Well, perhaps. But we seem to be off to a good start. These two moved in with my family last week and I was introduced at the weekend. Although both around two years of age, this is the first time in their lives they have had full contact with humans, so I'm sure there will be interesting times ahead.

Completely unrelated random link: Naoko Yamazaki and Soichi Noguchi perform Sakura Sakura onboard the ISS. Perhaps not an award-winning performance, nor an activity likely to lead to amazing scientific breakthroughs, but fun nonetheless. Sadly I couldn't find a good, full-length video of the occasion (NHK's clip was shorter and the reporter was talking over the top), so the BBC video will have to do.

I think I'll begin clearing out the post backlog with a review of a film I watched a couple of months ago.

I first stumbled across Moon while hopping between videos on YouTube, where I encountered this trailer. My interest piqued, I did a little research and uncovered a film that soon found its way onto my list of things to see.

Although the attention received by Moon fell short of the level lavished on most Hollywood blockbusters, it was noticed by the film industry press and did well in the festival circuit, earning it more publicity than a British independent film would normally expect to receive. Part of that was down to the list of people involved in the project. Made on a budget that probably wouldn't even cover the catering expenses of the average motion picture in California, Moon was the brainchild of Duncan Jones, perhaps better known as Zowie Bowie, son of a moderately famous musician called David. Sam Rockwell starred as the film's protagonist; although a relative unknown, I have seen him in a couple of films before - Galaxy Quest, where he played "Crewman Number 6", the redshirt who was convinced he was fated to die, and THHGTTG, in which he played Zaphod Beeblebrox. Kevin Spacey, one of those famous people I can identify by name but couldn't tell you a single thing he's been in, lent his voice to a character; I imagine his talents don't normally come cheap, so I would hazard a guess that the director used some family influence there.

Rounding out the group of notable names is Clint Mansell, composer of the soundtrack to Requiem for a Dream, a soundtrack I lusted after for a while and even considered watching the film to see it in its natural setting before someone with more sense kindly pointed out that the film really wasn't the kind of material I would enjoy. The opportunity to listen to a Clint Mansell soundtrack in a film that stood a chance of being something I might like was a pleasing prospect.

So, an independent science fiction film with an encouraging trailer, a promising soundtrack and many nods from independent film festivals. It sounds like the recipe for a fantastic evening of movie viewing.

And it wasn't bad. It wasn't perfect either, but it delivered enough for me to come away from it feeling quite positive.

I'll start with what I felt was the weakest element of the film - the script - while trying not to give too much away. The "twist" in the film will be apparent to most viewers about half an hour in, leaving the rest of the film feeling quite predictable and rather less suspenseful than the trailer might imply. I appreciate that was the intention, and that the film is supposed to engage the viewer through the protagonist's reactions to the revelations in the film rather than through the revelations directly. However, Sam Rockwell's dialogue and behaviour felt a little unnatural at times; I'm probably not a good judge of human behaviour and have little experience with people who have been isolated in a strange environment for three years, but given the events happening around him, I sometimes found myself surprised by the behaviour of the main character, breaking the illusion of the fantasy momentarily.

The above issues are the fault of the script rather than the actor, who put in a generally good performance. Rockwell doesn't escape criticism entirely though. While he was great on his own, his interaction with props, particularly computers, left a lot to be desired. Watching the protagonist type by slapping his open palm against the keyboard repeatedly just looked amateurish and again broke the illusion of the lovingly crafted fictional world. Perhaps I'm just picking up on this because it's something that, given my interests, I would be more conscious of. But I can't believe that no one reviewing the takes in question spotted the glaring flaws.

Other than the few occasions my attention was drawn to these detractions, I found myself slipping into and enjoying the experience. The overall premise of the film is rather far fetched, but no more so than the classic science fiction short stories I used to read, so I was able to comfortably suspend disbelief for the full 93 minute running time.

The sets and production values warrant a mention. The whole film, except for the small number of exterior shots, was filmed in a single, fully enclosed set. The production crew assembled the interior as one unit, allowing for some nice shots following the main character around. The fact that the camera had to be located in the set with the actor rather than shooting through the "fourth wall" amplified the feeling of being confined and helped the whole thing feel more real. The lack of any real budget meant that the sets were filled with junk which had been spray-painted silver, while the exterior and special effects shots used models instead of comparatively expensive CGI whenever possible, completing the vaguely retro, pulp-sci-fi feel.

The soundtrack was not "epic" in the same way that other recent Mansell productions have been, but the subdued, atmospheric music suited the tone of the film perfectly. Perhaps not one I would pick up to listen to on its own, but that shouldn't be seen as a negative thing. I just don't feel it would work as well on its own. But as a soundtrack in combination with the film, in its natural environment, it really couldn't have been better.

I have a feeling that this is a film that will appeal most to those who enjoy stories that blend science fiction with an analysis of human nature. This is Silent Running, not Star Wars, so the sci-fi action crowd should look elsewhere. Similarly, if you have little interest in the science fiction elements, the flawed character development might feel empty and a little boring. But for those who appreciate both aspects and who are willing to overlook a few rough patches, Moon should prove quite satisfying.

Three point five stars out of five on the arbitrary score-o-meter.

A little while ago, in the middle of my recent hectic period, I came up with an idea for a fun (to me >_>) project to busy myself with. I don't really know why, but for some reason I always seem to come up with all kinds of ideas for mini projects when I'm at my busiest and have no time to devote to them. I pushed this one to the back of my mind and thought little of it until last week when, during a period of extreme stress, I snapped and treated myself to the parts I needed in order to try to cheer myself up.

My project idea called for a device with a small display, a network interface and some way to program a lightweight application, either in native code or (preferably, to speed development) something web-based running in an on-device browser. As long as the required elements were all there and working, I didn't really care what state the rest of the device was in. So I set about trawling eBay for Windows CE tablets and other portable devices with damaged cases, faulty components, etc, that I could harvest the bits I needed from. Eventually I came across a PSP with unspecified faults, but which was shown booting into the XMB interface - with a good screen, wireless networking (hopefully still working) and a built-in browser, it was just what I was after. I could scrap the case and the faulty bits and save the remainder from ending up as landfill by turning it into something useful. Mine for £26.99.
 

 
Yesterday I received the little fellow pictured above. A quick poke around revealed a PlayStation Portable 1000-series in surprisingly good condition. Aside from a few scratches and a barely noticeable chip (I think it suffered a fall), the case is presentable. The UMD drive is present but non-functional (this seems to be the most common failure on eBayed PSPs, so I was expecting this). But the rest of the unit works perfectly. Even the battery can hold a charge for several hours. Essentially I've ended up with a PSP Go with "retro" styling for a fraction of the cost.

Not really wanting to tear it apart and harvest its innards, I have decided to adapt my project somewhat so that I can leave the PSP intact. This will give me the opportunity to play around with a current generation portable gaming system, which I suspect will be a little more advanced than my venerable GBA SP.

It is rather grubby though, particularly around the buttons. I gave it a thorough wipe with disinfectant as soon as it arrived in the office as I'm rather fastidious about these things, but I think I'm going to need to dismantle it and give it a more intensive clean. That will allow me to clean off the smeared fingerprints on the inside of the plastic covering the screen too. I think this unit has probably been through quite a bit. >_>

A quick summary of my initial PSP impressions then for those who have owned them for years to giggle at. This is the first time I've had a proper look at the device; I was given the opportunity to play with a PSP once before, but my attention was focused on the game so I didn't spend very long examining the hardware. It all seems quite well designed and put together. The screen is enormous when compared to the GBA and is quite a treat for the eyes. Although I have not used the device at length, the buttons appear to be located sensibly and comfortably, with the exception of the Start and Select buttons that are quite fiddly but hopefully rarely used. I have always thought that the PSP would be an awkward device to pick up and hold due to buttons sprouting from every surface, and to an extent this has proven to be true (in my admittedly very brief round of testing). Although the buttons on the front face of the device are mostly immune to knocks, I have found myself depressing the left and right triggers when picking the PSP up or adjusting its position in my hands, leading to various unwanted things happening.

I'm looking forward to poking around a bit more when I have more time to see what the device can do. In the meantime though, I'd have to say that the short-term goal of cheering myself up has been met most successfully.

Poor, neglected blog. Well over a month has passed since I last posted anything here. I should probably attack the cobwebs before I start on anything else.

I think I've finally begun to move out of the dark hole that work and family have conspired to suck me into for the past few months. Things are still some way from being back to normal; although I am starting to find myself with a little free time once again, I am incredibly tired and have spent most of it sleeping. It will probably take a little while for life to settle down again, but the signs of progress are reassuring.

I still don't know quite what's been happening. Since my last post, the tag-teaming of work and family has continued. Whenever I am released by one, the other takes its place. A work lull has practically become a guarantee of an impending intensive family event. And while I'm recovering from that, like clockwork, an essential server in the office will roll onto its back. If I hadn't been caught up in the middle of it all, the timing would almost have been comical.

This is probably the lowest I've felt since the Dark Times. A personal upset contributed greatly to the dark clouds, although that was sadly unavoidable. Over recent months, I've noticed the resurgence of certain familiar feelings that I had hoped were behind me. I've managed to mostly banish them whence they came, but it's unsettling to see how little pressure is required for cracks to form. Thanks to some supportive and understanding people, I think I escaped the worst of it this time.

I'd prefer to avoid a repeat of this period if at all possible though, so I have created a few rules for myself that I intend to abide by until I feel that they are no longer necessary. For example, I will stop doing any office-related work at home that isn't absolutely essential. If Boss starts pleading with me that he needs X done by date Y because he promised it to client Z, tough. I will stop being affected by the "I am disappointed in your apparent unwillingness to meet the random and obviously stupid project requirements I just set" glare too. It's a crappy job and not worth my sanity. Family gets off a little lighter, but I will say "no" more firmly from now on when declining an invitation and will not capitulate just to get the coaxing to stop. That's the plan at least. I'll have to see how I get on over the next month or two.

My blog backlog has obviously grown a little; I'll do my best to attack it over the coming weeks. I think a lot of the posts will be reviewish in nature, but I'll try to sprinkle a couple of different things in there too to add some variety. One thing I will mention quickly now is this site in general. It's been over a year now since I resurrected my dormant blog. Apart from adding comments, I haven't tweaked much since then, so I'll probably change a couple of things over the next few months that I've been meaning to poke for a while.

One site-related question I'd like to put to anyone dropping by concerns the layout of these pages. I've always liked dynamic layouts for their flexibility and wrote BBI to stretch across the full width of displays 800 pixels across or wider. However, while this practice may have worked well on Ye Olde Web, that's no longer the case. The purchase of a new, wide screen monitor of a reasonably high resolution in the office gave me the chance to experience an issue that a number of people have been mentioning to me for a while - that dynamic layouts on large monitors result in extremely long lines of text that render paragraphs virtually unreadable. Since larger displays are rapidly becoming the norm, I should probably do as many other sites have done and switch to a wide but fixed layout.

Thoughts on whether you think this would be a good idea would be most welcome.