More New Season TV

Moonlight - film noir PI stuff about a Vampire PI living in LA.  Hmmm... now that sounds familiar.  Plus points: Sophie Myles as the female lead/love interest, Jason Dohring as the "oldest Vampire in LA".  Minus points: Alex O'Loughin as the lead isn't good enough.  I was interested enough to watch episode 2, but only just.  Could improve.  But currently leading my canned by mid-season sweepstakes.

K-Ville: Missed the start of this which I will probably remedy (K-Ville is "Katrina Ville" i.e. New Orleans).  Not 100% sure of the set up, but an ex-cop turned ex-con gets out of jail during the hurricane and ends up somehow back on the force.  It was a little cliched, but watchable.

Journeyman - heh.  Quantum Leap for the 00s without Dean Stockwell.  I can't see that I'll manage to watch Episode 2.  Also high on my list of soon to be canned TV dramas.

Grey's Anatomy - I think I only watch this to see if you can see our flat during the openning establishing shot of Seattle before they cut to a studio somewhere in Vancouver.  Same old soap opera.  Isiah Washington is off the cast now after this anger management and personal issues became too much for the producers.  Might keep with it to see the outcome of the Katherine Heigl and gay dork story line.  Ok, so I know his character isn't gay but come on, really....

Ugly Betty - still fun.  Not a lot to say about it.  It's fluffy TV for winter evenings.

Rugby Update

Well, time to enjoy the last week of England as world champions then... *sigh*

I'll be up at 5.30am on Saturday and get myself down to Fado on 1st to see England get gloriously spanked by a mechanically scary Wallaby team.  It might go the other way.  If Wilkinson can manage some drop goals and we can limit the amount of damage they can inflict on our defense.  They have some weaknesses - they were vunerable in the Canada game to the occasional chip and run, but they'll not fall for that in a game against England and they'll make sure that Wilkinson and Sackey are locked down tight.

Team USA put up a credible fight against the Spingboks and the scoreline actually doesn't do the US justice.  They scored one of the best tries I've seen in a game in a good long while, a 4 phase run from the US touchline.  Superb champagne rugby.  Sorry you didn't win a game guys but an amateur team can hold it's head up about how they played.

What can I say about Ireland v. Argentina.  The Argentinians have always been one for an upset but Ireland, like England have not looked on their game.  England at least managed to pull out of the RSA disaster and move forward.  Sadly it's purely down to Wilkinson, if he gets injured again then England are completely finished.  We just don't have any other play maker on the grass.

I haven't watched a Kiwi game yet, I'll watch their Quarter final on Saturday - however, I suspect that France won't be celebrating - although, like Argentina, the French can pull off an upset as they did in the semi-final in 1999 where they demonstrated that Gallic flair could outplay the monstrous force of Lomu.

My money at this stage is South Africa and either Australia or New Zealand in the final.

I think my money is safe.

Even more TV

Dirty Sexy Money: Wow.  Watch it.  Excellent first episode, really really rocked.  It has a first season story in place, lots of interesting back story to fill in as an idealistic lawyer goes to work for the richest family in New York (headed by patriarchal Donald Sutherland in full weird old guy mode), a role his father held until dying mysteriously in a plane crash that might not have been an accident.

Dexter (S2):  Good solid start.  Get S1 on DVD.  The premise is simple. Dexter is a forensic scientist who as a kid was adopted by a Police office who found him at the scene of a crime.  Dexter is also a fully functional sociopath.  Fortunately his adoptive dad helped him find ways of channeling his need to kill and he really only serial kills people who themselves were murderers...  it's as weird and creapy as it sounds but Michael C Hall (of 6 feet Under) is amazing in the role.  It also was particuarly interesting coming so soon after I read Peter Watts Hugo nominated Blindsight where there is much discussion about people mimicking emotion to fit in even though they completely lack emotional affect.  Top stuff.

I think that just about covers all the TV I'm watching at the moment.

Boring Weight Related Stuff

M has been on at me about weight related stuff.  We've both put on weight we can ill afford to while moving here.  It's hard not to :(  I've also started travelling again which isn't good.

As part of her employment package with the Beast she and her spouse (me) get access to MS funded weight and fitness programmes.  We took a look at the last week.  Basically the format of the 2 is the same, they do a physical and provide a 12,16 or 20 week programme of diet, counselling and personal training.

We'll probably start the flashest of the two (Lifestyles 20/20) in November.  Not because I particuarly like the programme.  I know it works, I've seen the results around campus - if you've seen recent Steve Balmer footage compared to 5 years ago, you'll see the results there.  I do have a problem with it that it is slightly cultish and that most of the stories by the uber-fit salesman did not apply.  I do not eat at Claim Jumper thank you, I do over eat on better food than that, and I do drink too much.  They also didn't really have an answer to my question about business travel.

However, all that said, the program works.  Why?  Because for 12-20 weeks (depending on how much you have to lose) you have three 75 minute personal trainer sessions a week and they ask you to log another 2 hours of exercise elsewhere.  They give you access to a dietician including a specialist on eating out, and they have group support sessions for staying on program.  I know I lose weight rapidly when I exercise, the problem is actually sticking to a regime long enough for it to become second nature. 

I don't want to hit 40 weighing over 120kgs thank you.  So, I've a tour of Europe to come and then back to the gym.

 
EDIT:  That isn't to say I haven't been being careful.  I've been exercising more and trying to watch what I eat.  According to the doctor on Friday my BP was 116/68 - which was without my Altace.  So I think I can say that my BP is back to normal.  I can also wear one size down in trousers, but frankly, I'm not going anywhere like enough.