I’m listening to the soundtrack to 28 days later (I know, I know, sorry). Most of it is the incidental background music and it makes watching other people in the office more fun. With softer music, seeing people walking around has quite a serene feel to it, with an angry track, – of which there are quite a lot on here – with the tempo building up and up, it makes it look a bit more sinister. Why is Doug following Mike? Is he going to attack him? Hee hee, I shouldn’t be allowed to watch films.
That’s what music in films is for obviously, to emphasise the mood and setting the director and sound people want you to have, different pieces of music would put hugely different slants on the same visuals. Probably the best use of sound (or rather NOT use of sound) I’ve seen was in an episode of Cracker. It certainly sticks in my mind anyway. The best episode of the series involved Robert Carlyle playing a deranged Liverpool fan. At the end of one episode he stabs and kills Christopher Eccleston. It’s all done in silence, no sound at all, and it was a stunning piece of television. There’s not a sound on the screen and none at home where you’re watching either. I think it just accentuated the feeling of shock you have at such a gruesome and devastating scene.
Maybe I’ll release my own soundtrack album of the things going on in my head. Suggestions on a postcard please…

Manners. I hate bad manners. I really hate bad manners. I was in McDonalds yesterday (again I’m sorry) and whilst I was chatting to the woman serving me about what I wanted, a young girl came up and said, “I want two ketchups”. The serving woman continued talking to me so the young girl repeated herself and seemed to get annoyed. She got her ketchups in the end, without a please or a thank you. I felt an urge to go to her table and tell her mum to teach the little shit some manners. And then spit on her chips or something. When I was the age of that little girl, I wouldn’t have dreamed of butting into other people’s conversations, I’d have waited my turn, and even then would have been quite shy and courteous.
In the swimming baths the other week I saw a little girl of about twelve threatening the guy who was helping her get her money out of the vending machine. Should I really be shocked by this anymore? Then I saw her heavily tattooed bullet-headed dad and wondered about what sort of manners kids actually get taught anymore. When dad swears constantly and everybody demands that they get their “share” out of life, when people are just full of anger at others for getting the things denied them, why should the kid show good manners? They know nothing else but to threaten, demand and insist.
I refuse to resort to that.

Oh Jesus, this bit of the soundtrack makes me want to push my thumbs through somebody’s eye sockets. See, I really shouldn’t be allowed to watch, and indeed listen, to films. Maybe I should direct my anger at people in the swimming baths.

Hmm, I’ve not been in the best of moods the last couple of days. I’ve been het up, easily agitated and restless. I hope I’ve not taken it out on anybody else, I don’t think I have, it’s nobody elses fault I’m full of nervous energy. It’s probably work related. It usually is.

Right, what happened this weekend then? Er, I can't remember. Hang on, let me think.
Something’s gone wrong with my head, it's not retaining every last piece of information like it used to. You see I know the registration of my brother’s first car, JEC 739X, but can't recall what I did on Friday night. Hmmm…
His second car actually had the registration B495 TKP.
Ah, here come the memories…
Friday night we had tea and watched TV. Nothing exciting but still rewarding.
Saturday morning we tidied up. Eventually made the kitchen sparkly clean and the living room kinda respectable. You wouldn’t think that today looking at either room, they’re both a mess again. Sigh. The washing machine is broken as well. It gave us hints that something was up with it by the squeaking noises it’s been emitting for the last couple of weeks. It finally decided on Saturday that it couldn’t be arsed doing anything anymore. I may kick it in.
Saturday afternoon was spent sitting in the garden. Next door invited us to their barbecue, which was very nice of them. I was pig-ignorant as usual, just muttering a few words and finding it really awkward. It’s cause I’m a Libran ya see. Apparently all librans are as difficult as me. Luckily Marie covered for me by being the pleasant member of the house.
We then watched 28 Days Later again whilst having tea.
Then we went out. Firstly we spent a few hours in the Sun with Karl and the soon-be-weds Nick and Jo. That was quite fun, just drinking and talking rubbish. There’s a lot to be said for talking rubbish. Julia pointed out that she was surprised that nobody had ever stabbed Nick. Most people who know him have wondered that for years. Hee hee, everybody seemed to get on well though, it was all good-natured.
Then we went to the warehouse and jumped about a bit on the dance floor whilst drinking pretty disgusting alcopops. I have this thing in my head that is activated by alcohol, which makes me drawn to bright vivid colours. It’s this which causes me to lose lots of money on fruit machines whilst pissed, and also what causes me to buy lurid coloured alcopops in clubs.
Now, I’ve promised myself not to rant on here anymore and what I’m about to type is only a snippet of how strongly I was repulsed by this on Saturday night.
I’ve always known really, it’s hard not to, but on Saturday night it all became 100% clear in my head about how horrible men are. Jesus, my gender is such a hormonally retarded, oily bunch of social misfits. When they come to clean up the warehouse after everybody has left, I’m sure the air will be heavy with the smells of smoke, lynx africa and pre-cum.
Even when I seemed to be eternally single, I’d never dream of resorting to the degrading, ill mannered and disrespectful way that men seem to treat women in nightclubs. It must be horrible, I mean, how many times in nightclub history has a simian-headed fuckwit succeeded in pulling a pretty girl by grinding himself next to them in what he believes is a sexy way. Anyway I was pretty appalled by it, hee hee, is this the sort of person women actually go for?
Maybe they’d all drunk whisky, it sends me mental, maybe it does every other man as well. Yet I doubt it…
Hmm, I have a new found respect for lesbians, I’ll shake their hands in a friendly but non-sexual manner next time I meet a bunch.
Sunday we sat about watching TV and eating toast and then had a brief trip into town. I was really tired all day and only perked up when I watched 24 just before going to bed. They blew the bloody bomb up! Where the hell does the series go from here? Gonna have to wait and see I’m afraid as the DVD Nige made for us of future episodes has all the voices out of sync.