Trust Tommy

Ian Fleming is probably the most famous detective writer of the 20th century. Certainly, he created the most iconic movie character ever to appear in cinemas worldwide: James Bond.

He lived just like his character too – he enjoyed living in exotic locations (he wrote his books in a home in Jamaica), was a heavy smoker and drinker (also a throwback to 007, although these would be toned down in the films).

Fleming served in the British Navy in World War II (which Bond did too).

He instigated a plan named Operation Ruthless to obtain a German Naval Enigma documentation by crashing a captured German aeroplane into the English Channel, where the British crew, dressed in Luftwaffe uniforms, could be rescued by a German patrol boat. The “survivors” would then kill the German crew, and hijack the ship thus obtaining the Enigma secrets. Much to the annoyance of Alan Turing and Peter Twinn at Bletchley Park, it never actually happened. His niece Lucy Fleming in “The Bond Correspondence” on BBC Radio Four on 24 May 2008, stated that the reason given was that an official at the Royal Air Force pointed out that if they were to drop a downed Heinkel bomber in the English Channel, it would sink rather than float.

He also conceived of a plan to use British occultist Aleister Crowley to trick Rudolf Hess into attempting to contact a fake cell of anti-Churchill Englishmen in Britain, but this plan was not used because Rudolf Hess had flown to Scotland in an attempt to broker peace behind Hitler’s back. Anthony Masters’ book The Man Who Was M: The Life of Charles Henry Maxwell Knight asserts Fleming conceived the plan that lured Hess into flying to Scotland, in May 1941, to negotiate Anglo–German peace with Churchill, and resulted in Hess’s capture: this claim has no other source.

Fleming also formulated Operation Goldeneye, a plan to maintain communication with Gibraltar as well as a plan of defence in the unlikely event that Spain joined the Axis Powers and, together with Germany, invaded the Mediterranean colony.

Having said all that, Fleming wrote an endearing children’s novel, the name of which still conjures images of happy nostalgia among many children and adults alike. Published in 1964, it was adapted into a film in ‘68. Being able to watch it through (without hiding behind the couch when the Childcatcher) came on became something of a ‘right of passage’ for many children. I recently read some of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and I was blown away by the simplicity of the opening, while being absolutely wonderfully witty at the same time.

Most motor cars are conglomerations (this is a long word for ‘bundles’) of steel and wire and rubber and plastic and electricity and oil and petrol and water and the toffee papers you pushed down the crack in the back seats last Sunday. Smoke comes out of the back of them and horns squawk out of the front and they have white lights like big eyes in front and red lights behind, and that’s about that! Just motor cars. Tin boxes on wheels for running about in. But some motorcars – mine for instance and perhaps yours are different! If you like them and understand them, if you’re kind to them and don’t scratch their paint or slam their doors. If you fill them up and top them up and pump them up when they need it; if you keep them clean and polished and out of the rain and snow as much as possible you will find – you might find that they become almost like persons. More than just ordinary persons – MAGICAL persons. You don’t believe me? Alright then, you just read about this car I’m going to tell you about, I believe you can guess its name already? Sorry, her name, I should say, and then see if you don’t agree with me, that all motor cars aren’t just conglomerations of machinery and fuel….

Best. Book. Opening. Ever.

Been a crazy busy couple of days!

Was down in Cork on Thursday, working with TV3 on a programme about The Lives of Teenagers, which is due to be broadcast some time in June. I was among epic company with Enda Crowley, Siobhan McGettigan and James Whelton – and we made quite a diverse group of internet users. I mean, James is more into the “whitehacking” side of things more than the rest of us so he could bring something very unusual/original to the table. We briefly considered hacking Enda’s mobile phone voicemail on camera for the laugh, but it never came to pass. I also showed Foursquare to them; the more location-based social network. I’d love it to get mainstream like Facebook is, I really would.

I didn’t get back to Limerick until 23:20 that night, but my body seems to be adapting to being deprived of what is considered by many to be a human right. I’m sleeping less these nights because of the cast and I think my body is coming to terms with this.

I’ve been in the cast 3 of my 6 weeks. The days nights when I’d go without sleep in the beginning are luckily gone but I’m still not sleeping well or for long. Two graphs from the iPhone app Sleep Cycle can be seen in this post: one from castified me, one from cast-less me. You can see the obvious difference.

The problem is that the cast is a lot like a baby. It needs to get out of bed every 4 or so hours and be stretched and have a glass of water or else it gets restless and I can’t sleep.

There’s a clause in the Geneva convention against that!

The problem with last using Last.Fm is that it puts my obsessive music-listening habits out for the world to see. Then again, one could argue that I’m the one putting them up.. :)

I do love the service though – if my laptop got stolen/broken tomorrow and the hard drive got wiped, I’d love my music library. That’s not a massive problem, mind you – I back up my (admittedly small) music library on Dad’s external USB hard-drive pretty regularly.. but that doesn’t save play counts. In what I think is iTunes’ single greatest FAIL, play counts aren’t copied over when you move the files about the place. That’s why Last.FM is so useful for me – remote play counts.

As you can see from the picture – the soundtrack from the musical “Chess” is being listened to a lot in my library these days… the cast wakes me almost without fail most nights around 3am. I’ll get up and stretch my leg by walking to the kitchen for a drink of water before going back to sleep. When I do that I like to listen to music and C for Chess seems to always be selected in my blind mouse jerks in iTunes.

If you wanna connect on Last.FM; I’m TrustTommy on there too.

Last weekend, I went to Wexford to see some friends. It’s not somewhere I go very often but it’s a lovely place when the weather’s right (isn’t everywhere?) and I thoroughly enjoyed my short time there.

I was there to see Orla and Áine, and while we were all together we decided to see County Wexford Youth Theatre’s production of rock opera RENT.

How was it?

Simply put, phenomenal.

After seeing it in America back in November, one would think that the original cast would trump all. Like a friend put it, why go see a Rolling Stones cover band after seeing Jagger live?

Because sometimes Alan McHale (Mark in this production) can better Mick Jagger… or Anthony Rapp (original Mark on Broadway) as the case may be.

Everything about this production oozed perfection. The leads brought freshness to their roles without neglecting core aspects of their characters while the ensemble were a mighty engine roaring behind them and supporting the entire show from Tune Up #1 right through to Finale B.

The crew must also be commended for their part in the awesomeness too. The stage was magnificent — the metal structure-cum-christmas-tree-cum-church-steeple was an excellently put together piece of scenery that jumped out at everyone the moment they walked into the theatre.

The band also get major kudos. The drummer in Providence had a screwup caused by either overeagerness or simple sound problems which caused him to be louder than everything else, leading to the vocals in songs like Out Tonight and What You Own to not so much be drowned out as obliterated in a cataclysmic explosion. Guitarists and keyboardists in the Wexford production were fantastic too, as well as the little mentioned operator of the sleigh bells during Christmas Bells. :)

Finally, special brownie points go to whoever controlled the lights during the show. Truly spectacular things were done with those lights, including during Seasons of Love as you can see in the picture.

The show’s going to be in the Cork Opera House from 3-6 March, and I wholeheartedly recommend going to see it. Tickets available here from €21.

As you do, right?

Taken in France in 2009.

If you’re wondering what I’m staring so intently at.. I can only equate the light show to…

I tried to catch up with the blue box but it got away :(

I was at home last night, reading my New Yorker, when this fell out from between the pages:

You’re meant to fill it out, and just stick it in the postbox. Am I the only one who sees the problem therein?

Obviously, since you’re writing your credit card details on it, you should put it in an envelope before sending it away, but what about the people who don’t realize what they’re doing?

It’d be nice if the New Yorker had a little note at the bottom telling you how to not be the victim of credit card fraud.

I enjoy almost all aspects of the second-level English course. Media studies, journal entries, fiction, you name it, I’ll enjoy it.

Except poetry.

For the most part, I enjoy reading poetry. I just don’t enjoy studying it. Don’t worry, this isn’t one of these teenage angst posts about how ‘the Irish secondary school system is a farce’ and ‘as if I’ll ever use trigonometry/chemical bonding/ox-bow lakes in later life’, it’s just that poetry isn’t my thing, as it were. I’ll put effort into it and everything, but don’t ask me to like it.

Anyhow, I’m showing you a poem from my English book. Why? Because I like so few of them, finding one I actively enjoy should be noted!

War and The Simpsons – Hilary McKay

The really good thing about war is that they generally put
it on at 6 o’ clock.
Same time as The Simpsons

And nowadays, of course, war is quite safe.
It stays in the TV and makes no mess.
Even if it gets too noisy you can just turn down the sound.

(If you can find the remote.)

Also it is very clean,
No dust, nor smoke, nor blood leaks through the screen.
And when it gets boring you can switch over and watch
The Simpsons

(If you can find the remote.)

The only trouble is, it still goes on.
(The war, not The Simpsons. The Simpsons lasts for
twenty minutes — unless it is a special.)

The war still goes on. The noise and the smoke and
the leaking blood. The dirt and the boredom and the fear.
You cannot switch it off with the remote.

(Even if you can find the remote)

You have to switch it off another way
You have to say, No
No
No war
You have to say No To War.

Then you can watch The Simpsons
In peace.

I think I like it because it’s a poem on an everyday subject, and not something difficult to relate to. I think that’s why I enjoy this poem of Sinéad’s so much. (Check out her other stuff, it’s good too)

Photo owned by Bramus! (cc)

I never collected magazines as a kid. John collected the Beano and Patrick got some programming one, PC World I think it was, but there was never one that really caught my eye.

Having said that, I do enjoy comics.

I first came across Charlie Brown through the musical, which debuted off-Broadway in 1967, which was a big hit, being performed over 1,500 times. It was revived on Broadway in 1999 and starred Anthony Rapp in the title role. I soon moved on to the original comics, written by Charles M. Schulz.

The comics, which began on October 2nd, 1950, are remarkable for their astute social commentary and tackling subjects unheard of in a children’s comic, such as the Vietnam War. In 1958, in a strip where Snoopy tosses Linus up in the air and boasts that he was the first dog ever to launch a human subtly references Laika, the dog the Russians sent into space earlier the same year, which preempted the Russians sending a human into space 3 years later.

I suggest checking it out and following it at http://comics.com/peanuts/

Here and here.

The A-Team is getting a silver-screen adaption. One of my favourite childhood TV shows is getting its debut in cinemas everywhere.

The television show, which debuted in 1983, followed a group of Robin Hood-style mercenaries who travelled America helping people in need, usually people in a business in danger of being seriously harmed (never killed, as this was a show aired before the watershed) by rival businesses, and losing their business.

Despite being imprisoned for a crime supposedly committed in Vietnam, the men ‘promptly’ (love it!) escaped prison to the Los Angeles Underground, and from there began helping others in return for a fee. I remember in one episode it being $90,000, and that was about the norm. Pretty hefty.

The show was pretty formulaic. No, it was very formulaic. In a show lasting an hour, even the quarters were mapped out, the first 15 minutes gave the premise – people in need of help and the A-Team showing up, usually after breaking “Howling Mad” Murdock out from the mental institute. The second 15 minutes showed the first run-in the team had with the baddies. The third 15 minutes showed them hatching a plan to save the day, which usually involved building some big machine and B.A using a blow-torch. Finally, the finishing quarter was defeating the baddies, complete with slow-motion shots of the goons being thrown into a dumpster. After that, the US Army would show up, having been tipped off by someone or other, and the A-Team would escape by the skin of their teeth, after receiving their not-altogether-very-nominal fee.

The show’s characters became the subject of cult followings:

Col. John “Hannibal” Smith (played by the late George Peppard), who was the leader of the group, becoming known in popular culture for his cigars, unorthodox but effective plans and his catchphrase “I love it when a plan comes together” (a phrase which Dad still uses sometimes).

Sgt. B. A. Baracus (played by Mr. T, a role which springboarded his career), the grease-monkey of the team, responsible for driving and mechanics. If you open the dictionary and look up ‘badass’, there’s a picture of him. Known for his jewelry, bad attitude and mohawk.

Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck (played by Dirk Benedict), was the smooth-talker of the group, responsible for conning people out of the materials or objects needed by the gang, which ranged from wings or clothes to helicopters or tractor engines. Known for being the smooth-talking womanizer and a sneaky bugger to boot.

Finally, Capt. H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock (played by Dwight Schultz) was the pilot of the group, and the one who was certified insane. Many a time, the premise of the show involved breaking HM out of the mental home where he voluntarily committed himself. Known for his inane ramblings, his imaginary friend Timmy, and not getting on with BA because of his wackyness. Is responsible for my undying love of black converse.

The film has a release date of June 11th (one day after my birthday!). It will star Liam Neeson (one of my favourite actors ever!) as Hannibal, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as BA, Bradley Cooper as Face and Sharlto Copley as Howling Mad Murdock.

Photo credit: www.slashfilm.com/. From right to left, Cooper as Face, Jackson as BA, Copley as Murdock and Neeson as Hannibal

Alan Silvestri will compose the film score, Joe Carnahan directs while according to writer Michael Brandt, the adaptation will be more in vein of Die Hard, The Bourne Identity, and Casino Royale. Original stars Dwight Schultz and Dirk Benedict have confirmed a cameo, while Mr. T admitted in an interview that he’d turned one down.

*buckles seatbelt* This is looking goooooooooooood! :D

And yes, the film is in 3D. :)

We are a family of precious few traditions, it has to be said. Well, tradition in the, erm, traditional sense of the word. You know, like going to midnight mass or having Grandma over for Christmas dinner, or everyone piling on the couch at 20:30 on a Christmas Eve to catch the Father Ted Christmas Special.

Then again, the word ‘tradition’ is actually defined by Google as an “inherited pattern of thought or action”. That, to me, seems a lot more lenient in that it says to me that it doesn’t have to be anything common, normal or usual.

And so, here’s a tradition. :)

Last year, around this time, I went Karting. I’ve always had a sordid relationship with karting to be honest. I was never a very tall child so when people went karting, I’d come out onto the track, into their self-titled ’smallest car’, sit in it and see if I could reach. Invariably, I couldn’t, so I’d wait in the main building while the others went karting. My annoyance as to not being able to varied, depending on whether there were books and TV wherever I was waiting, or if water was readily available, things like that. I was always one of those kids who could stare at the wall and entertain himself but you do kind of grow out of that.

So because this time last year was my very first time behind the wheel, I was a bit of a Granny, and the only way I would’ve won is if they’d been measuring from the bottom up, or by the number of overtakes. I wasn’t very experienced and wasn’t aware that you could go faster than I was going. In fairness, the kart makes a loud, guttural roar when you floor the accelerator and that probably put me off.

So, since I approach this with experience under my belt, this time will be different. I didn’t overtake anyone last year so that skill still escapes me. Once I get that sorted nothing stops me from coming first, right?

Check back here to see if my confidence is placed well or not…