Xmas at Christmas

So it’s that time of year again, when beggers dawn festive hats to attempted to part you with spare change and geese get really fat and self-conscious because no one wants to eat them. Christmas is a strange time, for one it is just one day. We know this to be true, it’s the 25th of December and it never snows on this particular date (it’s a scam by the bookmakers of the UK but I have no real gripe with them). The weird thing is that Christmas last ages before and a fair bit after this date. Even me, a self-confessed Christmas miser, will celebrate old Crimbo from about the 1st of December to about the 2nd of January. Others will take it further by putting up decorations up at the beginning of November and try tell you there are only 50 more shopping days. 50 MORE SHOPPING DAYS!!! I do about five ‘shopping days’ a years so i could technically fit this into their life and death warning ten fold. I suppose the only up side to shopping this early is that you don’t have the Christmas panic goggles on. These make the most horrendously crap gift look almost acceptable and as December hurtles towards the big day the magnification on these bad boys gets stronger and stronger to the point where calender with dogs performing everyday human tasks will be a fine gift for about 75% on your list.

I suppose the main thing to do is not to panic. Its easier said than done. Every advert from the TV to the side of buses tells us that if we get the wrong gift for anyone they will instantly disown you, spitting in you face and out you as the scum of the earth when the reality is that they will just silently resent you forever. So what do we do as an intellect society? Do we make things easier for ourselves by telling each other than  it is fine and not to worry, any gift is wonderful as at least you tried? No, we started the most stressful form of festive torture that the most depraved and evil minds amongst us could come up with. We take part in ‘secret’ Santa. ‘But Fall, this is anonymous, no one knows you buys what’. Bull shit. Sorry but everyone tells everyone as long as they liked it. Which adds the extra pressure of getting a great gift so that the other person is desperate to find out who their Santa was. If they don’t you have failed and everyone else knows you got that gift. At this point you fail and its time to find a new job as the rest of the office will pretty much disown you. So you need the perfect gift. A perfect gift so that work is bearable for the next year. A perfect gift so that you can look at yourself in the mirror. A perfect gift for that one person in the office you hardly know. A perfect gift for a stranger or be sneered at by the finance department. DO YOU SEE IT NOW? THE STRESS? AYE? Why, why, why do we think this is a good idea. Why not have everyone put in 10% of their wage, split the money evenly and everyone gets to buy themselves something they want? Just a thought!

But from this you will get the impression that I hate Christmas. No, no you couldn’t be more wrong. There are some great things at Christmas. Sitcom Christmas specials being re run every year is probably the highlight. As every year I look forward to Father Ted guiding all a troop of priests out of the largest lingerie department in Ireland and watching what Pixar rip off film the BBC can afford this year for Christmas day. I’m also looking forward to hearing the five Christmas songs that I really like being occasionally played. But my favourite Yule Time tradition, as I’m sure it’s also yours, is watching Die Hard on Christmas Eve. By far the best Christmas film ever made. I suppose a bit of time away from work to spend with family is nice as well and at the end of the day these are the people who matter and will love you even if you do get them a calendar which has a Cocker Spaniel wearing a hard hat and pointing and some metal girders.

Have fantastic Christmas everyone.
Till next time

Fall

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I’m Back!

The Return of the Mac  Fall

Hello everyone. How are you all? Good! Glad to hear it. Me? Well…… When writing my age I have added one since the last time I spoke to you. I have had a wee break. I went on a little holiday, did a little home improvement and went to see a few gigs, oh, and recorded a single (more to come on that). But now you have all of my attention…..(sort of!)

I have started working on a couple of things now. So in the next few days look out for an overdue review of the recent Graham Coxon gig and my yearly viewing of Oceansfall at the Wee Red Bar. I’m hoping to write about my experience at the recording studio and I fancy maybe tackling Saturday night TV and the lack of new quality shows (or is it something else?). Will also review any films I see. Heard this new comic book film that’s out is ok, something about a Justice League or something ;D

Anyway,

Till later this week,

Fall

Lack of Action

Hello all. You know those times in life where everything happens at once and time is not on your side. Well it’s looking like April is going to be one of those times. unfortunately it means the blog takes a back seat to other exciting projects, a wee holiday and turning 25.

Basically there will be little activity for the next week or so BUT my promise to you all is that I will pick up the pace again once I have been on my wee holiday. So about the 23rd or so. There maybe a film review or something small if I can get time.

Hope you are all well out there,

Wait for me……..

Fall 😀

(p.s. The picture is not really relevant but made me laugh when looking for something that was.)

Hobby? Pastime? More?

What is writing this blog? 

So over the last few days for one reason or another I have been absent from my blog. A mixture of illness, being social (I know, this also surprised me!) and working on other projects has meant that poor wee DCOTU took a bit of a back seat over the last week or so. What surprised me is how this has effected me. I started to feel guilty. Its a bit like neglecting a Tamagotchi, it doesn’t hurt anyone to leave it alone but it some how feels wrong. So it got me thinking, if this was purely something that I do to pass time and have no real desire to keep a regular input then why was it eating at me that I had not posted in a couple of days.

I suppose it comes down to enjoying writing and having people look at my articles. Its addictive to see how many people have visited your page and when someone comments or says in passing that they like what you are doing it drives you to do more of the same. I do not believe that I am a good writer, I like to think I am at least a tad entertaining. So I suppose the best way to get better is to practice. Where better to do so than on this blog.

In a long round about way this is an apology to you, my loyal readers, for not doing anything for a few days (not sure any of you actually mind!) and to myself for being neglectful of something that gives me joy. I resolve to not leave entries as long in future. In fact I think I will work on a few just now. Maybe one later or tomorrow (then again I have promised such things before this week!)

Anyway, till next time

Fall

Week Without Coffee and Tea…….COMPLETE!

What a sleepy week!

Well, I managed the 7 days. At points they were hard, especially at work and in the mornings. I have started to write up my paper and will post it tomorrow.

Also had my first mug of coffee in a week this morning and it was amazing!

Later today – Muppets Review

Tomorrow – A (Kinda) Scientific Paper on The effects of Caffeine deprivation

Till then

Fall

Day One

So it begins……

Right. So for my next (kinda) Scientific Paper I am going to look at the effect that caffeine has on me. To do this I have had a few days of drinking more than my usual coffee and tea intake to see if there was a difference. Not really. But now the real pain begins. Today is the first day of NO CAFFEINE! So no Coffee. No tea while watching the TV. Not even my usual Superman mug of green tea in the morning. This is day one and after seven days (or how many I manage) I will write-up my findings.

So how was today? Was it an easy day. No, I think I picked the worst first day I could have. I woke up a little hung over from a leaving do the night before. Well the hangover is not from the party but from the cocktails that were consumed and the lack of food (school boy error!). So I had that kind of hangover that a cup of Coffee sorts right out….. dam. I can tell you I was so close to bucking after just 23 minutes of being conscious on first day. But I resisted and the walk to work cleared my head. Fine. So work would be fine. Nope! I was basically manning the doors to tell people we were closed. After see the twelfth heart broken child who couldn’t get into our wee science centre I wanted to cry into a cup of tea BUT NO! I resisted again! Win!

So I have made it to now. 6pm. 10 hours down. The next few should be fine dinner and the like but later. We have Caramel buttons to eat. I will want tea more than anything else at that point. Please, just say a little prayer for me tonight so that I can over come temptation and continue at least into Day 2!

For updates follow on twitter or facebook and see how I manage through this impossible task!

Till next time

Fall

Back But Different

Dark Centre Of The Universe is back! Woop!

I have changed provider and format. Rather than a big old site I was stuggling to fill, it will now take the form of a blog page. Most of the content will be by me (Fall) but I hope to have the odd article from others and i might re-post some of the older articles from the previous site.

So watch this space for more to come as I suss out this new format!

Till then all the best.

Fall