Little Storping-in-the-Swuff

I guess the CD of Murray Gold’s music from the two new series and first two Christmas specials did brisk business. For the music from “series three”, it looks like we’re going to get it on the day the deliver the DVD.

This is excellent. The music from season twenty-nine was even more lively and inventive. I certainly hope we get Miranda Raison’s performance of Angel, and whatever song is undoubtedly in store for Voyage of the Damned. And basically every cue used in the wonderful Utopia deserves to be on there.

Robin LaPasha has just updated his excellent site on Gold’s musical motifs in Who to the end of the season.

I stepped out to pick a pear to eat with the stilton and port (that’s what autumn is all about) and this chap was sitting on the step. I almost trod on him.

Now I have my Nikon D40, I can more readily record how my frogs are the most handsome in Lewes.

Whilst I can’t really see myself buying an iPhone until Apple sticks the camera in the front and offers fully functional iChat AV plus “call out” connection over WiFi/Voip to the POTS, the fact that Truphone are apparently getting ready to offer a voip application does make it start to look a lot more useful. Truphone is partnered with Google, allowing you also to call Google Talk users.

Of course, if Apple release this, I’ll pay them whatever they want for it.

For a Monty Python fan, the prospect of a live stage musical version of the classic Holy Grail is exciting enough. If he is also a Doctor Who fan, having Peter Davison star is enough to make him go Ekky-ekky-ekky-ekky-z’Bang, zoom-Boing, z’nourrrwringmm.

Actually a sort of Python’s greatest hits, crammed with dialogue and songs from the entire cannon as well as brand new material, the only thing missing from the show is Monty Python. It reminded me rather of University. Who didn’t, as a member of their Uni’s Monty Python appreciation society (ours was called Bewilderbeast) try to re-enact their favourites of the classic sketches? I know I did.

At least half of the Python genius is in the writing. They were terrific performers, but their writing can stand up on its own. The stage performances were very good. Davison was great - conveying that same awkward self consciousness that Chapman used to possess. Some of the other cast members played the Pythons playing their parts while others did their own thing (for example the French taunter - and wisely - you can’t do Cleese better than Cleese). Idle and Cleese themselves are heard in recording.

In fact the only thing that seemed slightly off was… the budget. There was obviously too much money! Both Flying Circus and the films were all done on the most minimal of budgets so it was strange seeing the lavish musical numbers (though the catapulting of the cow felt suitably low budget). The main additions to the classic material are elaborate send ups of the musicals, taking full advantage of the West End setting, which made it feel a bit like two shows… I did wonder if it might have worked better abandoning the Holy Grail material and weaving the songs into a new story. However, these are minor quibbles.

Highly, highly entertaining stuff. I laughed all night.

Two of them are bellowing to each other this evening.

For the record, I just saw a fish, so there’s at least one of them alive.

Here’s a great tip for Brighton & Hove dwellers: stockpile bus tickets before the prices go up.

On Sunday week, Brighton and Hove are putting up their fares. You can already save money buying your tickets online. Save a further 20p on journeys you make after the 23rd by getting the tickets now. I’ve contacted B&H and tickets bought at current prices will be honoured after the rise.

I’ve already purchased myself a stash.

Totally unnecessary, but a fabulous gesture to iPhone owners who bought at $200 above the new price. Any computer consumer or gadget freak will have felt the envy as newer and better models come out cheaper, but Apple rarely go for radical price cuts, generally increasing the spec or introducing a low-end model, and by anyone’s standards, that price drop was huge given it’s exactly the same model.

So, nice one, Steve.

What the hell’s the deal with ringtones? My phone (SE k700i) lets me just choose any song as a ringtone. Why does the iPhone require you to pay another $0.99 in addition to the purchase price to use it as a ringtone?

I’m clearly missing some enhanced functionality here. I mean, I just thought a ringtone was a noise (ie sound file) triggered by receiving a call…?

This is, of course, in response to the announcement that new iTunes lets you pay to make a ringtone out of a song you’ve already had to pay for.

I’ve just had a birthday (with an 0 in it). I had a great evening, and an excellent walk on the downs (thanks to all who joined me along the way). And I acquired the Nikon D40. It’s small, light, responsive, incredibly intuitive, easy to use, and an enormous amount of fun. Plus I can use lenses from my Nikon f401 (as long as I don’t need autofocus). With 6MP, a huge (2.5″) LCD screen and 2.5fps continuous shooting, it’s a great little DSLR for amateurs like me.