It started like this: John: Rumours? You ever heard Rumours? Kayleigh: What? John: What?! Rumours is one of the best albums in the whole wide world! Kayleigh: Never even heard of it. John: Excuse me? You've never heard of Rumours? Oh, you'll love it. I'll burn you a copy. Tonight. One of my all-time favourite albums. Kayleigh: Mine's Now 48. John: Now 48?! Kayleigh: They're all on it, all me …

As previously mentioned, Mr C was unable to narrow his shortlist of top songs down to just five. And by the time we got to talking about films we were both pretty exhausted by the whole subject. So, I let him get away with expanding his list to ten films as well! I'm such a pushover. Anyway, these are in alphabetical order with links to my Film Watch reviews for …

Now, normally at this point in the year, I hand over a portion of my site to Mr C, allowing him to pick his top five songs and top five films that we consumed in the previous twelve months. It's a joyous process for me - throughout the year, we keep a note of potential contenders and then I get to watch him writhe in agony as he tries to …

You know, of course, that I'm an insane Back to the Future fan. However, it wasn't until we watched the incredible Back in Time) documentary that I realised I'd missed out on an important part of BTTF fandom - Michael J Fox's books. I picked up Lucky Man, his memoir chronicling his career and his Parkinson's Disease diagnosis, and how the two had to fit in his life side by …

I'm not one that particularly wants a Back to the Future sequel, even though I'm a huge fan of the trilogy. However, anything else we can get that allows us to spend time in Hill Valley is fine by me. I hugely enjoyed the Telltale Games episodic game series that thrust us straight back into the world of time travel and all its many consequences. I drooled over the BTTF …

Maggie, aka Mighty Girl, is one of the reasons I started my own Life List many moons ago, and I'm always interested to see her take on resolutions, goals and achievements to undertake. Whilst her resolutions this year may be minimalistic, they are none the less inspiring, particularly this one about putting pen to paper/finger to keyboard. Write and write and write and write. It’s like talking, as much as …

The fact that Peter Kay's Car Share was brilliant and received a lot of love is probably not news to many, given that the series aired in April last year. It was something that passed Mr C by, however, and whilst I watched it over and over and grew to love it more and more, I felt protective of it in that way that means you can't really recommend it …

I've caught a couple of trains over the festive period, and whilst this is not particularly exciting news, it has been a while since I've travelled on the railway. I wanted to test out the Trainline app, which recently updated to include in-app purchasing via Apple Pay, and my findings were thus: HOW did any of us manage to navigate train travel without this app? From the off, it is …

There is no one right way to blog, e-mail, or otherwise share content with the world. No right time to post, no right combination of networks to use, no perfect font size or color. So at a certain point you're going to have to go back to the only true metric, the only like that matters in the end. Yours. Boing Boing: Escaping the new media cargo cult

In the previous post I wrote about third-party games on the Apple TV, I talked of how brilliant it was that Just Dance can be played without having to dash about the shops in a fruitless search for the correct controller for the job. That's not the full story though. Whilst the Apple TV remote can be used for all the games that are available, it's not always the ideal …

Since I started my Life List project six years ago (six!), I've been wrapping up how each year has gone and what I've experienced that I probably wouldn't have done if I hadn't started such a thing. The last so-called Life List Review, however, was at the end of 2013, and two years have passed since then. I made the silly mistake of taking on some exams and spent the …

Many times, I started writing the post about my Life List challenge to complete a puzzle book but the trouble is... well, it's boring, isn't it? Who wants to read about someone else trying to do a puzzle? I envisaged glorious photos and regular updates, but to be frank, I couldn't summon the energy to take any! I completed the puzzle book (almost) at some point earlier in the year, …

One thing that had never really occurred to me about streaming music services until the last couple of weeks, is the access you have to things that you don't need all the time. Sure, you want to create playlists of your favourite songs and you want to listen to the best band albums over and over again, but sometimes there is music you only require for a specific period of …

One of my earliest forays into recording my voice involved working with LibriVox to create audiobooks. The site is a great place full of volunteers who help to record and gather together public domain works, creating a vast archive of audiobooks. I haven't had time to participate in a long while, but did manage to list all the projects I was involved with. It was previously a constantly updated page …

The long-awaited update to the Apple TV that allowed third-party apps has been a mixed blessing. On the one hand, there are lots of new apps to play with and some of them are fan-flippin-tastic! On the other hand, usability and simplicity has taken a big knock, and there were some pretty serious niggles that are, thankfully, gradually being ironed out. Better to dwell on the good, though, and I've …

It's a big responsibility and an honor to work in that huge orbiting laboratory. Figuring out how to support life in the hostile environment of space has resulted in thousands of down-to-earth spin-offs, from temperature-regulating underwear to heart pumps that rely on Shuttle fuel-pump technology. The concrete benefits and by-products of the science we do in space have touched fields from agriculture to medicine to robotics. Data gathered on the …

I was super excited to watch the new Jessica Jones series on Netflix. I'd not got on board with Daredevil, but this was something different. The concept appealed 100% - Marvel expanding their universe with female characters at the helm? Bring it on. Netflix allowing us to binge watch the entire series at once? I'm on board! The trouble is, it arrived just before I got to my latest exam …

As is often the way, the first part of my December downtime has been spent curled up under a duvet desperately waiting for the hour I can have my next Lemsip. This year, I tried a new tactic of supplementing the real medicine with that other thing that's supposedly even better: laughter. There were a few new stand up shows available on iTunes, those that have presumably also been released …

I think this was aired on James Corden's show last week, but I've just caught up with the video now. Love Me Like You Do isn't one of my favourite Ellie songs, but how can you not love it done in so many different ways? I particularly enjoy the country version, with some exceptionally dodgy accents. I've been listening to more and more country music recently, and not a lot …

I’ve fully embraced the world of Apple Music, far more than I have any other streaming product. It’s not perfect, but considering how many Apple shaped gadgets I have, it fits into my life better than other streaming services do. It’s had quite a big impact on my listening habits, which is perhaps a story for another day, but the bottom line is I’m listening to a lot more music …

Last month, Mr C and I finished watching all of the Bond films. We'd been pondering the merits and pitfalls of doing such a thing, but when I bought the iTunes bundle of all 23 films up to and including Skyfall, it was inevitable. We finished the films just in time for the hype to start for the new film, Spectre, which means there's a lot of great Bond content …

To celebrate some exam success this week, I was whisked off to the Apple store to purchase some Beats goodies - bluetooth in-ear headphones, and their mini portable speaker, the Beats Pill. Both are a lot of fun, however it was an impromptu off-the-shelf purchase that has turned out to be the real revelation. I'm always keen on gadgets that make photography more accessible. In this day and age of …

I was allowed to lift my head from my study books for two weeks recently, to head to Belgium for a fortnight work trip. It was crazy busy and there wasn't a lot of time to be a tourist, but I did manage to snap a couple of pictures in Brussels. It's a lovely place, full of juxtapositions of old and new, and a big mish-mash of languages. I wish …

Just like many people, I've been curious how James Corden would get on in the wild world of late night US talk shows. You'll have noticed my obsession with Jimmy Fallon, I'm sure, and the concept of these daily evening entertainment extravaganzas fascinates me. By all accounts, he did okay and there's at least something to work with. From the clips I've seen, it's a good start but I just …

Since writing about my desire to chronicle the connected life I've done a lot of playing around with gadgets but not so much reporting of my findings. One of the health and fitness gadgets I've been less keen on trying is the Fitbit fitness band, partly because it just doesn't appeal to me and partly because of their refusal to embrace Apple's HealthKit concept. (For those who missed it, HealthKit …

Life is, predictably, very busy at the moment and instead of flailing around as I make my way through a day, I've had to start thinking in the morning: "This is what I have to achieve today, how will I fit it in?" That means a bit of forward planning, which in turn means that Hugh Grant was right all along with his system, highlighted in About a Boy. I …

I so wanted Newsstand to be the answer. The concept is perfect: digital copies of magazines delivered to my device without me having to a) leave the house/rely on the postal service or b) find space for physical paper. Unfortunately, it's just not that simple. I started my digital magazine explorations with Zinio, and then moved on to Newsstand when Apple kicked off their version of digital newspaper and magazines. …

Major changes to the makeup of the grid set the tone for a promising 2015 Formula One season. Two World Champions have opted to switch teams in order to reinvigorate their careers following lacklustre results last year. Fernando Alonso returns to a team he almost destroyed back in 2007, while Sebastian Vettel makes a clean break from the team and personnel that have been responsible for his F1 success to …

Browsing through the BBC iPlayer, I saw that the final episode of Miranda that aired over Christmas was about to time out. It reminded me that three of my fondly admired sitcoms came to their conclusion this festive period, and surprisingly, all three went out in style. It may be that LOST burned me and that I hold a grudge for too long, but it feels like most TV shows …

Box of Lies with Channing Tatum

The history My experiences with Harry Potter have been something of a rollercoaster. I enjoyed the books during their first run, but wasn't hugely passionate about them - happy to wait for the paperback version, rather than stand in line at midnight for the final book's release. I somehow ended up owning just six of the seven physical books, so was super keen to own them as ebooks so I …

Following swiftly on from the films of 2014, Mr C turns his attention to music. The playlist to choose from was up to 17 songs at one point, and narrowing it down to five proved to be a difficult task, but one which was great fun for me to watch him agonise over. You can view previous years via the handy links at the end of the post, but for …

It's that time of year again (a little late actually), the one where I force Mr C to decide on his top five songs and films from the year just gone. Usually, this is a fun process in which we discuss music and movies and have a bit of a laugh. This year, it's been less enjoyable because there have been so many good songs and films that it's been …

I've talked before about how much I liked Crashed Ice, the sport is simple and pure - four guys on skates racing to the bottom of a tricky ice course. You have to have skill, but there's enough luck involved to know that every single trip down the course is unpredictable and unmissable. This year, the sport is taking in four spots around the globe including Belfast, which is tantalisingly …

I was catching up with some recent Desert Island Discs episodes and the most recent conversation was with Julie Bentley. Ms Bentley is the Chief Executive of the Guide Association and she spent much of the talk with host Kirsty Young defending the concept of Girl Guides. Are they still relevant? Should they be modernising and discussing sex education as they apparently have recently, or rather preserving the youth of …

If you listen to podcasts in any capacity, you're unlikely to have missed hearing about the new spin-off from This American Life called Serial. It's a documentary series focusing on one story and following it for as long as it takes, rather than the multi-storied This American Life style episodes. And whereas TAL is all about the radio with podcasts attached on the side, Serial is designed to be a …

Despite this being an advert (although it's for free popcorn so who can argue?), it's worth sharing because the minions get all Christmassy and start singing carols. If you watched their last attempt at singing and were put off, understandably, then do give them a second chance. I'm so glad the minions have their own film coming out, although do wonder if they will be required to communicate better and …

The first trailer for Jurassic World was released yesterday, and I hadn't realised I was going to be excited about the film until I saw it and gasped. A lot. The music! Chris Pratt! The gates! The shark! When I first heard about another Jurassic Park sequel, my heart sank because, let's face it, they already ruined it enough with the second one. But then watching this trailer - which …

The connected life. Wearable tech. Automated homes. The internet of things. All these names cover the next wave of technological interest and advancement, and whilst they may all be less than desirable monikers, the actual concepts and gadgets that are being created are absolutely fascinating. I've been a keen gadget hunter for a long time, particularly over the last few years, and having barely scratched the surface of research regarding …

U2 were due to perform a week-long guest slot on Jimmy Fallon's nightly chat show but of course Bono went and fell off a bike and broke himself. (BTW, why do people keep cycling when all I ever here from cyclists is tales of woe?) So, rather than drafting in someone less good, last minute, Jimmy upped the stakes and decided to become Bono himself. Video no longer available. It's …

I’ve found the exams I’ve taken this year to be really quite intense and it turns out that the closer it gets to the day itself, and the more intense the revision is, the less room I have in my head for anything else. Whether that is writing on my own blog, connecting with people on Twitter, keeping up with news online, or listening to podcasts, everything comes to a …

Pitch Perfect 2! A trailer! So much awesome! Fat Amy continues to steal the show, but I can't wait to see the group back together. And bonus Hailee Steinfield who appears to be in every film ever these days.

One of our favourite things to do on Sidepodcast is look back at the stupid things we said a year, two years or more ago. Because you can't search an mp3, that often means scrabbling for what is in the show notes, or better yet, looking back at the transcript for our word for word conversation. Transcribing is a lengthy process, however, and when it comes down to it, we …

I gave it four episodes, and in the end I'm going to have to admit that Peter Capaldi's Doctor - so far - is not for me. The first episode I had to give the benefit of the doubt because it was a regeneration episode, one in which the characters were finding their feet and getting to know each other all over again. The second episode was instantly forgettable - …

My interest in forts, bunkers and castles is well-documented, and recently I managed to squeeze in a visit to another place of interest that falls into this category. Somehow, it is both fort and castle, as Hurst Castle on the south coast was initially a Tudor dwelling, converted into a sea defending fort during the war. The castle is at the end of long shingle walkway that takes it out …

Our experiments in expanding our food intake have so far taken in the excellent delivery service that is HelloFresh (still going strong, by the way, a few meals that haven’t been to our taste, but otherwise I’ve reached Apprentice chef level and am rapidly heading towards sous!) but we didn’t stop there. I’ve been aware of Graze for a long time, but never taken the plunge and ordered a box. …

Since I stopped running, 18 months ago, I’ve turned my attention to a variety of apps and online solutions to the ‘easy workout at home’ thing. Some of them are fads that are dropped as easily as they are started, but I’ve stumbled across one that has actually got me hooked. I first tried the Fitstar app about six months ago, and loved the concept but had to stop almost …

I don't know if you noticed, but this week, Apple announced a new product - their take on the wearable tech phenomenon. Initially, I wasn't that interested in the watch. That's partly because the stream of Tim Cook's keynote address was so bad that I gave up following halfway through and missed all the announcements. It's also because I wasn't too keen on the big, square, bulky look. Having investigated …

Much of the UK experienced some very hot weather in July, weeks of sunshine and muggy conditions bringing out the sandals and making it hard to sleep. That being the case, it’s typical that when my parents invited me on an open top bus tour of the New Forest, it absolutely poured down. The New Forest Tours are really quite a good deal. £14 may seem a bit pricey to …

Doctor Who finally returns to our screens after a lengthy wait since the Christmas regeneration special. And was it worth it? Erm, no. Sadly, I didn't like this episode at all, and I will expand on that further below. It's nice to have the show back though, and even nicer to see the addition of Doctor Who Extra - a bonus ten minutes of content, online, in a replacement for …