Smuel's good morning extravaganza

Oh, I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay,
If "lumberjack" means that I type all day.

Good morning.

 

Good morning and stuff.

 

Good morning.

 

This morning, I awoke to the news that Scott Weiland had expired.

I managed.

 

I don't know who that is, but I assume you just made a terribly clever reference to something.

Good morning.

 

Having googled the name, I think the joke is that noone knows who he is, I mean was.

Good morning.

 

I knew who he was. Not really upset over it though. Guy was like Keith Richards, you're just wondering how long they can keep abusing substances before it finally kills them

 

Well, you know, everybody abuses something. Or someone. Or some specific group of people, Jojobobo.

Good morning.

 

More like several specific groups of people, I'm a giver.

Good morning.

 

Good afternoon from a cozy cafe in St. John's, Newfoundland.

 

Isn't that in Canada or something?

Good morning.

 

Yes.

Morning.

Although it is possible that he's just very small and found a cozy café on the flanks of a large water dog.

 

Star Wars was worth watching. I give it 5/7.

 

I'm watching it on Sunday, you spoil it and I'll spoil you.

Or something more legitimately threatening sounding.

Good morning.

 

Woah, full marks?

 

I wouldn't spoil it for anybody because I hate people that spoil things.

 

I'm unbelievably fucking annoyed. In the summer at a folk music festival (Cropredy to be exact) I bought a ukulele for Christmas for my future brother-in-law, you know a really nice branded make and from a music festival for that special touch which serves his quirky musical tastes (him being a trendy guitarist kind of guy). I also had a lot more money in the summer, spending £30 on it, and now having less money for everyone else I'm buying gifts for I've mostly stuck to a strict £5 limit to accommodate for that.

Lo and behold, a week before fucking Christmas he's only gone and bought a fucking ukulele from Lidl - why do they even sell fucking ukuleles? It's not only annoying because (A) it was a banker - an outlandish gift that you wouldn't expect anyone to get and yet they should appreciate but (B) because I've spent relatively a lot more money on it than I have anyone else, over a gift that's now practically ruined. I've had to jokingly ask him (more like insist very obviously) to return the one he bought thereby spoiling the gift, however it seemed a better alternative than him opening the gift and being entirely unenthused given the price and effort that went into it. It's just completely fucking irritating when you'e gone into the effort of getting a bespoke meaningful gift that's impossible to return and much more money than you've spent on any other relative, and that's fine because you know how much they're going to enjoy it, only to get arbitrarily shat on all over the face for no reason you could ever possibly anticipate.

Merry fucking Christmas.

 

That's a sad story.

It sounds like a lot of stress and frustration, especially the bit where you keep it all to yourself until you can vent on your blog.

I never buy any gifts, out of general contrariness, and the only gifts I get are charity donations in my name. It always seemed like such a
minefield of politics and resentment, it's such a relief to have officially opted-out. It would be funny if the three magi had spent their journey comparing gifts and upsizing. They probably started out with socks and a book, and egged each other on until they had spent everything on gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Although, to be honest, if the yule festival was held during midwinter, I would value the gift giving, caroling, decorations, feasting and, especially, the family time, a lot more. In the midsummer, it is entirely superfluous.

Good morning.

p.s., I'm assuming the 5/7 rating means "the empire strikes back" episode 5 of 7. Which is full marks.

 

Saw Starwars last night. I thought it was a great movie in its own right, but perhaps more importantly, it sets the stage for what could be a really outstanding trilogy.

However:

Spoiler

Apart from (re)introducing the main players and their unique story arcs, the plot seemed like a chopped and screwed mishmash of elements lifted straight out of episodes 4 and 6. At one point I said to myself, "Really? We're doing the planet-destroying super weapon thing again?" I guess they felt it was necessary to put the Resistance on the same outgunned footing as the Rebel Alliance by wiping out the Republic. The Tie v. X-wing action wasn't as hot as I hoped it would be. The planetary settings weren't especially inspiring. BB-8 was trying too hard to be cute and funny.

In the plus column: There were no gungans. While there were probably too many homage moments, I didn't notice any of them referencing episodes 1,2&3. The lightsaber fights were great; excellent FX, and a visceral, violent fighting style. None of that twirling, flipping, overly choreographed shit.

 

We have a family rule that personal spending stops in November to avoid just such an incident.