Thunderbozz

A 2-2 draw in the Monday night fußball fest sees Dartford drop slightly to 3rd place in the league after 2 games. In more exiciting news, the opening date for the new stadium at Princes Park has been revealed: the 11th of November will be the first home game played at "the Park", when we take on Horsham YMCA - or possibly not if we're drawn away for an FA Cup clash. Still, why let mere possibility get in the way of the hype, eh?

An excellent start to the season for the Darts this weekend, going top of the league after a 6-1 win over Burgess Hill Town. Alas, I was stuck at work the whole afternoon... Ryman Division 1 South Pld W D L GD Pts 1 Dartford 1 1 0 0 +5 3 2 Dover 1 1 0 0 +3 3 3 Sittingbourne 1 1 0 0 +3 3 Molesey Town - fresh from a defeat to Dover - are the visitors to Thurrock on Monday night for our first "home" game of the season. Come on you Darts!

There were some flaws in Engrenages , but they were mostly trivial. The writers were clearly so confident in selling the show abroad* that towards the end it subtly praised all things French. All the cool people drove brand-new Renaults, and more and more shots of the Eiffel Tower began to creap in... at one point there was even a patriotic "not in this great republic" comment from the judge. Hideous Americanisms aside, the series was excellent. It is grim, both in content and appearence (you are left wondering if your screen's contrast settings are all wrong after only a few seconds), but I look forward with great expectations for the second series to be shown on these shores... hurry up and write/film it, Canal+! *ironically, you can't buy the DVD here...

Bless them lads that make up the band "The Feeling". Just so there's no confusion, they've made their music videos so blatently linked to the name of the song (in case we forget what we're listening to). Hence, they all get sewn in the video for 'Sewn', and in 'Fill My Little World Right Up', they're all performing in a little world (a terrarium) that gets filled up. I can't wait to see the video for 'Kettle's On'.

Having caught a glimpse at one episode a few weeks ago, I was instantly drawn to finding out more about French drama series Engrenages ( "Spiral" ). Partly because I enjoy finding obscure programmes on BBC Four - especially those that require English subtitles, but mainly because the direction immediately drew me in to the story. I found that short glimpse of the characters so intriging that rather than watch any more of it, I had to switch off and find out when the series would be shown again in full. Luckily, all eight episodes are being shown this week in double-bills. After finishing work at 10.00 pm last night, there was plenty of time to get home, get some food and settle down to a real treat of a television programme. In French (with subtitles), Engrenages is one of very very few French television programmes to be shown here in England, and you can see why. A gritty crime investigation unfolds following the discovery of a mutilated body in a skip: many scenes...

The mighty Dartford return to the borough this season in the brand-new Princes Park stadium. It was in 1992 that we last played a proper home game: and it's now just a matter of months before we can kick off on home turf. Pre-season games Thamesmead 0-3 Dartford Whitstable 3-3 Dartford Tilbury 1-3 Dartford Slade Green 0-3 Dartford East Thurrock 1-1 Dartford Tunbridge Wells 0-2 Dartford Bournemouth Poppies 2-2 Dartford Folkestone Invicta 1-0 Dartford Our pre-season friendlies have yielded some fairly encouraging results, with the Darts remaining undefeated until a Folkestone goal at the death of yesterday's second half leading to an unlucky 1-0 defeat. The team - largely similar to last season's - knows each other well and all looks promising. The 2006-2007 campaign kicks off next Saturday away to Burgess Hill Town (West Sussex). This year, Dartford will be playing in the Ryman League, Division 1 South (that's the eighth tier of the English football pyramid, or only 7 pr...

I'm gradually working my way through all the films I've taped off Film4 , and last night it was the turn of the American film 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001). It's a look at the lives of four characters told through, surprisingly, thirteen scenes. As the film progresses - often painfully slowly, but none the less beautiful for it - we see how their lives intertwine. There is a focus on the minuscule: often the smallest comment, reaction or expression is responsible for something much bigger, much more important. I'm glad I've seen this film, if only to reassure me that Americans are capable of producing high-quality thought-provoking films without the need for instantly-recognisable faces as justification. "Good Night And Good Luck" was an excellent film, but it was still deeply rooted in American politics and culture: "13..." shows that (some) Americans do share some qualities with the rest of the human race.

I've seen it once at the cinema, but I couldn't resist watching "The Italian Job" (2003, USA) one more time, if only to compare it with the original I have on DVD. How they can claim that this film is a "re-make" of the original, I'm not really sure. Yes, there's Mini Coopers and a plot based around messing up the traffic systems, but the 1969 version was never about stealing the gold. It was about Charlie: about his own cunning, wit and charm. Croker's character provided everything, from the memorable one-liners to the tragic fall . OK, perhaps the new version brings the action kicking and screaming up-to-date: but where's the charm? "Remember - in this country, they drive on the wrong side of the road" - Charlie Croker (1969) "You should never mess with Mother Nature, mothers-in-law, and mother-freaking Ukrainians" - Skinny Pete (2003)

Mystery shoppers are annoying. Especially when you're over-tired. Because you spend all morning (from 7.00 am) being artificially nice to people, smiling and packing their shopping, grinning and bearing argumentative, slow and/or down-right rude people, and trying to put away cigarettes and sandwiches and the day's bread deliveries... all with no recognition. But forget to ask someone who has bought one sandwich and one drink if they'd like a receipt, and damn it: there goes the reputation of the whole blasted shop. No 100% score this time around.

£40.69 is the total amount of my accomodation deposit that Sheffield University has decided to return. Which means they spent £59.31 on fixing the door to the block that everyone kept breaking. And a new carpet. And fixing the door.

Technically, I'm only a part-time worker at the Co-op. But last week, I worked 39 hours: that's more than either mum or dad had spent earning. As a result, and thanks to my stationary position at the checkout, I've spent a fair few hours listening to the in-store radio station, Co-op Radio – and practically know it off by heart. There's the usual mix of cheesy adverts for products in store, headlines on the hour and an entertainment news bulletin... all things you'd expect from something so corporate. Suprisingly though, the selection of music being piped in is rather good! There's some old classics (David Bowie, soul music, funky bosa nova), there's some good pop (Sugababes and Kylie), new releases ( Smiley Faces from Gnarls Barkley and tracks from Under The Iron Sea ) and even some trendy indie (Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne). Unfortunately, with the jingle "great music, great offers", it still needs a little bit of work...

How to annoy the nation Step 1. Think of a word. Yes, only one, although preferably it should be one associated with the product in question. Write your word in below: Step 2. Now think of as many words as possible that rhyme with this word. Write them in below: Step 3. Nearly finished. Now all you have to do is come up with incredibly contrived sentences with these words at the end. If you put music behind them, you have yourself a song. Don't worry about syllables or meter: seriously, anything goes... It's hard to choose exactly which individual aspect is worst, but the new Kellogg's Frosties advert has ruined any childhood memories I have of Tony the Tiger being cool. Whether it's the faux -cockney line "I can 'ear the sahnd of Frosties hittin' mi plate" or the fact that lines such as "Or a Pi–rate" (4 syllables) and "E-venLadiesWithPerSonalisedNumberPlates" (12) are stretched/crammed into the same tune... maybe...

I've been looking forward to the launch of Film4 for quite a while now - I don't often watch films, but at their best there is nothing better than sitting back and escaping for a couple of hours in them. Having a film channel on the telly means that I can just tape the films I want to watch and catch up with them when I want: although ironically, I was watching one of my favourite films on More4 . Amélie is possibly the greatest thing to come out of France since... as it's an almost perfect example of film-making. It is characteristically French, with the wonderful architecture of Paris providing the perfect backdrop. It's characters, no matter how insignificant or fleeting, are carefully crafted so that their part is integral to the story. "Special effects" are used, but sparingly and these add to the experience rather than being the experience. Plus there is an enormous warmth to the movie: it goes beyond the temporary "feel-good factor" ...

This week, I’ve splashed out a whopping £7 on buying an album - my first proper music purchase in months - and in doing so I think I've found my album of the year. In terms of hype, Lily Allen got a good Arctic Monkeying, but there’s one crucial difference: She’s actually worth it. On listening to the album for the first time, nearly every track made me stop and listen. The beats were catchy, the lyrics witty and the delivery perfect. Allen is the missing link in my collection between Madness, The Ordinary Boys, Miss Dynamite and The Streets. Go and buy "Alright, Still", and it will most likely be the soundtrack to your summer . Which is why I really don't understand the decision of the Mercury Music Award panel to leave her off this year's shortlist. Neil McCormick's article in The Telegraph today just about sums up my feelings. Of the 12 albums nominated for the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, I own 9 . Of the 12 nominated for the 2005 Mercury Music Prize,...

Just what is the point of Thunderbird 5? Or, rather, what is the point of manning Thunderbird 5? If a satellite can intercept and receive every broadcast transmitted on Earth, filtering each and every communication for a distress signal, and then beam those transmissions to any location on the planet... why does it need someone to live in it and listen? Surely he could just listen from his house? Welcome to Thunderbozz. Looking for even older posts? Try reading The Story of Bozz ...