Author: James

I'm a fairly nice bloke. You'd probably like me if you met me.

James Complains About A New Pair Of Shoes

Recently I purchased a new pair of shoes. This is not, in itself, an inherently unusual thing for me to do. I probably do it every 6-7 months. That’s generally how long a pair of shoes lasts in my experience. I buy my shoes for the purposes of work, being more inclined to wear trainers…

Blundi

As it is the third Monday in January, it is officially and indisputably Blue Monday – the most depressing day of the year. The rationale for attributing this label to an otherwise unassuming Monday was scientifically proven by a travel company in 2005, who, far from trying to sell more package holidays, were simply trying…

My 2023 Blogging Commitment

As it is January and thus still very much a time for making unrealistic pledges, I’m still fairly confident that I’m going to turn around my 2022 blogging slump and actually post quite regularly in 2023. However, my ambitions are tempered with a little reality – gone are the days of posting daily as I…

Children Of The Resolution

As it’s New Year’s Day I find myself, as I do most years, compiling a list of stuff that I need to start doing in the coming year in order to make myself somewhat less inadequate. Most years, fully aware that any genuine attempt at self-improvement will inevitably be doomed to failure within a few…

A Boxing Day Post Of Sorts

As I write this I’m still enjoying a Christmas Day which has predominantly seen me sitting around in a festive onesie, drinking too much beer and eating too much festive food. But lest you accuse me of slothfulness, rest assured that I did cook the vast majority of the festive food, which was not without…

The Sixth Annual James Proclaims Advent Calendar of Christmas(ish) Films – Door 19

The original 1972 version of The Poseidon Adventure is infinitely better than the 2006 ‘reimagining’ of the story. It is still, fundamentally, a popcorn disaster movie, that requires a certain amount of suspended disbelief, and clearly the special effects are no match for the remake, but the advantage the original has over the subsequent version…

The Sixth Annual James Proclaims Advent Calendar of Christmas(ish) Films – Door 12

The 34th cinematic offering from Walt Disney Animation Studios was a strange choice, given the type of movies that had preceded it. Nineteenth Century French Gothic literature doesn’t automatically lend itself as source material to an animated movie aimed at children, and while there are certainly dark elements in other Disney movies, Victor Hugo’s The…