Sony

I never buy anything from Sony, primarily because of this. There are other reasons though, such as the rootkit malware which they put on (some of?) their CDs. Or the exploding batteries.

Film Review - Hitman

Sometimes I'm not too discerning about the films I go to see. I've seen some really bad ones, where I didn't just want my money back - I wanted my two hours back. I had a feeling that a film based on a computer game (worse - a computer game I've never played) would score pretty low, and after I spent forty five minutes watching adverts (at minimum wage I should get paid £4.14 for their use of my eyeballs) I was beginning to forebode.

Actually it was okay. There have been some really good films about hitmen e.g. Day of the Jackal, Leon, etcetera. This wasn't as good as those but it was watchable. Enough action to keep one's mind off the holes in the plot. Some funny moments.

There are better films, certainly, but the are a lot worse. I give this film five black brief-cases out of a possible ten.

Daytona all season grips

I've only just got these, will edit next week when I can give a proper opinion on whether they've changed my motorcycling life for the better. I'm happy with the grips, they had some pretty cheap looking stickers round the ends but these came off without leaving any trace. The switch isn't too pretty either, a little box with a three position dial on it which bolts onto the handlebars. Well, what's important is whether I can still feel my fingers after an hour in the cold. Cost me nearly 55 quid (plus fitting) from Hunts on Kingsway.

But to be honest I wouldn't have gone there if I'd got better hearing. I thought they charged £35 per hour for fitting and I wsn't too happy when the bill showed £45 per hour. They thought it was pretty amusing though and had a bit of a chat amongst themselves about who could remember back to the days when they only charged £35 per hour. Since the most expensive of their competitors still charges £35 per hour I'm unlikely to be back there for any mechanical work. At least I got a free coffee, though I should have had about 30 coffees to get my money's worth.

** EDIT **
After a few hundred miles and some very cold mornings I have to say that these have made riding all Winter very possible. On 'full' they are too hot, on 'normal' they aren't warm enough but switching between these two setting is not a big deal and it works okay. Yes, my palms stay hotter than the outside of my hands and on a realy cold day I couldn't ride for hours. But I can certainly do a half hour commute and feel fine. I award these grips four and a quarter fingers out of a possible five

Ning - Thai/Malaysian eatery in Manchester's northern quarter

From outside this place looks pretty inviting. Probably helped a little by the cold, and the less-than-swanky location on Oldham Street. Once inside the decor is sophisticated black and pink, and the staff are friendly and efficient.

The prices were a big factor in tempting us in. They have a deal to get a starter & main with rice/noodles for a tenner at less busy times. And in these circumstances it made sense to stop by before heading over to the Monday quiz at the Cornerhouse.

The vegan spring rolls were cooked perfectly -crispy on the outside and chewy with a delicate spicy flavour on the inside. The spinach/mushroom/tofu stirfry was tasty too but my ovely gf had the nyonya lime curry - and I wished I'd gone for that too. Actualy I'm getting hungry now just thinkng about the food there.

www.ningcatering.com for details and PDF menu