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April 2008

Swearing. Big & Clever. Part 2

Following on from a previous post about swearing, I couldn't help but add this to the blog after being sent it by friends who are avid watchers of American TV. As a reminder, this all started with US talk show host, Jimmy Kimmel, started a long-running gag about Matt Damon at the end of his shows.

He'd regularly sign off with, "apologies to Matt Damon", we ran out of time. He even put together a spoof trailer for Damon's film, The Bourne Supremacy, featuring one of the Kimmel show's regular comedy characters. When Damon finally appeared on the show, they ended the show abruptly, once again needling Damon by telling him they were out of time, prompting a proper full-on rant from Damon - staged, but believable. He's a better actor than you'd think.

The culmination of this was a video recorded by Kimmel's girlfriend, comedian Sarah Silverman featuring the much maligned Matt Damon, "I'm fucking Matt Damon". It was intended as a piss-take to be played on Kimmel's birthday. And was very funny.

So, Kimmel takes his time putting his revenge together and it's a corker. Naturally, there's only one way to handle this. Out parody the parody, and what better way to do it than with Matt Damon's movie-twin, Ben Affleck. For your delectation, Jimmy Kimmel, Ben Affleck and a host of Hollywood celebs with the soon-to-be-hit, honest, "I'm fucking Ben Affleck"

 



and for good measure, the spoof trailer for The Bourne Supremacy is worth a watch...

and if you're having doubts over a) whether Matt Damon can act or b) how gullible some American audiences are, check out Damon doing his nut about being cut off again and check out the (2,000+) comments.

 

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Mechanical jellyfish

Built from really simple components, the movement in this mechanical jelly fish is really quite beautiful to watch (via Truemors). If I had a bigger house/office, I think I'd want one. Apparently, they're developing smaller versions that'll swarm together in water.

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How crunched is your credit?

It's not terribly heartening is it? After months of doom and gloom for every news outlet you care to sample about the credit crunch and impending economic doom, you spot this sign as you shamble towards work one morning...

442% APR Yes, that's right, you're eye's aren't deceiving you. That really is a 442% APR Bonus Loan from the sparkly new Oakam shop. Seems like the bonus firmly belongs to Oakam, rather than the person actually taking out the loan.

The other snap - excuse the rather iffy phone camera work - shows the more reasonably priced, Payday Loan at a mere 76.85% APR.

This particular shop opened a month ago, but it's by no means the only money shop in the neighbourhood. It joins an independent outfit as well as The Money Shop chain. These only one reason these shops are opening and it's because there's enough demand form short-term finance at enormous rates.

I'm particularly concious of the costs of this type of loan as I'm volunteering at the local credit union, Hammersmith & Fulham Credit Union, HFCU to its friends, which has just been approved by the FSA. And the timing couldn't be better.

Payday Loans at 76.85% from OakamCredit Unions are social enterprises, operated and owned by the people involved in it. To form one, the people involved must have a common-bond. In HFCU's case, it's open to anyone who lives or works in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, but there's lots of them all over the UK.

The movement sprung out of the Co-operative and Friendly Society movement. The best bit about them is that they're regulated by the FSA, so you're money is protected plus by law, the maximum interest rate is 2% per month, although most charge less, typically around 1%.

If you live or work in Hammersmith & Fulham, you can find out more or get involved by filling in the form on the website. If you want to find your local credit union, there's a list on the ABCUL (credit union trade body) website.

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