The Adventures of Dysfunctional Dan

2021 is finally drawing to a close so it's time for my now traditional end of year post where I round up some of my favourtie bits of media from the last twelve months. TV I've been finding that I am actually watching less TV than ever now I am have complete control of what's on the box. The BBC have given us some great dramas this year- Line of Duty was as thrilling as ever and I felt the ending was apt and Vigil was a brilliantly tense if somewhat absurd submarine murder mystery. There was also Doctor Who: Flux , by far the best series of the show for some years with it's tense series-long story.  It was Disney though who really captured my attention on the small screen with Marvel Studios branching into TV for the first time with exclusive shows for Disney+. There was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier which was a bit hit and miss but had some breath-taking moments, animated multiverse show What If? , and the superb WandaVision , Loki and Hawkeye. All three of the lat...

A year ago today I officially became a homeowner so it feels like a good time to reflect on the experience of living on my own and indeed on 2021 as a whole.  Perhaps my biggest concern about living on my own was the potential to feel somewhat isolated. I've generally found ways around that and actually living on my own has actually pushed me to be more social than I used to be. Covid though has made life more difficult. As well as having to isolate for a couple of days due to a possible close contact, I got really ill from the first Covid vaccine in February and had Covid at the end of October.  All in all, I've spent far more time contained in my flat than I ever thought I would, often feeling pretty awful health wise. These periods have been really tough. I've never found silence so overwhelming. I am quite an introverted person and don't mind a bit of time on my own but this year I've really gained an appreciation of being able to spend time with people.  On the...

It feels like some unknown enemy has engaged in biological warfare against me. I only recovered from Covid about six weeks ago and my sense of smell remains largely absent yet this week I was infected with what turned out to be one of most unpleasant stomach bugs I've ever had. My body has really taken a battering this Autumn. It has long been a tradition when I've been ill in December to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol . I've literally done it for longer than I can remember, through infant and junior school, secondary school, university and work. In the years I've remained illness free it instead becomes a celebration of the start of the Christmas holidays.  I maintain that  The Muppet Christmas Carol ( TMCC henceforth) is not just one the greatest Christmas films ever made, but one of the greatest films ever made full stop. It's not simply nostalgia for a film I loved during childhood   because the film actually gets better as you age. Why is it so fantastic? Wel...