tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30129095100147999502024-03-05T02:53:56.604-08:00The LadybirdLindsay Seddonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544608026952924437noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3012909510014799950.post-76409927157682688752015-12-31T09:06:00.001-08:002015-12-31T09:11:12.110-08:00Best and Worst of 2015<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This year I read 20 books published in 2015, which is the
most new books I’ve gone through in one year, so for once I feel well-informed
enough (just) to do a little round up of my best and worst. Here goes..</span><br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></u><br />
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First, the worst</span></u><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I’m of the opinion that life is too short to finish a book
you don’t enjoy, and so I don’t read many bad books all the way through. I have
a fifty-page rule (recently upgraded from thirty pages), which is how long I
will force my way through a rubbish book before making a decision to carry on
or throw it out of the window. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-heart-goes-last/margaret-atwood/9781408867785" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-heart-goes-last/margaret-atwood/9781408867785" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinSQIL6k9yCI99JJ64Et7OZ_nJ7yE8xHG8QTD865Lc5a5ayroR15hNNAY1gceJn9DnSCBKDCFoCPZxhQdZobeb3upvRWml2u-dAa-3nfJD7Sv_cw4TXELU7JSOSsh1Vs9MA4ZXY_wUJ9c/s200/Heart+Goes+Last.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My first worst book of the year, The Heart Goes On by
Margaret Atwood, started well and had what looked like a great plot, but by the
end I felt like it had not been worth the time I spent reading it. It starts as
a dark and dangerous dystopia in which possibilities are severely limited and the
protagonists, Stan and Charmaine, are starting to lose hope. They are living in
their car when they are presented with an opportunity to live in complete
safety within the walls of a new settlement called Consilience. The only catch
is that every other month they must swap their home-life for a month-long stint
in prison, taking the place of two convicts who will live in their house for
that month. I was surprised to find that this prison-swap situation is merely
the setting and doesn’t hold any significance after the first third of the
story. The bigger picture is a ridiculous mash-up of sexual taboos, silly
fetishes and boring personalities. I kept going because Margaret Atwood is a
favourite author and I refused to believe she could be so lazy with her
writing. The only reason I would have to recommend this would be to have someone to talk
to about the <em>stupid</em> ending.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/i-love-dick/chris-kraus/9781781256473" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.waterstones.com/book/i-love-dick/chris-kraus/9781781256473" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqTXndE7pc5yBVmYsgtmM7RrLkpyGSf_v18U-rZZPlBjdWZn_q90CkkKuIvVkVGwKrhPGq8JpF3ZB8pHaLE8RT1yPgoEbZV7jYRgHytTt1yf32Ip98ZIVeIIJJWdlcTZKrIOAKYek2YAg/s200/I+love+dick.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">My second worst book of the year was I Love Dick by Chris Kraus.
First published in 1997, this year marks its first appearance in the UK. I
heard about it in The Guardian, which described it as a cult feminist classic
and “the book about relationships everyone should read”. I was further fuelled
by the many reviews I found claiming this to be the best book ever published
(or similarly OTT declarations). It's a memoir/novel about a married woman who falls in love with a man called Dick after knowing him for only one night, <em>for pretty much no reason</em>. She thinks they had mind-sex or something. She and her husband then start writing letters to Dick about the evening and Chris' feelings and this goes on for way too long and gets more and more pathetic. It was very hard to get through at times, and
not recommended for those who dislike or are not interested in art critique,
pompous babble or pop-psychology. Chris Kraus is narcissistic, stubborn and
painfully needy. I don’t feel like I’m missing some sort of point, but that
others are looking for meaning that just isn’t there. I enjoyed the last
chapter and the second-to-last line in particular is a killer. At the time of
reading I thought I’d wasted my time, but now I look back on it as a funny few
days, because I read it at the same time as a friend who equally thought it was
overrated and needlessly pretentious. It was good to share the experience.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Best</span></u><br />
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<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-girl-on-the-train/paula-hawkins/9780857522313" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-girl-on-the-train/paula-hawkins/9780857522313" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnrZh6m7fz2M4ZqkxqGIA2-RcTQAk85-rJzVUGCEeeVgREPjV0vC7i-1QAFUZJ0o_XmSlomkJlouc9_yTquk3e4vEt276fGRjcC6W6b7zocje9OHUQ3zJOQoGyTjkrU5ZAUwWLlKCvJY/s200/Girl+Train.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Winner of Waterstones Thriller of the Year 2015 and
seemingly the whole country’s approval was The Girl on the Train by Paula
Hawkins. This book has been compared to Gone Girl and Before I Go to Sleep and
that's absolutely spot-on, it's a perfect blend of the two, with gaps in vital
memories and the feeling that there is more to the main characters than meets
the eye. I couldn't guess what was going to happen right up until the very end.
The reveal was great and the last few scenes were really tense. There was more
action than I was expecting from this kind of novel, which was surprising as
most of the commentary on the mystery at hand came from the outsider's point of
view, which at times was questionable at best. I’ll admit that this is a good
book but I do wonder how much of the hype was manufactured by clever
advertising and plenty of publicity. I’d recommend it to people who are trying
crime for the first time as it does whet the appetite for further exploration
into the genre, but this is not my thriller of the year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F05fd6cXdGq_ToeqXAW-f-CGOkPJuaoEw33KJiRENEiGzAV2b0KDgqxYlqyN9dIHBe-_v0nqwrElUeCch9jTe-LAmRtBJ-XfOEyvfzOflFH_CJsM2sGegx435CobrcKLvCqgfU4c8k8/s1600/Disclaimer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F05fd6cXdGq_ToeqXAW-f-CGOkPJuaoEw33KJiRENEiGzAV2b0KDgqxYlqyN9dIHBe-_v0nqwrElUeCch9jTe-LAmRtBJ-XfOEyvfzOflFH_CJsM2sGegx435CobrcKLvCqgfU4c8k8/s200/Disclaimer.jpg" width="131" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I read Disclaimer by Renee Knight immediately after I read
The Girl on the Train and instantly knew I was reading something higher
quality. On reading the blurb I expected a deeply sinister and dark, high-speed
thriller. I expected to be guessing the sender of the mysterious book all the
way through, but that is just the very start. At first I saw this as a simple
story, very easy to follow, but I really underestimated its complexity. Early
on I thought something major had been revealed but a few chapters later I was
backtracking, wondering how I'd so dramatically got the wrong end of the stick.
This isn't a fast-paced story, it is steady and deliberate, and not once was I
bored. Every revelation is small but effective, which always left me wanting
more. This goes on up until the last page, catching me off-guard and literally
giving me goosebumps. This book left me stunned.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Disclaimer suffocated under the heavily padded Girl on
the Train phenomenon, I was writing belly bands and recommendation cards,
sneaking it onto eye-level shelves and trying to spread the word, all to no
avail. Disclaimer is currently Waterstones Thriller of the Month and I find
myself saying “I told you so” a little too often as more of my colleagues are
picking it up and realising that it is in fact better than the much praised
Thriller of the Year.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/penguin+little+black+classics/format/17/page/1?min_price=0&max_price=1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/penguin+little+black+classics/format/17/page/1?min_price=0&max_price=1" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-eiLPUuxpFmqlQ9lCWx178auHVPgdI1J2riaDWe4YjCSEZKZixQ-uGkFlWCxkLUjQwF9MTEPy6lpFVxQBG_5EBertk8-TV42RETZX1hqT5r_FwF8d4DXHk6ucbXqsKHPQhyphenhyphencwjMT87E/s200/Slip+Microscope.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">An ambitious reading goal of fifty books in one year led to
a new passion for tiny little pretty books. Standalone short stories or small,
select collections of poetry really helps boost the numbers in between epic
tomes. So although technically the likes of Charles Dickens and the Brothers
Grimm should not be showing up on this blog, I’m counting them anyway as part
of Penguin’s Little Black Classics. When selecting a classic to read for the
first time I put a lot of pressure on myself to choose wisely. I’d hate to be put
off an author who has been hailed a genius for decades or centuries because I
read the wrong book at the wrong time. The Penguin collection, 80 titles to
celebrate their 80<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> anniversary, are 80p each, all around 80 pages
long and serve as great little samples of the best loved authors. My personal
favourite (so far) is A Slip Under the Microscope by H. G. Wells. The Door in
the Wall, included in the slim volume along with the namesake, is a story that
will stay with me for life.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS6b_cnmNGPA0A2eEvhT6mtBQcLrOcDKpz4A1Rno1RmlO1R0ff0BBRBVNCdJumTeXAWKH5ckgm6Ld83uYmZOuJZUkQ_l97WK8KRtmzYGPyEG7Czp73TMj7JPkRNqhsrmUC4ReHgxrCRo/s1600/litle+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAS6b_cnmNGPA0A2eEvhT6mtBQcLrOcDKpz4A1Rno1RmlO1R0ff0BBRBVNCdJumTeXAWKH5ckgm6Ld83uYmZOuJZUkQ_l97WK8KRtmzYGPyEG7Czp73TMj7JPkRNqhsrmUC4ReHgxrCRo/s200/litle+life.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This year I gave three books a 5 star rating, but only one
of them was published in 2015. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara was
shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence
in Fiction, Waterstones Book of the Year and nominated for the Goodreads Choice
Awards for Best Ficiton and the National Book Award for Fiction. It didn’t win
anything and I just don’t understand why.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There was nothing about A Little Life that I disliked. Every
character, every back story, every conversation and every anecdote. I was
hooked, I savoured every word. I found I kept forgetting how the book started,
and I think this shows how easy it is to slip into the story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before I started A Little Life I was warned by those who had
read it that it was very dark and depressing. A colleague described it as
"relentless". But I went ahead anyway because these people continued
to read its 700+ pages despite the emotional distress it caused. In my opinion,
the dark-and-depressing only starts about a third of the way in and by this
time I was so invested in every character that the thought of giving up on the
book for something lighter was like abandoning a family member going through
hard times.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don't cry watching TV and films, and I've only cried
reading one book (a single tear at the last line of Flowers for Algernon), but this
book made had me sobbing two or three times. In the last few chapters I
couldn't read it in public for fear of uncontrollable wailing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think this book is perfect, and I want everyone I know to
read it too.</span>Lindsay Seddonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544608026952924437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3012909510014799950.post-79683508611790260382015-07-12T23:54:00.001-07:002015-07-13T11:33:09.580-07:00Avoiding Spoilers and Speed-Reading<span style="color: black;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following contains <em><strong>NO SPOILERS WHATSOEVER</strong></em>, but perhaps
too many uses of the word itself…</span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/to-kill-a-mockingbird/harper-lee/9780099419785" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.waterstones.com/book/to-kill-a-mockingbird/harper-lee/9780099419785" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfeIPothlAzB63NNIfGCiJujvdHddaSZmwQ-zNIAhvTvt5T7ITqqhaL02Bj1p2w0-FE0xhnZYYtpqrtAjXPjR10aClkwWeNx0dikzb93NuXiquInvrmHwIq_57fy5h0CZoO97r0-9lCc/s320/unnamed.jpg" width="179" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: black;">The release of </span><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/go-set-a-watchman/harper-lee/9781785150289" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"><em>Go Set a Watchman</em> by Harper Lee</span></a><span style="color: black;"> is set to be
the biggest event of the decade in the literary world, and as a bookseller, I’m
feeling the anticipation. There are posters and displays all over the shop,
constant requests for pre-orders and a nice sense of fuzzy nostalgia for </span><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/to-kill-a-mockingbird-exclusive-edition/harper-lee/9781785150364" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: black;">To Kill a Mockingbird</span></em></a><span style="color: black;">. I’m excited, and yesterday I expressed this to a colleague.
Big mistake.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">He blurted out two spoilers. TWO. One was a heart-breaking elaboration
on a tidbit that had already been revealed by a naughty Guardian tweet, the
other was unrelated to the first but equally soul-destroying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;">
</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWLwlprlaT6U54yOuTyiohTsunfPQJx38ZdZdVeWAJCPpOHA3LUUMh6JyxDWfeCy8AP7XPjF_WHbd7vFTlSNb3JVqNE24YPV42CTcsDib5_9-XVvKkGKuS299qvJ7jgo-8kJ6EiWm2sM/s1600/51%252BCUXo8aDL__SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWLwlprlaT6U54yOuTyiohTsunfPQJx38ZdZdVeWAJCPpOHA3LUUMh6JyxDWfeCy8AP7XPjF_WHbd7vFTlSNb3JVqNE24YPV42CTcsDib5_9-XVvKkGKuS299qvJ7jgo-8kJ6EiWm2sM/s320/51%252BCUXo8aDL__SY344_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="209" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">I made a big fuss. I shouted, backed away, covered my ears
(all in public and unashamed), but it was too late. It was like I’d been
punched in the chest. Or the heart.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Colleague asked “Haven’t you read the first chapter yet?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">t’s true, I’ve had the chance to read the first chapter, it
was published by The Guardian 3 days ago online, and we were even selling
copies of the paper containing the chapter in store. I had thought about it but
ultimately decided that I would rather have the option of reading as much as
the book as I wanted to after the official publication date. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Apparently these spoilers were “only from the first chapter”,
so at least I have the rest of the book to discover for myself, but the
question is this: how long must you tip-toe around others to avoid spoiling? I
had three days to avoid this situation, was that enough?</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">I found myself in a similar situation during the hype
leading up the release of <em>Mad About the Boy</em> by Helen Fielding. The third
Bridget Jones book started with a pretty significant death, which I let slip to
a customer and had to recover quickly by telling her that she would have found
out herself on the second or third page (slight exaggeration). This had been
revealed in reviews, blogs and newspaper articles everywhere, I couldn’t
believe she didn’t already know, but nevertheless, I felt awful to have been
the one to break the news.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">I took my time reading <em>Harry Potter and the Order of the
Phoenix</em> and paid the price by having a certain death revealed by a friend when
I was just pages away from finding out by myself. I beat her half to death with
my school-bag. She never spoiled again. I read <em>Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince</em> as fast as I could. I locked myself in my room and hissed at anyone who
attempted contact. Nothing was ruined, but to this day it’s the only book in
the series that I can hardly remember. By the time <em>Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows</em> came out I was mature enough to tell everyone I was taking my time, but
not mature enough to follow through. I read it over one week, during which my
boyfriend (at the time) texted me the name of almost every victim just a few
chapters ahead of where I was up to, because “you’d have seen it coming anyway”.
He wasn’t even that into Harry Potter (or so he said).</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">When my current (non-spoiling) boyfriend started the Game of
Thrones series a few weeks after the release of A Dance With Dragons, I thought
he was in for a life-time of publication day speed-reading (albeit once every
six years…), but it seems that the Game of Thrones readers are respectful of
one another. The audience of the Game of Thrones television series is another
matter entirely. If you are not watching the original live broadcasting, they,
not unlike the characters, have no sympathy. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">On the subject of film and TV, I have another colleague who
does not consider it spoiling if the film has finished its run in the cinema,
or if the show was broadcast on television more than a week ago. Or something
like that. Just be careful around that guy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">I'm all for speed-reading if I just cannot wait to find out what happens next in a series. It's something I have experienced with many a young-adult series, where every novel ends with a cliff-hanger or an unexpected love-triangle. For me this is not the case with the Mockingbird sequel. This is one I will be approaching with caution and intrigue. The story of the author and the controversy behind the latest publication is fascinating in itself. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">So I need to decide if I am going to speed-read or take my
time with Go Set a Watchman. On the one hand I could get through the remainder
of the book without knowing anything before the time is right. On the other
hand I can take my time, read when I’m in the mood, set the scene, light the
candles, the whole shebang. I’m more likely to enjoy it, I’m more likely to
remember it, but will anything be a surprise?</span></div>
Lindsay Seddonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544608026952924437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3012909510014799950.post-3324875732946710392015-01-14T11:51:00.002-08:002015-01-14T11:57:20.822-08:00The Netflix 26/26 Callenge<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It all
started with Apocalypto. I don’t like to choose my own films. The last film I
chose for myself was The Family…Yeah. So I ask people who watch a lot.
Apocalypto was thrown in "as a risk" by Yates (somewhat of a film
fanatic at work) and it turned out to be his best recommendation by far.
When I came back asking for another I must have found him in a playful mood
(and maybe he was sick of me asking). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">He
proposed a game, which then turned into a challenge. 26 films in 26 days. After
much um-ing and ah-ing we came up with the rules (I'm a fan of serious
gameplay). They are as follows:</span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">26 films must be watched
within 26 days. </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">All films must be
recommended by others (no choosing your own).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">All films must be available
on Netflix (from any country).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Each film must represent a
letter of the alphabet (e.g. A - Apocalypto, B - Bridget Jones), and
all must be watched in alphabetical order.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I mustn't have seen any of
the films before the start of the challenge, I'm not allowed to research
them before watching (apart from checking Netflix availability).</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">No film recommendations can
be rejected as long as they fit the other rules. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Challenge accepted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I made a
Facebook status explaining the rules and inviting friends and family
to pick a letter each. There was more um-ing and ah-ing over how I was
going to stop people nabbing all the good letters or sending me a list of 26
films each. More rules! They all got one letter each and I kept note. This was
hilarious to watch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">“What
about (insert fourth attempt at a recommendation here)?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">“Sorry
that’s not on Netflix either.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">“I
thought Netflix was GOOD!”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Do you
realise how many obvious choices are not available on any Netflix? Thelma and
Louise, American Psycho... Try it: </span><a href="http://www.moreflicks.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">www.moreflicks.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> , </span><a href="http://www.netflixaroundtheworld.com/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">www.netflixaroundtheworld.com</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> .</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">There
were three types of recommendation: 1) Genuine heartfelt recommendations. Those
were obvious when it came to watching those films and when those people were
asking if you'd seen it yet and what you thought. 2)"the first thing that
popped into my head beginning with the letter E". And then there were 3)
those select 'friends' who immediately sought to exploit the rules in order to
force you to watch Winnie the Pooh - A Very Merry Pooh Year. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">It took
three days to complete the list and this is how it goes:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Argo
(originally Anita)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Beasts of
the Southern Wild</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Collateral</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Donnie
Darko</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
Expendables</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Frankenweenie</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
General</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Happiness</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Invictus</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Jingle
All the Way</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Kids
are All Right</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Little
Miss Sunshine</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Moonrise
Kingdom</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Nick and
Norah’s Infinite Playlist</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Olympus
Has Fallen</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
Paperboy</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Quick
and the Dead (originally Quadrophenia)</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Road
House</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
Shining</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Tootsie</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Usual
Suspects</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">V for
Vendetta</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Winnie
the Pooh – A Very Merry Pooh Year</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-add-space: auto; mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Xanadu</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Young
Frankenstein</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Zombieland</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I didn’t
get off to a smooth start. Day 1, I was supposed to watch Anita and I left it
until about 11pm before I put Netflix on and realised Anita wasn't there. It's
not on any Netflix at all. I could have sworn I'd checked before I put it on
the list. "Oh my god! I NEED AN A!" Col couldn't think of anything
except Alien (not on Netflix). A quick FB status sorted it, Argo was suggested,
it fit all the rules. Phew. Thankfully this only happened one more time further
down the list. </span>I also
immediately fell behind from B onwards and by day 14 I was only up to I. Two
full days off work solved that, though I had to watch 8 films over that time in
order to catch up.</div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Most of
the films were good, some were great, it was rarely an effort to keep watching.
In all honesty though, this challenge was probably <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>a bit wasted on me. It’s not really a
challenge for someone who only has a part time job and the huge responsibility
of a cat to feed. It might also have been more difficult for someone less
open-minded. The only film-bias I have is that I’m very jumpy which makes it
hard to watch horror (but it didn’t stop me watching The Shining!). Col would
only sit and watch a few of the films with me (his loss) and only then if he
already knew what it was about and if it sounded like something he’d like. He’s
really missing out.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I
completed the challenge. Bang on time. Day 26 I watched Zombieland while the
ghosts of films past stood around me whisper-chanting my name and as the
credits rolled up I was lifted onto the shoulders of Leonardo DiCaprio and Jake
Gyllenhaal. Matthew McConaughey narrated. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Highlights</span></u></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Aside from
individual films the best thing about this challenge is the conversation it
generates with everyone involved. I was being asked every day what letter I was
up to, I was being told about favourite films, some friends were so anxious for
me to get to their film that they were trying to persuade me to skip ahead. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The
General. This pretty much made the top of the list before I even finished
watching. It was one that I knew nothing about before and when I realised it
was a black and white silent movie I was delighted. The story is great, it’s
light and funny and some of the stunts are amazing. A pleasure to watch. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Little
Miss Sunshine. The only film in the bunch to make me cry and laugh out loud. A
genuine ‘feel-good’ film in my opinion. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Usual
Suspects. It started off quite funny (the line-up scene) but then the rest
seemed pretty standard and I think if it hadn’t been a part of this challenge I
might have switched off hallway through. Anyone who’s seen this film would
understand why that would be a BIG mistake, and I can thank this challenge for
not letting me do that.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Xanadu.
So bad. I wasn’t watching so much as staring in disbelief. I’d recommend it to
everyone. It’s something that must be experienced. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Winnie
the Pooh – A Very Merry Pooh Year. I watched this on the 10<sup>th</sup>
January. I was no longer in a Christmas mood and I was being made to watch a
film aimed at…what… 5 year olds? But it was a highlight because of how much I
laughed at the situation I was in. It was a long 90 minutes though.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Tips</span></u></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">A few
people have talked about wanting to do the challenge themselves. Here are some
tips for those who dare attempt it:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Have the
complete list before you start the challenge. *Someone* suggested asking
people every day for a film beginning with A, B etc. Just one per day. But this
leaves you with no wiggle room; you’d have to watch one film per day which just
isn’t doable sometimes. Also you then have to choose between more than one recommendation
and if you’re not allowed to look them up beforehand you’re only choosing based
on title or whoever recommended it. Nah </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Don't be
too hasty taking a recommendation from someone. Make sure they've seen it and
are genuinely recommending it rather than just trying to think of films
beginning with the letter E. As far as I’m aware this happened to me twice and
both those films made it into the bottom three of the finished ranked list. It works
best if someone thinks of a great film and then asks if the letter is free.
This obviously gets harder as you fill the list</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Try to
watch as many of them as possible without knowing anything but the title. Great
examples for me were Beats of the Southern Wild and The General. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Before I
leave you with my ranked list I’m going to have to give Yates some credit: He’s
got some imagination. This was a great game and he’s a good referee. Ta lad. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">I hereby
<i>nominate</i> (Oh yeah, I went there) Adam Waldron and Nick Seddon. Give it a damn
good go, it can be a right laugh. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Ranking</span></u></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The General </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Little Miss Sunshine</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Donnie Darko </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Argo</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Paperboy </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Usual Suspects </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Tootsie </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Olympus Has Fallen </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Beasts of the Southern Wild</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Collateral</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Frankenweenie</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Moonrise Kingdom</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Happiness</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Young Frankenstein</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Shining</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">V for Vendetta </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Zombieland</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Quick and the Dead</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Nick and Norah's Infinite
Playlist</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Jingle All the Way </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Invictus</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Kids Are All Right</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Road House </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">The Expendables</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt: 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Winnie the Pooh – A Very
Merry Pooh Year</span></li>
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<![endif]-->Lindsay Seddonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544608026952924437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3012909510014799950.post-71913118523202473072014-09-29T05:43:00.001-07:002014-09-29T05:43:53.055-07:00The Obligatory Coeliac Post<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was diagnosed coeliac a few months ago. It wasn’t as
big a deal to me as it might be to others, as my Nan was coeliac and my Mum has
been for a few years now. If a parent has coeliac disease you have a one-in-ten
chance of having it too. I knew it was coming. I had no difficulties getting
used to the limited choice of foods. I already know on sight if something
contains gluten and if I don’t know for sure I can make an educated guess. It’s
perhaps because of this that I have no tolerance for people who say things like
“Can you eat eggs?”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t like to make a big deal out of it, I don’t even
like to mention it, but other people take care of that for me. Telling me they’d
cry if they could never eat bread again, or making sure every waiter in the
restaurant knows I have a dietary requirement. When people are offering
biscuits or other gluten-filled treats I’ll happily say “No, thank you”, but
there’s bound to be one person in the room who pipes up with “She <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can’t</i>.” </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I thought I’d miss all the foods that contain gluten
but the truth is I just don’t really think about it that much. I no longer keep
bread in the house (gluten-free bread is awful – yes, even Genius), and my
snacking habits have switched from cakes and biscuits to popcorn and chocolate.
People say you become healthier when you go on a gluten-free diet but I found a
way to keep hold of that lovely sugar and salt. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What I do really miss is being able to eat out wherever
I want. Although this has probably saved me hundreds of pounds, it’s made my
daily life just a little bit dull. When I do get the urge to go out for lunch
it’s quickly extinguished by the realisation that I only have a choice of about
five reasonable quality places, most of which have one or two options for me on
the menu. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being invited out by friends and family makes me very
anxious if I know people will want to eat. Eating before I go out means I’ll be
sat watching everyone else eat. I don’t have a problem with that, but I can
sense others’ guilt and I usually get people trying to make me choose <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something</i>. “Ooh, look, the macaroons are
gluten-free!” Yes, I’ll eat my macaroon and you all carry on with your pizzas. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">My mum’s usual method is to just eat anything,
gluten-free or not. She doesn’t have terrible reactions to gluten unless it’s
in large quantities, so she can usually get away with it. I know I can’t do
this, as with the odd time I’ve mistakenly had gluten, I’ve had a reaction
within the next 24 hours. If there’s nothing for us on the menu we’ll order
something with lots of simple ingredients and ask for everything plain. No
sauces, seasoning, no extra little surprises. Steak and chips usually. I don’t
tell them why. If the staff find out you’re coeliac they have a panic attack
about cross-contamination. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s another option, which is to tell people in
advance that you’d like to go somewhere where they’ll accommodate you. Although
I know this is the best option, it’s the one I’m least likely to do. I don’t
want to make a fuss, especially if it’s not me arranging the thing. I have
friends who are outraged when I’m not fully accommodated and encourage me to ‘stand
up for myself’ in such situations. I have other friends who seem to think of it
as a silly phase. I’ll get over this little gluten-free fad soon enough, what
am I like, eh? </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No-one warned me I’d become more sensitive to alcohol
and caffeine. In coeliacs, gluten causes the villi of the small intestines to
lie down flat, decreasing the surface area and therefore decreasing the absorption
of nutrients (including alcohol and other drugs). The first few weeks of
following the diet but not making adjustments for these saw me on the floor
after two glasses of wine and trembling after a small cup of coffee.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Kalinga","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Being diagnosed isn’t all negatives though. I’m slimmer
and healthier without putting in any effort. Symptoms and side-effects of
coeliac disease disappear within about a week of going on the diet and there
are long-term health benefits, ranging from decreased risk of certain cancers (e.g.
lower risk of breast cancer when following the diet) to increased fertility. My dietician (what a luxury!) assures me it's all worth it in the long-run...</span></div>
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<![endif]-->Lindsay Seddonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544608026952924437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3012909510014799950.post-59991659862440669892013-07-27T13:04:00.000-07:002013-07-27T15:26:44.663-07:00Bus Stop ExperienceA few weeks ago I was waiting for the bus after work at Queens Square, it was about 8:45pm and I'd just been looking in my bag for my phone when someone sat down weirdly close to me. He wasn't a space invader, but there were plenty of other places he could have sat. I glanced at him and saw he was your typical Liverpool scal'. Black trackies, shaved head, that's all I needed to see to know I should cling onto my bag a little tighter.<br />
<br />
I turned away to watch for the bus, and about ten seconds later I heard "Where are you from?". I flinched, I didn't expect chatting. I assumed he was talking to someone else until he said it again: "Ay girl, where you from?".<br />
<br />
I said "Here", and turned away.<br />
<br />
He said "Yeah but where? Like where in Liverpool?"<br />
<br />
I wondered if I should just say "Why don't you shut up?" But I just couldn't. I quickly tried to remember if I had ever heard of a scam where people can empty your bank account just by knowing what area you're from, and then replied: "Aintree". The only reason I said that is because I honestly couldn't remember what my area was called. Aintree was the first part of Liverpool I could remember. I was at a bus stop where none of the buses that stopped there went anywhere near Aintree, but it didn't phase him.<br />
<br />
He said "Oh yeah, yeah, I'm from ...". I can't remember, I doubt I was even listening.<br />
<br />
I turned away from him and immediately heard "You work in that Waterspoons, yeah?". I turned back to him and he was pointing at my sleeve with the name of my shop on it. <br />
<br />
"You mean Waterstones?" I said.<br />
<br />
"Haaa" he said, pointing again. "Yeah...Waterstones, do you like it there?"<br />
<br />
"Yeah." I said. There was a pause. He kept looking at me. "Yeah...it's good."<br />
<br />
He smiled "I think I might go get a job there ya know."<br />
<br />
I smiled and said "Ha, really?". I noticed he was wearing a massive 'diamond' stud in one ear. I tried to remember which one we'd all named the 'gay ear' as kids.<br />
<br />
I turned away again and heard "How old are you?". I turned my head back to him sharpish, pretending I was offended. He held up his hands and said: "I mean, if you don't mind me askin' like...".<br />
<br />
I told him I was 24 (another lie that surprised me), and he raised his eyebrows and exhaled like as if I'd told him I was 94.<br />
<br />
"Oh....yeah ha ha, wow..."<br />
<br />
Now I <i>was</i> offended!<br />
<br />
"How old are you?!" I said, even though I'd promised myself I wouldn't encourage any more conversation.<br />
<br />
"19 like."<br />
<br />
It looked like he wouldn't say anything else, he was clearly repulsed by my advanced age. I turned away from him and kept my bag clutched close to my stomach. A few minutes went by and I could sense he was still there. Other people waiting for the bus were looking every now and then, probably grateful he hadn't chosen them. Then I heard: "So, do you live with your parents?". I think I actually sighed.<br />
<br />
"No." Keep it snappy, he might go away. I couldn't just start ignoring him, especially since he'd apparently forgiven me for being a few years away from my pension.<br />
<br />
"You live on your own?"<br />
<br />
"No."<br />
<br />
I'm bored now. <br />
<br />
"Who do you live with?"<br />
<br />
"Just my boyfriend"<br />
<br />
"Arrrr..." he sighed.<br />
<br />
Had he been trying to flirt with me? Was I just being vain?<br />
<br />
"Well he's lucky, 'im." he said after a pause. I was right. Oh my god. He continued: "I'm lookin' for a girl, me, you know".<br />
<br />
I was intrigued. I sniggered and said "At the bus stop?"<br />
<br />
He didn't know I was joking. "Yeah, not just this one, all the other ones as well."<br />
<br />
I said "So you just go around the bus stops looking for girls to talk to?"<br />
<br />
He said "Yeah, sometimes I take them home for drinks and tha'. I don't like the bars though, the bouncers don't let you in and the boyfriends get in the way".<br />
<br />
The last thing he asked me was the time, and this reminded me to keep my bag clutched tight. Would someone go to such lengths to get me to loosen my grip on my bag? Would someone spend that much time showing their face to so many witnesses just for the sake of an empty purse and a broken umbrella? He sauntered off without my bag and everyone in the bus stop stared at me. I stared right back.<br />
<br />
As my bus left Queens Square I couldn't help but look for him, and sure enough, there he was at the number 6 stop chatting up an awkward-looking blonde with her bag clutched to her stomach. Lindsay Seddonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03544608026952924437noreply@blogger.com1