Just got back from seeing Avatar which, I'm pleased to report, was a stunning film. Those who have attended cinemas with me know how picky and grumpy I can be about films (I blame the epic amounts of needless advertising that precedes all films at the cinema putting me in a bad mood for this) so it may come as some surprise that I liked Avatar.

I expected a lightweight storyline and a pretty bit of CGI from what little others had said but what I got far surpassed my expectations. The story is an old one but a strong one and very well told. The CGI blends very well with the real and the whole world is visually very coherent and splendid.

Of course, I've never read the book on which the film Avatar is based but as a standalone film it really is beautiful. We're told a lot about the world on which it is set in a short time, equally so why humans are there, but none of it is patronising. I want to avoid spoilers, I really do so I shan't go into more detail than that.

The cat people in Avatar are really very attractive too. To me they come across as somewhat African but friends have said they seem Amazonian or Aboriginal. Artistically, I liked the proportions of the Na'vi (spelling could be wrong), their bodies are humanoid but elongated and heavy across the shoulders and their faces are large and expressive. The use of light in the world is beautifully done too without being overwrought and extends to all the creatures and the Na'vi.

In short, Avatar is a beautiful film and worth seeing simply because the telling of what is an old story is so good. I highly recommend it.

Simon Cowell is pretty high on my list of People I'd Like To Punch In The Face, so it's with mixed sentiment that I accept the news that Rage Against the Machine stopped his corporate march of bland non-entities this year and planted their old song Killing In The Name Of ahead of his whatever it was thanks to a Farcebook campaign.

I'm happy Satan Himself didn't get the fifth year in a row at the top, it's a good thing, but I wish he could've been beaten by something in a more fair manner and with something more festive. I find it difficult to accept that radio stations will be blaring out RAtM at this time of year, it just doesn't fit.

Then I think that on the other hand maybe it's appropriate that RAtM have beaten such a bloated corporate leech by having their fans push one of their old songs into the public view in a pure statement of anger at the commercialisation of the season with music that is not music and performers who do not perform.

In summary, fuck you Simon Cowell, you evil, arrogant, smug, self-righteous, orange git of a man, fuck you and all your little wizards.

Alex and I are back from Shrewsbury and it seems you started the Snowpocalypse without us!

Had a good time at Alex's Mum's, had tasty foods, was generally pampered and kept warm with a steady supply of medicinal tea and, on the penultimate day, some homemade damson gin (which we got to bring a bottle of home!). My nasty chest infection is mostly cleared, though I'm still having to avoid drastic temperature changes where possible, just like when I had asthma as a child.

Now that I've caught up with LJ and FA and e-mails, I can get to work on some artwork and updating customers. I'm several months behind schedule, but I have cancelled taking on new work until January in the hope that a good hard slog when I have time to do it will see me mostly caught up.



P.S. We saw the Five Workmen of the Snowpocalypse on the motorway on the way home. They were putting trees in shredders, it was a little bit freaky.

The past 10 weeks have been something of a mess. I'm not looking at almost a quarter of the year lost to ill health which I'm really annoyed about.

All started with that back injury, which was interspersed with my wrist injury and now, of all things, I've got this chest infection which is doing a damned fine job of pretending to be Consumption.

Add to this that I've had a hard drive failure and our internet is lumpier than a thirty year old mattress owned by a particularly energetic couple and you'll understand why I'm on a bit of a short fuse.

This is one of my favourite times of year and ill health is ruining it for me. Hopefully I'm better by Wednesday when I should be visiting Alex's clan for a few days.

I've got so much work to finish off that's drastically delayed and at least one customer breathing down my neck for tardiness on my part that really isn't something I have any control over.