Thursday, October 23, 2008

complaint about dangerous and agressive driver

To Whom it May Conern,

I'd like to make a complaint - in the strongest terms - about one of your drivers.

I am a cyclist and today ( around 11.30 / 11.40 am) cycling on Gloucester Place I was assaulted by your driver.

I was cycling in a northerly direction, with your bus behind me. As I approached a traffic light at a junction I noticed that the light had turned yellow, and with my experience of this junction stopped as I knew I had no chance of clearing the junction before the traffic started moving the other way. As soon as I stopped the light went red. As soon as I stopped your driver beeped his horn and overtook me dangerously on my right, veered round me at high speed nearly hitting me with the rear of his bus, and proceeded straight through the red light.

I caught him up to complain further up the road, and he became extremely agitated, gesturing, and edging his bus forward towards me in a threatening manner. After failing to secure his apology - he kept shouting that it wasn't a red light, that it was yellow, as if that was the only issue, and not his dangerous and threatening driving.

I decided to take the details which I include below - as I was doing this he was edging the bus forward to try to intimidate me. Once I'd finished taking the details your driver moved the bus forward, again at high speed, as I was trying to get back on my bike, and knocked me out of the way as the bus hit me side on. Fortunately I was not injured, although I haven't yet checked the bike thoroughly.

I want this driver disciplined or I shall be taking the matter to the police.

I do not think he is fit to drive a passenger service bus on crowded streets of a major city.

Bus route - 274 towards Angel
time - 11.30 - 11.40 am
date - 23rd October
bus number - DLD 120
Reg plate - V120 GBY
No on side of bus - 53

Yours,

The Cat



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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

V For Vendetta (2005)

Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, John Hurt
Director: James McTeigue, Comic Book Classics

I read the book back in the late 80s when it carried some power, and we were all a bit scared of where the future was taking us politically. Margaret Thacher reigned supreme and the spectre of Big Brother loomed over all of us.

Now that this frightening future has arrived the book has little power. Thatcher entered the House of Lords, surveillance society is here, ID cards will be here in a couple of years, and special rendition means you are always in the FBI's jurisdiction.

All this just goes to show up the books weaknesses, and the clumsy way it represented a fascist state. Instead of minorities being victimised, we have all been railroaded into accepting an illegal War Against Terror aimed at the muslim world. We have also lost control of our governments; few believe democracy works, few bother voting.

This film ultimately is out-dated, irrelevent, and the silliness of the concept means that any valid point about the way the world is now,eg, the government's main role in the present is to scare and control its people with threats of terrorism and violence, is almost entirely lost.

The film itself lacks flair and ambition. Is it a parallel world or the future? Either way - it doesn't make it. It borrows images from the most recent 1984 adaptation (notably John Hurt's face on a big screen) and the Matrix, but the police are equipped with 1990s Rovers, and everything in the film is just exactly as things actually are. A good dystopic fantasy movie will make change to the reality - either we live in wartime squalor and this should be visible on the screen, or we don't which will mean changes from our reality - different vehicles, different fashions, different designs, new or alternative technology, just something that makes you believe in this alternative or future reality. but there was nothing, just a man who sounds like James Mason wearing a Guy Fawkes mask, and behaving like he's in the Matrix.

Still - quite enjoyed it anyway, just a bit disappointed.

Monday, October 06, 2008

It's A Boy Girl Thing

Starring: Samaire Armstrong, Kevin Zegers, Emily Hampshire
Director: Nick Hurran
Certificate:
Being interested in the differences, and similarities, between gender, I thought this film might offer some insight. I thought, imaginatively tackled, this could be a really interesting subject matter. Needless to say there was no imagination, and no insight.

From the start the film went the way of the clumsy, obvious, and stupid.

The gender issue - well not really dealt with. The boy was working class, with slobs as parents, interested only in girls, heavy rock, and sport. The girl read Shakespeare and listened to Elton John (!!!), her parents were upper middle class - father a wimp, mother a snob. The strange thing is - they lived next door to each other in near identical houses, and went to the same school. Maybe because this is America, that can happen. Or maybe it was becasue the plot required these impossible contradictory things to be true.

Ostensibly about the differences in gender, it turned out to be about class; about the opportunities offered by being from a bettter class, eg, being able to go to one of the best Colleges, and not just because you're good at football.

Both seemed quite happy in each other's bodies, except that the boy barfed when he thought about having sex with another boy, even though he was a girl. I think I'd be at least a little interested in how it feels from the other side. The boy also took to dressing as a girl better than you would expect. He immediately tried to put a bra on - obviously for an easy laugh as he said he had trouble getting them off let alone getting one on. But after that - to annoy the girl (in his body) he went to school dressed as a 'slut', had no trouble with heels, or make-up, and seemed comfortable in short skirts.

My contention here is that they would want to continue to dress in a style they were used to. She would want to wear skirts if that's what she liked to wear as a girl, and probably would at home to be comfortable, and he wouldn't(unless he was a closet transvestite - I assumed he wasn't).

Imagine the amusing scenes you could have with that idea. I think so anyway.

So - the film was confused, unimaginative, incoherent, predictable, and boring. I do not recommend wasting your time with it.

Friday, October 03, 2008

Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

 
It finally starts to look like Fossett is dead. this after some recent speculation that he'd faked his own death. Now the speculation will be how he came to crash such a safe plane.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7649799.stm
 
This is interesting too - a script written by the BBC and the government to be broadcast in the event of a nuclear attack.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7648042.stm
 
On the day following two high profile resignations, that crooked bastard Mandelson is back
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7650013.stm


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Thursday, October 02, 2008

a proper transformer

I've come out of my depression this morning and got some longoutstanding stuff done - to do with the car and the cats. Unfortunately I have to rehome my cats, which has been upsetting me for some time.
 
I saw a terible film yesterday - Forbidden Kingdom - a lightweight martial arts film starring Jackie chan. It was rubbish with a couple of good fights and about one good joke. There was a clip of Monkey in it though, and while the main guy was taken back to Ancient China after becoming unconscious his mission was to free the Monkey King. I thought it might be good, but it wasn't - some people walked out - but I don;t do that however terrible the film is. Maybe I should.
 
On a brighter note, I've volunteered to set up a NO2ID group in SW London. Just waiting for a reply from my contact at NO2ID.
 
End of the week and its the top management meeting where I have to present our progress or otherwise in the EMS.


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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Hitler's Fixer - The True Story Of Hitler's Deputy

I learned nothing new about Bormann from watching this. Some of the footage was good though - colour film from WW2 era.
In all though - unless you don't even know who Borrman was this film will tell you very little new. If you don;t know who Borrman was, then you probably won't be interested. Do yourself a favour and read a book instead.