Days in new job -Three Computers broken -None

New users helped -Dozen Smiles (both in work and outside) - Bored now...

Sorry to get all Bridget Jones on you, Zone Blog Reader, but its amazing what a new job does for the soul. Especially when as part of a rota cock-up , they let you loose on the counter early and you manage not to break anything. Or insult regular users. Or be so slow that a queue develops double-length. My new colleagues like to ask me how I am finding life at this new frantic pace - I always answer that my duty manager would have the answer to that. She smiles enigmatically and moves off with an armful of books to shelve - my guess is they're quietly impressed. Hopefully. If it's anything different, then they're too polite to break the news to me immediately.

One important note to mention straight off the bat is the gender divide in the library service. I will state right at the top that I have Never been employed in such a female- dominated environment before. It's not an issue for me, but it is worth noting. Honestly, guys, the women outscore us by at least five to one. The computer booking assistant, the security guard and myself have been conducting little pow-wows at tea breaks. And don't think for a moment, people, that I am going to diss my new colleagues by "rating" them in a glossy lads mag type poll- there's a time and place for that line of questioning and it ain't here and now. Anyway, they might be listening in - one of my new colleagues has my username here at TV.com. Was that wise, I ask myself? Is she ready for my satirical and sardonic outlook on life? Will what she finds here blow her mind? Find out here soon....

Whatever happens on this exciting new induction front, its brilliant to be employed by an organization that appreciates and develops your talents, not burning you out for fifty hours a week and leaving you like death warming up at the end of every single working day. It's a good feeling.

My DVD pick of the week is real cult material. For some odd explanation, my blog sections this time round are all retro thinking for some reason. Must be the shock of the new. Anyway, what were you up to ten or so years ago? That brings up shady memories of my late student days and casting around for a late night chaotic event. And then The Adam & Joe Show arrived.For those of you not in the know, Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish are the real deal - media-saavy culture kings brought up on a diet of satire and shaky home movies and film schools. They knew how to dissect pop culture like nobody else and over four series from 1995 to 2000, they destroyed well-loved films and hit songs with their geek-love of Star Wars, street theatre and the infamous soft toy film parodies. Man, did I like this show. And the best of the four series DVD brings back those glory days - Star Wars parodies of Millionaire , You've Been Framed and the Royle Family and toy films galore (American Beautoy, Shakesbear in Love, Saving Private Lion and Toytanic). The Saving private Lion parody is particularly devastating - I never thought anyone could take the piss out of the Omaha beach landings, but that satire is just jawtofloor funny. Most of these you can find on You Tube - my favorite item was a very tuneful Robert De Niro calypso tune which I have been whistling for the last ten days. You can catch it here at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh9GEvMzA6I (hope the link works - my first HTML pasteup trial).

Whatever the boys do in the future, they will be remembered in my household for this - just inspired lunacy. And I want the theme tune as my mobile tone.

While we are on the subject of retro thoughts, I present the first in an occasional series (later reports to follow when I have more successes.) Called Rcubed (Resident Retro Review). Regular readers will appreciate and understand my love of zombie culture (Romero films, the fantastic Spaced episode opening , 30 Days Of Night (opening next month) etc). And the Resident Evil games - survival horror is just the bomb. Lights off, Console on, Volume up and freak yourself out silly. One of these days, I'll give myself a cardiac with the scares. Anyway, a potted history. A few years ago, I got myself a Gamecube on the cheap when they were already losing out in the war with the Xbox and Playstation2. And my game of choice -the Res Evil remake. At the time (don't mock, this is my tech phobia at work) I believed my telly didn't have the SCART sockets available to run it. So it was left in a drawer - until two months ago.

When I tried the connections completely on the spur of the moment - and to my complete astonishment, it worked. So I just sat there, open-mouthed at how good the game looked (the Cutscenes are just fantastic - last time out, I was playing Res Evil 2 &3 on the original Playstation - at least ten years ago). So I sorted out a big memory card - and completed the game last Thursday. Better late than never. It's time for a review.

As I said, the game looks terrific - it's great how the characters can actually climb up stairs now rather than the old way on the original PS1. My very slow finishing time of 11 hours gives time to grab most of the items and deal out metallic death to most of the enemies. Favorite sections for me were the Yawn battles (the big snake) in the library (the whole return to the Mansion section is great), the tunnels below the Courtyard with the boulder dodges and running away from twisted Lisa, the Plant 42 room in the Residence and the final Lab section (the Tyrant intro is superb - its great miming along with Chris as he confronts Wesker and its very satisfying to blast the test-tube freak into bits with the rocket launcher). But the winner by a country mile is the Aqua Ring - an excellent sequence with the Neptune shark, a difficult puzzle in the control room and the short-circuit sequence in the Dry Tank - just drop-dead fantastic.

So, the long catchup routine has begun - also spookily tying in with my gradual update of the consoles. To come (deep breath), Res Evil 0,2,3 and Code Veronica X on the Gamecube (I fondly remember flying blindly through corridors pursued by the Nemesis on Res 3 on PS1 , so that should be a blast), Res 4 (on Gamecube & Wii - some very +ve reviews for the Wii version here from my shop friends, so looking forward to that), Umbrella Chronicles (on Wii here around Xmas) and then Res 5 in 2009 on PS3. I'll also try something completely different from time to time for a breather, so that gives me a change to dabble on Crazy Taxi, Gun, possibly a bit of Zelda - those types of things).

All reviews to come when my arthritis calms down (joke from all the titles - I'm not actually a sufferer). Its going to be a long haul anyway.

Finally , now my head has cleared, you can wish me a delayed Happy Birthday if you want. The happy event was on the 17th Sept and, to be honest, I've developed a Jack Daniels mentality about it - with one important twist. I actually know the actual birthdate - but then, who needs an excuse to have a whole month of celebration? Yaye for me.

It's been a while since my last blog, so at moment, I've got enough ideas to fill three days back to back. So expect an update soon.

Beavering away in the book basement, Sis x