A failure to flatten the curve

When my brother came to see us last year, we discussed what was to happen with both Christmas our mothers birthday. After all, she was to turn 80. We discussed the different options and he agreed to book somewhere. At the time, I said that I was not sure that the birthday and/or Christmas would take place as I stated that the NHS was under pressure and I imagined that Christmas would be cancelled. Of course, it turned out that my mother did not join us for her birthday, but she did see us over Christmas.

Imagine my surprise when it was not and the queues to be seen in A&E had increased so much. In addition to this, the antibiotic shortage with Strep A may have not been as much of a problem if social distancing was put back into place. 

We went into lockdown on the previous two Christmas periods to avoid this. Yes, things would have been worse in the last two years if we had not done this, but the use of a mask alone would have reduced the horrific scenes in our hospitals up and down the country with COVID, and social distancing would have meant less worried parents trying to find antibiotics.

The Honeymoon

This is a truly terrible film. I am sorry that I suggested this to my wife yesterday. It will be hard to beat just how bad this film is. 

 

The best bits include the scenery, not just The Lake District at the start, but also Venice. It was good to see Maria Bakalova again after watching Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Also the other great part is that it ended. Not just for the track played as the end credits rolled, but also for the second deleted scene. The film is watchable until the best man’s speech, one that is even worse than the speech from Four Weddings and a Funeral. Once you get to this part, read these spoilers and skip to end end, or just watch a different film.

After the speech, Bav accompanies Adam, his best friend, and his new bride, Sarah, on their honeymoon as Adam is worried that Bav will kill himself (later turns out that his comment about not being there was because he was to travel to India). Bav christens the honeymoon suite with diarrhoea as he blocks his own toilet due to food poisoning. He accompanies the couple on a boat trip with a “See You Next Tuesday” t-shirt but is left to his own devices for a day. During this time, he befriends the son of a Mafia boss (Giorgio) who has fallen for Sarah. The three are invited to a party with this very handsome Giorgio, who flirts with Sarah. Adam finds them cutting drugs when looking for the toilet, then as he tries to get them to leave, Baz destroys some priceless Venetian masks while trying to impress a lady. In order to pay for this, Adam and Bav are sent to deliver drugs to Slovenia and return with the money. They get pulled over at the border, but despite Bav leaking narcotics, they leave. Rather they flee after being allowed through, burn their car in panic and have to find a safe house to stay overnight. 

 

During this time, Sarah has been charmed by Giorgio who takes her to parts of Venice that has been closed off to her when she had toured the city with Adam. Giorgio promises to aid her career and shows how he can do so before allowing her to pick a fantastic dress from a selection and then charming her with a rooftop dinner overlooking the city. The boys meanwhile find the safe house. Adam waxes strips of himself as he takes of the numerous drug packets that are sellotaped to him while Bav soaks them off in the bath, inadvertently breaking a lot of the packages which mix with his bath water. The following day, the two fight over this when being taken to the drug drop (by an intimidating man called Ivan) and lose most the drugs they have remaining. 

The drop does not go well but they are saved and almost killed when the police, tipped off by Giorgio, raid the drop. The two escape with the money and make it back to Venice. When Bav leaves Ivan’s car without the drug money, they decide to rescue Sarah. They are caught but Sarah rescues them and they flee through Giorgio’s villa, more art being broken in the process. Bav sacrifices himself, but they try to same him. Giorgio let’s them go due to his love for Sarah and it sends with Bav meeting an Italian beauty just before end and Ivan discovering the money in the first of two end credit scenes.

New Years 2023

Time for a quick update before bed. Yesterday we entertained Lyndsay and Nick while my daughter went to a friends for a sleepover. It was great seeing them though I passed out after midnight. 

Today, we met up with my brothers (and partner) in London. My daughter had not got much sleep the night before though. We were hoping that my mother would join us, but she declined.  I am not sure what we did to annoy her over Christmas, but she may relent and allow us to see her again.  I had offered to pop round and see her before the meal, but she said she would be out, but was present when one of my brothers visited her before our meal.

It was a great meal though and it was amazing seeing both brothers again as well as Lauren, the partner of one.  The only good point of my mother dropping out was that we changed the venue to a dog friendly place, which turned out to be at the site of a meal that we had with my mother several years ago.

Being in Islington always brings back fond memories from when I was younger. Back then we used to take the bus to Chapel Market as my brother and I found the walk too hard.  When older, my mother would give me a shopping list and on the weekend and I would get the shopping from Sainsburys’s (which is still there).  I used to know the prices of most the everyday items we got such as milk and bread as every hard earned penny my mother had was invaluable. My father did pay child maintenance at times, but he was never that reliable.

Anyway, time for bed after a very enjoyable start to the New Year.

Your Christmas or Mine?

It was nice to watch a decent Christmas film. Not a classic in the way that Love Actually (or Die Hard) is, but it was lovely. The characters were lovely, the plot predictable, but it is the way the film is put together. And I liked the characters. Yes, the film has too much cringe at the end, but I am glad that I watched it and would happily watch it again. My wife preferred this to the much more miserable film that she had watched earlier (she thought it was to have been a comedy).  Don’t watch the video if you want to be surprised by the way…

Greta Thunberg knocks out Andrew Tate

In a battle of wits, it is best never to take on Greta Thunberg. She has responded to criticism on-line before and I have yet to see her lose a spat. Andrew Tate decided to take her on. And much of the internet has responded. I do agree that it is mean to make fun of his penis size as there are many men who have a small willy, but considering that Andrew Tate is boasting about the size of his cars, many consider that to be compensation for issues in other areas.

What is more interesting is that he has been arrested due to his video.  While he is innocent until proven guilty, let is see what happens to this vile misogynist. 

 

yes, please do enlighten me. email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com https://t.co/V8geeVvEvg

— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) December 28, 2022

I bought a Russian advent calendar. Every time you open a window an oligarch falls out.

In September, I made a post about Russians dying in strange circumstances. This has continued and the latest deaths are of Dmitry Zelenov who became unwell, fell down some stairs and sustained critical injuries while in a costal city in France. Alexander Buzakov, a shipyard chief died with no cause known at present, Vladimir Bydanov died in his room in India surrounded by empty wine bottles and his travelling companion Pavel Antov later fell out of window to his death. 

 

Also, General Alexei Maslov, 69, a former commander of Russian ground forces with close ties to Ukraine died “suddenly” the day after Vladimir Putin abruptly cancelled a trip to the tank enterprise where he worked.

It maybe that the issue with Putin being surrounded by ‘Yes Men’ is that anyone who says no meets with an accident.

I suspect that I have missed a few others who have died, but I am sure that there will be more to come, sorry fall, while Putin remains in power.

Father Christmas Is Back

While my wife and my daughter like this film, I hate it. It was not completely terrible, the chemistry between the characters of Peter and Felix, played by Kris Marshall and Ray Fearon was good. It was also filmed in a beautiful setting.

Otherwise, despite an amazing cast, the acting was over the top on too many occasions and it was directed terribly. I have watched worse films on streaming services, but not too many. The only reason that I can see Netflix having this is to make us appreciate other films. 

When it comes to the family, my wife and daughter spent time shopping in Chelmsford, I had taken the dog for a walk and after several walks yesterday and today, she is knackered. My son has a new Pokémon game for the Switch and he is busy playing that right now. It has been a relaxing day which has allowed my batteries to get a much needed recharge.