you leave the cinema, Changeling with Angelina Jolie is a recent example of that and Young Victoria certainly joined the stable of further knowledge required! I couldn’t wait until we arrived home to check out whether Prince Albert did in fact receive …

England Football Squad and Comic Relief!

I’ve just caught up with arguably the funniest thing I’ve seen on a BBC charity show. Not since Peter Andre and Jordan sang it’s a whole new world have I laughed so loudly. I guffawed I tell you, guffawed!!! God bless Comic Relief!

James “Smithy” Cordon meets up with the England football squad in a plush hotel. Smithy is a plumber and while messing around with the pipes decides it’s about time he goes to the toilet. Unable to find his way he blindly goes down one hall and then another, round one corner and takes off his work belt and enters a room.

He suddenly realises where he is, right bang in the middle of John Terry giving a pep talk to his England colleagues! What then follows is comedy genius! Cordon launches a tirade against all the players blaming them for the wasted trip to Austria for the European championships, David James form related to him not “dicking” around with his hair and Crouch’s lack of scoring down to the fact he has fear of the robot!

Ashley Cole doesn’t escape his wrath either asking why his wife is half way up Mt Kilimanjaro and not at home doing everything a footballer’s wife should be doing; washing, cleaning and ironing! David Beckham in the meantime is trying his best not to laugh as Cordon then has a go at John terry for missing a penalty.

He ends the session with the lyrics from New Order’s World in Motion and the John Barnes rap – classic! So here we go, for comic relief I give you Smithy and the England squad!!!

My Life Would Suck Without You – Kelly Clarkson and American Idol!

I’ve just sat through the results show on American Idol and I have to say I’m not that shocked at who has gone out – more or less predictable to be honest. Neither singer gave a great performance and the elimination was well balanced with one male and 1 female departing. (I don’t want to spoil it for those who haven’t seen it yet).

One little twist in this season’s American Idol is the extra power the judges now have – the ability to save someone up until the top 5. If they feel someone has been voted out by mistake due to wrong song choice or just bad luck they can save them!

Halfway through proceedings the first idol to return and sing on the big stage in Season 8 was Kelly Clarkson. She had a little laugh with Seacrest about not being in a relationship and then Seacrest insinuated his life would suck without Simon Cowell – a lame but corny way to introduce Kelly’s new single.

Taken off her brand new album “All I Ever Wanted” (UK Version) the single is an infectious song with a mixture of rock and ballad. Her tone is amazing and the live performance she gave last night was absolutely stunning and no surprise she’s made it to the very top and stayed there. I can’t wait to listen to the rest of her album which is a mix of all genres including dance, rock and country.

Anyway, here’s her new single, hope you like it. Ladies and Gentlemen I introduce to you Miss Kelly Clarkson and My Life would Suck Without You!! You can buy the cd from the US Here

Home Brewing!?

by our roving reporter Dex

Now I know what you are thinking….Potent….Foul tasting….Cloudy beer?

10/15 years ago you would probably have been right. Recent years have seen many more people taking up the ‘hobby’ and the quality of ingredients, equipment and general knowledge of brewing has greatly increased. A large part of this can be attributed to the internet and forums such as www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk allowing brewers the means of sharing their experiences and suppliers to further promote the art of brewing.

The are currently 3 different types of home brewing, All grain, Extract and Kits. All grain and Kits are the most popular.

The All grain style of brewing consists of Malted Grains, Hops and Yeast. The Malted Grains are mashed with hot water to extract the sugars and flavours from the grain then the resulting liquid called ‘Wort’ is boiled along with the hops which also provide flavour, bitterness and aroma. The yeast is then added to transform the fermentable sugars in the wort into alcohol. Books to get you started.

The Kit style of brewing includes a can of hopped liquid malt extract, sugar and yeast. The malt extract is a concentrated version of wort to which more water and sugar is added followed by the yeast.

Kits are much quicker and easier to make but All Grain brewing is very satisfying and produces a higher quality drink.

The initial cost of buying all equipment for kit brewing can be as little of £25 with each brew costing between 20-50p a pint.

The costs of All Grain brewing are initially higher starting at around £80 for bog standard plastic equipment going upto many thousands of pounds for stainless steel. The price per pint is about the same as kits but as said previously produces a better …

Matt Laffan, an Australian inspiration 1970 – 2009

Way back in 2001, Australian Story aired a special programme about Matt Laffan and his fight for a normal life, to play rugby and to dance. Just over a week ago, Matt Laffan lost his battle and died in Sydney, the city he loved.

Born in 1970, Matt was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder and was only given a short time to live, they didn’t think he would last a week such was his overwhelming odds against survival.

I had never heard of Matt Laffan until two days ago when Australian Story aired an updated programme to pay their respects to Matt on his passing on the 1st March 2009. For those interested the programme will be repeated on Saturday 14th March. It may also get a repeat showing on ABC2 on Tuesday. So please if you haven’t seen the episode, I highly recommend it.

Matt came across as a cheeky larakin with a mind as big as New South Wales and a heart to match. He loved flirting with the ladies although he claimed he never saw that he was a charmer and a good flirt – I’m sure he knew what he was doing but would rather not say!

Matt Laffan

“I have never taken to the Rugby paddock, but the game is in my blood. My old man has coached Rugby all my 37 years and thus it has been with me forever. And with it have come experiences and friendships and lessons learned that have assisted to shape me into the evolving man I am.”

For someone like me who never knew him; the best compliment I could give would be that I wish I had met him – a very inspiring character who would certainly not be short of a word or two! If …

Big Show kisses Vickie Guerrero as Cena looks on!

I have just been watching Monday night’s WWE RAW and as a fan of John Cena I was looking forward to Edge and The Big Show signing their contracts for Wrestlemania , so sure was I that Cena would appear and “spoil” things!

When we last watched Smackdown, John Cena in his home town made an appearance and whispered something in Vickie’s ears and then quietly left the ring with Vickie white as a sheet unable to move or speak.

There has been a lot of speculating as to what Cena ushered into Vickie’s shell like but all was revealed on Monday night’s RAW – and how funny was it!

Immediately following the signing, Cena’s music is played and the champ walks into the arena, salutes and rushes the ring as a cowering Edge moves behind his wife and The Show for protection! It is then revealed that Cena told Vickie that he loved her and he couldn’t keep it secret anymore! As Edge and The Show looked on incredulously the fans all booed the fact that the people’s champion would stoop so low!

Cena left and half way up the ramp declared he was lying and he didn’t love her but that he had had friends all over his hometown arena including ticket sellers, t shirt sellers and even security camera operators!

In perhaps the funniest backstage incident ever seen on RAW, we see footage of Vickie and Big Show kissing while Edge is in the shower! As Big Show leaves the room, Vickie smacks his butt and he can hardly contain his laughter as Vickie sizes the big man up! Class!…

Has Schapelle Corby been forgotten?

Hello everyone, hope you are all well and enjoying a lovely Sunday. I did a search for the latest news on Schapelle this evening and rather worryingly came across and article from the coastconfidential website claiming that very few people in Bali knew of Schapelle’s plight and condition.

Given her status abroad in Australia and America you would have thought that she would be well remembered in Bali, but it appears that few locals have given her a thought in recent times. The conditions she currently lives in are deplorable and are not fit for a rat let alone a human being, something has to be done.

CC report that “There are requests to visit Schapelle and bring her a present or some comfort but it is virtually impossible.

“Unless you are family or apply beforehand and Schapelle wants to see you, it is not going to happen.”

If you read Schapelle’s book “No More Tomorrows” you will discover that she gets tired of people turning up to have a gawp at her just because they feel like killing half an hour or they just want to return home saying they’ve met Schapelle Corby. The obvious problem with this is that people with true and honest intentions could possibly lose out and not get chance to meet her.

Way back in 2005 the Sydney Morning Herald reported:-

HER cause has spun off enough souvenirs to rival a royal wedding and generated more polls than a federal election campaign. There are T-shirts, hats, bumper stickers and unconfirmed sightings at suburban barbecues of stubbie coolers bearing the same slogan: Free Schapelle.

Her surname (Corby, if by some small chance you missed it) has become almost superfluous, if not in the stifling courtrooms of Bali, then in the minds of the …

24: 1800 – 2000 – amazing double header

Is it me or does Fox’s 24 get better and better? I’ve just finished watching the double header (episodes 11 and 12 or 6pm – 8pm) and I was left in awe at the writing, storyline and of course the great acting! The series follows on from the special Redemption Film.

IMPORTANT WARNING – please do not continue reading if you are in the UK and haven’t watched the double header broadcast on Sky on the 9th March. Again, please do not continue reading if you do not want to know what happened! if you do want to read on please follow the image jump!

Well done, you made it – read on !!!

One thing that was predictable about the double header was the attack would take place inside the White House.  The house has always been seen as the safe haven for everyone and a general no go area for terrorists but not anymore. How many times do we find ourselves shouting at the tv – when Jack tells us there’s a credible threat, believe him – he’s a hero, he can do no wrong!!!

Agent Walker stumbles across proof that the General and his men are planning an attack on Abe’s house and jumps into the water to warn the government. She fails to make it in time and his men find a way through a secret tunnel (National Treasure or Dave anyone?!!!) and start killing secret agents and White House staffers, taking the remaining staffers hostage.

Bill Buchanan releases the under arrest Bauer so he can help rescue the President to the lockdown area. Ten’s of agents are killed as the terrorists approach the President but Jack manages to secure the leader in the lockdown (strong room). With the President trapped they warn off …

Will the real Yvonne Strahovski step forward?

It’s raining outside, the temperature has dropped to critical levels and the fire is roaring to counteract the frosty siberian weather threatening to come indoors!!

I’ve been sitting here for the better part of an hour or more wondering, nay contemplating what I could watch on tv tonight. It’s been a fairly busy day what with going to the gym first thing this morning, plenty of shopping, running errands and then helping a mate download a blog to his website! Oh and I nearly forgot the most important part of today, sending some hot chocolate in the post to my mate Connellan. I know he won’t appreciate it, in fact the first words out of his mouth when the postie delivers the package tomorrow will be FFS!!!

I digress! Ever since I watched episode one of Chuck I was hooked! Was it the fact that the geek gets the girl? The nerd makes a difference – in real life scenarios? Amazing acting? It’s probably a combination of all three but by far the most important reason to watch Chuck for me? Yvonne Strahovski!!!

Yvonne plays Sarah Walker, an undercover operative whose sole mission is to keep Chuck safe. To do that, she has to pose as his girlfriend and spend loads of precious time with him. This often results in enforced showers, copious amounts of stripping (well not nearly as much as I’d like) and good old fashioned bonding.

So the relationship, the fake one remember? It’s not really fake. Well, it is, but it isn’t! Both Chuck and Sarah have real feelings for each other and despite the fact that he’s a nerd and she’s a hottie they do really want each other! The problem is neither will admit it to the other and they end up skating …

Mandelson turns into the Hulk – sort of!

Stephen Sondheim, one of the worlds greatest ever lyricists,  wrote the music and lyrics to the 1966 musical “A funny thing happened on the way to the forum” .Never has such a title been so apt than this morning! I was half way through my workout at the gym and just ahead of me I saw the instantly recognisable “Breaking News” logo from Sky News flash before my eyes. I looked up and had the laugh of my life!

A woman, protesting against the third runway at Heathrow decided the best way to get her point across was the throw green custard in the face of Lord Mandelson as he arrived at a venue celebrating the launch of a low-carbon summit.

Leila Deen, who is a member of the “Plane Stupid” environmental group walked up to Business Secretary Peter Mandelson as he arrived in his chauffeur driven car and threw her green custard on his face. The video clearly shows the green gunk hitting her mark and Mandelson ran for cover as best a politician could!

Arguably the funniest thing for me was watching Ms Deen pick up her papers, turn around and calmly walk away without anyone blinking!!! Where was his security? Where were the police? I’m no fan of Mandelson but surely a politician at his level would have security?

No complaint has been made about the incident and no action taken against Ms Deen.

But former deputy prime minister John (Muhammad Ali) Prescott, who threw a punch at a protester who had thrown an egg at him in 2001, said it was “totally unacceptable” that Ms Deen had been able to walk away after the incident without being arrested.

Enjoy the video!