StealthBuda's Xanga

The Fan Dance - SAS Selection Hike

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 20:46:33 GMT

I finished work early on Friday, and after packing my bergan I set off for Hay on Wye near Hereford. Turns out that most of Gloucestershire was flooded, so after some bizarre tom-tom routes (and four and a half hours) I reached the campsite.

I pitched my tent and set off to explore Hay-on-Wye (TOWN ON BOOKS!) which was pretty quite, and very picturesque.

I went to bed early, and woke up with a cold. Which was nice.

I arrived at the Storey Arms Centre at 7am, and after giving my bergan weight some serious second thoughts, I set off anyway. My bergan weighed 45kgs, which you can really feel going up hills.

After the first quarter of an hour, I was regretting my bergan weight already, the first ascent was mental, and although it didn't look steep from the bottom you could really feel it. I didn't feel tired, but catching my breath was hard. Several times I questioned what I was doing. The view is fairly standard all the way up to the top, but after you crest the first peak, the view opens up to all over the Beacons.

A series of peaks followed, until you start a huge descend and then a gradual rise to the last peak, but this time my muscles were burning, and I was nearing the three hour point. I didn't want to run down the hills because I didn't know how much energy I'd have left, and I knew I had to come back the way I came, so I was trying to pace myself.

After the last descent, all I wanted to do was sleep. Three and a half hours, and I really didn't fancy walking for the same amount of time back. I made the mistake of taking my boots off and looking at the backs of my feet. I should have waited until the end because I felt every step after that.

I ran down all the hills on the way back. I wanted to run up them, but the weight on my back wouldn't allow my legs to lift up at speed. The stone and sand tracks aren't fun running down, especially the last one. The initial ascent that had taken me 40 mins, took me 7 to run down. I zigzagged through a group of seven girls, who were videoing each other. They screamed after me "We'll film you all the way down!"

Thanks ladies, I wasn't planning on running all the way down but now I have too now.

I actually though I was going to die a couple of times. I lost my footing and images of snow-ploughing (with my bergan using me as a sled) crept into my mind. How I regained my footing and continued is beyond me. Running down the gassed slope is even more dangerous, if the ground had given way you can twist your ankle or worse. So I had to hope that I could turn my back in time if I fell, and land on my bergan.

I reached the bottom, ploughing through the small river to the gate, which, although refreshed me at first, made me wet up to my knees, which then annoyed me for the last 5 min dash to my car.

2 and a half hours back. I'd shaved an hour off running down the hills.

The scense of achievement was amazing. I consider myself fairly fit, but to only be an hour and a half off selection time elevated me.

Although receiving severe weather warnings, I decided the Vitara could take it, and then drove through perfect sunshine back to London.

I spent the drive back slowly bringing myself down. I realised I could shave say another half an hour or so off the time by running downhill, maybe an hour tops. But I'd have to run uphill to get anywhere near selection time, and that's what makes the difference between a good level of fitness, and what's required for Special Forces.

The only way to really train for that is to do weight-bearing uphill workouts, so guess what I'm going to be doing after I return from deployment.

I'm still pleased with my effort though, and next time I'll know the route and where I can make time up. I had a lot of respect for the British Special Forces before, and its increased two-fold now that I can see the difference and the extra effort they have to put in.

Photo's of the walk are on facebook.

Shiela goes out with her mate Stella.......

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:07:03 GMT

Started working through the first of my Exploring the English Language chapters entitled ‘English Voices’ it’s an introduction to English the world over. I’m actually quite excited about this course now. It’s compulsory for my degree and diploma, and I thought it was going to be a rubbish year. But the first chapter was amazing and I really enjoyed it. Chapter 2 is about how English began as a language, and I’ll start that tomorrow, it’s been a long time since I was excited about studying, previously it’s just been a means to move forward, even with languages or the Creative Writing course last year, although I enjoyed it, it still had a purpose. This course is actually genuinely interesting to me.

Watched The Ice Harvest and Black Dahlia, both of which were average, not what I expected really. I am respecting Josh more and more as an actor though, probably fuelled by Sin City.

It all kicked off on Saturday night, and I had to ninja someone to remove a glass from their hand (taking some lemonade in the eyes in the process) before I dragged them out the door by their neck. The CCTV didn’t show much, which was upsetting as I would have liked to have studied it.

Pei Hsuan and I looked at a flat last night, and it was truly amazing, a proper bachelor pad, but it was at the tip of our price range, and if we rented it, we’d save absolutely no money. But we would be able to play 4 player Wii-Tennis in the front room, which would be awesome.

And our cougar could live there happily.

And for my next trick....

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 09:52:02 GMT

Well, once again I’ve already failed to update my blog as often as I’d like. January has been a funny month though. I’ve failed to do a lot of things already.

I aimed to study Mandarin for at least twenty mins a day, so far I’ve managed about an hour all month.

I aimed to work on my fitness, I’m still training on Wednesday nights and I train with my class on Sundays. But I wanted to get back to the stage I was at before my instructor’s course, where I was training for at least three hours both days of the weekend. My general fitness is maintained, but I really want to push the boat out this year.

I also aimed to write more, but all I’ve done so far this month is write a large collection of notes.

In my defence though, I haven’t exactly had much of a routine.

The first two weeks of the year were fairly standard after I started back at work on the 3^rd. Training on Wednesday nights, working Friday and Saturday nights and my class on Sundays.

Then I took a week off in which I went to Game On at the Science Museum with Pei Hsuan. I went to an exhibition of the same name in 2002 at the Barbican Arts centre, which was infinitely bigger than this years. She loved it though, and played on all the cute games she loves. I played on four-player Halo and Smash Brothers. Then we had a quick go on some racing game on a PS3, which although was hard to get used too, looked amazing. Then we played Wii tennis.

I came back to Oxford on Tuesday and Wednesday that week and blitzed the top level of my room, and listed a load of rubbish on eBay, a third of which sold. And while I was in Oxford, my bloody Wii arrived (they were on sale on Amazon for all of 15 mins and I got one). I did then have to travel to the Argos in Camden to get another bloody controller; they appear more elusive than the consoles themselves.

I completed Red Steel this week, amazing game; really really wish it was longer.

I received the course materials for my next year of OU work, and I’ve started that already, so I’ll be training/working/working/instructing/course work until October now.

I’ve booked a skiing holiday with the military in March, one weeks ski instruction plus flights and accommodation in South Germany / Austria for £100, which is nice.

Pei Hsuan and I decided that after seeing Talladega Nights, that we both want a cougar.

Crank, Secuestro Express, Requiem from the Darkness, and Jamie T – Panic Prevention all rock.

And I’ve started talking more to Shannon, my brother from Singapore. We’re both endeavouring to keep in touch much more than the last year.

And wedding plans are moving forward.

2006 in (extreme) brief and 2007......

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 18:06:47 GMT

Well, 2006 wasn’t as high octane as 2005 was, but I’m happy with what I achieved and where I’m headed now.

One of the resounding achievements of 2006 was that my girlfriend went back to Taiwan for three months (April to June) to sort out her visa, and upon her return nothing had changed in our relationship, it was still as perfect as when she left. We fitted back into each others lives comfortably and haven’t looked back.

I achieved a Grade 2 pass in the Creative Writing module for my degree. I jumped straight into a second level course, ignoring advice to begin at the first level and achieved a high standard. This year my course counts for my degree and my diploma, so my aim is to achieve a distinction.

I started back at an operational unit in May, and I’m sad to say that it felt good. I thought I’d put away the side of me that craves the unknown and excitement, but the change in job has made me happy.

I passed my Level 2 Commando Krav Maga instructors course, and I now teach a class on Sunday’s in Greenford. I aim to start a class on camp this year.

And, I got engaged on December 19^th.

So, after the dust has settled on last year, what are my aims for 2007?

The biggest feature of 2007 is that I’m going to Iraq for four months in September, which shaves off a good portion at the end of my year.

I start my next Open University year in Feb and will finish around Sep/Oct. I want to achieve a distinction.

I failed in my task to learn Mandarin to a decent level. So this year I will endeavour to correct that. The class I took wasn’t exactly the best, and the tutor didn’t push or inspire me, so this year I hope to do it myself.

I also failed to get my writing back on track, and work on my website in any way. I hope this year to update my website will all of my previous material and begin work properly on my current idea for a novel.

I aim to get my relationships with some friends that have been neglected back on track, not purely by myself, but I appear to have lost touch with quite a few of my friends last year, although I have made several new close friends.

I’m getting married in May, I’ll spend the next few months working and planning towards that, and I hope to provide a happy, secure and satisfied life for my future wife. I also very much want to have children with her.

I didn’t achieve any of my holiday’s last year. This year we’re planning smaller. A trip to Taiwan to see her family (pre or post wedding). A trip to Vietnam (honeymoon). I’ve already paid for a weeks skiing trip on the German/Austrian border in March. And we want to do a small tour of Scotland, so I can show her the private school I went too, and the school I should have gone to in Edinburgh.

I still also need to finish sorting all the shit I own out, I moved a lot of rubbish with me and I desperately need to go through it all and sell it on ebay.

Evening

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 05:57:26 GMT

Well I haven’t written for this regularly since about June, so I’ll give it another bash this year.

Over the next few days (weeks/months) I’ll be putting on here my world famous ‘Buda’s 2006 in brief’ as well as my goals/plans for 2007, so I won’t update you much on what’s happen since my last post in this one.

I spent New Year at my friend’s bar, with the close friends I’ve made this year and my fiancée. She left at about 2, and I returned home at 7, after having a glass of Dom Pérignon and a half of Carling (what I hope to be my only drinks this year, but I know I’ll have copious amounts of alcohol poured down me at my stag night/weekend) after the customers had left at 5.

We then spent all day in bed, only getting up to visit the bathroom and collect food (which I handily purchased the day before).

We watched Sympathy for Mr Vengeance (a truly truly amazing revenge film), Mean Girls (one of the few chick flicks I don’t mind watching), Nacho Libre (Jack Black’s best – “Those eggs were a lie Steven….A LIE!”) and two episodes of Series 3 of the Shield. We filled the gaps with talking, me reading comics and playing Medal of Honour: Heroes (PSP) while she continued with her new found hobby of sudoku.

She was back at work on the 2^nd, so I returned home to sort out the two weeks worth of rubbish I had accumulated whilst staying at her house. I went home via Reading, to change the ring I bought her (I had originally guessed at a J, and was then proved wrong by the man who measured her and said she needed an L, and was then proved right when I bought an L and it was then too loose). To my delight though, the ring shop was closed, so I have to go back again today. I did however purchase Untold Legends 2 (PSP) for £15, which is a bargain.

I then spent the rest of the day washing my clothes, tidying my room and updating my website with information on my Commando Krav Maga classes (www.StealthBuda.co.uk).

And that brings us to today. It’s 6:50am, and I’m in work in twenty-five mins, so I better get dressed and go meet the transport.

So I hope you all had a good Christmas and a great New Year.

Stay safe.

Life of a Hero

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 19:09:35 GMT

Where the fuck has this year gone?

I really can’t be tooled to catch everyone who’s interested up on my life since I last blogged, which was actually a fair while ago.

I’ve just literally submitted my final assignment for my OU degree this year. Since my last blog I’ve submitted two others (got 90% and 88%), which is partly the reason for my lack of blogging, three major assignments in six weeks or so has been a nightmare.

A week on Tuesday (17^th Oct) I start my three day Combat Survival Krav Maga Instructors course/examination. We’ll be training from 6:30 until 5:30 for three days, and at the end of it I will hopefully be a Level 2 Krav Maga instructor. The stress probably won’t end there though, as shortly after my instructor will qualify as Level 3 and I’ll have to train with him until I reach that level too, and it’ll be a constant game of ‘chase me’ until we reach Level 5.

I’ve been training pretty damn hard for the last few weeks, going to my usual lessons with Gershon, and Richard and I have been having private sessions with him at the weekends, as well as training together. During which Richard has severely bruised his rib and I’ve torn a ligament in my right ankle, but we battle on.

The course is going to be hard, but I’m looking forward to it (although the twenty-two stone guardsman I met the other day is probably going to batter me on the course).

I’ve already paid for my next OU course for next year, this will count towards my BA(hons) and my Masters diploma in teaching English as a foreign language. Next year I’m also looking to do a Conflict Management course and then a Teaching Adult Learners course, which will then allow me to train people to be door supervisors (or bouncers if you prefer). This coupled along with my Krav Maga instructors’ certificate….. (anyone see a plan developing?).

Then hopefully in a few years with my English degree and diploma in teaching English as a foreign language I’ll be able to start working towards running my own unit overseas (obviously coupled with my extremely lacking Mandarin skills, which I aim to work on between now and my next OU year starting in February).

I really can’t be bothered to go through all the books, music, films and comics I’ve read over the last few months, other than Severance, Shield of Thunder (David Gemmell), Harsh Cry of the Heron (Lian Hearn) and the Mighty Boosh all fucking rock, (as does Tekken Dark Resurrection on the PSP).

Also just seen the trailer for ‘300’, which looks fucking awesome.

Gladiator x Sin City = 300.

That is all (for now).

Mad props!

Tue, 01 Aug 2006 06:51:39 GMT

Well again it’s been a while since my last update; I think this is a sign of things to come. My updates will be sporadic and random, which, as much as it pains me, is pretty much what my life has been like recently.

Anyone who knows me well understands what a complete control freak I am, and my standard working hours are currently a complete nightmare. They follow no pattern, and generally I find out on a day to day basis what I’m working.

My laptop has gone a tad spastic recently as well, I think she’s upset with the demands I put on her since her sister departed us and I ripped out her brain. I’m looking to get one of those groovy mini server boxes with the internal workings I need. 70% of my equipment is external, so all I need is the processor, sound, graphics and a fan to deal with them, with a small hard-disk to install the OS on, so we’ll see about that soon.

Opening two savings accounts this month, one personal one (the groovy A&L one that gives you 10% interest after a year) and a joint standard one with Eva. In total looking to save £450 each a month, which leaves me comfortable enough after I’ve paid my bills.

Friday the 14^th was our first anniversary together, so I took the Friday night off work and took her to Katana at the Independent Hotel (at the top of Trafalgar Square), then we had a fairly early night.

Saturday the 15^th, Karyn and a quarter ton of her family were over from Singapore for her brother’s graduation. After spending a few nights in Aberdeen, they toured Europe a little before having a night in London before they flew home. So she dragged me shopping for five hours. We walked from Picadilly, to Oxford along Regents Street, then Oxford Street to Covent Garden (for lunch in the Porterhouse – the best pub in London, their Sweet Chilli Chicken pizza is amazing) and then from Covent Garden to Knightsbridge (so she could buy something from Harrods). Covent Garden to Knightsbridge is a fair old walk, and she impressed me by keeping up with my pace. Good lass.

I took the day off on Thursday the 20^th and Eva and I went to see Superman in 3D at the London iMax. The size of the 3d glasses you wear are pretty amusing. It’s only £12 a ticket, which is pretty much the same as Central London prices, and you get to see it on the biggest screen in Europe with four 3d scenes. Quality value for money. I enjoyed the film, simple back to basics hero stuff. Couple of things though, (** Don’t read if you haven’t seen **). How can showing Louis telling her man that he is the father of her child when he isn’t be a good thing to show the age group that watch Superman? (** end spoilers **).

And the biggest question, Superman wears his ‘uniform’ under his suit, but where the fuck does he hides his boots?

Then on Friday I started my Duty Corporal shift. 7am until 7pm every day, Friday to Thursday. It’s better than guard duty, because I get to sit under a fan with full sky TV doing my degree coursework. But it really kills your motivation to do anything. It didn’t get off to a good start however, and within the first hour I’m managed to put the flag upside down at the camp main gate.

My new baby

Karyn and I on Regents Street

My beautiful baby, outside the iMax

And me, doing what I do best

"If you a scared mofo goto church....."

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 15:05:15 GMT

Well I’m back.

Did you miss me?

Sorry I haven’t been around for a while, I’ve been a little busy/lazy/without an internet connection.

I’m settled into my new unit (which used to be my old unit) and getting established in my new room. It’s slowly becoming my own space.

Initially my PC didn’t survive the move, and it took a couple of weeks to finally get to the stage with my broadband working 100% of the time. I’m on a half-meg connect (a slight drop from my eight meg), but at least I can access the net.

Eva came back on the 21^st of June. And I took the Thursday to Sunday off work. I met her at the airport on the Wednesday night and we spent the long weekend chilling out and generally spending time together. I took her to Fabric on Friday night, and although it was pretty crowded, the DJ sets we caught in room 1 were pretty amazing.

Our relationship is still as perfect as it was when she left, I’d even go as far as to say that we’re extremely comfortable together now, it’s reassuring to know that you can both get through three months apart with no problems at all. In fact I really can’t think of any problems.

She brought me home a Sony T30 as my birthday present. It’s the daddeh of all digital cameras. It’s remarkable to see how far Sony’s technology has moved since I bought my T1 in September 2004.

It was my birthday on May 26^th; I had a drink in the new venue on the Thursday night, then worked Friday and Saturday night. I spent that weekend at a Commando Krav Maga seminar (12:00 until 18:30 hardcore training on both days). A few guys from my group attended along with my instructor. Moni Aizik has developed his own discipline in Krav Maga which is far superior to the IKMF system we were learning before. My instructor completed his level 1 and 2 Instructor course and has integrated it into his own system.

I’ve decided to also take the instructor course this October; my instructor supports this, so now it’s just a matter of beginning a hardcore training program.

The week before Eva came home I bought a Suzuki Vitara 1.6 3 dr and she’s running pretty well, a little heavy on juice mind. I’m getting around 215 miles for a £30 tank, which gets me an Oxford to Harrow round trip twice and mileage at the weekends within London. I’ll put up some photos of her later.

My degree is going pretty well, 3/5s of the way through. I get my third assignment back on Friday, and fingers crossed that I get the same marks as my last two assignments so I stay consistent towards a quality final grade.

District 13 rawks, see it if you can. Watched it in central London last Sunday, and the cinema was amusingly empty because everyone in the area appeared to be getting in the way of cars around Piccadilly and Leicester Square post football.

I won’t bore you with the rest of what I’ve been doing, as it consists of packing, moving, unpacking and sorting, re-training, getting to know people at my new unit, reading, studying and working.

That is all.

"I want to marry a premiership footballer."

Thu, 18 May 2006 23:11:28 GMT

Well last Monday was my last full working day in the bunker. So I ran around like an idiot trying to tie up all the loose ends I’d spent the last two and a half years creating. I look back on my time here and I’m pretty amazed at how much I’ve changed. When I first arrived I was quite tame and grounded. Six years in a fascist relationship had seen to that. I’d gradually been distancing myself from my friends, and was in serious danger of wasting the rest of my life.

But now, two years on I’ve made a few seriously close friends and met the girl that I want to have a future and a family with. I’m going to miss living in London during the week, but it’s only a forty five min transit via the M40 to my girlfriends house, so I suspect that when I can be bothered to buy a car, I’ll be back more than I’m away.

Goals for the next three year in my new job are:

Get promoted

Complete a course a year of my OU degree

Improve my Mandarin, and when it reaches a certain level begin Cantonese or Hokkien

Complete another year of Krav Maga training and then do the instructor’s course

Have a six issue comic published by a major publisher next year

Begin serious work on my novel

Holiday in Japan and Vietnam, as well as visit Eva’s family in Taiwan and my brothers in Singapore

Get married to Eva and have our first boy (I want two boys and a girl, a year between each)

I’ve achieved all of the short term goals I set myself at the start of the year; it’s just a matter of keeping them up now. I haven’t done any of my own writing for a long time; I’ve been concentrating too much on my coursework. My website still needs updating and I’ve done fuck all really when it comes to sorting my stuff out, and I very much doubt we’ll holiday this year now. I think a year out working towards our future will put us in better stead to relax more next year.

So back to my week. On Monday night I went to my Mandarin class (which now stands at six people from our original eighteen), and after I went home to Eva’s house. I was up at five and on the tube at six to Waterloo to catch my train to Southampton. I kicked myself for not taking Reg Kev’s phone number last week, as he was driving in from a camp around the corner from me.

I met up with Kev there and surprised myself by really enjoying the briefs. Normally they’re just interesting, but we had a day of related topics and that surprised me. We had an hour break before dinner, so we went for a walk into town and I watched Kev looking in the fancy dress shop to which he said ‘I love dressing up.’ There is of course not much you can say to a commando who loves dressing up.

After dinner Kev once again mangled to bail on a night out and I went out with John (who’s a super young WO1). We had a pretty damn good night and I reconstructed a relationship with a girl and her angry boyfriend, after she nearly fell near me and cried on my shoulder. I took her boyfriend to the side and explained about jealousy to him, and John fell asleep at the bar (whilst standing up), which amused me.

The next day was pretty hard, but again the topics were relevant and pretty in-depth. 21^st century land operations was not a good final lecture though. Kev gave me a lift back, and within quarter of an hour of stepping out of his car, I was showered and changed and on my way to mine and Brian’s leaving do.

About 11 I went to Watford with Clarkie, and it was shit, so we were home by 1:30. Then today I went to my new unit to meet my new boss (although I’ve known him for years) and check out my accommodation. My new room is tiny, but it suits my purpose, and I’ll spend the next week (which I have off) selling and condensing my stuff (which I should have done months ago).

Eva’s solicitor (and friend) isn’t really helping her, so we’re still not sure when she’ll be back. Soon hopefully though.

I’m working at a new venue this weekend, I secured the contact and now it’s up to me to secure the contract, so we’ll see how that goes.

Next Friday is my birthday, and then that weekend is nuts. On Friday I’ve got my own crew to look after 800 people, then I’m training 12 til 7 on Saturday and Sunday with a fairly elite specialist, then working Saturday and then my own crew on Sunday for 800 people again. Then I move Monday. Nuts.

Rax, after leaving his job went to see his woman in Birmingham, and yesterday drove into a curb and ripped (literally) the back wheel off his Audi TT. Sorry about your baby bro. My thoughts are also with Valisha whose auntie isn’t having a good time at the moment. I hope she gets better soon.

Jeni finished her exams! So maybe I’ll get this years letter now (Nine letters in eight years is unacceptable :p). Principal has tonsillitis, so I hope she gets well too.

I’m running out of Samurai Champloo episodes, so to prolong the end of the series I’ve been watching Gnatz (which is awesome) and Scrubs (which I’d forgotten how good it was). I finished my book, so now I’m reading Inheritance.

I want to see 16 Blocks and Three at the cinema, but can’t be bothered. I’m waiting until Eva comes home before I see Da Vinci. X-Men 3 on my birthday weekend! And I’m not going to get a chance to see it! So it better have a Thursday release, and Eva better be home.

And my new phone rawks.

That is all.

I was driving slowly officer, and this woman was just asking for directions...........

Sat, 13 May 2006 11:13:26 GMT

Again, I’ve been lax in my blog updates.

Last week was pretty standard. No Mandarin class on Monday night. I trained on Tuesday and Wednesday, and spend the rest of my free time working on my assignment which I handed in on time on Friday.

Thank you to Jeni and Tina for having a look over it and giving me advice, seeing as my tutor group is as useful as a wet slipper when it comes to feedback.

I started ramping down at work and preparing to hand over. I’ve only got two official days left in work now. My days left are Monday the 15^th, when I’m going to hand over everything and Monday the 22^nd when I clear the unit.

I start at Benson on the 31^st of May, and will probably be moving on Monday the 29^th.

The rest of the time between then and now is leave and courses.

I got my new phone last Friday. The XDA Exec and damn she’s beautiful. Super-fast and dead useful she is. She can act as a modem or webcam (neither of which I’ve tried yet) and everything is just so well put together. The camera is much better than the XDA IIi, although still not as good as the top range camera phones on the market, but you can’t beat having windows in your pocket can you.

I spent the weekend tidying my room, reading, playing with my new phone and watching Samurai Champloo. I worked with Rax in the evenings, and was amused by the Hen Night on Friday.

Then on Monday I headed off to Cambridge for a course on Old and New Empires. Was a pretty damn good week there in all. The briefings were pretty amazing, and nearly as good as the last one I attended there on East Asia. The food was of a superb quality, and the weather was beautiful nearly all week, so the grounds of Madingly Hall looked amazing. I didn’t take photos.

Because everyone there was a lightweight I went out by myself on Monday night into Cambridge. I know a few people there and hoped to catch them, the DJ at Fez last time I was there on a Monday was pretty good, so I hoped to catch him again. I ended up talking to a girl called Jess who’d spent the last six months living with a crack dealer in the Caribbean, and she was heading back there last Wednesday. If anyone knows Jess from Oakham who lives in Cambridge (sometimes) and has set back off for the Caribbean please let me know how she gets on.

Then six of us from the course went out on Tuesday and went to the Eagle in Cambridge (an old World War 2 RAF bar). There’s writing on the ceiling from the pilots who used to drink there. Then we went to Belarai and Joe Mangle (from Neighbours) turned up. Kevin decided to announce to the DJ that I’d just been circumcised and we got a free bottle of champagne. I haven’t been circumcised by the way, just for your information.

I saw Mission Impossible 3 on Wednesday, which is pretty quality. The entire scene where he attacks the military building in Shanghai is amazing. ‘I’ve got the rabbits foot but I can’t make it to the roof.’ And then boom. Man that still makes me smile. It was one amazing bit of filmage in my opinion. I left the cinema most pleased.

Then I watched Slither on Friday, sarcasm and gore. It’s missing something that I can’t quite put my finger on, so it’ll never be as cult as Ash’s dead pan Evil Dead stuff. I also watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and again, was shocked by the comedy genius. Robert Downey Jr is sarcastic to the max and Val is just Val (although he’s gay, but I can live with that). I’ve just realised that Harmony (who has amazing legs by the way) is also the same actress who plays Julia in MI:3, only you don’t see her legs in that. She was in Constantine as well, although all her scenes were cut. She might have just made it into my top ten next year.

Korn – Live and Rare, Jamie Foxx – Unpredictable, Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere and Kanye West – Late Orchestration all rock muchos.

And I just found out that Rax has quit his job, which is going to make the weekends really suck now. I might have to find a new venue. I did however just get my boss a new place, so I might have to put my finder’s dibbs on that. We’ll see.

My baby should be back soon, she’s worried that things might not go as planned. But I have blind faith in the system.

It’s my birthday soon, so I best start thinking about what I want.

That is all.

You want some?

Night fever Mofo.