Dave T-W @davoloid@qoto.org

I haven't been to the Abba voyage thing but I think they've definitely taken some technical aspects from Ye Pan's PhD work on immersion, that I helped with about 10 years ago. But the CGI avatars are awful.

I'm afraid I have been away from home and phone, my #Eurovision chums.
But I am watching the final now and breathless with anticipation for the scores. Crossing my fingers for #Armenia, #Italy or #Ukraine. A couple of faves never made the final.

In fact, I think it was on netflix until only recently, because I remember having it dubbed in French, for reasons. It was quite effective actually.

I was telling my brother about this movie the other day, who was a toddler when it came out. I can't remember when I last saw Shallow Grave but so many of the lines are embedded (I think I may have the book with the script in). And on the last rewatch it was still perfect.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/may/09/shallow-grave-review-danny-boyles-edinburgh-noir-debut-is-a-triple-crossing-treat

Definitely going to see this.

The voting record of Natalie Elphicke speaks for itself:
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/25831/natalie_elphicke/dover/votes#environment

And here's the moment the Dover MP thought it would be a good idea to confront a protest about Hire & Fire of P&O ferry staff. Forgetting that she'd voted to allow that sort of practice.
https://youtu.be/NAOZcUbmEds

For non UK people, Dover is the main port for connections to the continent. A fact that was news to Brexit minister Dominic Raab:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5m7_JrLNDY

Normally a Tory MP defecting to Labour might be a positive development, but sometimes you wish they'd just quit politics.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/11/tory-mp-who-accused-marcus-rashford-of-playing-politics-has-second-job

Couldn't recall why I knew she was a wrong'un but the internet remembers.

I mean I might be showing my age, and maybe that was the year I unlocked music big time, but there's also Prince's Batman soundtrack, Simple Minds, NIN, Beautiful South, RHCP, Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Erasure.

1989 was a great year with some iconic albums, but why is Blue Nile on this list but not Deacon Blue? Heck, they even knocked Madonna off the top spot, in a month that also saw classics from INXS, Fine Young Cannibals and Guns n Roses https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1prqk6JLsFGqz8nTlbj2JfX/12-classic-albums-that-define-1989

Listening in to EDI Town Hall at UCL. Strange to hear about #accessibility still being a design challenge when 20 years ago we were able to put up new buildings with proper toilets, access ramps, fire refuges and lifts.

Also at TBC is the #Retrofit24 exhibit, which I *think* I've mentioned before but some of the displays seem to have changed since I last popped through. That shows various examples and aspects of retrofitting buildings rather than demolition and new build. These including environmental considerations (lower carbon emissions through refurbishment) but also cultural if a building has a historical element and heritage of the location.

Sometimes (e.g. Houlton School https://www.houltonschool.org.uk/) it's possible to completely transform a building to a vastle different use.

Passed The Building Centre at lunchtime, always worth seeing what's on there if you're into #Architecture, #Sustainability or anything about #Urban planning.

May's #free exhibit is about the #LanguageOfSigns.
https://www.buildingcentre.co.uk/whats_on/exhibitions/keep-on-the-grass-the-language-of-signs

My two favourite London signs:
"Commit No Nuisance" and "This is not a brothel. There are no prostitutes at this address." (now vanished)
1/2

On the whole the style and flow of the movie is thrilling, but suffers from poor dialogue and several scenes that seem forced in order to induce plot points, but are then rushed through without further consideration. Feels like a more experienced Director/Producer might have kept those elements tighter, allowed the story to build to a better payoff. At 1hr 49 there was plenty of runtime avalable.