A motorbike and comedy post

Warning! Bad language, bad taste and good humour ahead!

There's been a few things this week that have made me laugh. One of the best was when I was chatting to a mate online and she mentioned that there was a "Mock the Week" marathon on Dave (for non-UK guys, that's a TV channel). I was in work the next night and sure enough, there was another set of episodes on. If you don't know it, Mock the Week is an improv show, and theoretically there's about 4 or 5 rounds of comedy challenges for the various standups such as one comic does a version of a speech (Dubya addressing Congress, the Prince of Wales talking to his mother) and another translates what's actually meant, or various topics are given and they compete for quick-fire laughs and so on. One of the episodes, I swear they had three rounds, and one of them had just one topic that was covered for about 15 minutes. Like all shows of the type it can date quickly but some of the rest of it is still painfully relevant. I think I managed to give myself a decent stomach work-out with the amount I was laughing.
From youtube, here's a few, including an outtake. The BBC have posted a load but can't embed them.

These are from the final rounds, "scenes you'd never see..."

Did they base the Ood on Dr John Zoidberg?


*eta* as in the aliens from Saturday's Dr Who (and the Satan Pit) and Planet Express' resident doctor from Futurama.
Or maybe they're both based on Cthulhu... O R’lyeh? Yeah they might be.

I'll stop now.

Convergence

A lager advert on the TV has Violent Femmes as a sound-track, which made me pop onto iTunes and grab it, as it made me think about Grosse Point Blank, one of my 20 favourite films (come on! "I killed the president of Paraguay with a fork, how have you been?" Lines don't get much better). Riding back from Inverness today and the same tune came on my iPod, I think "must watch that film again soon" and lo and behold, right now on UKTV Gold, it's Grosse Point Blank.
*edit to add* just seen one of my favourite scenes on film. As a single guy I have a certain image to maintain as a climbing, boarding, kayaking, martial arts blokey bloke but the bit in the film with Robbie (at the reunion with Under Pressure in the background), it's just fantastic. If you've seen the film you'll know it. Just gets to me, you know. ;D */edit*
Score!
Tis a good day.

Also managed to get a few pictures of Scotland today as well, this is one of the better ones.

You know, I'm really lucky to live up here. I was faced with the dilemma of do I go snow-boarding, to the cinema, walking on the beach or walking on a snow covered mountain on my day off. Woosed out, went to the cinema, saw 21, not bad. Grosse Point Blank's better though. Mountains later, wine now.

Tiny bit tipsy

Watching Bones, the new season on Sky, and a couple of things strike me, aside from the fact I've had a very nice bottle of wine (thank you Tesco) and a bit of a Martini-type drink (I'm using more vermouth than is standard). The series has about 12 producers/executive/assistant producers, two of them are the main characters and one is Kathy Reichs, upon whose books and life the series is modelled, but even so, 12! That's a bit over the top!
The reason I've had a drink or two on a week night is that I've just finish a shift pattern from hell. From Sunday night until 8 o'clock this morning I've been on a nominal 12 on 12 off pattern, except the two shift where I had to do 14 or 15 hours when the next guy couldn't get in on time. Not his fault, illness and planned activities related. Now I'm relaxing and enjoying the new season. My next comment may be a bit controversial, but I prefer the series to the books, although I've only read the first book, maybe the later ones are better, I'll have to find out.
I'm rambling, but I'm happy.
BTW, weekend looks a bit grotty (just showers in the south) and Monday could see a return to wintry showers as far south as Birmingham, but don't tell anyone I told you so!

And I've just found out that Martini's aren't improved by using Rossi. Although American Dad is always good.

But more importantly I've just realised that I'm going to miss out on my niece's life. I'm her uncle and I'm not going to be there. I know her mum and dad will be there for anything she needs but I think an uncle near-by, or at least reachable, is important. When Ellen was born Matt seemed a bit hesitant about the fact I wouldn't be a god-parent, but as I said at the time, I'm faimily, and I believe that god-parents shouldn't be family; but we should be available for the child. So when she gets older, I'm going to have to have to make sure she's got my number, just in case something comes up that she's not happy talking to her mum and dad about.
Having said that, she's three now, so I've got a bit of time, I hope....