I'm just back from The Golden Compass. Dear oh dear, not good at all.

I saw it last night, I quite enjoyed it. Although I would have liked more of the book in there but...

1) I enjoyed it and had no "check watch to see how long left to go" moments

2) The missus who hasnt read the books enjoyed it

3) the group of kids at below us who were incredibly noisy during the adverts shut up and watched it in rapt fascination

4) Set up the next two films really well

and the Magisterium isnt the Catholic Church, ohh no

Bee movie looks good as does, worryingly Disney's Enchanted

A random thing - have a look for Malcolm Middleton - "We're all going to Die" (A Brighter Beat). Its quality and even though Colin Murray is pushing it, it should be actively supported to get to Christmas Number 1. Its either this or some X Factor piece of crap.

So, as normal then

Anyone seen the new version of Blade Runner yet?

is it not very good?

I think they were left with a difficult choice in regards to making the film suiable for as broad a range as possible, without utterly alienating the mainstream christians/catholics.

As much as I enjoyed the books I've always thought the first one is the weakest as its trying to set up the next two, but has to be standalone enough in case he couldnt write the other two (was my feeling about it anyway).

Bee Movie looks like it could be amusing

If you're looking for books on various sports that arent football the Guardian Sports Writters have suggested these

Sports Books

I've read Fletcher's book, and is very interesting, not the greatest prose but the content at times is fascinating.

if the books are anything to go by, just you wait

I'm amazed that as many as 43% still support ID cards . I don't know anyone who does .....

Depends who they asked I suppose - maybe it was Government officials.

I'm never quite sure with these Polls whether people say, "actually I dont mind an ID Card scheme per se - say like a drivers license/ NI Card / Passport but I object to the Government having all my biological data as they are a bunch of incompetant arses."

Although I'm still waiting how ID cards will prevent terrorism, maybe they're bomb proof

Anyone heard whether Golden Compass is going to be remotely good? I heard a rumour that to stop the Bible Belt going totally postal, that they've tried to remove the fact that the Magisterium is based on the Catholic Church

but mention bodyline and they get their corks in all of a quiver

For what its worth, I think Croatia has better players man for man, because they beat England twice.

probably

okay, shall we agree to disagree?

Oh do be quiet.

Souness was a good manager because he won the Worthington Cup and got us promoted and finished 6th.

McClaren won a league cup.

Souness then lost the plot, but to say he wasnt a good manager is just wrong. He was a good manager for a time and then wasnt. It happens all the time. Kenny Dalglish was wonderful at Newcastle and Queens Celtic wasnt he?

Still, if only Alan Mahon and Keiran Donnoly had played more eh?

whats really worrying is that a single slip during data entry, means that all your details might be wrong.

And the person doing the data entry will be some poor minimum wage gap year student

Shearer for England manager!

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

LD, I was telling people that at the time, yes Sven was boring, but at least we played in the championships and always looke competant in qualifying.

For what its worth, I dont know who I want for England manager, I know who I dont want, which is becoming a longer list by the minute.

We have the players in this country, what we dont have is the system to get them to play in an organised team, and that means getting the right players for the system, not the system for the players.

Crouch, played very well last night, however he can not be a solitary striker because he doesnt have the pace and power, along side Rooney, say, then yes he would be excellent, but alone? No, Bent should have started.

Anyway, I cant see him being allowed to stay on, and if he had any honour, or decency, he would resign instead of being fired.

We are overrated in that game also.

no we're not, dont be so silly

ah a summer enjoying cricket - bliss

you'ld hope he was though, if he wasn't, the guy needs serious help

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King, is defiantely a must read, theres only 7 of the damn things so they should be keeping you occupied for a month or so.

Synopsis - Gunslinger from a parallel universe like ours (he's basically a Knight with a wild west theme) is on quest to reach the Dark Tower and defeat the Crimson King, to help him on his quest he finds three companions in our universe.

If you've read lots of Kings novels you will have noticed a series of names and incidents that occur which dont particularly mean a lot to that story, this series makes it all clear.

the first book is hard work, but they get so much better as King matures as an author.

Insomnia - Old people stop sleeping, start halucinating, see strange men and aura's, get given a mission to prevent a mass murder. Really good if you've never had insomnia, scarily accurate and utterly brilliant at times if you've had a really bad case, like I had. recently.

I bet you do when you want to read the paper.

Also if the new "happy clappy" board as you appear to think removing racism and bigoted postings means, then by all means feel free to leave if you dont like it

find your old disks and code for it.

I have Home Premium, I think (touch wood) that its excellent, and I liked XP.

I use XP at work, and I miss Vista, mainly for the seach functions, I've had no problems with DVD burning, but then again I have some software to convert to a format that Vista likes.

It has issues but all in all Im quite happy with it, and no lots of people who are, and a few who arent.

I must say though, that those happy with it are the ones who had it as a first install, instead of an upgrade from XP.

Plus its so so so pretty.

I'm naffed off with the not being able to record directly off the t'interweb, but I've found a decent way round that so all's well and good.

"A Short History of Everything" by Bill Bryson - a must for anyone with an interest in science, an interest on why/how things happen as they do and how we came to be.

To say I was underwhelmed with the Single player demo is an understatement, however from what I've seen teh Multiplayer looks good, as long as they dont do what they did in CoD2 and just use console maps for the MP.

Best multiplayer CoD game for the PC was United Offensive

CoD1 I thought was excellent for the single player campaigns but yes, as it is with most games, it is the multiplayer that keeps it going, or you have to have a game where playing it twice is never the same.