ariotofmyown

I have really enjoyed Michael Portillo’s Great Asian Railways programmes.
He’s an engaging presenter and makes the history of the places he visits interesting. He’s a good sport and throws himself into the culture and adventure of wherever he goes and his outfits are quite something to behold!
I met him a few years back and he was a genuine people person, not remotely aloof.
I particularly recommend the episode in Thailand.

It's like I've stumbled onto someone's Email.

Watched the first six episodes (out of eight) of Alex Garland's DEVS.
A tech company with a secret department doing profound research with quantum computing that may impact on the whole world. Garland also wrote and directed Ex Machina, another thoughtful discussion of near-future technology. DEVS also shares the same cinematographer, Rob Hardy, so is extraordinarily beautiful. And the sound is fascinating, sometimes reminding me of 2001.
Absolutely loving it so far. The pacing is very, very good. Expect to watch the final two episodes tonight.
It's currently on BBC meaning the ful series is up on iPlayer for easiest access. In the US it was Hulu for anyone there (and has finished).

Having liberties stripped away and our ideas of normal torn up is very unsettling. 
But if you think about why we are doing what we are doing, it's because of an appreciation of the importance of life. 
Many are realising how much they take for granted and also how we spend time scurrying around doing menial tasks and so little time doing the things which bring joy and comfort. 
Do something today which brings a sense of achievement, something which makes you smile and something for somebody else. 
The latter is hugely important. If you can help someone else in any way you will start to feel better about yourself. 
It's a long journey sometimes but life is precious and starts today and each new day. 

On thread, after a rocky week while my GF was in hospital, I'm coping OK. Trying to pretend that the whole thing is just a bit of a crap 'staycation' really, with beers in the sun, a bit of exercise and much reading and box-set bingeing keeping me sane. 
Hope everyone else is doing as well as can be expected ?

Coping as best as I can, I always think there are worse off people than me though and that is what keeps me focused...
Personally I am home schooling 3 kids with number 4 due in June (planned outside the normal footballing window!)
Work wise is where its been hard. Those that dont know, I run my own travel business so self employed. Been a really tough couple of months with all the immediate issues and changes, think there were 220 updates around the world. Kind of managed to sort them out but from a mental health point of view its never easy to deal with considering I am working for free now, have to pay back a fair bit of money I had already earnt and been paid for holidays that were imminent departures and then see all my hard work over the last 9 months pretty much all dwindle down to nothing. Hard gig running a travel business and being self employed but alive and well so..............
Hope everyone is well.....
Oh and I have no idea where the big flag is! Last seen on the team coach heading to Millwall ... Sure it will be somewhere with Ellisons! 
 

Is that all lazy git. 

Best recaps in a series ever. Gripping, funny, stylish, sexy, brutal. It had it all.
Don't want to give anything away for those who haven't watched it but how good was the scene on the rooftop. And the reason why the brother was allowed to disappear. So many great characters in there too.

Watched the Giri / Haji season 1 after reading the rave reviews. Perhaps you overhyped it! It is good, there are some intriguing characters, and in fairness some quite tough and emotional scenes. The rooftop scene totally took me by surprise and choked me a bit trying to decipher it. Worth a watch. 

Oh right. Am just done with El Chapo now, so may give it a whirl. 

The characterisation was a standout for me. I loved the fact that it had a start, middle and end too, despite the timeline hopping, with no obvious tee up for further series. That said, I'd love it if they did another with all the characters converging in Tokyo this time. I can just see it now!
Now we've talked it up so much I hope other people like it!

Speaking of Bosch.
I had tickets to see Billy Bremner speak at a do at the Fishpond In Matlock in the late 90s' but he rather selfishly died, so they sent Peter Osgood.
Every other word was bosch.
'Alan Hudson went in and bosch the geezer was on his back. So the geezer tried to get up and bosch, bosch, Huddy had nutted him. Bosch'
''Chopper slid into the guy and bosch, bosch, he'd nailed him. And then bosch he'd dropped a rock on the geezers head. And bosch, bosch, bosch he'd driven a effing great JCB over his testicles. Chopper was hard as bosch with a massive bosch'
'There'll be a series some day called Bosch with Titus Welliver' - not 100% he said that one, but I think so.
He was possibly the obnoxious person I have met not named Richard Madeley.
Did I tell you my Richard Madeley story?

Quick nod to @therealhantsram & @ariotofmyown Giri / Haji. What an absolute belter of a show that is. Cheers gents ?

Watched most of it in one night. Was up until nearly 4.00AM. Was cursing you! ?

That's tonight's viewing sorted then, cheers chaps ?
On a separate note, has anyone watched Devs? Curious as to what folk think of it.

Too right. Thought it was brilliant show. I thought early Tarantino too. Love how the quirky parts creep in as the series progresses, with little sign of it at the beginning. Is the gangster boss's daughter the most attractive women ever too?

Get well soon

I noticed that last night, when navigating my way out of I-Player into Netflix. We're catching up/ re-watching a few things at the moment - currently half way through season 6 of 'Spooks' which the Memsahib is really in to (after having binge-watched 'Killing Eve' a couple of weeks ago. Then late last night I started watching 'Life on Mars' again.
12 weeks of house arrest? No problem.

Mate posted on Facebook a weird cryptic I’m in hospital status, me being me after a few beers thought it would be a great idea to go see her and find out what’s going on.
Grabbed the electric scooter but not my glasses, thought the pavement dipped in but no, 20mph twatted the curb full on and sent me for a flight across the pavement.
Rang the missus, managed to get me home somehow, woke up a couple hours ago in so much pain, can’t move left leg and ribs are battered.
Managed to slide down the stairs but couldn’t get up so rang the ambulance.
Loaded me in the back and filled me up on morphine. 

Just read an email from Amazon. New season of Bosch is here. Really like this series, and not just for The Wire actors in it.
I was playing the last GTA during the 1st series so like LA much more now than previously.

Giri/Haji
Wow. Brilliant stuff. Great depth of characters. It's an excellent study of breaking relationships across generations set against a background of corrupt police and Yakuza gangsters. 
Quirky. Stylish. Plenty of action too. If you like Tarantino or enjoyed Killing Eve, you'll probably like this. 
On Netflix. 

I'm late to the party but I've just binge watched Fleabag and it's a masterpiece!
Also Frozen 2 was really good.

Not sure about anyone else, but I’m having a proper mental wobble right now. Took me ten hours to force myself to type this. Isolation is a struggle. 

Binge watching Modern Family on sky. Easily the best comedy on tv in years. 
 

With the absence of sport, either live or televised, I've started looking for ways to keep the Memsahib entertained in the evenings and I thought - "I know, proper telly" as opposed to never venturing outside the sports channels. I'd heard that a lot of people we impressed with "Killing Eve" so last night, we fired up iPlayer and gave it a go.
First three episodes of Series 1 - blooming excellent. I really enjoyed it. We will watch a few more tonight.