Happy New Year!

To my reader, a Happy New Year to you.  Here's a random Gary Larson cartoon as my gift to you - it always makes me laugh...
   

Movies of 2012

Inspired by Ray's posting, here are my top 10 (plus 1) movies of the year. These are films I watched this year, rather than those released in 2012:

 

  

Dreams of a Life

This documentary has stayed me with ever since I saw it. It is a gripping and very emotional film, which I highly recommend. I wrote a blog posting on this film as I was so impressed.

  

Skyfall

A great thriller and a wonderful Bond film.

  

The Muppets

A film where you smile all the way through, especially if you are of a certain age.

  

The Descendants

Watched on a plane, but still obviously a top drama.

  

Ted

If you like Family Guy, you'll like this. Crude, silly and very funny.

  

Hugo

I well acted and visually stunning movie. 

  

Heartbreaker

Funny French movie about an expert brought in to break up relationships.

  

The Awakening

A minor horror overlooked by everybody it seems. 

  

Bolt

Simple, funny animation.

  

Had to be a top 11 in the end as I couldn't decide between these two:

  

The Help

A film that showed that parts of mid 20th century USA were rather racist places and many people didn't even realise it!

    

The Artist

So much has been written about this already.

  

My favourite Christmas image

Christmas eve

A busy day ahead for us - visiting Pete's God Parents who we haven't seen for a while, a few last ingredients for home-made ice-cream and cheesecake, some last-minute shopping, wrapping, etc etc.

Look what I found under the tree!...
    

December movie update

Here are the films that Pete and I have received from Lovefilm.com and watched on TV and DVD over the past month in reverse order, with my ratings out of ten from my movie list on the IMDB.

Flame (1975) 6

A gritty drama that features 70's glam rockers Slade! Surprisingly serious film about the music industry in the late 60's.

  

Hesher (2010) 2

Awful.

  

Going South (2009) 6

A French road movie that was OK, but was lacking enough story to make you care about the characters.

  

Margin Call (2011) 7

A good Wall Street drama about the effects of the bank crisis – close to being an 8.

  

Élisa (1995) 2

Bad story and characters you hated. Not good!

  

The Philadelphia Experiment (2012) 5

Silly action movie, but OK to pass some time.

  

Anthony Zimmer (2005) 6

We couldn't understand why we recognised the story in the French film, but found it's the original of the US film The Tourist (which was more of a comedy that this film).

  

Magic Mike (2012) 5

Despite lots of fit almost naked men, this was not a good film. The story could have been more fleshed out (no pun intended).

  

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) 7

Surprisingly good comedy with the end of the world weeks away. Quite touching in places.

  

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) 6

Twee and not the best story in my view, but OK if you want something that doesn't require any thought.

  

Tortoise in Love (2012) 7

A film with an amazing back story. This silly comedy was made on a tiny budget and everyone in an English village took part; from building sets and catering to acting, driving and promotion.

The final work of 2012

I've been in Edinburgh for a few days with work and it's been pretty exhausting!  Our boss decided that we had to work, rather than the usual end of year "fun".  So lots of meetings, presentations and We also had a Christmas party.
  
I got back last night and had to wash and change and go out straight away as Pete had booked a table at a restaurant. So I've had 3 nights of rich, fatty meals!
  
My mum and dad have stayed and looked after Zac.  My mum knows lots about dog training and managed to get him to "sit" and stop biting hands within a few hours.  Not bad for a 10 week old pup'.  His character is coming through and he has settled in well.
    
Christmas is a-coming and we are prepared now and I have a couple of unusual presents for Pete. I hope he likes them!

Top photos

Here are some of my favourite photos from the website Twisted Sifter's top 100 'photo of the day' from 2012:
  
Chicago
Two faced
Edinburgh
Electric
Olympics
Aurora Australis from space
Hanover airport
   

Wet t-shirt competition

Olympian and dancer Louise Smith in a nice wet t-shirt.  Could be a new Saturday night TV programme.

Emotions

OK, I know I will become one of those people that go on about their dog! I will try not to. But...
 
I am astounded at the energy of Zac, despite him being a tiny puppy. He also has teeth that easily break the skin. I hope he doesn't get a taste for blood.
 
We are currently trying to get him used to being alone, as he will need to be spend time on his own for hours on end when we are both out working. And, until he is toilet trained at least, he is spending the nights in his bed in the kitchen. He cries and howls through the night which is very upsetting but it's the only sensible way forward. On the second morning I went downstairs to see to him and he was in his bed whimpering to himself. It was possibly one of the saddest and most upsetting things I have ever seen! How silly is that?! I actually had tears in my eyes as he woke and went crazy with happiness on seeing me. I really don't know what came over me but it makes me emotional just thinking about it!

I have lived with dogs before, but this is all new for me - real responsibility and routine! I simply don't want to see him upset, stressed, lonely or unhappy and will have to get used to being tough sometimes I suppose.
 
To end on... remember, dogs have owners, cats have servants.

Relaxing

Our little guy arrives

We picked up our Puppy today.  Zac is presently asleep on my lap.  He seems pretty laid back and the journey home was fine.  I don't expect a straightforward night of course; this is the first day away from his mother and 7 brothers and sisters.
  

  
On the way home, Pete sent a text to Radio 2...
  

Calendar #2

The next 2013 calendar to highlight has to be big bulging Tom Daley...
 

 

 

Plus a bonus pic...
 

Calendar #1

Those Stade Francais rugby gods have, since 2001, published a sexy calendar each year.  Here are some of the 2013 images directed at women and rugby loving gay guys...
   

Yes please

As seen on Saturday in Cambridge...
  

What did I learn this week? #4

The M25 can't cope with the current level of traffic and any problems cause huge tailbacks. It's not going to get any better.  I wasted at least 3 hours on the M25 this week moving at a crawl or just sitting in traffic. The authorities need to do better - widening isn't the only solution.
    
I feel sorry for David Beckham. To have a wife who is so successful who looks angry and bored all of the time, must do his head in. Now that his USA adventure has ended (which I think was a poor move anyway), I also hope that he doesn't come back to the UK as the press would go overboard, it's bad enough at the moment.
  
There is such a thing as a free lunch...well sort of. I bought a 6 month subscription to a magazine and it came with the free gift of a running backpack.  The subscription was a reduced £16.99 and when the bag came, I put it on Ebay and sold it for £22.  A magazine in the post and a small profit.  This could be a new thing for me... hunting out the subscriptions with quality free gifts!
    
We have some friends coming over so I made Scones* and while making, I realised that I last made fruit Scones when I was at school!  Pete usually makes the cakes in our house, so it was a rarity for me.
  
  
* For the record, I say Scones which rhymes with stones, whereas Pete says Scones with rhymes with cons.

The home straight

Where did the year go?! It's December already and I can't quite believe it.  This month will be a busy one with a new member of our family arriving, work, some pre-Christmas stuff, Edinburgh, Christmas itself, work and too much food and drink.
  
It's been a tough few weeks at work.  I have my last one-to-one with my manager this week and I will have to work hard not come across as negative. So I will smile and put a positive spin on things.  It's a balancing trick.
  
On Thursday, I will have been with my current employer 5 years. That's 5 years of whinging and moaning by me and definitely not enough progress.  And I can't see that changing for a while.  In a recession, a move from a sort-of-satisfactory job that pays a good wage to something else is a massive risk.  
  
Off to Cambridge today to take in the Christmas atmosphere and have a couple of Saturday afternoon drinks. Have a fine day you'all.

Magic

I've just finished watching Magic Mike on DVD.  It's not a good film!  But it does feature the lovely yummy hunky Alex Pettyfer.
 

And he called himself a Christian

One of my brothers posted the image below on his Facebook timeline today and it reminded me of the only negative gay moment I have experienced.
 
I had a very good business relationship with a Salvation Army member in the late 90's. We got on really well and we kept in touch after I changed jobs.  When I was going through my 'active coming out' stage, I told him I was gay in an email.  We had emailed a lot and I felt I needed to be honest.  He didn't reply.
 
I sent another couple of emails and he eventually replied saying he was really busy. I chased him again and he replied saying he wouldn't be in touch again for "various reasons". We all know why and it's because the Salvation Army takes a hard line on homosexuality.
 
But let's face it, anyone with a brain cell can read into sections of the Bible to suit their own message and the whole gay topic is extremely blurred in the text. In fact, one religious person said to me that, "if being gay was so bad, why does the Bible only mention it in passing (and not clearly) and Jesus didn't even have an opinion on it?!"
 
So next time you see a Salvation Army building or hear a band playing upbeat Christian songs, remember that they may preach the word of God, but choose not to be open, forgiving, welcoming or loving.  I may not like organised religion, but their attitiude really doesn't sound very Christian to me.
 

What did I learn this week? #3

I went to Edinburgh in the week and found Luton airport in the morning was packed with Eastern Europeans - I felt like a complete outsider! On the Easyjet flight, they have just introduced allocated seating and it was a nightmare. With people sitting down, getting up to let someone in, sitting down, getting up again, struggling to find somewhere to store bags etc, it must have added 10 minutes to the boarding time.
  
I am behind the times. At my cousins wedding reception, a group of people were dancing in Gangnam style which meant little to me and still means little to me.
  
No job is secure. I lost a few colleagues this week and it's a sad and stressful time - I have been made redundant twice and it's not pleasant.
  
I'm no fan of UKIP, but that Rotherham council decision stinks. It's all about council officials playing with people's lives for no good reason. If someone who makes these decisions had concerns, then they should have done their homework before disrupting lives.

9 Daily Habits That Will Make You Happier

Edited from Inc.Com.
 
Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself. With that in mind, here are nine small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life:
 
1. Start each day with expectation.
Life usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you get up - think of a specific positive aim for the day.
   
2. Take time to plan and prioritise.
The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do. Rather than obsess about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.
 
3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.
Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod.
 
4. Deflect partisan conversations.
Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out.
 
5. Assume people have good intentions.
Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing evil motives to other people's weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.
 
6. Eat high quality food slowly.
At least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk of fine cheese or chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor it.
 
7. Let go of your results.
The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.
 
8. Turn off "background" TV.
Many households leave their TVs on as "background noise" while they're doing other things. It's not required.
 
9. End each day with gratitude.
Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge a deal at work. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.
 

November movie update

Here are the films that Pete and I have received from Lovefilm.com and watched on TV and DVD over the past month in reverse order, with my ratings out of ten from my movie list on the IMDB.
    

Friends with Kids (2011)  5

You can see exactly how this film will pan out and finish within the first scenes. It was far too obvious, had some average script and terrible acting from some of the ensemble. And for a comedy, it only had a couple of laughs. The worst part is how Nespresso was worked into so many scenes - the most blatant and insulting product placement ever!

  

Monsieur Lazhar (2011)  7

A touching film about a teacher in Canada taking over the class after their teacher had commented suicide (no spoiler there as it's in the first minute).

  

Beloved (2011)  5

A fim stretching generations, but it failed to grip me despite featuring the great Louis Garrel.

  

The Haunting (1963)  5

Classic horror - a weird film and must have seemed extremely strange at the time of release.

  

Your Sister's Sister (2011)  2

Badly acted, rubbish story.

  

Skyfall (2012)  8

A great film and an even better Bond film.  My review(ish) can be found here.

  

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (2011)  5

There wasn't anything really wrong with this film, it was just really boring! Acting, story, subplots all extremely dull.

  

Café de Flore (2011)  7

A very confusing French film set in different cities and time zones. It lost me a few times, but it was still an interesting watch.

  

The Woman in the Fifth (2011)  7

Ethan Hawke acting in French for some of the film. Quite a good drama but rather depressing.

  

The Tree of Life (2011)  1

This film will divide people. It certainly is beautiful and intriguing, but it's also up it's own arse and makes no sense. And then again, some people will like the off-the-wall strangeness - we gave up after an hour.

  

The Godfather: Part III (1990)  7*

The final part of the trilogy and it doesn't quite work. It is chock full of great acting though.

  

* Previously viewed.

Children in need 2012

It's part way through this year's BBC Children In Need as I type this.  I have just watched a heart wrenching film about the care given to 3 children when their mother was dying.  It was quite upsetting, but you could see the positive impact the councillor had on the family.
  
And like all TV money raising campaigns, they change the mood quickly and there is no better way than showing Tom dancing in trunks and he is showing off his new tattoo.
  
If you can spare some cash, give a little here.
  

Being gay is choice

Yoinked from somewhere on the net...

  

  

Because it's a choice, it is perfectly acceptable to treat gays as a second class citizens and strip them of certain rights and privileges that everyone else is entitled to. Gays are bringing about the downfall of society by destroying the moral fabric that binds us all together as human beings.
 
Furthermore, gays have no place in government, as they simply cannot be trusted not to push the gay agenda on their fellow citizens. What is the gay agenda? Recruitment. Since no one is born gay, gay people have to try to indoctrinate and recruit the rest of us at an early age, before we have the wherewithal to figure out for ourselves that the gay agenda is a lie. Because of this agenda of recruitment, which includes lying and neglecting moral behavior, gay couples should not be allowed to raise children.
 
This is what christian conservatives believe.
 
Now read it again, substituting the word "christian" for the word "gay".

Holiday snaps

Some random photos from our recent holiday...
   

 

 

 

 

 

 

What did I learn this week? #2

I visited Luton this week for a client meeting and have to say that I didn't feel safe. I can officially say that, despite visiting some rough places in London and beyond, Luton is the only place I have felt that a mugging was imminent! The area was very unpleasant and the people seemed to have nothing in the eyes - you know that dead stare?
   
You have to question how the editor at Newsnight could let the story run that hinted at a pedophile without concrete proof. This could have ruined an innocent mans life.  And on the same topic, why Philip Schofield thought that News Of The World tactics were appropriate naming pedophiles named on the internet, I will never know. You cant go spreading rumours without facts, despite having the Prime Minister to hand. I was annoyed that David Cameron then mixed pedophiles with gay men - we all know that such perverts are hardly ever gay.
  
Crystal Palace go 13 games unbeaten since the first 3 losses of the season.  :-)  I will enjoy it while I can.
  
I received my voting forms for the local Police and crime commissioner. My concern is that I know absolutely nothing about the candidates and very little about the job itself. The decision for people to vote for a someone to do such an important job baffles me. I suspect that 90% of people will be in the same position.  I can see that the next time we come to vote, the candidates will be thrashing around statistics and therefore the voting will be based on short term performance rather than the overall role including long term planning.
  

4 weeks and 2 days old

This is Zac... and we will pick him up in 3 weeks(ish).

Mitt the dimwit

What the hell did Mitt mean?!
  
“I believe in an America where millions of Americans believe in an America that’s the America millions of Americans believe in. That’s the America I love.”

Pride and joy

In an occasional series of very random songs, here's a fantastic blues rocker that came up on shuffle on my iPhone today. It's the live version of Pride And Joy by the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.  I was introduced to the music of this amazing guitarist many years ago by my guitar teacher.  He died far too young...
 

Four more years

There was never a chance in my mind that the most poweful nation on Earth could have had a leader called President Mitt.  Such a thing would sound like a cute little glove puppet on a childrens TV programme if you ask me.
 

I'm very glad the US election is over, I think our news has wasted far too much time and money on another country's elections. All this hassle for a two party state that wastes billions in electioneering.
 
Though I do wonder if 4 years is long enough in these modern times to put into effect the changes required.
 

Welcome Ian

Ian Holloway has just become manager of Crystal Palace, following the departure of Dougie Freedman.  I appreciate that you are not all football fans, but Ian is well known for his post match comments:

    

Ian Holloway on Cristiano Ronaldo: 

“He’s six foot something, fit as a flea, good looking – he’s got to have something wrong with him. Hopefully he’s hung like a hamster – That would make us all feel better. Having said that, me missus has got a pet hamster at home, and his cock’s massive.”

 

What did I learn this week? #1

Starbucks manages to pay hardly any UK tax, using any trick they can to avoid paying - perhaps it will OK for us not to pay tax (other guilty parties include Vodafone and Ebay).
  
Anything can happen in football - the departure of Dougie Freedman from Crystal Palace to Bolton was for no other reason than money it appears. Even the press agree with the fans.
    
People in Bilbao never walk across the road unless there is a green man flashing. I felt guilty walking across the road, despite it being clear of traffic.
   
Force 8 weather means even a large ship is going to be tossed around by pretty huge waves.  And the motion is up, down, sideways, diagonal etc etc and repeat. Luckily I have some sea legs, but it was still a challenge. This image shows the ship we were on!
  
The media seems to go overboard with specific topics. The Jimmy Savile coverage is now completely out of hand and sensationalist. Some of the comments from one MP when questioning the BBC boss were simply stupid.  There's no doubt that Jimmy was a bad person, but one MP was just grandstanding and should be ashamed.

Home

I am back from a weeks holiday - a short cruise to France and Spain including a fun roller coaster ride across the Bay of Biscay.
   
I have lots of photos to share, as you would expect and will post some soon. Apart from being much heavier, I am very tired and intend doing nothing today.  Watch this space.
  
It's cold in England this morning is all I can say, and here is a teaser photo taken at the Guggenheim!
  

The past month - October 2012

On James Bond's 50th anniversary, I had to make a comment about the art and music of Bond films.  We also watched Skyfall and enjoyed it immensely.
 
I really thought that someone would figure out what the strange item I found actually was. I still have no takers and may have to resort to taking it to Bagpuss. What other option do I have?
 
I got down and dirty in the streets of London yoinking some street names from a site I cant recall the name of.
 
The longest blog entry of the month centred on the boring new logos that Ebay and Microsoft have launched. I still cant find much enthusiasm for these dull idents and I would still like to know if they paid for them!
 
Call me obsessed if you want, but I cant help but stare in awe at the beauty of Francisco Lachowski and managed to post about him twice!
 
And even more semi-naked flesh just had to feature with the fit and posh Harry Judd. It's such a shame he's in such a bland pop group as McFly.
 
You would need a heart of stone not to find my brothers video of one of the 8 puppies very cute. They are currently growing at a fast rate in Northwest Kent.

Skyfall

Last night Pete and I went to the cinema to see Skyfall on it's opening night.  The 23rd James Bond has received some great reviews, but I had worked hard to avoid listening to any of them and entered the cinema with little knowledge of the plot.
     
Daniel Craig is back for his third Bond film.  Although I liked his first film Casino Royale a lot, the last outing for Quantum Of Solice lacked any humour, a good storyline and the cut/cut/cut action scenes did my head in.  Despite that, it did have some good points.
    
A night out at the cinema is a rare event for us and our local independent cinema had two showings at 8pm and both were sold out. This is great news. We were in the biggest of the auditoriums and the atmosphere was thick with anticipation.
  
I wont spoil the film for you, but I can say that this stands as a fine spy drama on its own. When you add in the Bond humour (glad it's back), some great direction and the wonderful locations, it makes for a very good movie.
  
I enjoyed it throughout, with some classic lines and action scenes. The only downside were the liberal location errors on the Underground - but I'm being picky.
  
Easily 8/10 from me.

Mr Chairman

In our team of 9 (we are the South team and there are 12 in the North), we have regular meetings in London at the iconic Gherkin to discuss relevant topics and obtain some training.  Yesterday was my turn to chair the meeting and this involves not only making sure the meeting flows well but also coming up with most of the content.

 

I started the day with an "energiser" to get the brains working; which my manager loves. I had a look around the net for ideas, but wasn't that impressed.  So instead I made up a game myself!  It didn't quite work how I planned, but it was fun all the same and I will be developing it further, selling it to ITV and retiring on the proceeds.

 

The rest of the day was work related items, but I structured it in such a way to make the day highly interactive and enjoyable... I hope. The team seemed to enjoy it and we all learned some new things which has to be good.  I also presented on a completely new topic including an online demo - relying on technology can be dangerous!

 

Despite being a shy guy, I quite like the presenting and control when I get to chair a meeting. It goes against all my natural instincts, but I don't suffer fools gladly and always share an opinion - but we are a close team, despite working remotely from each other, so we should all feel free to be honest.  My behavior goes to show how we can all be a bit chameleon like.

 

The team is due for some expansion soon and I wonder how the dynamic will alter...

Rude streets in London

Just for the hell of it...
 
Laycock Street, Islington
 
Penistone Road, Streatham
  
Cock Lane, City
 
Cock Pond, Clapham Common
 
Bellenden Road, Peckham
 
White Knobs Way, Caterham
 
Back Passage, City of London
 
The Ring, Hyde Park
 
The Butts, Brentford
 
Cold Blow Lane, New Cross
 
Cumming Street, Islington

October movie update

Here are the films that Pete and I have received from Lovefilm.com and watched on TV and DVD over the past few months in reverse order, with my ratings out of ten from my movie list on the IMDB.
 
The Darkest Hour (2011) 6
A film about Aliens attacking earth and the survivors trying to get away - CGI led storyline. OK way to spend 90 minutes... but no longer.

  

The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012) 7
Not as good as the other Aardman films - despite the animation being sublime, the story wasn't as gripping or funny as the wonderful Curse Of The Were-Rabbit.

  

The Godfather: Part II* (1974) 8
The best of the trilogy. Great acting and you get two stories running side by side.

  

The Godfather* (1972) 8
Classic movie - well worth a view.

    

The Girl on the Bridge (1999) 5
Weird film that was trying to be both a drama and funny, but it failed on both levels.

  

2 Days in New York (2012) 5
I being generous with 5/10, an unfunny "comedy" with some insulting French stereotypes. It also has solo scenes with Chris Rock talking to a cardboard cutout of Obama that made no sense and didn't fit (I assume he was ad-libbing and insisted the scenes were left in).

  

Jackie Brown* (1997) 9
A complex story that confuses some people, but it's very cool and full of wonderful performances. Certainly one of my favourite films.

  

The Cabin in the Woods (2011) 5
A not-very-good horror film.

  

Avengers Assemble (2012) 6
Despite the hype, I thought this was lacking a story, most scenes were just people fighting and there was far too much CGI action. Fine throwaway action film, but it really wasn't the classic that some reviewers had announced.

  

Margaret (2011) 5
This film about a teenager that witnesses the death of a woman was soooo long - could have been "OK" with an hour cut out - and you wouldn't have missed much anyway. The characters lacked consistency and there were some amazingly annoying scenes where music played very loudly drowning out the dialogue. Very strange.

 
  

* previously viewed

Harry in bondage

Yoinked from Gari's blog, here is the gorgeous Harry Judd - oh those pecs!  
  

Boooooooring

Two major corporations recently launched new branding and both have been accused of lacking imagination.  My view is that the new logos for Ebay and Microsoft are just bland and dull. You have to wonder how many millions were spent producing something that a 5 year old could have made accidentally on Word in a minute.
 

 
Is this a new trend... boring and amateurish corporate designs?  Is the simplicity meant to show that the company is easy to deal with?   Or does it just say that they couldn't be bothered?
 
A logo is the entrance to a company's branding and if you get that wrong, you have already closed the door to potential new interest. Sub-consciously, we make judgements just by considering a logo. These new designs are so dull, that you wonder if the business has given up being innovative.
 
When you have countless websites saying that your new logo is just boring, you have certainly done something wrong. Business Insider even offers alternative suggestions and the mighty Microsoft were criticised on dozens of renowned sites.
  
A couple of years ago, clothing shop 'Gap' launched a new logo and although their existing one wasn't too impressive, the backlash was severe enough for them to cancel the rebrand completely within days... at huge cost!
 

The mighty Apple don't escape either. Although their main logo is simple and effective, many said that their iTunes logo was generic and forgettable - not good press for one of your most important assets.  I love a well designed logo, iTunes isn't one.
 

Despite 2012 being possible the best year ever in London (and further afield I am sure) due to the Jubilee celebrations and the amazing spectical of the Olympics, I never warmed to the London 2012 logo.  It's certainly not boring... I just didn't like it.  It grated with me every time I saw it and still does!  And I still don't understand how it cost £400,000 to design.
  
But some companies get it really wrong however...
 

     









 
 
Locum obviously didn't test theirs with the public first: