Guilty as charged your honour

I posted previously about words and phrases that are overused in everyday life. I didnt name any specific breaches of this myself but have now found a recent issue and i am GUILTY.

Maybe, in my day to day contact with colleagues I have been getting all nostalgic as I have now realised that my (over) use of the phrase "back in the day" has been blurted out during far too many conversations over the past couple of weeks. My tendancy to say 'it' has subsided but it suddenly popped into my tiny mind that I should be sent to Phrase Jail (Gaol).

I know there are many more infractions of this behaviour but at the end of the day, basically, you know, I'll touch base here.

The Power of the Plastic Brick

A long time ago, in a county not too far away was a 7-12 year old boy called balenolad. He lived in a suburban home and looked forward to each birthday or special occasion where he may, if he was very lucky (and he usually was) receive a fab Lego set. Never one for doing team sports, or any sport for that matter, young balenolad would spend hours, by himself (aahh) with his favourite little plastic bricks. He would then spend ages meticulously creating the car/plane/machine detailed in the glossy instruction booklet and then proudly show it off to his parents who were always 'impressed'. Personally I think they were happy that I could be amused for a few hours with little interaction and to be honest I dont blame them!

There was one time when the young balenolad built a fab motorised windmill that was rather top heavy - with the battery operated motor and the rotors. The choice of switching it on atop my parents' glass covered coffee table may not have been the best in hindsight. This was confirmed when the plastic struts holding up the main windmill broke free and the motor etc came tumbling down breaking balenolad's mum's table ornament. It was lucky that the lad's parents were in a forgiving mood that day as there was no punishment dealt out. Ahhh, the humble lego set. Ahh memories of simpler times.

The picture to the right, is in fact, the LL928 and not the bloomin' 497 Galaxy Explorer. It was just the LL928 and didnt have a name. I fear this one may be the coding from another country, probably the USA. Either way this was probably my most memorable set and again takes me back to times gone by



Ahh, that's better - thank goodness I found the real thing - 928. Phew.



These days it's a whole different ball game. There are so many different Lego types around, many being unashamed film tie-ins such as Star Wars, Batman and Indy. In case you havent noticed, Lego now also produce clothing, household items, character keyrings and more video games than you can shake a stick at.

This has all lead me back to my childhood wishing I could just go out and buy Lego again - playing it all by myself - me me me me. This wish was semi-fulfilled recently when my 6 year old lad was bought a Lego truck for his birthday. He didnt realise just how much I enjoyed helping him put the thing together, piece by piece. As for feeling the solid connection between each brick - it was bliss! How sad am I?

Being able to buy Lego Star Wars for my PS3 was another thing I could do to hang on to my Lego addiction of old as was the more recent Lego Indiana Jones game. I have also just replaced by Lego Darth Vader keyring with the new Indy one, much to my (and my son's) joy.

There are so many nostalgic items out these days to send thirty-somethings back to the late seventies and eighties, and Lego is just a tiny portion of that money making machine.

I'll go now and maybe one day, sometime soon, i'll go onto the Lego website, build my own set online and buy it. Oh for the love of Denmark!

Is this the best thing ever?

I think I may soon need to make a very unnecessary but worthy purchase. My wife will killlll me!!!!

If pointless gadgets are the food of love then I am very very hungry, or something. http://www.play.com/Gadgets/Gadgets/4-/3593984/Back-To-The-Future-Flux-Capacitor-Replica/Product.html?P36=8QEDV6

Bzzzzzt bzzzzzzzt glow bzzzzzzt glow.....

He's from the coffee ads

I have a very good friend who is not unlike he who was in the coffee ads.

He is very well read but at the same time feels that anything I do on this blog will amount to nothing. He is very probably right and I have every confidence that within a week I will get bored and then buy another item encased in cellophane to cheer myself up - but that's a whole other subject....

Adieu.

In touch with my feminine side?

Many friends of mine will say that as far as being blokey is concerned I really am a "bit of a girl" sometimes. Last night was no exception.

Mrs balenolad organised a charity screening of Sex & The City in a local cinema in aid of Prostate Cancer. The committee she's on chooses a different charidee each time (but doesnt like to talk about it).

Even though she was seeing SATC last night the missus couldn't wait and still had to see it on the first day it opened. When she likened it to my love of Star Wars and wanting to see The Phantom Menace the day it opened in 1999 I was forced to laugh in her pretty face. How can you compare a few year wait for a chick's TV show to be turned into a film to an immense 16 year wait for what were potentially going to the be the most amazing prequels ever. Even though they were not.

OK, back to last night. The cinema had 190 seats and it was a sell out. There were about 184 women and I think 6 guys. A few had come by force and there may have been one who actually wanted to see it. Erm. That'll be me. I have always been a fan of the show - I mean, it had nice women in it, lots of rude bits and mainly women's rude bits at that. Who can argue with that? My opinion was always that the end of season six should have been the end - as it was excellent. I wont bore you with the story as that would take me over the edge into womanhood. All I can say is that I thoroughly enjoyed the film! I walked out after 2h 20m uplifted and happy, which is fine by me.

Today I was 'forced' to download the title song by Fergie as it's quite funky. Does that make me a girl? Should they make another of these films? I dont think so, just leave it now - dont spoil a good thing.

It's almost a shame I dont really 'do' designer labels to keep up with these crazy women (men's clothes in my case of course).

Please excuse me whilst I unbutton the jacket on my M&S suit.

Basically at the end of the day phrases are literally over used, in any case.

I'm not sure about you but in today's world and yesterday's too, some words and phrases seem to be used a little too frequently for my liking.

I hold my hand up as I'm guilty of this as well and sometimes go through 2-3 week periods of using the latest 'phrase du jour' and not even bothering to try and come up with something original in its place. I dont think I have one at the moment but I'm sure we all know of people who are guilty of this infraction of UK law. Here are a few of them that you may have found in your place of work....

http://www.marketingtoday.com/personalbrandceo/0104/buzzwords_gone_bad.htm

Sea creatures made from confectionary!

Once upon a time when I was a few stone lighter and a whole lot younger I used to love things like games consoles (though I was terrible at games), the cinema and all media related tomfoolery. If it was in THX, I wanted to hear it.

Essentially I haven't changed except I havent really kept up with some of the latest web-based advances. Sure, I have a facebook account but dont really do much with it apart from reject /ignore friend requests from people I stopped being friends with a long time ago. There's a reason we're not in touch and no social networking site is going to materially change that!


I'm not quite sure what form my posts will take going forward but I have been inspired by a friend into having my own blog. My own little space where all my (un)interesting thoughts can be gathered in one place.


That's it for now. I'm going to try and think of some great things to put on here so I could be a while.