Yes, another new portfolio. It’s about time I made a proper one, because I spend so much time designing other people websites that it’s about time I got a decent one of my own. I’m working on it all this week fingers crossed, with a view to launch it around the end of the month.

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that The Last has finally launched again. That’s been the main project that has been niggling at the back of my mind for quite some time as I’ve been desperate to get it up and finished, but I’ve just not found the time. I won’t lie; I’m finding it incredibly difficult at the moment to get used to doing it every week again and finding a place to do it regularly every week, but I’ll get there eventually.

I don’t quite know when it happened, but these days I seem to have no time. I don’t seem to have many more projects or good things to show for it either, it just seems that time now goes faster than every before. The ironic thing is is that I used to get more done when I got home an hour later.

Anyway, toodles for now. Look at that, I managed to write 279 words of utter balls, and I didn’t even try.

It’s certainly not the action scenes that make this film average though. QOS is absolutely busting with some of the best (and most painful-looking) action sequences I’ve seen in any recent film, and when you throw in the fact that a lot of the stunts were done by Daniel Craig (and thus meaning there’s less long shots to hide the stuntman’s face), the action bits of QOS are gritty, real, and downright stunning. In fact, they’ve spent so much time making all these amazing action scenes that they seemed to forgot to write a story.

QOS started production in January without a story, and it most definitely shows. Although Bond films are almost notorious for their lack of any real story meat to their action pie, Casino Royale showed the world that a Bond film can have a good, solid story alongside amazing action sequences. Unfortunately, that skill isn’t on display here, and it’s ultimately the almost complete and utter lack of a story that lets it down.

Some people have spoken about how the story is confusing in QOS, but with a story about as complex as a Spot The Dog book and of similar length to boot (this is apparently the shortest Bond film ever made), you could be forgiven for using the “I don’t understand it” excuse because it must be you that’s wrong. There really must be something more to this film.

That’s what I said after sitting through Quantum Of Solace too. But then I sat back for a few minutes, thought, and then said:

“That really didn’t have a story did it?”

Maybe I was expecting too much. Don’t get me wrong though - Quantum of Solace is still an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride with very few boring bits. It just feels a bit too much like someone made a series of fancy action sequences, then forgot to put the story bits in.

Close, but no Casino Royale.

Toodles.

Before I go, I’m curious: is there still anybody out there who bothers to read this?

And as I’m so used to being busy all the time, I find it almost impossible to just sit down and do nothing. The simple matter of doing nothing is nowadays such an alien activity to me that it feels like I’m wasting time not doing anything, even if I don’t have anything to do.

Many people have told me over the past few years that I work too hard, that I’ll burn out, that I should relax. But this is me, and this is what I love doing. I wouldn’t change being busy all the time for the world.

Well, I probably couldn’t change it for the world.

I’ll give you a moment to scoop your jaw back up from the floor.

Yep, I’ve never seen Star Wars, and nor had I had the desire to either. And after seeing the first one on Saturday (the first one in chronological order, not the first ever one), I have to admit that I’m completely indifferent to seeing the rest too.

I just see Star Wars as a prime example of a wider societal hiccup that we all fall prey to far too often: hype. Star Wars is so ingrained into our culture as being an epic series of films, that you’re looked at as if one of your eyes has just rolled on to the floor if you announce that you’ve never seen it.

And I know it could be argued that I shouldn’t base an entire series of films on 1 of the 6, but I feel that the film was spoiled beyond repair by people telling me how bloody amazing it is, and when I watched it I just felt a little bit deflated. A little bit like the film would have been a lot better if nobody had told me how good it was in the first place.

So society, stop telling me how good Lord of the Rings is, and how much I should see it, because I’m going to make it a personal life goal to never watch The Lord of the Rings.

Retrospect note: I wrote this rambling piece of writing at 12.55 on Monday morning. I made loads of spelling mistakes. Most of it didn’t make sense. So, if after reading the above it still doesn’t make sense, I apologise for writing a rambling piece of bullshit at 12.55 on Monday morning. You can take solace in the fact that I’m sad loser that writes rambling bullshit at 12.55 on Monday mornings, and how much better than me you are.

Look in the top left hand corner of their new website for a cheesy unveiling. No pun intended, as it looks like Pizza/Pasta Hut have shunned the pizza.

Reassuringly, 63% of the public have said keep Pizza Hut.

It does exactly what it says on the tin - it’s 79 short-essays (essentially blog posts) on a wide variety of issues, truths, myths and experiences as seen through the eyes of Michael Bierut. This is one of the best design books I’ve read regardless of it’s short, quickfire attitude - or maybe perhaps because of. In fact, I might even have to be so bold as to say this is one of the best books I’ve ever read.

It’s full of small smiles and head-nodding agreement moments, and this book managed to say more about the world of design in its first title of the first essay (Warning: May Contain Non-Design Content) than most design books manage to say in 200 beautifully laid out pages.

There’s no excuse for not buying this one. Quick, dirty, and full of home truths, this is an essential book for anyone.

Ben Terrett loved it too.

If I keep my promise to blog every day during the week, I think it’s fair to give myself the weekend off.

In Craig’s Weekend News this week, I went to see The Mighty Boosh at Wakefield Royal Theatre on Saturday night. I can report: they were fantastic. I’ve seen every episode of The Mighty Boosh, but you can’t quite beat seeing them in front of you, in the flesh. There wasn’t much of a story to their live show (just like the series then), but it was a great experience just to see them live. And because Wakefield Theatre is so small, when we were sat 5 rows from the front in the bottom stalls, we were really close.

I won’t tell you much more about it, just in case you’ve managed to book tickets for their rapidly selling out tour. But it was great, and it won’t disappoint any fans.