tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80052633495604515702024-02-06T18:15:45.643-08:00!...Eu acho que vi um gatinho ...!jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comBlogger405125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-2713309510123638382015-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:002015-12-20T13:51:43.778-08:00Dating Introductions - How Various Online Dating Services Can Help You<div style="text-align: justify;">
Are you looking for a life partner, but yet sick and tired of dating introductions from friends and family members because all they do is hook you up with people they know without knowing if the both of you are compatible in the first place?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qCInO2K2NxN2wKkW2KPLbEy85yVzG9y4OnLHYsMggKU9-lzDg9pcNW237PRqbqWs0Ak1J4Na7hxDICI12j0uZGBd_q6Y8uhGLOLXwpgROvqWK7w6I9A8vppOJfJCmlqgnSkMs42mc3I/s1600/dating.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_qCInO2K2NxN2wKkW2KPLbEy85yVzG9y4OnLHYsMggKU9-lzDg9pcNW237PRqbqWs0Ak1J4Na7hxDICI12j0uZGBd_q6Y8uhGLOLXwpgROvqWK7w6I9A8vppOJfJCmlqgnSkMs42mc3I/s320/dating.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If that describes you, I know exactly how you feel. Meeting people after people whom you have no real connection with can be a waste of time and money. But in that case, where else can you turn to for dating introductions?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Take a look below for the most common types of online dating services and see which ones will suit you most.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Traditional Dating Services</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
One such service is eHarmony, where you'll only be given a list of people who are compatible with you before you pick someone to date. That saves you a lot of time looking through the millions of profiles in their database.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Such services are board and general in nature, which can prove to be useful because you get to pick your date among many kinds of people. But if you are looking for dating introductions from specific age groups or ethnic groups, then the next kind of dating service might suit you more.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Specialty Dating Services</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Such services cater to specific groups like Christians, African Americans, seniors and more. For example, JDate offers dating services only for Jewish singles. So you'll find a date more easily if you only want to date Jewish people.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- kotak gedi text only samping kiwo -->
<br />
<ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-2525997697383760" data-ad-slot="4239143134" style="display: inline-block; height: 280px; width: 336px;"></ins><script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Unique Dating Services</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Many services match you up with a date, and you'll have to decide what to do with your date to make the most out of it. But unique dating services add a whole new dimension to dating.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Speed Dating</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
First introduced in the Jewish community, speed dating allows a single man or woman to go on 8 to 12 six minute "dates" in one evening. Then each person will indicate which of their dates they would like to see again. If there is a match, then the sponsor will give the couples contact information.</div>
jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-70001131380167582102011-09-09T04:21:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.703-07:00Christine Bleakely in school uniform<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCXvJ1sZmkw/Tmn1YiOD2oI/AAAAAAAANE4/zN8p9_3EKr4/s1600/article-2034994-0DC15CE000000578-185_468x877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MCXvJ1sZmkw/Tmn1YiOD2oI/AAAAAAAANE4/zN8p9_3EKr4/s320/article-2034994-0DC15CE000000578-185_468x877.jpg" width="122px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh dear, the <em>Daily Mail</em> is having a right go at TV presenter, and fiance of England footballer Frank Lampard, for showing up at her old school in her old school uniform. Yesterday's report was merely factual noting that her morning TV show, <em>Daybreak</em>, was doing a back to school week and she had appeared at her alma mater Belfast's Bloomfield Collegiate grammar school where she had been head girl.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, however, following dozens of negative comments from women on the <em>Daily Mail</em> website the ever-fickle newspaper's attitude has changed, with one of the columnists launching a nasty attack on what was, after all, just a fun TV stunt. Yesterday the <em>Mail</em> reported that she had "slipped" into her uniform whereas today she "squeezed" into it implying that it was too tight, which it patently isn't. Probably all these grumpy women are just annoyed that in increasingly obese Britain a 32 year old woman can still get into her school uniform at all.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtMVD2RelTo/Tmn1qW1xn_I/AAAAAAAANE8/CVvleLng2Js/s1600/article-2034994-0DC1639500000578-389_468x631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RtMVD2RelTo/Tmn1qW1xn_I/AAAAAAAANE8/CVvleLng2Js/s320/article-2034994-0DC1639500000578-389_468x631.jpg" width="243px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The thrust of the objections being that dressing like this will encourage perverts to prey on schoolgirls. This is somewhat bizarre logic, we feel, as Ms Bleakely is patently all-woman whereas we would have thought that paedophiles would prefer young girls. We are much more disturbed by young girls dressing inappropriately as adults (inspired by the likes of Rhianna et al) than a woman dressing in what is her actual school uniform. It's not as if she turned up looking like something from St Trinian's.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-hxYlxoEuI/Tmn2HufOjfI/AAAAAAAANFA/XZEpUDsNGhE/s1600/article-2034994-0DC4470800000578-624_468x568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L-hxYlxoEuI/Tmn2HufOjfI/AAAAAAAANFA/XZEpUDsNGhE/s320/article-2034994-0DC4470800000578-624_468x568.jpg" width="271px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is not to say that there isn't a certain frisson about Ms Bleakely's outfit (its probably the dark socks) but all the pictures do to Triple P are to make him much more interested in the heretofor unregarded Ms Bleakely rather than go hanging around school gates.</div><br />We actually think Ms Bleakely looks quite splendid!jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-84032630584931975092011-09-06T12:03:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.718-07:00Cheryl Cole 2012 calendar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCGipQZAptw/TmZjYhkZ9II/AAAAAAAANEY/trONsGn4VE8/s1600/008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KCGipQZAptw/TmZjYhkZ9II/AAAAAAAANEY/trONsGn4VE8/s320/008.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Cheryl has been publicising her new calendar and whilst we are not that taken with most of the pictures we think that this image, for September, is very fine indeed. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We haven't been able to identify the photographer (there were two for the calendar we think) but it was shot in the South of France. This image, particularly as regards the lighting and make-up, has a lot of that old Patrick Lichfield Unipart calendar vibe from the late seventies and early eighties. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agent DVD is off to the South of France imminently so perhaps he might be inspired to take some similar photographs!</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-38975987176827961912011-09-05T01:59:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.688-07:00Kelly Brook on a bike!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZjThR55PLI/TmSDOLlB_qI/AAAAAAAANDs/7uYTktcJLac/s1600/article-2033630-0DB5314100000578-425_634x704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xZjThR55PLI/TmSDOLlB_qI/AAAAAAAANDs/7uYTktcJLac/s320/article-2033630-0DB5314100000578-425_634x704.jpg" width="295px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Kelly yesterday</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The lovely Kelly Brook was out and about in London again yesterday for the mayor of London's Skyride, which promotes cycling to work. Unfortunately, the only way to make cycling to work appealing to Triple P is by having Kelly accompanying him and, as they did, closing the roads to traffic.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMpDNCZpYDw/TmSEBgR4hEI/AAAAAAAANDw/tHwnTJwc5f8/s1600/kellybrook_415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMpDNCZpYDw/TmSEBgR4hEI/AAAAAAAANDw/tHwnTJwc5f8/s320/kellybrook_415.jpg" width="240px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><em>Kelly promoting the ride, next to the London Assembly, in August</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">What Mayor Boris doesn't seem to realise is that cycling to work only becomes viable if employers provide a secure place to leave your bike. Triple P has seen unlocked bikes on the streets of Copenhagen and in Switzerland but in London, however well shackled it is, someone will come along with a pair of heavy duty bolt cutters and make off with it to sell in those breeding grounds of criminality, car boot sales. Until that happens, only the very brave and those with expensive folding bikes (like Agent DVD; who keeps his bike under his desk during the working day) will risk it; especially in London where cycling is akin to running the rapids sat in a rubber ring.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQKZbQeDuIU/TmSALvruMOI/AAAAAAAANDk/Ew4odOmf0wc/s1600/kellymain_1365890a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LQKZbQeDuIU/TmSALvruMOI/AAAAAAAANDk/Ew4odOmf0wc/s320/kellymain_1365890a.jpg" width="260px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Kelly in August</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Poor Kelly has attracted some criticism, both for yesterday and her earlier promotional shoot in August, for not wearing a helmet and having unsuitable shoes whilst promoting the ride. We think her outfit and shoes are perfect for doing what she is doing: posing around for photographers to successfully get publicity. Honestly, do people really think that a glamour model is going to cram her carefully coiffed hair into a helmet just to give out a safety message? If she had, guess what pictures the newspapers would have used. Yes, the ones <em>after</em> she had taken her helmet off!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TxHducNZSzg/TmSFTFRN_iI/AAAAAAAAND4/hb5SYuCwKLc/s1600/Kelly%252BBrook%252BKelly%252BBrook%252BLondon%252BMayor%252BBoris%252BiNs7lwNugyxl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TxHducNZSzg/TmSFTFRN_iI/AAAAAAAAND4/hb5SYuCwKLc/s320/Kelly%252BBrook%252BKelly%252BBrook%252BLondon%252BMayor%252BBoris%252BiNs7lwNugyxl.jpg" width="212px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the middle of the ongoing internet debate about the importance of cycle helmets, a helmetless Kelly not being a good role model for cycling youngsters (er...she is a glamour model) and other safety issues, we were amused by the inevitible messages from girls asking where she got her shoes and top (actually God, on a very good day, created her top). This, we are afraid, as Triple P's father once said, is why men rule the planet and women do the ironing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sZSyUHA59s/TmSGjaouESI/AAAAAAAAND8/E6DcfnimJb8/s1600/kelly-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1sZSyUHA59s/TmSGjaouESI/AAAAAAAAND8/E6DcfnimJb8/s320/kelly-1.jpg" width="236px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, we think the ladies have it right. Much more important for encouraging cycling are her little Skyride outfits. For 2011 she had the currently trendy faux-fifties look with her pink mini dress for the promotional shots in August and then the rather more practical red top and jeans (still with five inch heels we should note) for the ride itself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sjhkX-BWM-s/TmSH_OzLwlI/AAAAAAAANEE/LNiUaDQ6BYE/s1600/article-0-09BEF206000005DC-477_468x621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sjhkX-BWM-s/TmSH_OzLwlI/AAAAAAAANEE/LNiUaDQ6BYE/s320/article-0-09BEF206000005DC-477_468x621.jpg" width="246px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>May 2010</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last year we had three promotional doses of Kelly. In May she appeared in a flirty, low-cut dress (and five inch heels). Very fine outfit, this.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3jk9ddJ_m0/TmSIcchUxEI/AAAAAAAANEI/bWO1FKH9YDc/s1600/76842-kelly-brook-skyride-1-017-122-223lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T3jk9ddJ_m0/TmSIcchUxEI/AAAAAAAANEI/bWO1FKH9YDc/s320/76842-kelly-brook-skyride-1-017-122-223lo.jpg" width="196px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>August 2010</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The August launch event featured this elegant little number in red and blue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ugvXCzLhCZk/TmSIvg1dF2I/AAAAAAAANEM/xFfd7BhGV5Y/s1600/kellyb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ugvXCzLhCZk/TmSIvg1dF2I/AAAAAAAANEM/xFfd7BhGV5Y/s320/kellyb.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>2010</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jeans again for the ride itself but a much more low-cut top compared with this year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvvF5qS-Ty8/TmSLfv0hjwI/AAAAAAAANEQ/1UdINhuU5sY/s1600/500x_Kelly_Brook_Skyride_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvvF5qS-Ty8/TmSLfv0hjwI/AAAAAAAANEQ/1UdINhuU5sY/s320/500x_Kelly_Brook_Skyride_2.jpg" width="213px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2009, both the promotional photoshoot and the ride itself were in September. For the earlier shoot Kelly's dress had a far too voluminous skirt for a bike although the wily photographers did manage to get this enticing shot.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZZo-IXi86M/TmSLwM4FtLI/AAAAAAAANEU/ffqRf982gVE/s1600/1_DSC0223_jpg_e_12b12f4fc3bd9457bd9acc1c02511034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VZZo-IXi86M/TmSLwM4FtLI/AAAAAAAANEU/ffqRf982gVE/s320/1_DSC0223_jpg_e_12b12f4fc3bd9457bd9acc1c02511034.jpg" width="167px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the ride itself, later in the month she also wore a dress. Given that she does actually cycle the route on the day perhaps this explains the appearance of jeans for the last two years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One final thought. It is all very well to give cyclists traffic free roads in the capital once a year but in both Paris and <span style="font-family: Times;">Bogotá<em> </em></span>they have been doing it every Sunday! In <span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bogotá they close 70 miles of street for the Ciclovia so people can run, walk and cycle. Promote that Kelly and Boris!</span></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-27503379131844582052011-08-30T14:51:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.680-07:00Hollywood TV re-makes: 1 Hawaii Five-O<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bX6avLZ59Fw/Tl1PpWIK6eI/AAAAAAAANA0/Xv2pu8yHoys/s1600/HawaiiFive-0_title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bX6avLZ59Fw/Tl1PpWIK6eI/AAAAAAAANA0/Xv2pu8yHoys/s320/HawaiiFive-0_title.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">Triple P's memories of the original series of <em>Hawaii Five-O</em> are hazy even though the series ran from 1968 until 1980. We certainly remeber watching it early in its run but nothing about it stands out other than Mort Stevens wonderful title music and the accompanying visuals; between them combining for one of the greatest TV titles sequences ever. </div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCYErPb_e1U/Tl1Vfgy5ehI/AAAAAAAANBI/8qvyz65nwlY/s1600/HawaiiFive-0_title+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XCYErPb_e1U/Tl1Vfgy5ehI/AAAAAAAANBI/8qvyz65nwlY/s320/HawaiiFive-0_title+1.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">We also remember the lovely face of model Elizabeth Malamalamaokalani Logue turning to face the camera and the frantic hip gyrations of Hula dancer Helen Kuoha-Torco as well as the splendid shots of the coastline. </div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vK9sn8RG_H4/Tl1SfMLqFeI/AAAAAAAANA4/K0vOUOtOp1g/s1600/Hawaii_Five-O_5-0_Jack_Lord_Steve_McGarrett_title_credit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vK9sn8RG_H4/Tl1SfMLqFeI/AAAAAAAANA4/K0vOUOtOp1g/s320/Hawaii_Five-O_5-0_Jack_Lord_Steve_McGarrett_title_credit.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br /><br /><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">Jack Lord as Steve McGarret managed the clever trick of being simultaneously wooden <em>and</em> hammy and everyone else in the show just revolved around him in a faintly awestruck way. Still, its extensive use of location filming, at a time when this was still unusual, gave such a major boost to Hawaii's tourism that no sooner had <em>Hawaii 5-O</em> finished than the state ensured that <em closure_uid_xgu6hz="204">Magnum P.I.</em> carried on this promotional role.</div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div class="separator" closure_uid_xgu6hz="211" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pi7BCzJAD-c/Tl1U3fhlzDI/AAAAAAAANBE/Wjq6zTUXmYc/s1600/hawaii-five-o-grace-park1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Pi7BCzJAD-c/Tl1U3fhlzDI/AAAAAAAANBE/Wjq6zTUXmYc/s320/hawaii-five-o-grace-park1.jpg" width="222px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">Now the series has been re-made with a new cast but many of the same characters. The original show was unusal for the time in having major ethnic characters but these days, of course, it is necessasry to ensure there is a woman in the cast too. Sensibly the producers have hired the altogether splendid Grace Park from another old show re-make, <em>Battlestar Galactica</em>.</div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fc5UvNIwzEA/Tl1TallbvFI/AAAAAAAANA8/ekCdSufPMQk/s1600/87767_GraceParkBikiniCandids_3_W550_122_564lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fc5UvNIwzEA/Tl1TallbvFI/AAAAAAAANA8/ekCdSufPMQk/s320/87767_GraceParkBikiniCandids_3_W550_122_564lo.jpg" width="231px" xaa="true" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0478cTC5Jc/Tl1ThtBrSjI/AAAAAAAANBA/GbN2G1zJOo4/s1600/88237_GraceParkBikiniCandids_2_122_949lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F0478cTC5Jc/Tl1ThtBrSjI/AAAAAAAANBA/GbN2G1zJOo4/s320/88237_GraceParkBikiniCandids_2_122_949lo.jpg" width="217px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">Lots of pictures of Ms Park filming on the beach have emerged although we have to say that maybe she should indulge in a few more meals featuring that Hawaiian food staple, Spam, as she looks like one good Kona wind would blow her away like a loose palm frond.</div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T94AYDiTX90/Tl1Wx1BM63I/AAAAAAAANBM/pAbTRHoSX_g/s1600/hawaii-five-o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T94AYDiTX90/Tl1Wx1BM63I/AAAAAAAANBM/pAbTRHoSX_g/s320/hawaii-five-o.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: center;"><em>The new cast of Hawaii 5-O</em></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">The producers have retained the original theme music and have put together a nicely updated title sequence which makes appropriate references to the original including a big wave. </div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WtH7XTXxBI/Tl1alofurII/AAAAAAAANBQ/l9GR0NwGKto/s1600/Hawaii_Five-0_Main_Title_Sequence_640x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0WtH7XTXxBI/Tl1alofurII/AAAAAAAANBQ/l9GR0NwGKto/s320/Hawaii_Five-0_Main_Title_Sequence_640x480.jpg" width="320px" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div closure_uid_xgu6hz="181" style="text-align: justify;">Agent Triple P was about two hours from getting on a plane to Hawaii from Los Angeles once but sadly the trip failed to materialise. We shall have to content ourselves with picking up the new (rather well received) series or, perhaps, maybe the original which, with its sixties cars, architecture and fashions would be a far groovier experience.</div></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-75295005297960415742011-08-20T01:07:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.707-07:00Calendar Girl August 2011: Kelly Brook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsgLzB0o6B0/Tk9o8iteXVI/AAAAAAAAM8o/G_mn2ZUpzSU/s1600/FHM-2011-Calendar-9-Kelly-Brook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsgLzB0o6B0/Tk9o8iteXVI/AAAAAAAAM8o/G_mn2ZUpzSU/s320/FHM-2011-Calendar-9-Kelly-Brook.jpg" width="226px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our calendar girl for August is the luscious Kelly Brook of whom we have many, many pictures on this blog so don't feel the need to post any more. Oh alright then, just a few.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7fyxS_JQy8/Tk9o-jIQjXI/AAAAAAAAM8s/Wqm9b9J-dpY/s1600/article-0-0D075B7A00000578-850_224x604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y7fyxS_JQy8/Tk9o-jIQjXI/AAAAAAAAM8s/Wqm9b9J-dpY/s320/article-0-0D075B7A00000578-850_224x604.jpg" width="118px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So here are just a few more pictures from her recent trip to Italy. We'd hesitate to call these paparazzi photographs as that implies that they are being taken against the will of the subject and we suspect that is certainly not the case here!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aY59QDrx-cU/Tk9pBUhFXqI/AAAAAAAAM8w/htFDdlAzzx0/s1600/article-2015324-0D075B6E00000578-999_634x830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aY59QDrx-cU/Tk9pBUhFXqI/AAAAAAAAM8w/htFDdlAzzx0/s320/article-2015324-0D075B6E00000578-999_634x830.jpg" width="214px" /></a></div><br /><br />That said, few women take as good a reportage candid as Kelly. Maybe she just always assumes there will be a photographer lurking nearby and dresses accordingly.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MbjHEF2KSQ/Tk9pC4Cr81I/AAAAAAAAM80/xVQMhn6Mdds/s1600/article-2015473-0D0A3A3100000578-569_306x545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7MbjHEF2KSQ/Tk9pC4Cr81I/AAAAAAAAM80/xVQMhn6Mdds/s320/article-2015473-0D0A3A3100000578-569_306x545.jpg" width="185px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As we have noted before she does look splendidly ripe at present and we definitely prefer her carrying a bit more weight as it seems to accrue to all the right places.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUk3uOlMC2s/Tk9pGMPin3I/AAAAAAAAM84/Zh1nrk3HHhc/s1600/article-2015473-0D0B7E5C00000578-762_634x911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUk3uOlMC2s/Tk9pGMPin3I/AAAAAAAAM84/Zh1nrk3HHhc/s320/article-2015473-0D0B7E5C00000578-762_634x911.jpg" width="222px" /></a></div><br /><br />This is a telling shot as Kelly strides ahead of her friends in an attempt to make sure that she is the only one in focus. Nice retro-looking swimsuit. Triumphant again, Kelly!jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-60043501432406400202011-08-18T06:26:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.696-07:00Yachty Totty at Cowes Week<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECgm9jtS_84/Tkz9RVmdXeI/AAAAAAAAM5o/kKJlNPo9juU/s1600/P1000731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ECgm9jtS_84/Tkz9RVmdXeI/AAAAAAAAM5o/kKJlNPo9juU/s320/P1000731.jpg" width="315px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Triple P has had a request for more yachty totty (or is it yachtie tottie?) so here are some pictures we took at Cowes. We are just back from Cowes Week, the world's biggest yachting regatta, where the scenery was enlived by the usual influx of Sloane Rangers down to race or, more likely, just watch and shop whilst Giles, Dominic, Jonty, Hugo etc. raced.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ervGF2eUZ80/Tk0BCand4tI/AAAAAAAAM6k/2b8fPytsJjU/s1600/P1000770.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ervGF2eUZ80/Tk0BCand4tI/AAAAAAAAM6k/2b8fPytsJjU/s320/P1000770.jpg" width="147px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Equally inevitably, busloads of local "talent" (we use the term loosely and loose is as good a description as any) arrive at the Red Jet terminal on the number 1 bus from Newport every night in ridiculously high heels and short skirts looking for likely looking men who can buy them drinks. They are usually ludicrously over made up in the hope that people won't recognise the fact that ther are mostly under age.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQjwCOMv1t0/Tk0FH7LN4fI/AAAAAAAAM6s/nhOQz3-5toA/s1600/P1000729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IQjwCOMv1t0/Tk0FH7LN4fI/AAAAAAAAM6s/nhOQz3-5toA/s320/P1000729.jpg" width="203px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The local girls, we are sorry to report, may have good figures (some of them really do) and nice brown legs (the Isle of Wight has a better sunshine record than most of the rest of Britain) but can be less attractive than their "overner" sisters. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anOXPq4sSYY/Tk0F55WFgsI/AAAAAAAAM6w/pJUDtf7ZCDA/s1600/P1000723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-anOXPq4sSYY/Tk0F55WFgsI/AAAAAAAAM6w/pJUDtf7ZCDA/s320/P1000723.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now there are some pretty girls from the island; Triple P worked with one many years ago who was quite gorgeous, but, on the whole, they largely fall down in the face department. This is because there is a recognisable Isle of Wight profile, where the slope of the forehead continues straight into the nose, giving them the same profile as a Norman helmet. There is, we are afraid, something vaguely Neanderthal about it. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XZYI6H56TnQ/Tk0GL9X2yTI/AAAAAAAAM60/AiICxEL1eJ8/s1600/P1000735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XZYI6H56TnQ/Tk0GL9X2yTI/AAAAAAAAM60/AiICxEL1eJ8/s320/P1000735.jpg" width="197px" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />It may well be because they are more inbred; given the surprising lack of adventurous spirit as regards travelling off the island to the mainland (or the North Island as they refer to it). Even travelling from, say, Bembridge in the east to Yarmouth in the west (about twenty miles) is viewed as something akin to HM Stanley's expedition down the Congo. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QP19i02AVrY/Tk0HHEyZlSI/AAAAAAAAM64/uEgIc-Ow1os/s1600/P1020844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QP19i02AVrY/Tk0HHEyZlSI/AAAAAAAAM64/uEgIc-Ow1os/s320/P1020844.jpg" width="289px" /></a></div><br /><br />Anyway, some of these young ladies may be locals but we suspect that most of them are not. The local girls tended to appear at twilight (they are very much crepescular creatures) when the light was too poor for photography.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTuG_Iqc5q8/Tk0JXWoXpQI/AAAAAAAAM68/YZ6XCc9W4Zo/s1600/P1060079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTuG_Iqc5q8/Tk0JXWoXpQI/AAAAAAAAM68/YZ6XCc9W4Zo/s320/P1060079.jpg" width="148px" /></a></div><br /><br />This specimen demonstrates the "just off the Red Jet" (fast catamaran from Southampton) look, with no effort made to dress like a yachty as yet.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mS-F6YEUVjk/Tk0KBw6ObII/AAAAAAAAM7A/D4gRp-vawbs/s1600/P1020840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mS-F6YEUVjk/Tk0KBw6ObII/AAAAAAAAM7A/D4gRp-vawbs/s320/P1020840.jpg" width="223px" /></a></div><br /><br />Soon, no doubt, she will look like this.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQrpSaTktk4/Tk0KTfjqo5I/AAAAAAAAM7E/SYy1e1vvBm8/s1600/P1060105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQrpSaTktk4/Tk0KTfjqo5I/AAAAAAAAM7E/SYy1e1vvBm8/s320/P1060105.jpg" width="145px" /></a></div><br /><br />Shorts were very much the thing this year (not surprisingly for a sailing event) but the new development was the ubiquity of denim shorts which, unusually, were adopted by the local "shazzers" as well as the yachties. Shazzers, for our overseas readers, is a derogatory term in the UK derived from the name Sharon as Sloanes believe that most lower class girls are called either Sharon or Tracy.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DOi1I6BscXk/Tk0M4KNWIhI/AAAAAAAAM7I/6yCdU9oqm70/s1600/P1060080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DOi1I6BscXk/Tk0M4KNWIhI/AAAAAAAAM7I/6yCdU9oqm70/s320/P1060080.jpg" width="139px" /></a></div><br /><br />One ridiculous aspect of some of the denim shorts on display was that they were obviously cut-off jeans and, therefore, had the pocket linings hanging down below the hem of the shorts. This, we feel, looks just ludicrous!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sflQvJGbCWM/Tk0NYOHI2II/AAAAAAAAM7M/LuSQGeV32Q8/s1600/P1060101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sflQvJGbCWM/Tk0NYOHI2II/AAAAAAAAM7M/LuSQGeV32Q8/s320/P1060101.jpg" width="218px" /></a></div><br /><br />Denims are not really the thing for Cowes Week (they don't work with salt water very well) but we thought this young lady (below) carried off her skinny jeans very effectively. Of course nicely toned thighs work wonders.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zq7l_76lmw8/Tk0N9I8QSyI/AAAAAAAAM7Q/rjnuWunzyOg/s1600/P1060104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Zq7l_76lmw8/Tk0N9I8QSyI/AAAAAAAAM7Q/rjnuWunzyOg/s320/P1060104.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div><br /><br />The more authentic sailing look is better exemplified by these two. The "blonde" hair, as can be seen by looking at most of the other examples in this post is, of course, de rigeur.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NbrZgngce0/Tk0PrhjFfKI/AAAAAAAAM7U/eV21C6wuEmo/s1600/P1010885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" qaa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NbrZgngce0/Tk0PrhjFfKI/AAAAAAAAM7U/eV21C6wuEmo/s320/P1010885.jpg" width="156px" /></a></div><br /><br />Finally, it was pretty windy this year which is excellent for sailing (although we admit to sitting out the 48 knot winds on one of the days in the second half of the week in favour of cooking a coq au vin) but not so good for encouraging girls to strip off and sunbathe.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dI4A3ERI-OI/Tk0RJ_7US4I/AAAAAAAAM7c/pt4GwWVrogM/s1600/P1040173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184px" qaa="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dI4A3ERI-OI/Tk0RJ_7US4I/AAAAAAAAM7c/pt4GwWVrogM/s320/P1040173.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br />Away from Cowes, in a rather more sheltered spot down the coast, we did come across these two fine examples decorating a motor boat. Motor boat girls are different in many ways from their wind propelled cousins and we may examine them another day if, as seems likely, we return for the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes powerboat race.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tR-zZVZYWRM/Tk0REaFpIJI/AAAAAAAAM7Y/MSgwfaLrBXo/s1600/P1040154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257px" qaa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tR-zZVZYWRM/Tk0REaFpIJI/AAAAAAAAM7Y/MSgwfaLrBXo/s320/P1040154.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: justify;">A fine way to end...</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-90442576788092273992011-08-15T07:41:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.722-07:00London Surrey Cycle Classic brings out the moaning motorists<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-24uPr-TEmUs/TkksVkLZO-I/AAAAAAAAM20/AQriNr5UJc0/s1600/IMG_3463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" naa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-24uPr-TEmUs/TkksVkLZO-I/AAAAAAAAM20/AQriNr5UJc0/s320/IMG_3463.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Crowds by Triple P's road watch the race</em></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The road where Agent Triple P's lives is just off the route of next year's Olympic cyling road race and yesterday they ran a full test race on the circuit. There were 140 international cyclists including some top professionals who had recently been racing in what turned out to be the best Tour de France for over twenty years. We had to make a few adjustments to our planned day as regards moving the car to inside the loop of closed roads and it did mean we had to walk a couple of miles to do so but it was worth it to see such a big event racing through what has just been voted the WAG's favourite village.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-knTVEf0NwjY/Tkkt-YKG7xI/AAAAAAAAM3E/h_Tp5sMIqzA/s1600/P1060139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-knTVEf0NwjY/Tkkt-YKG7xI/AAAAAAAAM3E/h_Tp5sMIqzA/s320/P1060139.jpg" width="227px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>These signs have been up for a month at least</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today, however the bike-hating newspapers are full of moaning motorists who couldn't get where they wanted to. One man complained it took him two hours to do a two mile drive. IDIOT! It took me exactly 28 minutes to cover the two miles to and from where we had left the car on foot. Walk, you lazy moron! These people have got so car-centric they go into panic mode if their vehicles are denied them for a few hours. There were signs up everywhere for weeks beforehand and whilst it is conceivable that people coming into the area from far away might have been surprised it was mainly locals who claimed they knew nothing about it. This is just another manifestation of some a vocal anti-Olympics stance over here, wound up by the press. Triple P thinks it is great that the Olympics are coming to London for the first time in over fifty years and people who moan about their precious transport plans being altered slightly should be a bit less self-centred. Britain, more than ever at present, need to be positive not negative.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qXZr-vihOs0/Tkkszo_U34I/AAAAAAAAM3A/v0OPxGCYAT0/s1600/leaders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215px" naa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qXZr-vihOs0/Tkkszo_U34I/AAAAAAAAM3A/v0OPxGCYAT0/s320/leaders.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>The breakaway goes past tennis player Andy Murray's favourite pub in "Britain's answer to Beverly Hills" (TM)</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There was no TV coverage of the race, annoyingly, but we were surprised to see the field so broken up after just two laps of Box Hill. With nine laps in next years race it might conceivably generate a breakaway that got further ahead than yesterday's. There had been at least one crash as evidenced by the ragged state of some of the stragglers off the back of the field yesterday. It all ended well for our Olympic hopeful Mark Cavendish who managed a sprint win on The Mall even though his lead-out train were all competing for other countries and were, therfore, working against him not with him. Can't wait for next year's real thing!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gp1WPm4mRBc/TkksrMw8cvI/AAAAAAAAM28/PqRvGy5QgkM/s1600/P1060154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" naa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gp1WPm4mRBc/TkksrMw8cvI/AAAAAAAAM28/PqRvGy5QgkM/s320/P1060154.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-7528426290102138822011-08-14T00:55:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.705-07:00Big Breakfast of the Week 12: Eegon's of Cowes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cqVoYXJG8s/TkDtFNJKrfI/AAAAAAAAM1M/V6EpmMBQujQ/s1600/Breakfast+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206px" naa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cqVoYXJG8s/TkDtFNJKrfI/AAAAAAAAM1M/V6EpmMBQujQ/s320/Breakfast+1.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Triple P's breakfast of choice at Eegons: the All Day Breakfast for £5.50</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Very much a feature of Cowes Week for many is a pre-race breakfast at Eegon's Cafe in Cowes High Street. This is a classic English cafe (pronounced "caff" in this instance) and you are just as likely to be sharing it with the hard working chaps from the Isle of Wight street cleansing department (they start work at 2.00am quite often during Cowes Week) or lifeboatmen (especially as the new RNLI station will be virtually next door) as yachties.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vwGN8bXwt8k/Tkd-nKpL57I/AAAAAAAAM2U/Wp_GRYHaGTM/s1600/eegons+of+cowes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261px" naa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vwGN8bXwt8k/Tkd-nKpL57I/AAAAAAAAM2U/Wp_GRYHaGTM/s320/eegons+of+cowes.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Triple P usually takes the £5.50 All Day Breakfast which consists of two eggs, two rashers of bacon, two sausages, fried bread, baked beans or tomatoes and toast. There is also (for girls, presumably) a half breakfast for £4.50 which only has one sausage, one rasher of bacon and one egg.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G97GGIEO6JI/TkDtjATsUOI/AAAAAAAAM1Q/U7ZUOBtWwHg/s1600/breakfast+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203px" naa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G97GGIEO6JI/TkDtjATsUOI/AAAAAAAAM1Q/U7ZUOBtWwHg/s320/breakfast+3.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>The new Regatta Platta</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The range of cooked breakfasts is simply marvellous although woe betide you if you try to ask for any changes to the menu. Asking for scrambled, rather than fried eggs, for example will be met with a polite refusal. A new offering this year is the Regatta Platta: a sausage, a rasher of excellent bacon, fried bread, toast, mushrooms, baked beans (or tomatoes) and saute potatoes plus a drink all for £5.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Proprietor Rod Ainge is a Cowes fixture, heavily involved with the commercial life of the town so you are just as likely to eavesdrop on unofficial meetings between council officials and representatives of the local retailers as discussions about sailing.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h1SJqD1wWlU/TkDvn6Q5zoI/AAAAAAAAM1U/1HBggr4aGWI/s1600/breakfast+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" naa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h1SJqD1wWlU/TkDvn6Q5zoI/AAAAAAAAM1U/1HBggr4aGWI/s320/breakfast+2.JPG" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Breakfast Bonanza</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The biggest challenge used to be the enormous Breakfast Bonanza, a plateful so vast you actually got a certificate if you finished it (Triple P has one, of course). Two eggs, two sausages, two rashers of bacon, mushrooms beans or tomatoes, hash browns, black pudding, fried bread and toast for £7.50. This year the new Steakfast looks even more of a challenge! We haven't tried the latter yet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This year thay have also introduced a loyalty card where, if you amass ten stanps you get a £5 voucher. this, of course, encourages you to visit even more than you should.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dkKBIClXrtk/Tkd-uJkomiI/AAAAAAAAM2Y/-18iVfImX3g/s1600/eegons+of+cowes+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179px" naa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dkKBIClXrtk/Tkd-uJkomiI/AAAAAAAAM2Y/-18iVfImX3g/s320/eegons+of+cowes+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Breakfast at Eeegons is not perfect, the sausages (compared with the bacon and eggs, say) are low quality and the sauces are generic catering sachets rather than HP or Heinz but even so for the sheer choice and value it gets <span style="font-size: large;"><strong>9/10</strong></span></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-76525462494635633092011-07-16T03:16:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.709-07:00Calendar Girl July 2011: Abbey Clancy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VrKis49XHs8/TiE-eC57xHI/AAAAAAAAMjY/becvzfi_RWc/s1600/24752-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VrKis49XHs8/TiE-eC57xHI/AAAAAAAAMjY/becvzfi_RWc/s320/24752-1.jpg" width="242px" /></a></div><br /><br />FHM must really like Abbey Clancy (or maybe she is cheap to hire for photoshoots) as she features again in this year's calendar, as she did in 2010. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_JGZyypFFQ/TiE-hdYeg3I/AAAAAAAAMjc/9jfiQpIQ5NA/s1600/abigail-clancy-desktop-wallpaper23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_JGZyypFFQ/TiE-hdYeg3I/AAAAAAAAMjc/9jfiQpIQ5NA/s320/abigail-clancy-desktop-wallpaper23.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br />As such we have already featured her <a href="http://adventuresoftriplep.blogspot.com/2010/06/calendar-girl-june-abbey-clancy.html?zx=b1464ceb3b107f7c">here</a> so don't need to delve into her Scouse background again.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmMi-xJm-xI/TiE-iQ1iDxI/AAAAAAAAMjg/zjLKe2BrIEM/s1600/ACE1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bmMi-xJm-xI/TiE-iQ1iDxI/AAAAAAAAMjg/zjLKe2BrIEM/s320/ACE1.jpg" width="237px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Ms Clancy was much in the news recently due to her marriage to oversized footballer Peter Crouch. This was despite him allegedly cheating on her with silicone busted, teenage, Spanish prostitute Monica Mint (!). How are we going to find out such important world-shaking news without the<em> News of the World?</em></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65FOUrAj5kc/TiFFGE8AvyI/AAAAAAAAMj8/bhJz4qhjh6A/s1600/MonicaMint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-65FOUrAj5kc/TiFFGE8AvyI/AAAAAAAAMj8/bhJz4qhjh6A/s320/MonicaMint.jpg" width="229px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Monica Mint: £800 an hour, apparently</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Mint said that Crouch had horrible shoes and wasn't attractive (unlike the £800 he had to pay for an hour with her) but she said he was a "nice person" (which we are sure Abbey was pleased to hear).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ss0me4BQ8CU/TiE-jMq5_6I/AAAAAAAAMjk/m8TEhRw93qI/s1600/ACE2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ss0me4BQ8CU/TiE-jMq5_6I/AAAAAAAAMjk/m8TEhRw93qI/s320/ACE2.jpg" width="237px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Luckily for Crouch, Clancy forgave him and she gave birth to their daughter in March this year. They got married at the end of June and paid for all 200 guests to stay in the country house hotel where the wedding took place. They gain some points for <em>not </em>selling pictures of their wedding to a celebrity magazine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NBb5uHAnKE/TiFINHYeJLI/AAAAAAAAMkA/W4ZUjN3hbb4/s1600/article-1309505890784-0CCE062000000578-898113_636x672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6NBb5uHAnKE/TiFINHYeJLI/AAAAAAAAMkA/W4ZUjN3hbb4/s320/article-1309505890784-0CCE062000000578-898113_636x672.jpg" width="302px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Despite having given birth only 14 weeks before Clancy looked admirably trim in her rather tastelsss £10,000 wedding dress. The strapless Giles Deacon confection caused a minor nipple slip as she thrust her bouquet into the air, much to the amusement of her gangling spouse.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CJt8wOY-6vE/TiE-kBAFkLI/AAAAAAAAMjo/ZGLdzVEpPEs/s1600/ACE5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CJt8wOY-6vE/TiE-kBAFkLI/AAAAAAAAMjo/ZGLdzVEpPEs/s320/ACE5.jpg" width="243px" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Unlike many WAGS, who are largely a triumph of presentation over content, Abbey is a very atractive woman so no doubt we will be seeing more of her again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-afcn_42wY/TiE-lqTm6II/AAAAAAAAMjs/6Ke1uPQiczE/s1600/ACE7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-t-afcn_42wY/TiE-lqTm6II/AAAAAAAAMjs/6Ke1uPQiczE/s320/ACE7.jpg" width="247px" /></a></div><br /><br />We still can't get around the Liverpool origins, however.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V66ts_tpFIU/TiE-nff0TYI/AAAAAAAAMjw/FzLK2Rcybxk/s1600/ACE8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V66ts_tpFIU/TiE-nff0TYI/AAAAAAAAMjw/FzLK2Rcybxk/s320/ACE8.jpg" width="191px" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_hJHVdAB6o/TiE-p1IzdKI/AAAAAAAAMj0/5HG5gcR3YMU/s1600/ACE9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_hJHVdAB6o/TiE-p1IzdKI/AAAAAAAAMj0/5HG5gcR3YMU/s320/ACE9.jpg" width="238px" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20K4hpPhIAQ/TiE-rtoRw2I/AAAAAAAAMj4/j7ipAzIj4aw/s1600/ACE10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-20K4hpPhIAQ/TiE-rtoRw2I/AAAAAAAAMj4/j7ipAzIj4aw/s320/ACE10.jpg" width="222px" /></a></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-80312736848050000892011-07-15T08:02:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.716-07:00Kelly Brook in Italy<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKtFI-UUQnQ/TiBTDJsoIYI/AAAAAAAAMi4/t6u0bRsY9_o/s1600/article-2015060-0D06697200000578-207_468x541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cKtFI-UUQnQ/TiBTDJsoIYI/AAAAAAAAMi4/t6u0bRsY9_o/s320/article-2015060-0D06697200000578-207_468x541.jpg" width="285px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Kelly Brook has been flaunting herself for the cameras again down in Naples where she is attending the Ischia film festival. The lovely Kelly, who is looking rather heavier than of late (and that is <em>not </em>a bad thing) has been staying at the trendy L'Albergo Della Regina Isabella.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lvcuT2NxKuc/TiBWGgDHIYI/AAAAAAAAMjQ/xiqRax-Z42s/s1600/article-2014635-0CFFB62B00000578-662_306x615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lvcuT2NxKuc/TiBWGgDHIYI/AAAAAAAAMjQ/xiqRax-Z42s/s320/article-2014635-0CFFB62B00000578-662_306x615.jpg" width="165px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5WeamaEwfOU/TiBTOtyz8XI/AAAAAAAAMi8/OfkH8m6cmVw/s1600/article-2014635-0CFFB5EC00000578-820_634x808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5WeamaEwfOU/TiBTOtyz8XI/AAAAAAAAMi8/OfkH8m6cmVw/s320/article-2014635-0CFFB5EC00000578-820_634x808.jpg" width="199px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Lickable!</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Posing for photographs with an ice cream in a fifties style Jaspar Conran frock she had plenty of time to mention her new swimsuit line. Lo and behold she was then snapped by a, no-doubt well tipped off, photographer in two most effective bikinis. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PaWkstMbMYU/TiBTdphXTeI/AAAAAAAAMjA/_HNlIFjH8Nk/s1600/Kelly-MAIN_1344841a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PaWkstMbMYU/TiBTdphXTeI/AAAAAAAAMjA/_HNlIFjH8Nk/s320/Kelly-MAIN_1344841a.jpg" width="209px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6u6iP-IrcPY/TiBTloc0eqI/AAAAAAAAMjE/Kf_AhhFagqM/s1600/article-2014693-0D0281F500000578-951_306x468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6u6iP-IrcPY/TiBTloc0eqI/AAAAAAAAMjE/Kf_AhhFagqM/s320/article-2014693-0D0281F500000578-951_306x468.jpg" width="217px" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z9ZNz8hNXM/TiBTpEk6NoI/AAAAAAAAMjI/6YDlrvYmZ-U/s1600/article-2014693-0D02821A00000578-502_306x468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Z9ZNz8hNXM/TiBTpEk6NoI/AAAAAAAAMjI/6YDlrvYmZ-U/s320/article-2014693-0D02821A00000578-502_306x468.jpg" width="216px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gVVI1oMmi5M/TiBWQLDpvsI/AAAAAAAAMjU/GvLt8q5rj5s/s1600/kelly-brook-sexy-bikini-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gVVI1oMmi5M/TiBWQLDpvsI/AAAAAAAAMjU/GvLt8q5rj5s/s320/kelly-brook-sexy-bikini-5.jpg" width="156px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-27455920110989897102011-07-14T05:10:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.678-07:00Tour de France 2011 and this year's podium girls<div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_ukhQHsFb4/Th63lryq9TI/AAAAAAAAMiU/YhbaSZL8sqI/s1600/Tour-de-France-2011-route-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_ukhQHsFb4/Th63lryq9TI/AAAAAAAAMiU/YhbaSZL8sqI/s320/Tour-de-France-2011-route-001.jpg" width="255px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agent Triple P is enjoying this year's Tour de France thanks to ITV4's live coverage which he can watch in the evening with a bottle of wine from the appropriate region (where possible- we baulked at getting cidre for the northern stages). Today's route up to the Pyrenees is in the Haute-Garonne and the Hautes-Pyrenees which means something like Vin de Pays du Comte Tolosan (We think Tesco has one, although its getting more and more difficult to get French regional wine in the UK given the primacy of New World wine these days).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nUq7DwU1oZQ/Th7SLFajo9I/AAAAAAAAMic/eJHiIKVPOY8/s1600/vin-de-pays-du-comte-tolosan_lightbox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nUq7DwU1oZQ/Th7SLFajo9I/AAAAAAAAMic/eJHiIKVPOY8/s320/vin-de-pays-du-comte-tolosan_lightbox.jpg" width="95px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This time shift is possible due to yet another kind technology transfer (its like the Royal Navy transferring their past-it frigates to India -something that soon, no doubt will be happening in reverse) from Agent DVD who has kindly given me his old Pace TV hard drive recorder thingy to replace Triple P's ancient video recorder. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rs7eN_5v3WA/Th7R_ufNM-I/AAAAAAAAMiY/1YQ046Ox7gw/s1600/article-2014356-0CFF1C7A00000578-976_634x536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rs7eN_5v3WA/Th7R_ufNM-I/AAAAAAAAMiY/1YQ046Ox7gw/s320/article-2014356-0CFF1C7A00000578-976_634x536.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Cavendish gets the green jersey yesterday</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The race itself has been unpredictable this year, partly due to the large number of unfortunate crashes which saw several favourites knocked over and either losing lots of time (Contador - good) or out (Wiggins - bad, Vinokourov - good) in the first ten days. Rather more predictable has been the form of Mark Cavendish who, after mistiming it on Tuesday blasted to his third stage win and green jersey yesterday. Lets hope he can hang on in the mountains to take it into Paris. The grumpy wombat, Cadel Evans, actually looked happy for once when he won a stage and he is looking good for the mountains today but the Schleck brothers have stayed out of trouble, not exerted themselves and are looking cool and collected. Evans will have to be less reactive and attack for once if he wants to win. Maybe this year's stage win, where he did attack, is a sign of things to come.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WQHeSvZ4-CY/Th7Ul_RyJHI/AAAAAAAAMig/fWZ3cef_b_Q/s1600/podium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WQHeSvZ4-CY/Th7Ul_RyJHI/AAAAAAAAMig/fWZ3cef_b_Q/s320/podium.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Teen vampire friendly podium boy</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">More importantly, with relation to the tour, we haven't been that impressed by the podium girls this year. Even worse, after the first stage the Tour organisers fielded a podium <em>boy </em>for the first time. A spokesperson for the Tour de France stated, <em>“We want to show that our sport has an equal following of both men and women. This will modernize our image by having both sexes represented at our podium presentation from now on.”</em> Er, yes but all the cyclists are <em>men </em>and although you garlic crunchers may be happy kissing other men I can't see that it would impress Cavendish that much. Interestingly, we haven't seen another podium boy since the first stage so maybe they realise that they have made a mistake. Our particular French friend <em>N </em>opined that at least the podium boy was more attractive (compared with most men) than most of the podium girls (compared with most women) and we have to agree, actually.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mhi80eDf4s/Th7ZoKECfHI/AAAAAAAAMio/5xFSYXs7Zdw/s1600/Thor%252BHushovd%252BLe%252BTour%252Bde%252BFrance%252B2011%252BStage%252BbQud2kPAnmzl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mhi80eDf4s/Th7ZoKECfHI/AAAAAAAAMio/5xFSYXs7Zdw/s320/Thor%252BHushovd%252BLe%252BTour%252Bde%252BFrance%252B2011%252BStage%252BbQud2kPAnmzl.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><em>Thor Hushovd and the slightly disappointing yellow jersey girls (the one on the right is by far the best)</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">The podium girls are, traditionally, usually models and around 500 apply each year to be the Maillot Jaune girls. 50 are interviewed and four are chosen to present the jersey at the end of the race. There are other girls selected to present the stage winner's prize, the polka dot jersey for the climbers, the green jersey for the sprinters (technically the most points won on selected intermediate "sprint" locations -only one in each stage this year) and the white jersey for the best placed young rider (under 26).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0GsaB5Swx4/Th7X2zoFiTI/AAAAAAAAMik/IWkdyy72B9s/s1600/Le%252BTour%252Bde%252BFrance%252B2011%252BStage%252BTwo%252B2MJgDQ9MAPul.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d0GsaB5Swx4/Th7X2zoFiTI/AAAAAAAAMik/IWkdyy72B9s/s320/Le%252BTour%252Bde%252BFrance%252B2011%252BStage%252BTwo%252B2MJgDQ9MAPul.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Welshman Geraint Thomas takes the white Jersey this year</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Actually, the white jersey girls this year have been the best of the bunch, we think, whilst we like the green jersey girls' natty little dresses.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qmverh9FH1Y/Th7aKtF1n4I/AAAAAAAAMis/JWKpDHhVb4I/s1600/podium_girls-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qmverh9FH1Y/Th7aKtF1n4I/AAAAAAAAMis/JWKpDHhVb4I/s320/podium_girls-18.jpg" width="213px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>The ne plus ultra of podium girls: Julie Blanc</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Certainly there is no-one this year of the quality of Julie Blanc. The riders are absolutely forbidden to flirt with the girls but if they do its the girls, of course, who get into trouble. Probably the rider gets fined. The Tour organisers like to fine riders for anything they can think of.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0pv-zCT1SM/Th7b0Eh0mPI/AAAAAAAAMiw/rvQpL2fkDI4/s1600/2003_pez_stg10_miss_display_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T0pv-zCT1SM/Th7b0Eh0mPI/AAAAAAAAMiw/rvQpL2fkDI4/s320/2003_pez_stg10_miss_display_image.jpg" width="272px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Melanie Simonneau in 2003</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In 2003, George Hincapie (this year riding his 16th Tour de France, amazingly) liked the look of one of the podium girls, Melanie Simonneau, so much he tried to send a message to her through some people working for the jersey's sponsor, Credit Lyonnais. Unfortunately this meant that she was kicked off the Tour. Hincapie was persistant however and they married and now have two children.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dnskL9CmF0/Th7cBlZWI6I/AAAAAAAAMi0/uBYizWA25fk/s1600/2007_melanie_hincapie_display_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2dnskL9CmF0/Th7cBlZWI6I/AAAAAAAAMi0/uBYizWA25fk/s320/2007_melanie_hincapie_display_image.jpg" width="213px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Melanie Hincapie enlivens the Tour once more in 2007</em></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-10539424908787637542011-07-13T03:47:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.665-07:00This Week's Films: 7Whilst we have watched quite a few films of late we have bought rather more than we have watched over the last week or so which means that we are not really eroding the mountain very much!<br /><br /><br /><strong>The Happiest Days of Your Life</strong> (1950)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8D8qRs53c0g/ThsHSlyfg1I/AAAAAAAAMfk/Uk13rj1ax24/s1600/happiest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8D8qRs53c0g/ThsHSlyfg1I/AAAAAAAAMfk/Uk13rj1ax24/s320/happiest.jpg" width="231px" /></a></div><br /><br /><em>The story</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Due to a mix up by the Ministry of Education a girls' school is co-located with a boy's school. Havoc ensues when parents of the girls and governors of the boys' school headmaster (Alastair Sim) is trying to move to arrive simultaneously.</div><br /><em>Seen it before?</em><br /><br />Several times on TV in the seventies.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SiJbZ4c9TuY/ThsH1bDro9I/AAAAAAAAMfo/Wc8F2fiTcso/s1600/best+years+of+our+lives+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SiJbZ4c9TuY/ThsH1bDro9I/AAAAAAAAMfo/Wc8F2fiTcso/s320/best+years+of+our+lives+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Guy Middleton shows his appreciation</em></div><br /><br /><em>Any good?</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Easily the best of the comedy school films from the fifties and sixties. Alastair Sim and Margaret Rutherford, as the girls' school's headmistress, spark off each other delightfully and there is a great cast of character actors backing them up. Richard Wattis plays slightly against his later baffled civil servant type roles with an acidic turn as a cynical teacher. Joyce Grenfell steals all her scenes as the prototypical daffy games mistress. Triple P's favourite is Guy Middleton as the rakish games master. Regaling some of the older girls with his wartime exploits he pauses as the impressed lovelies saunter through a gate and says: "I say, you girls are bang on for seventeen!" Probably couldn't get away with that now!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><em>Notable for...</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Being a dry run for the later St Trinians films including many of the same cast (Sim, Wattis, Middleton and Grenfell all appeared in various St Trinians films). </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AUuwng4XZ50/ThsI3CMLWxI/AAAAAAAAMfs/YCi1Yd36JTU/s1600/best+years+of+our+lives+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AUuwng4XZ50/ThsI3CMLWxI/AAAAAAAAMfs/YCi1Yd36JTU/s320/best+years+of+our+lives+4.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><em>Any good girlies?</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Unlike the later St Trinians films the schoolgirls look like schoolgirls not models although we have to confess that nineteen fifties gym gear is quite effective.</div><br /><strong><br /></strong><br /><strong>Pulp</strong> (1972)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2VTqcXb6AlE/Thxx6JzywBI/AAAAAAAAMhU/RO2wwXB6Iz8/s1600/Pulp+dvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2VTqcXb6AlE/Thxx6JzywBI/AAAAAAAAMhU/RO2wwXB6Iz8/s320/Pulp+dvd.jpg" width="227px" /></a></div><br /><em>The story</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Mickey King (Michael Caine), a writer of lurid pulp novels, is asked by a former star of gangster films (Mickey Rooney) to ghost write his memoirs. But then the film star is murdered...</div><br /><em>Seen it before?</em><br /><br />Yes, a couple of times on TV.<br /><br /><em>Any good?</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Caine (who was co-producer) is on fine wisecracking form and the Mediterranean (Malta standing in for southern Italy) setting is picturesque. Its almost an atmosphere piece and what story there is comes to a rather sudden halt. Still, a reasonably enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMe63OvtfqM/ThxxkiKfdSI/AAAAAAAAMhM/uKNFzYPSE2Q/s1600/NadiaCassini3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMe63OvtfqM/ThxxkiKfdSI/AAAAAAAAMhM/uKNFzYPSE2Q/s320/NadiaCassini3.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Nadia Cassini in Malta</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em></em></div><em>Notable for...</em><br /><br />Being<em> </em>Mike Hodges and Caine's follow up to <em>Get Carter</em> (1971). This film is best describes as quirky. Also features a great soundtrack by the Beatles' producer George Martin.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YlXYCoeY3rE/ThxxnHmE56I/AAAAAAAAMhQ/v_X4K3B_KoM/s1600/boots-1972-nadia-cassini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YlXYCoeY3rE/ThxxnHmE56I/AAAAAAAAMhQ/v_X4K3B_KoM/s320/boots-1972-nadia-cassini.jpg" width="192px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>La Cassini on location in Malta</em></div><br /><br /><em>Any good girlies?</em><br /><br />It was through watching this film that we discovered the goddess that is Nadia Cassini, who slinks through the film in a succession of eye-popping seventies fashions: thigh length boots, miniskirts, hotpants etc. Gorgeous!<br /><em><br /></em><br /><br /><strong>Waterloo</strong> (1970)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Hsrx8H6dME/Th1h6nnvRRI/AAAAAAAAMhY/3IcoksQ0pOA/s1600/scan200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Hsrx8H6dME/Th1h6nnvRRI/AAAAAAAAMhY/3IcoksQ0pOA/s320/scan200.jpg" width="226px" /></a></div><br /><br /><em>The story</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Napoleon (Rod Steiger - miscast) escapes from exile on the Island of Elba and returns to Paris in triumph before attempting to wipe out the Prussian and Anglo-allied armies in Belgium.</div><br /><em>Seen it before?</em><br /><br />We first saw this when it came out with our father who was very interested in the Napoleonic wars. <br /><br /><em>Any good?</em><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nshlh-0lNCI/Th1nQ934jUI/AAAAAAAAMhc/0fc2-5kQOlg/s1600/eng407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nshlh-0lNCI/Th1nQ934jUI/AAAAAAAAMhc/0fc2-5kQOlg/s320/eng407.jpg" width="242px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As an Italian-Russian co-production with an international cast it suffers from annoying dubbing syndrome which also means that there is quite a lot of physical over-acting. Rather a lot of Vietnam era anti-war peace movement attitudes and some very inappropriate seventies hair cuts. Steiger method acts as though he was in a different film. The film is saved by Christopher Plummer as Wellington, a great score from Nino Rota and the depiction of the battle itself.<br /><br /><em>Notable for...</em></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Using 20,000 extras from the Red Army, including an entire brigade of Soviet cavalry, to produce battle scenes the like of which will never be seen again.<br /></div><em>Any good girlies?</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Virginia McKenna as the Duchess of Richmond looks elegant and there is a token attempt to inject some love interest using a couple of actresses but really this is about the boys.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The Pure Hell of St Trinians</strong> (1960)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-njLqIgla9Gw/Th11e1AT3bI/AAAAAAAAMhg/TXgMjPuYZPg/s1600/scan065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-njLqIgla9Gw/Th11e1AT3bI/AAAAAAAAMhg/TXgMjPuYZPg/s320/scan065.jpg" width="235px" /></a></div><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>The story</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The schoolgirls burn down their school and end up in court. The Judge (Raymond Huntley), infatuated with one of the sixth formers (Julie Alexander), sets them free to the charge of an academic (Cecil Parker) who promptly takes the sixth formers to Arabia so as to sell them to a sheikh. Can the redoubtable fourth form rescue them from capitivity?</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4b-8DTl8QUQ/Th115CzQ-II/AAAAAAAAMhk/cgLzCbQL5aM/s1600/julie+alexander+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="246px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4b-8DTl8QUQ/Th115CzQ-II/AAAAAAAAMhk/cgLzCbQL5aM/s320/julie+alexander+1.jpg" width="320px" /></em></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Julie Alexander in the dock</em></div><br /><em>Seen it before?</em><br /><br />Once, back in the mists of time.<br /><br /><em>Any good?</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Not quite as good as the first two and it has a very convoluted plot focussing more on the adults than the girls but the opening scenes at the trial are very good and lots of British character actors (Eric Barker, Irene Handl, Dennis Price, John Le Mesurier) turn up to good effect. </div><br /><em>Notable for...</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">An uncredited appearance by young actress Edina Ronay (in her first film) who would go on to found a famous fashion house.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-14CtIL28M3g/Th12H6b1VOI/AAAAAAAAMho/uQW3BavGlJQ/s1600/julie+alexander+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-14CtIL28M3g/Th12H6b1VOI/AAAAAAAAMho/uQW3BavGlJQ/s320/julie+alexander+2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><em>Any good girlies?</em><br /><br />With each successive film the amount of sixth form totty on display increased. <em>Pure Hell </em>was blessed by the luminous presence of former top model Julie Alexander who is seen as a nightclub dancer doing a belly dance striptease to great effect.jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-65612424253993153322011-07-11T06:37:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.701-07:00Final flight of Atlantis...and the Space Shuttle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L2Lfh3ZzCNs/Thr0-ibldSI/AAAAAAAAMfM/1xSDhVu3YLs/s1600/567791main_launchhq_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L2Lfh3ZzCNs/Thr0-ibldSI/AAAAAAAAMfM/1xSDhVu3YLs/s320/567791main_launchhq_full.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Atlantis blasts off on 8th July</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">So, the final space shuttle launch took place a couple of days ago and after this 12 day mission to replenish the ISS Atlantis will join its sisters in a museum next year. Atlantis will be the most spectacular Shuttle exhibit of the three; suspended in a special building at the Kennedy Space Centre against a rotating backdrop of the earth from space.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UG6KA0i6Zwg/Thr1FtaH5PI/AAAAAAAAMfQ/tYA8Myko1UM/s1600/NASA_STS-135_Official_Mission_Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UG6KA0i6Zwg/Thr1FtaH5PI/AAAAAAAAMfQ/tYA8Myko1UM/s320/NASA_STS-135_Official_Mission_Poster.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Atlantis was the second to last Shuttle built and its current and final mission STS 135 will be its 33rd space flight. Its first flight was in October 1985 but was shrouded in secrecy as it was a Department of Defence mission. Since then it has had the reputation of being the international launcher. The first Mexican, Swiss, Belgian and Italian in space all flew on Atlantis. The current crew is only four to allow rescue by a Soyuz if there are any problems. The Russian spacecraft, which is now the only way to reach the International Space Station, couldn't handle a bigger crew in a rescue mission.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q9PT2sbQp7Q/Thr8Ohq7vdI/AAAAAAAAMfU/t2KJlL0mkyc/s1600/567372main_launch3_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q9PT2sbQp7Q/Thr8Ohq7vdI/AAAAAAAAMfU/t2KJlL0mkyc/s320/567372main_launch3_full.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This then, was the final launch of the Space Shuttle after 134 successful launches since its first flight in April 1981. Although it never achieved the original target of fifty launches a year (the two disasters befalling Challenger and Columbia led to two periods totalling five years without a flight) it generally performed well and could likely have continued operating for another decade, without budget cuts.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_x67TfsnCE/Thr9tygtzoI/AAAAAAAAMfY/CeZHEZQNtBE/s1600/Space_Shuttle_Atlantis_Tribute2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256px" m$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l_x67TfsnCE/Thr9tygtzoI/AAAAAAAAMfY/CeZHEZQNtBE/s320/Space_Shuttle_Atlantis_Tribute2.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Atlantis and its flights</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The retirement of the Shuttle is a sad day for the conquest of space as its a step back to the technology of thirty years ago and non-reusable rockets. Russian rockets, initially, and then possible Ares (if the Americans can find the money) or a private sector solution to service the ISS. We have lost our only real spaceship. Its rather like developing diesel powered high speed railway engines and going back to steam...</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-11489009338582224742011-07-06T02:24:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.670-07:00Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at Transformers 3 New York Premiere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1EcYvW4Ay-w/ThQi4OcyR_I/AAAAAAAAMe4/jhlMULa5CdQ/s1600/121319-cast-member-rosie-huntington-whiteley-arrives-for-the-premiere-of-tran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1EcYvW4Ay-w/ThQi4OcyR_I/AAAAAAAAMe4/jhlMULa5CdQ/s320/121319-cast-member-rosie-huntington-whiteley-arrives-for-the-premiere-of-tran.jpg" width="134px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Another premiere, another posh (Antonio Berardi) frock for Rosie, Rosie. Having been in midnight blue for London, Huntington-Whitely does red for New York. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z84qJEKBuvM/ThQizTzERbI/AAAAAAAAMe0/KeHeC-t5Fc4/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z84qJEKBuvM/ThQizTzERbI/AAAAAAAAMe0/KeHeC-t5Fc4/s320/1.jpg" width="210px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Poor Rosie, Rosie looks very glum as she goes through her own autobot fashion model poses (leg just so, angle of elbow bend precisely this, foot placement exactly right) on the red carpet. Maybe its because she has read her reviews and still has to go around plugging the film knowing that almost everyone thought she was rubbish in it.</div><br />'British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is awful – awful! – sucking the life out of every scene she appears in like some pneumatic Dyson sexbot" <em>Total Film.</em> Pneumatic? One thing she is not!<br /><br />"Poor Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. She may be beautiful but she can't act for toffee". <em>Daily Mail.</em><br /><br />"You’ll believe a robot can fly, but you won’t believe a Huntington-Whiteley can talk". <em>Empire.</em><br /><br />"Huntington-Whitely is only present for one reason... Certainly, it’s not for her acting ability." <em>Daily Express.</em><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0HCv6NQKiC4/ThQjEfq4MNI/AAAAAAAAMe8/sL0e9XjKW5s/s1600/rrhw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0HCv6NQKiC4/ThQjEfq4MNI/AAAAAAAAMe8/sL0e9XjKW5s/s320/rrhw.jpg" width="212px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Oh dear, it really is all sounding like Cindy Crawford in <em>Fair Game!</em> Back to modelling knickers Rosie, Rosie! Before she does this, however, we would suggest that she scoffs a few pork pies as she is looking far too thin!</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-32186259167479028122011-07-04T03:34:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.685-07:00Big Breakfast of the Week 11: Brasserie Roux at the Sofitel St James<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RYsZt2ZmvkQ/TgyzN5t3cXI/AAAAAAAAMaQ/7cmPLo-fBm4/s1600/IMG00140-20110615-1028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RYsZt2ZmvkQ/TgyzN5t3cXI/AAAAAAAAMaQ/7cmPLo-fBm4/s320/IMG00140-20110615-1028.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Sofitel St James is a convenient location for Triple P: close to the Canadian and South African High Commissions, the Institute of Directors, Quebec Government House, the Commonwealth Secretariat and other places where Agent Triple P can be regularly found. So it is quite often that Triple P finds himself there for breakfast. Now breakfast at a boutique five star hotel like this should be a pleasurable experience but, we have to say, that we have been regularly disappointed at the Sofitel.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWZQnGSmSDM/ThF3u07igwI/AAAAAAAAMeY/xDieaT6EZPE/s1600/IMG00138-20110615-1016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWZQnGSmSDM/ThF3u07igwI/AAAAAAAAMeY/xDieaT6EZPE/s320/IMG00138-20110615-1016.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><em>The interior designed by Pierre Yves-Rochon</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Breakfast is either a buffet or, as Triple P prefers, a la carte. The problem is the indifferent service from grumpy Eastern European waiters. Eastern European women have been a great boost to the restaurant trade in the UK: friendly, nice looking and efficient. Their male equivalents. however, seem to resent the fact that they aren't making a packet as plumbers or carpenters. The staff in the Brasserie Roux consistently let down what could otherwise be a good restaurant.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sCibWIaX0I/ThF35evXmfI/AAAAAAAAMeg/0nC9K99D3jw/s1600/IMG00139-20110615-1016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6sCibWIaX0I/ThF35evXmfI/AAAAAAAAMeg/0nC9K99D3jw/s320/IMG00139-20110615-1016.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The red grapefruit juice which Triple P requested was nice and cold, although perhaps a little on the small side. This didn't matter as they offered us a refill (although whether we would have had to pay for that wasn't clear). The teas, served in one of those trendy iron teapots, was curious as, on opening the lid, Triple P found neither a tea bag nor leaves. This meant that there was no way of adjusting the strength of the brew. As for the breakfast itself at least this time they got TripleP's order correct. In the past they have omitted items because, like increasing numbers of waiters and waitresses in London, they don't write orders down.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wpmnHfevAs/ThF4GhQDD7I/AAAAAAAAMeo/NwyP6BP7SLs/s1600/IMG00143-20110615-1106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7wpmnHfevAs/ThF4GhQDD7I/AAAAAAAAMeo/NwyP6BP7SLs/s320/IMG00143-20110615-1106.jpg" width="240px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The breakfast itself was not as hot as it should have been although the sausage was truly excellent. It did come with some very good wholewheat toast. The all inclusive price was £23.50 which is on the high side for London but did include drinks and toast so that makes it rather better value than it first appears. An automatic 12.5% service charge was included which given the service was offhand (perhaps they are just trying to be Parisian) was a bit much.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So it loses marks for the poor quality tea, the lukewarm eggs, the rather unattractive dining room and the service.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all a disappointing <span style="font-size: large;">5<strong>/10.</strong></span></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-24479538636071832772011-06-27T03:10:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.675-07:00Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at Transformers 3 London Premiere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpXR7LhZuek/TghKpU1grgI/AAAAAAAAMZE/oSC8OmDrLkE/s1600/rosie+huntington-Whitely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JpXR7LhZuek/TghKpU1grgI/AAAAAAAAMZE/oSC8OmDrLkE/s320/rosie+huntington-Whitely.jpg" width="168px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The lovely, lovely Rosie, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was looking imperiously elegant at the premiere of the new <em>Transformers</em> film in sweltering London last night.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z4e-LbLAbdg/TghKtEYmC7I/AAAAAAAAMZI/xS0fdbmQgHU/s1600/Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley-London-Transformers-Premiere-2-435x580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z4e-LbLAbdg/TghKtEYmC7I/AAAAAAAAMZI/xS0fdbmQgHU/s320/Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley-London-Transformers-Premiere-2-435x580.jpg" width="119px" /></a></div><br /><br />She certainly scubs up nicely and her extremely slinky midnight blue Burberry frock was just the thing for our current mini-heatwave. It was over 28 degrees yesterday and a predicted 30 degrees plus today. Even with our French windows open it is 30 degrees in Triple P's study this morning (10.15am). <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-giqFAObwYVs/TghKwapCmqI/AAAAAAAAMZM/XA8GtYehzuI/s1600/Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley-London-Transformers-Premiere-435x580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-giqFAObwYVs/TghKwapCmqI/AAAAAAAAMZM/XA8GtYehzuI/s320/Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley-London-Transformers-Premiere-435x580.jpg" width="145px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rosie, Rosie replaces pitted-cheeked Megan Fox as the obligatory tottie for the older boys who want to watch a film that flogs Japanese toy cars. Fox blotted her copybook with producer Steven Spielberg (who should be ashamed for involving himself in this tripe) by referring to director Michael Bay as "like Hitler". Super-sensitive about anything to do with the Nazis, Spielberg gave Fox the boot and replaced her with lovely, lovely Rosie, Rosie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Pd_AVBC7Vc/TghQxZgO6DI/AAAAAAAAMZU/3nsf-FuuGNI/s1600/rosie-huntington-whiteley-cover-gq-uk-july-2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Pd_AVBC7Vc/TghQxZgO6DI/AAAAAAAAMZU/3nsf-FuuGNI/s320/rosie-huntington-whiteley-cover-gq-uk-july-2011.jpg" width="246px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Huntington-Whiteley on the cover of GQ</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The film company's publicity machine has been working at full blast to promote Rosie, Rosie (actually to the point of neglecting to say anything about the actual film) who has become fairly ubiquitous in the press of late. Never mind, Triple P is always happy to gaze upon someone so lovely; the ultmate presentation of whom, so far, is the current cover of GQ where she looks absolutely edible. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-we3AbySM-38/TghK0EtWHSI/AAAAAAAAMZQ/jKGAjGyQbDQ/s1600/o-rosie-huntington-whiteley-in-the-july-issue-of-gq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-we3AbySM-38/TghK0EtWHSI/AAAAAAAAMZQ/jKGAjGyQbDQ/s320/o-rosie-huntington-whiteley-in-the-july-issue-of-gq.jpg" width="298px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is a magnificently sensuous photograph which is all about that swathe of fabric between her thighs and that point where the inner curve of her right thigh swerves into her bottom. In fact, we think this has replaced the famous cakes picture as our favourite Rosie, Rosie image.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUOQ1dGifJU/TghQ5QCm39I/AAAAAAAAMZY/0KyFjBVNIZY/s1600/16569-800w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OUOQ1dGifJU/TghQ5QCm39I/AAAAAAAAMZY/0KyFjBVNIZY/s320/16569-800w.jpg" width="238px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Now, we wonder whether she can actually<em> act</em>...? Not that it matters, really.</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-64750467502691279182011-06-20T02:58:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.699-07:00Calendar Girl June 2011: Audrina Patridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sqp78jzYxQE/TfoCMhEkqWI/AAAAAAAAMXc/IexSz3tQjNI/s1600/20100301-audrina-patridge-fhm-uk4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sqp78jzYxQE/TfoCMhEkqWI/AAAAAAAAMXc/IexSz3tQjNI/s320/20100301-audrina-patridge-fhm-uk4.jpg" t8="true" width="238px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">For June we have another young lady we had not previously heard of, one Audrina Patridge. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOs03Q19pD8/TfoCRGfVJ7I/AAAAAAAAMXg/LpuZp7_Hdlo/s1600/audrina_patridge_nude++pic_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QOs03Q19pD8/TfoCRGfVJ7I/AAAAAAAAMXg/LpuZp7_Hdlo/s320/audrina_patridge_nude++pic_2.jpg" t8="true" width="213px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Audrina, it seems, is one of those girls who is famous for being famous (well, not <em>that</em> famous, obviously) originally coming to prominence on an MTV series called <em>The Hills</em>. Now, MTV, Agent Triple P would suggest, is almost singlehandedly responsible for the death of popular music in that it shifted the music industry's approach from aural to visual, resulting in the current crop of beautifully filmed but musically barren material that passes for popular music at present. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xik167llXKU/Tf8OPvKk_tI/AAAAAAAAMYc/9FhduZF54tk/s1600/major_morgan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" i$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xik167llXKU/Tf8OPvKk_tI/AAAAAAAAMYc/9FhduZF54tk/s320/major_morgan.jpg" width="220px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It has meant the inexorable rise of interchangeable, attractive (Lady Gaga excepted), no-talent girl "singers" and a total lack of musical creativity; possibly, for Triple P, reaching its absolute nadir with an excruciating piece called <em>Like a G 6 by</em> Far East Movement (the Far East movement in question obviously being one from the bowels, having eaten some dodgy fish bladder soup in Vietnam, or some such). This inexplicably popular track features a woman speaking a very limited lyric in a flat monotone over some random key board noises that appear to have been recorded from a Major Morgan the Electric Organ toy. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L2DZenDabUs/TfoCTXEWmMI/AAAAAAAAMXk/k8Q2qY8wN7I/s1600/audrina_patridge_topless+nude+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L2DZenDabUs/TfoCTXEWmMI/AAAAAAAAMXk/k8Q2qY8wN7I/s320/audrina_patridge_topless+nude+015.jpg" t8="true" width="188px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Now just in case it is thought that Agent Triple P thinks all modern dance music is utter rubbish and there has been no worthwhile popular music since 1985 (largely true) we did enjoy the recent hit by LMFAO, <em>Party Rock Anthem</em>. It made <em>Like a G6</em> look like Mahler's Third Symphony in comparison.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BhU6q_kq4jM/TfoCVN_s0QI/AAAAAAAAMXo/1ElVo21scVg/s1600/audrina_patridge_nude+05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BhU6q_kq4jM/TfoCVN_s0QI/AAAAAAAAMXo/1ElVo21scVg/s320/audrina_patridge_nude+05.jpg" t8="true" width="203px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Anyway, we digress. Miss Patridge first appeared in the MTV show <em>The Hills </em>a "reality" show which purported to show the lives of several young women living in Los Angeles. The fact is, of course, all these people are hired and paid a salary to appear so perhaps the term "alternate reality" might be more accurate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ8cVHkYpFM/TfoCXKpzHVI/AAAAAAAAMXs/IxjB23ZHCxk/s1600/audrina_patridge_nude++04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJ8cVHkYpFM/TfoCXKpzHVI/AAAAAAAAMXs/IxjB23ZHCxk/s320/audrina_patridge_nude++04.jpg" t8="true" width="209px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Miss Patridge, who was born in Placentia, California and is now 26, was working as a receptionist at a film studios before appearing in<em> The Hills.</em> Having appeared in more episodes than any other "character" she is trying very hard to break into acting; the highlight being, so far, the straight to DVD sequel to the dire<em> Into the Blue (</em>only worth watching for the scenes of Jessica Alba swimming underwater) called, naturally<em>, Into the Blue 2.</em></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DIlOBlwuv0s/TfoCY_nut_I/AAAAAAAAMXw/mvDQ13Zm25Y/s1600/audrina_patridge_topless+nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DIlOBlwuv0s/TfoCY_nut_I/AAAAAAAAMXw/mvDQ13Zm25Y/s320/audrina_patridge_topless+nude.jpg" t8="true" width="188px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A number of modelling assignments, minor TV presenting and internet presenting (oh dear) jobs have followed. Currently she is reduced to a projected new reality show showing her life after <em>The Hills.</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9NzU50BCI8/TfoCdupEioI/AAAAAAAAMX0/AfBlwSBvbkA/s1600/audrina-patridge-pool-topless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j9NzU50BCI8/TfoCdupEioI/AAAAAAAAMX0/AfBlwSBvbkA/s320/audrina-patridge-pool-topless.jpg" t8="true" width="227px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">She also appeared on <em>Dancing with the Stars</em> in the US in 2010 (she came 7th out of 12). This is a re-make of the BBC series <em>Strictly Come Dancing</em> where a lot of C-list celebrities try to revive their careers by becoming the country's favourite ballroom dancer. Audrina seems to be attempting to by-pass the becoming famous bit by jumping straight in to revive a career that never really took off in the first place. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kOjJWNcULdo/TfoCgUj4mjI/AAAAAAAAMX4/TnK53hdVAWA/s1600/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kOjJWNcULdo/TfoCgUj4mjI/AAAAAAAAMX4/TnK53hdVAWA/s320/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-01.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">In March 2008 some of these nude photos of Audrina appeared on the internet resulting in the usual American starlet disclaimer. In Audrina's case she said they were taken just after she left high school when she was starting off as a model and that she was "naive" when they were taken and was worried about what her "young fans" might think. Wouldn't it be nice if once in a while someone said "yes, I posed nude and I looked absolutely amazing, so there!" The real issue, of course, is that apart from worrying about upsetting notoriously conservative US TV "family values" (do American families not walk around nude at home?) they don't make any money from the release of pictures. We also wonder exactly how naive she was given that they were, apparently, specifically taken to be submitted to <em>Playboy</em> (they were rejected). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rlbQ_Jmr_8o/TfoCiOMAp2I/AAAAAAAAMX8/170h7xu6Dvs/s1600/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rlbQ_Jmr_8o/TfoCiOMAp2I/AAAAAAAAMX8/170h7xu6Dvs/s320/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-02.jpg" t8="true" width="217px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">One result of the appearance of the pictures was that everyone said that it was obvious that she had had breast implants; something she denied. In fact, she denied having her nose and lips done, she never specifically included her bust in this denial. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYEQrBZD1v4/TfoCkf1NrhI/AAAAAAAAMYA/xIWM9UNZBhQ/s1600/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYEQrBZD1v4/TfoCkf1NrhI/AAAAAAAAMYA/xIWM9UNZBhQ/s320/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-03.jpg" t8="true" width="213px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently, it has been suggested that she has had bigger implants and the calendar picture at the top of this post seems to confirm this (compare with the picture underneath it).</div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FsO8XvZCItw/TfoClmVHP6I/AAAAAAAAMYE/qeTgCBhoW4U/s1600/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FsO8XvZCItw/TfoClmVHP6I/AAAAAAAAMYE/qeTgCBhoW4U/s320/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-04.jpg" t8="true" width="216px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Whether we will hear any more of Miss Patridge seems doubtful (unless one habitually watches dismal American "reality" TV shows) although we have to give her credit for trying hard.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y3AibwKY0bM/TfoCoMbpe3I/AAAAAAAAMYI/ypAeqDnABHQ/s1600/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y3AibwKY0bM/TfoCoMbpe3I/AAAAAAAAMYI/ypAeqDnABHQ/s320/audrina-patridge-poses-nude-see-photos-05.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Never mind, her calendar shot is quite nice and it is always pleasing to see a brunette rather than yet another bleached blonde, so we have enjoyed having her on our wall this month rather more than some of the previous entries this year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_b-c3XnuPJk/TfoC-ImITaI/AAAAAAAAMYQ/6HwOhV-wBak/s1600/Audrina_Patridge_Goes_Topless_For_Ralph_Magazine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_b-c3XnuPJk/TfoC-ImITaI/AAAAAAAAMYQ/6HwOhV-wBak/s320/Audrina_Patridge_Goes_Topless_For_Ralph_Magazine.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-24454149443571876662011-06-13T13:31:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.673-07:00This Week's Films: 6Most of Triple P's recent viewing time was spent finishing <em>Spartacus: Blood and Sand</em> which we will look at another day. However, we did watch a couple of films and only bought one (<em>A French Mistress)</em>. <br /><br /><strong>Blue Murder at St Trinian's</strong> (1957)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-znzEWJmz13s/TfYsa63--yI/AAAAAAAAMWc/tMfJxwkEaDU/s1600/scan065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-znzEWJmz13s/TfYsa63--yI/AAAAAAAAMWc/tMfJxwkEaDU/s320/scan065.jpg" t8="true" width="235px" /></a></div><br /><br /><em>The story</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Following the imprisonment of their headmistress the school is under the control of the army for the protection of the rest of the country. The schoolgirls cheat in a national schools competition so that they can win a trip to Italy where they have been told by Flash Harry (George Cole) that a prince is looking for a wife and will consider the girls as candidates. Meanwhile a jewel thief (Lionel Jeffries) is forced to pose as their headmistress on the trip.</div><br /><em>Seen it before?</em><br /><br />Once, on TV in about 1975.<br /><br /><em>Any good?</em><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">A worthy sequel to <em>The Belles of St Trinians</em> although Alistair Sim (apart from a small cameo) is missed. The trip to Italy opens the film out somewhat and Terry-Thomas is a great addition as the unscrupulous owner of a coach company. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-71mYIptuDUk/Th14rzF1xGI/AAAAAAAAMhs/7RU0GQLH4p4/s1600/xsttrinians_jpg_pagespeed_ic_JkOkFtkJdj.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="320px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-71mYIptuDUk/Th14rzF1xGI/AAAAAAAAMhs/7RU0GQLH4p4/s320/xsttrinians_jpg_pagespeed_ic_JkOkFtkJdj.jpg" width="187px" /></em></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Sabrina</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Notable for...</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Being a sequel at all in the days when a successful film almost never provoked one. The first use of the words of the St Trinians school song with words by producer Sidney Gilliat:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> Maidens of St Trinian's, gird your armour on.</i></div><br /><br /><dd><i>Grab the nearest weapon; never mind which one.</i></dd><dd><i>The battle's to the strongest; might is always right.</i></dd><dd><i>Trample on the weakest; glory in their plight.</i></dd><br /><dl><dd><i>St Trinian's! St Trinian's! Our battle cry.</i></dd><dd><i>St Trinian's! St Trinian's! Will never die.</i></dd></dl><dl><dd><i>Stride towards your fortune boldly on your way,</i></dd><dd><i>Never once forgetting there's one born every day.</i></dd><dd><i>Let our motto be broadcast: "get your blow in first!"</i></dd><dd><i>She who draws the sword last always comes off worst.</i></dd></dl><div style="text-align: justify;">Gilliat's other lyrics were a little more highbrow, as he wrote the libretto for Australian composer and former Master of the Queen's music Malcolm Williamson's opera <i>Our Man in Havana</i>, based on the novel by Graham Greene. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRlb0Pow4EA/TfYr5EfHkZI/AAAAAAAAMWY/7HwymWhBaHA/s1600/lisa-gastoni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRlb0Pow4EA/TfYr5EfHkZI/AAAAAAAAMWY/7HwymWhBaHA/s320/lisa-gastoni.jpg" t8="true" width="256px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Lisa Gastoni</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Any good girlies?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Definitely more big girls in small school uniforms than the <a href="http://adventuresoftriplep.blogspot.com/2011/05/this-weeks-films-5.html?zx=275819230ac07ba4">first film</a>. Honours are shared between the buxom Sabrina and the lovely Lisa Gastoni.</div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>The French Mistress </strong>(1960)</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8fk4_zEMqok/TfZowHEWZfI/AAAAAAAAMWg/KHjzlII7g9A/s1600/A+french+Mistress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8fk4_zEMqok/TfZowHEWZfI/AAAAAAAAMWg/KHjzlII7g9A/s320/A+french+Mistress.jpg" t8="true" width="226px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>The story</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The new French master at an all boys school turns out to be a <em>mistress,</em> in the glamourous shape of Agnès Laurent with predictable but amusing results. The headmaster's son (a young and miscast Ian Bannen) takes an understandable shine to her but an incident from his father's past threatens their burgeoning romance.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Seen it before?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">This is another film fondly remembered from Triple P's childhood but we probably hadn't seen it for over thrity five years.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Any good?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After the huge success of their previous film,<em> I'm all Right Jack,</em> this gentle Boulting brothers comedy, based on a play by Sonnie Hale, received rather lukewarm reviews at the time and is certainly less frenetic in tone than the St Trinian's films. However, there are some wonderful performances by the likes of James Robertson-Justice (before he became a complete caricature of himself), Raymond Huntley and, as the ever baffled headmaster, Cecil Parker. The film is stolen by Irene Handl's bolshie dinner lady.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Notable for...</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">An early appearance by Jeremy (Boba Fett) Bulloch as one of the schoolboys.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhABOsr1x5s/TfZqtXAT2DI/AAAAAAAAMWk/qoyKNE0bZSQ/s1600/agnes+laurent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dhABOsr1x5s/TfZqtXAT2DI/AAAAAAAAMWk/qoyKNE0bZSQ/s320/agnes+laurent.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Agnès Laurent with Scott Finch (who later appeared in <a href="http://adventuresoftriplep.blogspot.com/2011/04/this-weeks-films-3.html?zx=c1ddc01aa24afbbd">633 Squadron</a>)</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em></em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Any good girlies?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Agnès Laurent is delightful in this and we wonder why she never lived up to her billing as the next Brigitte Bardot. She made fifteen films between 1956 and 1961 and then disappeared. She died last year.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><strong><em></em></strong><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Belle Epoque</strong> (1992)</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MjumVEyl-4s/TfZzBj4yt4I/AAAAAAAAMWs/tAY3Dyx8FVY/s1600/scan179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MjumVEyl-4s/TfZzBj4yt4I/AAAAAAAAMWs/tAY3Dyx8FVY/s320/scan179.jpg" t8="true" width="226px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>The story</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A young deserter from the army is taken in by an artist in 1930's Spain (actually filmed in Portugal) and is seduced by the man's four gorgeous daughters.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><em>Seen it before?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have definitely seen it once but not sure where: maybe at Agent DVD's house.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Any good?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Drenched in Iberian sunshine this is a perfect film to watch with a nice cold bottle of rose Rioja and some tapas. Touching and comic with wonderful performances throughout. Delightful!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Notable for...</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The second cinematic appearance by an eighteen year old Penélope Cruz. Winning the best foreign language film Oscar 1994, although some felt it was a bit lightweight to do so. We disagree!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGav6wtWwCI/TfZyjtGmqCI/AAAAAAAAMWo/gK_s9fpcz6A/s1600/2296933%252CKfnjKqgkbh2T0X2VL_oYxQeETSJk7jPV7rXq8nD_PwQ9XFBzVwqcUXsds9NSYsDNY3ruOmmqefLhVA86hafmjQ%253D%253D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FGav6wtWwCI/TfZyjtGmqCI/AAAAAAAAMWo/gK_s9fpcz6A/s320/2296933%252CKfnjKqgkbh2T0X2VL_oYxQeETSJk7jPV7rXq8nD_PwQ9XFBzVwqcUXsds9NSYsDNY3ruOmmqefLhVA86hafmjQ%253D%253D.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Maribel Verdú in Belle Epoque</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><em>Any good girlies?</em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All four actresses who play the sisters are delightful in their own, individual, way but the stand-out for Triple P is Maribel Verdú, later to be seen in the steamy <em>Y Tu Mamá</em> <em>También </em>(2002).</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-58147134702918653252011-06-09T09:30:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.691-07:00Space shuttle Endeavour docked with the International Space Station<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh9YM-DKxVg/TfDucuStgmI/AAAAAAAAMWI/rvXyrQiEh2g/s1600/Endeavour+and+ISS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oh9YM-DKxVg/TfDucuStgmI/AAAAAAAAMWI/rvXyrQiEh2g/s320/Endeavour+and+ISS.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Agent Triple P loved this fantastic photograph of the Space Shuttle Endeavour docked with the ISS, which was published by NASA this week. Given the Shuttle has flown to the ISS over thirty times (although that includes construction of course) it is amazing that this is the first picture taken of it docked to the space station.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1x1HCNkZdpw/TfDyu15C7nI/AAAAAAAAMWM/JGF0vrsKE4k/s1600/endeavour+final+landing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1x1HCNkZdpw/TfDyu15C7nI/AAAAAAAAMWM/JGF0vrsKE4k/s320/endeavour+final+landing.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Endeavour lands following its final flight</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The photograph was taken on May 23rd this year, by Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli, from a departing Soyuz space craft. This will be the only way to move personnel to and from the ISS until Project Ares comes online in 2014 (if it ever does). Mission Control Moscow ordered a 130 degree change in attitude so Nespoli could take pictures and video from about 600 feet away. There was an equally striking photograph of Endeavour as it landed at Kennedy Space Centre on June 1st after its final flight. <span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">After 25 flights, 299 days in space, 4,671 orbits and 122,853,151 miles flown the Endeavour is being retired to a Californian museum: almost certainly prematurely. Now there is just the final Shuttle flight of Atlantis due to launch next month. </span> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-76629738844682677042011-06-07T14:04:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.712-07:00Martini of the Week 10: Saigon, Saigon Bar, The Caravelle Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_jZprwNNoM/Te6MloTIEkI/AAAAAAAAMVo/GPSyTmRYkUE/s1600/Saigon%252C+Saigon+martini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_jZprwNNoM/Te6MloTIEkI/AAAAAAAAMVo/GPSyTmRYkUE/s320/Saigon%252C+Saigon+martini.jpg" t8="true" width="220px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">During our visit to Asia a couple of months ago we stopped off in Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon, as most of the locals still seem to call it. Triple P was staying at another historic hotel there, the Caravelle, but historic for a different reason. Built in 1959 this was the headquarters, during the Vietnam War of the press corps with ABC, NBC and CBS all having their Saigon bureaux there.</div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sO6xXFadkB0/Te6Mw57Zj0I/AAAAAAAAMVs/9hYyijlB8SE/s1600/caravell+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sO6xXFadkB0/Te6Mw57Zj0I/AAAAAAAAMVs/9hYyijlB8SE/s320/caravell+1.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Caravelle Hotel in May 1975 shortly after the fall of Saigon</em></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zaXt52lhqpM/Te6M_yxl9dI/AAAAAAAAMVw/LfRE0NjAGkE/s1600/caravelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zaXt52lhqpM/Te6M_yxl9dI/AAAAAAAAMVw/LfRE0NjAGkE/s320/caravelle.jpg" t8="true" width="288px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Caravelle Hotel 2011</em></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was from the Saigon, Saigon bar on the top floor of the Caravelle (then the tallest building in the city) that the press corps watched the North Vietnamese army roll into the city. The hotel is now owned by the Vietnamese Government but if you are imagining some sort of Soviet Intourist look forget it. It is a quite splendid five star hotel that employs some of the prettiest girls Triple P saw in Vietnam and that is saying something!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DvKpR9RMj1o/Te6Na0bt2uI/AAAAAAAAMV0/YIAlLXf6BMc/s1600/ao+dai+caravelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DvKpR9RMj1o/Te6Na0bt2uI/AAAAAAAAMV0/YIAlLXf6BMc/s320/ao+dai+caravelle.jpg" t8="true" width="295px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Caravelle hotel staff wearing the traditional ao dai</em></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Saigon, Saigon bar is a great place to have a quiet lunch and a Bia Saigon overlooking all the manic traffic below. In the evening, however, it becomes one of <em>the</em> places to be in HCMC crowded with a mixture of locals, hotel guests and American Vietnam War veterans. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kyv0svS0kg8/Te6OHHbYYII/AAAAAAAAMV4/vtZbPm4sJ80/s1600/saigon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kyv0svS0kg8/Te6OHHbYYII/AAAAAAAAMV4/vtZbPm4sJ80/s320/saigon.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqOxT4eEdhY/Te6OeVn5hzI/AAAAAAAAMWA/BrbPVgGk00g/s1600/saigon+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FqOxT4eEdhY/Te6OeVn5hzI/AAAAAAAAMWA/BrbPVgGk00g/s320/saigon+bar.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Served by waitresses in fetching off the shoulder red tops it is one of the most characterful bars we have ever visited and must be on any must-visit bars around the world list. It's certainly more attractive than the nearby Rex rooftop bar which has equally strong Vietnam War credentials. They also have a great Cuban band playing from 10.30 on most nights. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LxIBVqUZGw/Te6Rd-htShI/AAAAAAAAMWE/fpjhfC-zZKM/s1600/club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2LxIBVqUZGw/Te6Rd-htShI/AAAAAAAAMWE/fpjhfC-zZKM/s320/club.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Triple P's companion did not join him in HCMC as he was only there one night. He arrived quite late so took a substantial snack to accompany our Martini. The Saigon, Saigon Vodka Martini was large and cold (although not quite as cold as Agent Triple P likes). It was made with standard Smirnoff and had too many olives, however. Still, one of the better efforts we had in Asia. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">All in all we rate it <strong><span style="font-size: large;">6/10</span></strong></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-80026240297751036162011-06-06T05:52:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.714-07:00How much for a garden chair?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql80ZCuYPmY/TezIbKgA8lI/AAAAAAAAMU4/_xDqQcG8Bjs/s1600/scan173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280px" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ql80ZCuYPmY/TezIbKgA8lI/AAAAAAAAMU4/_xDqQcG8Bjs/s320/scan173.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Here in "Britain's answer to Beverly Hills" we get a number of free "lifestyle" magazines posted through the door, full of advertisements for estate agents, interior designers, private schools, supercar dealers etc etc. This month's <em>Elmbridge Lifestyle Magazine</em> had a feature on garden furniture. Oh good, we think, we could do with a new chair for the garden so we can sit and read in the sun, especially as we have a heatwave predicted for this summer (although its actually raining today for the first time in weeks). </div><div style="text-align: justify;">,</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9qqGv_-sV08/TezIWXiGttI/AAAAAAAAMU0/f3mvKgrPLOw/s1600/elmbridge+lifestyle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9qqGv_-sV08/TezIWXiGttI/AAAAAAAAMU0/f3mvKgrPLOw/s320/elmbridge+lifestyle.jpg" t8="true" width="224px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The one at the top of the page is called an Altea chair and is made by Varaschin and you can pick one up in Modern and Classic Interiors in Esher, just down the road. That is, you can pick one up if you have £11,638 to hand. £11,638! For a garden chair! That's over $19,000! You can buy a reasonable brand new Japanese car for that! Good grief!</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-59105651432690132642011-06-06T01:47:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.693-07:00Big Breakfast of the Week 10: Le Beaulieu Restaurant, Metropole Hotel Hanoi<div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIqL3PKs2Vs/TetEzn6JzGI/AAAAAAAAMTY/ZsZsA6aeLDY/s1600/P1050430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIqL3PKs2Vs/TetEzn6JzGI/AAAAAAAAMTY/ZsZsA6aeLDY/s320/P1050430.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It looks like Agent Triple P is going to be off on his travels again later this month so it's probably time for a another foreign big breakfast review. </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="272px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gSScC2oo43c/TetFJ1fsx_I/AAAAAAAAMTc/tPY_fKNr3a8/s320/P1050376.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Le Beaulieu in the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi is a restaurant with a long heritage. The restaurant has been in its current location ever since the hotel opened in 1901. The hotel has recently been sensitively renovated keeping all of its colonial style whilst bringing the facilities up to a level that Triple P has rarely seen elsewhere. </div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CsxQtVoyN7k/TeyPSrOcuZI/AAAAAAAAMUA/5QhH4NhuEho/s1600/metropole%2Bhotel%2Bhanoi.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615020386427910546" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CsxQtVoyN7k/TeyPSrOcuZI/AAAAAAAAMUA/5QhH4NhuEho/s400/metropole%2Bhotel%2Bhanoi.jpg" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <em>Outside the restaurant is a pavement cafe: very French!</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Normally we don't like hotel restaurants that have to serve breakfast lunch and dinner but <em>Le Beaulieu</em> doesn't have the canteen elements of many modern multi-purpose hotel restaurants and for breakfast the setting is exquisite with a cool and relaxing atmosphere. Less formal breakfast is available in the nearby L'Orangerie.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eV2OgcjVfH4/TetL-g7qqCI/AAAAAAAAMTg/g9DPHXHVWUc/s1600/P1050371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eV2OgcjVfH4/TetL-g7qqCI/AAAAAAAAMTg/g9DPHXHVWUc/s320/P1050371.JPG" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">As usual, Agent Triple P likes to start breakfast with tea and grapefruit juice. This always throws waiters around the world who expect everyone to have coffee and orange juice, annoyingly! The grapefruit juice was, unusually, white but none the worse for that. The tea was nicely served but suffered from French style (UHT we suspect) milk. </div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ia3oAs4wgvc/TeyLGfmUzdI/AAAAAAAAMTw/_awnzKovFHo/s1600/P1050372.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615015779101887954" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ia3oAs4wgvc/TeyLGfmUzdI/AAAAAAAAMTw/_awnzKovFHo/s400/P1050372.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 207px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Our companion's breakfast illustrates how she stays so slim and gorgeous! The grapefruit segements were massive! The usual selection of Asian, continental and cooked breakfasts were available. The selection was quite good without being exceptional. The sausages were slightly unusual in taste but were excellent. The bacon was streaky but not cooked into carbonised sticks like most international hotels. This is sort of the worst of both worlds. Streaky bacon in the UK is largely used for covering a turkey to prevent it burning. No self respecting English person would actually <em>eat</em> it! Back bacon is proper bacon which is cooked so that it is still soft <em>not </em>crispy. The baked beans didn't have that weird spicy taste you often get in Asia and the tomatoes, mushrooms and hash browns were just perfect.</div><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DpgzT-6Ev7w/TeyLjcFUQoI/AAAAAAAAMT4/W6uisTh8z14/s1600/P1050373.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615016276374340226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DpgzT-6Ev7w/TeyLjcFUQoI/AAAAAAAAMT4/W6uisTh8z14/s400/P1050373.JPG" style="cursor: hand; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 390px;" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">Eggs were cooked fresh by a helpful young lady and were particularly good. All in all one of the nicer hotel restaurants Agent Triple P has had breakfast in of late. A pretty good selection and excellent service let down by the strange milk and dubious bacon.</div><br />Still, gets a good <strong><span style="font-size: large;">7/10</span></strong></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-89114722472015936172011-06-04T06:50:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.720-07:00The Bunnies are back in London!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJOh7Z6S3tg/TeoxIQhdL0I/AAAAAAAAMTQ/lAo5ZsnP10E/s1600/playboy+bunnies+london+2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><em><img border="0" height="191px" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nJOh7Z6S3tg/TeoxIQhdL0I/AAAAAAAAMTQ/lAo5ZsnP10E/s320/playboy+bunnies+london+2011.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></em></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The new London <em>Playboy</em> Club opens today and Hugh Hefner has actually got dressed and flown to the UK for the event. On Thursday he recreated a famous picture from the past as he posed with some of the new London Bunnies on the tarmac of Stanstead airport.</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4TL8CDMji4/TeoxK-Zvf5I/AAAAAAAAMTU/xLuZ4tC1u-s/s1600/playboy-bunny-ss-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254px" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k4TL8CDMji4/TeoxK-Zvf5I/AAAAAAAAMTU/xLuZ4tC1u-s/s320/playboy-bunny-ss-01.jpg" t8="true" width="320px" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The press over here reported that the picture was a re-creation of a famous one for when he flew to London for the opening of the original club in 1966. In fact this shot was taken in Jamaica for the opening of the Ocho Rios club on January 1st 1965 but the effect is still striking. Agent Triple P is not sure about the new opaque black tights the new Bunnies are wearing but I am sure the young ladies themselves find them more flattering.</div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Membership of the new club costs £1200 a year plus a £1000 joining fee and nearly a thousand members have signed up, a third of whom are women. Today, however, feminists plan to demonstrate outside the club in a rather sixties style protest. These women don't seem to have realised that many women today, from a generation that takes its freedoms and equalities for granted because of, admittedly, the work of protestors in the past, feel that one of those freedoms is to be able to openly flaunt their sexuality in a way that was previously only acceptable to men. <em>Playboy</em> had a lot to do with this (although not quite as much as they tend to claim) in that it promoted the fact that women weren't just unwilling particpants in sex but did actually enjoy it themselves. Agent Triple P can, himself, remember discovering with delight that, much to his surprise, the women he met at university at the end of the seventies had not been programmed, as he had been led to believe, to resist men because they only wanted one thing. In fact for many of them that "one thing" was exactly what they were after.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today's protestors seem to have missed the fact that whilst women, rightly, want equal treatment at work and by society generally they also want to be able to wear sexy lingerie, strip off on beaches and wear very revealing clothes (it's 24 degrees today and some of the outfits we have just seen on Walton on Thames high street beggar belief); in short be <em>women </em>but with the same rights as <em>men</em>. The feminist groups objecting to the <em>Playboy</em> club today are arguing that <em>Playboy</em> as an institution legitimises pornography. Do they not realise that most of the young women Agent Triple P knows enjoy pornography and do not think it is a bad thing at all as they are comfortable about their sexuality. That is the real sexual revolution of the last decade or so, one these women seem to have missed.</div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005263349560451570.post-11065765339376584832011-05-31T03:19:00.000-07:002016-04-15T11:14:09.667-07:00Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adele Blanc-Sec<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Dj3kx2xJW8/Td1vCo95xXI/AAAAAAAAMJU/ZkTrf25t1-s/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1Dj3kx2xJW8/Td1vCo95xXI/AAAAAAAAMJU/ZkTrf25t1-s/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+b.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It's not often that Triple P actually goes to a cinema to see a film but we did manage to persuade Agent DVD to accompany us to see Luc Besson's <em>Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adele Blanc-Sec</em> the other week. We thought we were on strong ground as Agent DVD does like a French film. </div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sxYTV7rt5NI/Td1pfyMMZQI/AAAAAAAAMJQ/-ZoMBKBeirU/s1600/the-extraordinary-adventures-of-adele-blanc-sec-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sxYTV7rt5NI/Td1pfyMMZQI/AAAAAAAAMJQ/-ZoMBKBeirU/s320/the-extraordinary-adventures-of-adele-blanc-sec-movie-poster.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Triple P had been intrigued by the poster for the film, on the London Underground, as it featured several things bound to pique his interest: namely the pyramids, a pterodactyl, a dinosaur skeleton and an attractive young lady in a fetching straw hat. Even before we had found out anything about it the poster alone would probably have got us along to see it!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gzphs9uNu1Q/Td1yZM3JpYI/AAAAAAAAMJc/egs039ZKQqg/s1600/adele-und-das-geheimnis-des-pharaos-szenebild-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gzphs9uNu1Q/Td1yZM3JpYI/AAAAAAAAMJc/egs039ZKQqg/s320/adele-und-das-geheimnis-des-pharaos-szenebild-1.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />When we discovered it was the first major film to be directed by Luc Besson for some time we knew that we had to see it. We have seen a number of his films and although many are flawed he has a wonderful visual sense which is most important for Triple P. We are just not interested in seeing a film that could equally as well have been shot for TV (i.e. most of them) so we do like something with that extra bit of visual flair. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sbhF_3G43Q/Td14lwlBKNI/AAAAAAAAMJ4/K4f1PKaw2F8/s1600/adele-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7sbhF_3G43Q/Td14lwlBKNI/AAAAAAAAMJ4/K4f1PKaw2F8/s320/adele-6.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Besson directs Adele Blanc-Sec</em></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We first came across him when we went to see <em>Subway </em>(1985) which also had a great soundtrack by Eric Serra, a regular collaborator. We have also enjoyed to varying degrees <em>La Femme Nikita </em>(1990), Th<em>e Fifth Element </em>(1997) and <em>Joan of Arc</em> (1999). We have not seen <em>Leon </em>(1994) as it does not appeal, but we know Agent DVD rates it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v1fBFrB64dk/Td1vgjI0cgI/AAAAAAAAMJY/3DUizMSrQIQ/s1600/00000m2tssnapshot000156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-v1fBFrB64dk/Td1vgjI0cgI/AAAAAAAAMJY/3DUizMSrQIQ/s320/00000m2tssnapshot000156.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We knew we were going to enjoy it from the minute that Serra's marvellous "Egyptian" music started up over credits appearing as if on wall of an Egyptian tomb. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yrm5Jfv3LHA/TeSteSkCPCI/AAAAAAAAMPs/YnYgBlxpXPE/s1600/ABS-8198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yrm5Jfv3LHA/TeSteSkCPCI/AAAAAAAAMPs/YnYgBlxpXPE/s320/ABS-8198.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />If one had to design a film for Triple P it would be hard to better the constituent elements of Adele Blanc-Sec: pre-WW1 Paris, Pyramids, Egyptian tombs, mummies, a pterodactyl, a can-can scene, a big game hunter, a natural history museum, a beautiful heroine, a gratuitous bath scene and even a classic ocean liner. Perfect!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r-sX3G2lld0/Td10icFwhuI/AAAAAAAAMJg/BfkLbWzMMY8/s1600/Adele-Blanc-sec-planche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r-sX3G2lld0/Td10icFwhuI/AAAAAAAAMJg/BfkLbWzMMY8/s320/Adele-Blanc-sec-planche.jpg" t8="true" width="227" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are not going to go into the somewhat convulted plot but part of the latter can be explained by the fact that this was based on not just one but two seperate <em>bande dessinées </em>by Jacques Tardi featuring his heroine Adele Blanc-Sec. Besson is a big fan of the original graphic novels and some of the scenes in the film recreate the look of the scenes and characters extremely closely.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iD3hsORCOAs/Td108jqs0OI/AAAAAAAAMJo/KbNJnYyo4UA/s1600/adele_blanc_sec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iD3hsORCOAs/Td108jqs0OI/AAAAAAAAMJo/KbNJnYyo4UA/s320/adele_blanc_sec.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSC7_k_Lf_M/Td109qs13sI/AAAAAAAAMJs/92TVRaGAJqk/s1600/adele-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OSC7_k_Lf_M/Td109qs13sI/AAAAAAAAMJs/92TVRaGAJqk/s320/adele-3.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have a complex prelude which introduces some of the main characters and gives us our Can-Can scene as well, in a beautifully realised pre Great War Paris. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4eRxsriDFeg/Td13MmmHOWI/AAAAAAAAMJw/QV0Yb5S9grY/s1600/adele_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4eRxsriDFeg/Td13MmmHOWI/AAAAAAAAMJw/QV0Yb5S9grY/s320/adele_1.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">The exterior shots are very convincing and done panoramically. When filming period productions in London it is necessary, on the whole, to shoot very tightly, concentrating, for example, on just a couple of houses, which leads to a rather claustrophobic feeling. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN6uwrJPLhA/Td14ST6t6QI/AAAAAAAAMJ0/9M_XiS_Kyl4/s1600/adele-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sN6uwrJPLhA/Td14ST6t6QI/AAAAAAAAMJ0/9M_XiS_Kyl4/s320/adele-8.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The centre of Paris still has great swathes that are free of modern buildings enabling a much broader panoramic effect with any modern elements beeing able to be tidied up with CGI.<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6EfHx_SVnA/TeSpfTRUkuI/AAAAAAAAMPc/540ld7Qc19M/s1600/adaila3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J6EfHx_SVnA/TeSpfTRUkuI/AAAAAAAAMPc/540ld7Qc19M/s320/adaila3.png" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Even more wonderful than the exterior shots are the interior ones and the period set dressing is a wonder to behold.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zc27rR0tO2w/TeSpgxSgQQI/AAAAAAAAMPg/xUWJfaE40rQ/s1600/adele-und-das-geheimnis-des-pharaos-szenebild-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zc27rR0tO2w/TeSpgxSgQQI/AAAAAAAAMPg/xUWJfaE40rQ/s320/adele-und-das-geheimnis-des-pharaos-szenebild-2.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The location shooting in Egypt is excellent but it always amazes Triple P how film makers manage to show the pyramids as if they still sat in splendid isolation in the middle of the desert when they are, in fact, increasingly surrounded by modern elements. We wonder whether the Egyptian government tries to preserve at least one unspoilt view, rather like London tries to do with St Paul's Cathedral.</div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TF_hIG7_MJY/TeSrGHdZ5LI/AAAAAAAAMPk/JemHqtbqUbI/s1600/adele3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TF_hIG7_MJY/TeSrGHdZ5LI/AAAAAAAAMPk/JemHqtbqUbI/s320/adele3.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnSiIG0yMvE/TeSrIvbHssI/AAAAAAAAMPo/ecAQRovY6pk/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+h.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dnSiIG0yMvE/TeSrIvbHssI/AAAAAAAAMPo/ecAQRovY6pk/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+h.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall the film was well received but had a horribly limited release in the UK. When Agent DVD and Triple P went to see it it was showing in just four cinemas in the UK. This is a shame as Besson has said that he would like to make a sequel "if there was enough interest".</div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ea-sV-Pl_TM/TeSuxj9sGRI/AAAAAAAAMPw/X8F3bPWl_u8/s1600/adaila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ea-sV-Pl_TM/TeSuxj9sGRI/AAAAAAAAMPw/X8F3bPWl_u8/s320/adaila.jpg" t8="true" width="235" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSfX5ya5zF4/TeSu0d3F7qI/AAAAAAAAMP0/LYsBGcw3XYA/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CSfX5ya5zF4/TeSu0d3F7qI/AAAAAAAAMP0/LYsBGcw3XYA/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+d.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vHbEicyNBEA/TeSu1N2LAvI/AAAAAAAAMP4/k0sAKtSZI5Y/s1600/Adele_et_la_Bete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vHbEicyNBEA/TeSu1N2LAvI/AAAAAAAAMP4/k0sAKtSZI5Y/s320/Adele_et_la_Bete.jpg" t8="true" width="241" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">One element that some of the critics picked on was that the CGI was not up to Hollywood standards. Triple P would admit that a few shots were less good but frankly there are lot of big movies where the visuals are obviously CGI (even <em>The</em> <em>Lord of the Rings</em> had some very dodgy shots). We thought the red pterodactyl (we wondered about the colour choice until we saw the graphic novel) was very well realised, for example.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_ybMCtbNGU/TeSxgJguriI/AAAAAAAAMP8/Dxu1LWfqkQM/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-ad-le-blanc-sec-original+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z_ybMCtbNGU/TeSxgJguriI/AAAAAAAAMP8/Dxu1LWfqkQM/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-ad-le-blanc-sec-original+c.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V06MT4se7hc/TeSyR1bEqxI/AAAAAAAAMQA/swLvFcrRROQ/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+i.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V06MT4se7hc/TeSyR1bEqxI/AAAAAAAAMQA/swLvFcrRROQ/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+i.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zyjckJJCtow/TeSyuchbQJI/AAAAAAAAMQE/iytzX0AAuFY/s1600/Adele-Blanc-Sec+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zyjckJJCtow/TeSyuchbQJI/AAAAAAAAMQE/iytzX0AAuFY/s320/Adele-Blanc-Sec+a.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lkkcBpeulc0/TeSzB94Ww2I/AAAAAAAAMQI/7HOylC9iuVE/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lkkcBpeulc0/TeSzB94Ww2I/AAAAAAAAMQI/7HOylC9iuVE/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mCkmExGBZL0/TeSzO_MJ3dI/AAAAAAAAMQM/-y3iOFOLr28/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mCkmExGBZL0/TeSzO_MJ3dI/AAAAAAAAMQM/-y3iOFOLr28/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+a.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;">The film stands and falls, however, on the protrayal of Adele Blanc-Sec herself, as she is on screen for much of the time. Fans of the original <em>bande dessinées </em>were initially unhappy with the selection of Louise Bourgoin as being far too pretty to play the rather mousy Adele.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p4ZPBbmuQt0/TeSzuCN5HGI/AAAAAAAAMQU/Znk_mEP2FDk/s1600/adele-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p4ZPBbmuQt0/TeSzuCN5HGI/AAAAAAAAMQU/Znk_mEP2FDk/s320/adele-2.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wca7iNvVn-s/TeSz4JuKdSI/AAAAAAAAMQY/R1ZOB5nGQ70/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wca7iNvVn-s/TeSz4JuKdSI/AAAAAAAAMQY/R1ZOB5nGQ70/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+e.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIdxiYZahjU/TeS0cNsGwLI/AAAAAAAAMQc/P6NW7miJLRI/s1600/the-extraordinary-adventures-of-adele-blanc-sec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bIdxiYZahjU/TeS0cNsGwLI/AAAAAAAAMQc/P6NW7miJLRI/s320/the-extraordinary-adventures-of-adele-blanc-sec.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Bourgoin isn't pretty in this film, however, she is absolutely <em>gorgeous</em>. Dressed in the most wonderful period outfits and possibly the greatest selection of hats seen in a film since <em>My Fair Lady,</em> she looks sensational.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xY2EFXuuxgM/TeS08KY2JVI/AAAAAAAAMQg/WsHSW9BPSJM/s1600/600full-the-extraordinary-adventures-of-adele-blanc--sec-screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xY2EFXuuxgM/TeS08KY2JVI/AAAAAAAAMQg/WsHSW9BPSJM/s320/600full-the-extraordinary-adventures-of-adele-blanc--sec-screenshot.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0pHY91ifa8/TeS09z_1SDI/AAAAAAAAMQk/08SokYjPCu8/s1600/adele-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0pHY91ifa8/TeS09z_1SDI/AAAAAAAAMQk/08SokYjPCu8/s320/adele-1.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYtVP2-0zcg/TeS1C-sG-0I/AAAAAAAAMQs/X9xv6f5sqtM/s1600/The-Extraordinary-Adventures-of-Adele-Blanc-Sec-Trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYtVP2-0zcg/TeS1C-sG-0I/AAAAAAAAMQs/X9xv6f5sqtM/s320/The-Extraordinary-Adventures-of-Adele-Blanc-Sec-Trailer.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-8FV4deV8k/TeS1RA0GzLI/AAAAAAAAMQw/NqHjdongKdI/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k-8FV4deV8k/TeS1RA0GzLI/AAAAAAAAMQw/NqHjdongKdI/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+f.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X8OvamFniLo/TeS1UffqYVI/AAAAAAAAMQ0/ITuneTVmbtE/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X8OvamFniLo/TeS1UffqYVI/AAAAAAAAMQ0/ITuneTVmbtE/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+g.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She not only looks fabulous but she nails the character and delivers a performance which, we suspect, will take her on to bigger and better things. Not very long ago she was just a TV weathergirl!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eL9ve7Tmr9s/TeS2K-jdePI/AAAAAAAAMQ4/ZrGVZdWJO5k/s1600/adele_blanc_sec_51442482eca5cfaafd29ebf89acf45cf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eL9ve7Tmr9s/TeS2K-jdePI/AAAAAAAAMQ4/ZrGVZdWJO5k/s320/adele_blanc_sec_51442482eca5cfaafd29ebf89acf45cf.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFXASjvnWpk/TeS2OCZsWsI/AAAAAAAAMQ8/OvlKIcf5GHo/s1600/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pFXASjvnWpk/TeS2OCZsWsI/AAAAAAAAMQ8/OvlKIcf5GHo/s320/les-aventures-extraordinaires-d-adele-blanc-sec-original+k.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m40PAl7C_IA/TeS2QmZzG4I/AAAAAAAAMRA/sNyQ_mwUmi8/s1600/adele.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m40PAl7C_IA/TeS2QmZzG4I/AAAAAAAAMRA/sNyQ_mwUmi8/s320/adele.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Several other critics have mentioned the gratuitous bath scene but, in fact, it is straight from the pages of the original graphic novel and therefore can't possibly be gratuitous! Anyway, if Triple P was directing a film with Louise in it we would absolutely ensure we got her into a bath!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ViJCHpna2ME/TeS4AVJ9-HI/AAAAAAAAMRE/BwyXk1_OmWs/s1600/12-louise-bourgoin_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ViJCHpna2ME/TeS4AVJ9-HI/AAAAAAAAMRE/BwyXk1_OmWs/s320/12-louise-bourgoin_m.jpg" t8="true" width="212" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hWDUEswjdIQ/TeS4BkfJf6I/AAAAAAAAMRI/ZT8qaGUtCMU/s1600/212942-2807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hWDUEswjdIQ/TeS4BkfJf6I/AAAAAAAAMRI/ZT8qaGUtCMU/s320/212942-2807.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Louise was born in November 1981 in Brittany. Her real name is Arianne but she adoped the name Louise because a presenter on the TV show she joined as weathergirl was also called Arianne. Her performance in <em>La fille de Monaco</em> (2008) got her a nomination as most promising actress in the French<span class="mw-headline" id="Awards_and_nominations"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif";">César </span></span>awards (equivalent of the Oscars).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZPq6dVFKeI/TeS4D6dPwhI/AAAAAAAAMRM/eAtyHAhL_gY/s1600/louise-bourgoin-elle-2009-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DZPq6dVFKeI/TeS4D6dPwhI/AAAAAAAAMRM/eAtyHAhL_gY/s320/louise-bourgoin-elle-2009-005.jpg" t8="true" width="226" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DmZxsqHXRsg/TeS4FodW4yI/AAAAAAAAMRQ/9LgHnjNIh4M/s1600/louise-bourgoin-nue-en-collants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DmZxsqHXRsg/TeS4FodW4yI/AAAAAAAAMRQ/9LgHnjNIh4M/s320/louise-bourgoin-nue-en-collants.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Mlle Bourgoin in modern dress</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">To help publicise Adele Blanc-Sec Louise did a photo shoot for French Elle's April 2010 issue where she was dressed up as characters from other Luc Besson films to agreeable effect.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-42brmTFUYtM/TeTEzTPWliI/AAAAAAAAMRU/CyD-7mnqpGI/s1600/Louise-Bourgoin-sexy-ELLE-Leeloo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-42brmTFUYtM/TeTEzTPWliI/AAAAAAAAMRU/CyD-7mnqpGI/s320/Louise-Bourgoin-sexy-ELLE-Leeloo.jpg" t8="true" width="247" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Louise as Leeloo from The Fifth Element from Elle 2010</em></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjm-nqgRDeU/TeTGcXZWz0I/AAAAAAAAMRY/gec3Q6bGaNw/s1600/Louise-Bourgoin-sexy-ELLE-Nikita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cjm-nqgRDeU/TeTGcXZWz0I/AAAAAAAAMRY/gec3Q6bGaNw/s320/Louise-Bourgoin-sexy-ELLE-Nikita.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em>Louise as Nikita</em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />So, a thoroughly enjoyable (if totally silly) film and we hope that there is a UK DVD released before too long. It has come out on DVD in France but with no English subtitles, as is usual with the French. There is also an Asian version but this may be cut. We will have to keep an eye open for Mlle Bourgoin in any other films!<br /><br /></div>jupehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10848261374973886294noreply@blogger.com