Gary Davison

Tomorrow will see my pal Paul Burman back on here and I’ll be over his place having a giggle about films. This was my guest blog on his site a couple of weeks ago,

                                         TECHNOLOGY

Ebooks, emails, iphones, smart phones, not-so-smart phones, YouTube, blogs, bogs, ipads, video-phones…. Throw them all at me and I want to run a mile. Grab a newspaper or book, turn my back on all and everything and kick back on a park bench reading. Chilled out. Nice and easy. Leave the world and its gadgets behind and ride off into the sunset and be done with it all.

            But I run this blog, so I can’t be against all technology. Then I have that iphone, the one I said I would never get because I’m a dinosaur when it comes to technology, but… it’s… so… good. I love it. I can’t get enough of the iphone. I check work emails, private emails, check on the books and websites I like, all so easily and the speed of it is amazing. Much better than that laptop t-mobile blagged me into buying at Christmas. You can nip down and stick the veg on and prepare the dessert while that’s getting into gear.

            When e-books were first announced, or when they came to my attention, I was adamant, that me, and possibly my generation, my type of people, would not entertain them at all. How can a screen take the place of a nice book you can hold, bend the cover, shove in the beach bag?

I don’t think e-books will because ‘we’ the people before ipad and over thirty will always want to read the conventional way with a book in our hands. I know I will when I go on holiday and I’m chilling out on the beach. That’s when I like to have a book handy. That aside, I think there is room for e-books in my life along with the many other things that an ipad, or similar device, can give you.

Take the newspapers. The Times is nine quid a month as an app, or you can get it in paper form for thirty-five a month. Weather, golf gps – which is fantastic, by the way – dictionary, app to teach your kids how to tell the time, drawing app, it goes on and on, and the more I get into it, the more I like it.

If I buy an ipad, there’s a fair chance I’ll be seduced into e-books. If I buy an ipad. A year ago I would have burst out laughing. Now, I’m convincing myself, that despite not needing an ipad, because no one needs one, it just looks so much fun, I’m close to weighing over for one.

If I can be pulled up to speed with all this igear and find it fun, anyone can. And the reason being is that it is all so easy to use. And I can’t be the only one feeling like this as e-books, since the release of the ipad, have overtaken sales of normal books for the first time.

Verdict – If you enjoy doing something, do it. I’m in on this particular way of technology.

I’ve bought an ipad now and they’re nifty as hell. I’ll fill you in next week on what I’m up to with it.

As you can see from a few comments landing last night, another disaster has struck. We’d had a whisper. From a man who knows a man who knows a horse. the whisper headed north and was so secret I was frightened to tell myself about it.

When the floodgates opened we were all on the nose big time. This morning we’re all waking up in a cold sweat having blown a right few quid.

There is only one way to look at things like this. Positively. Especially you Banker (what time did you leave the bar last night??). The blog crashed, the horse was obviously under the weather, that’s two down, we’re only one away from some serious good luck.

Let’s get back blogging. Pissing about over for at least a week.

Soooooooo, where was we? What subjects was floating around these here parts?

Paul Burman and me are going to post our favourite films of the last few decades on Friday. I’ve got at least one comedy in there.

 We were getting all techno, although I never stuck my techno post up on here, so I’ll be doing that tomorrow. With a little addition as I’ve just bought an ipad.

The ipad debate. I can’t see what the fuss is about. Get an iphone, if you use loads of apps and wish it were bigger, get an ipad.

Of course you can’t justify having one, they’re an unnecessary luxury - and sweet as nut.

Christ, what a carry on. One little press of the button and we’ve been stuck with that fringe bloke for almost a week. Techno-disaster. I feel like ripping his syrup off and slapping is bald head I’m so tired of looking at him.

Poor soul hasn’t done anything except sit there, but still.

Anyways, we’re not back yet. This is temporary until I suss out what’s happening with the new theme.

Apologies in advance!

Karen and me travelled by plane, train and tube and landed in Leicester Square at about half one on Friday. Room wasn’t ready so we went across the road to the nearest bar. Six hours later we made the long 400 yard trip to the casino. Stock taking a.m suggested we won fifty quid, and the meat down my top was an indication a large donner was involved, all of which I took no enjoyment from as I can ne remember.

It was great catching up with the paperbooks team and we planned plenty for the future, which I’ll tell you about soon. I’m so pleased they met us earlier rather than later. Long way to go not to remember talking to folk.

Despite the pair of us struggling with a hangover we went in search of the London Dudgeons on Saturday. It was underground (no shit), hot, dark, extremely frightening, but well worth the effort and after two hours, which included being in Sweeny Todd’s chair, we were taken to the gallows and dropped to the floor in one of those mad rides. How the breakfast stayed down was a miracle.

I managed to read another couple of short stories from Bobby Boyd and was impressed. I could become a Bobby groupie and try a full length novel of his soon.

Returning back from London I checked in to see what they were up to and both Fat Tuesday and Streakers were in the top 10 000 again this weekend, with Streakers reaching 5000th. Fat Tuesday has been holding its own around about this chart position for a couple or three months. Cushty. That’s London talk, my son.

 Karen and me are flying down to London tomorrow for a meet with the paperbooks team.

As usual we make a weekend of it and after a bite to eat we hit the bars around Leicester Square and wherever else take our fancy.

Not wanting to appear completely without culture, we’re going to have a look in the London dungeons.

Short stories are not for me. Don’t like them and they seem pointless, which is why this chap here, Bobby Boyd, has got my attention and goes with me tomorrow.

A friend of mine bought me a few books a couple of weeks back, I think I mentioned it at the time. This was one of them so I didn’t want to appear rude and so it went in my bag and I’ve had it with me ever since. Last week, while being all broody and creative supping coffee and soup in Preta Manger, I decided to give this a shot, and it also completed the image of old student slash creative slash, well just slash. No scarf, though, I’m not a complete…. That has just reminded me of a joke off Cemetery Junction that had everyone rolling. Why does Noddy have a bell on his hat? (now imagine a room full of 60+ year olds at a cocktail bash) answer: because he’s a C**T! (cunt).

Where was I? Yip, the book. So, short stories being a no-no, I wasn’t expecting much and was blown away by the first story, Adult Video. Told, like a video plays ie rewind, play, pause etc.  Fantastic.

 With me giving up the old woodbines, 17 days and counting thanks to this here book, I’m reading more than normal.

I’ll not go into this book yet, but it works and has sold over 9million copies.

Word is the author died of lung cancer, but that’s just pure gossip. Could be perfectly okay for all I know.

Well, I’m off, have a good weekend and read that to give up, and pick the other up to fill ya time in.

 …Paul Burman and my good self are still having an inter-blog carry on this week. This week -slash- this month. It’s the summer, kids are off, everything takes that bit longer.

Our next subject, after the techno blogs, is films. Movies as they say over there.

We’re going to pick our favourite films from the last four decades, one from each, then a few wild cards thrown in at the death.

Today I had a quick look at the 70s and there are some great films out in the 70s. Even though I was only just born, I remember watching these when I was early teens, I think.

Here’s a sample of some of the 70s films that are floating around: Taxi Driver, The God Father, Star Wars, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Superman. Tasty selection or what?

But would one of those be my choice for the 70s? What about…

 It’s going to be violent, just a matter of nutter, gangland or rubber.

I’ll give Paul a tug, se how he’s getting on. i know he’s been busy with a new website, which is looking rather nifty. Have a look, go to paulburman.net, or just click HERE.

What a laugh. Karen and me watched it the other night and it’s a right laugh.

The story isn’t anything you wouldn’t have seen before, but as the saying goes, it’s how you tell them.

Ricky Gervais is hardly in it, but his humour is all over it. And when he is in it, it’s side splitting.

Any story that can get me singing Slade’s ‘Cum on feel the noise’ three days later must be good.

 How shit’s this weather? Warm and pissing down, doesn’t get any worse. Much more of this and I’ll be putting pictures up of women drinking water to cheer myself up.

Complaining about the weather is a definite sign age has got me my the leg and dragging me into the pit. No more moaning about the weather, although I quite like the idea of women drinking water.

If the Banker was an animal, this might be him. And he’s every right to be so confident having NEVER lost a footy bet to me in 5 or 6 years.

This year he’s going to get skinned. The bet, as usual, is that we pick one team from each division. The team that finishes ahead of the other in that division wins. It gets complicated if there are the same number of divisions won and The Banker appears to steer the rules in his favour. This year there will be no dodgy rulings required. Here’re the teams

The Banker -Man U, Hull, Sheff Wed, Shrewsbury.

The 2010\2011 champion - Chelsea, QPR, Peterborough, Chesterfield.

It’s time for the bankers to take a pasting for a change, game on!