tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56860655868825358892024-02-20T23:40:54.137-08:00Jar Jar Binks Ate My TribbleTheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-22405262918516875582013-05-07T12:53:00.000-07:002013-05-07T13:07:54.860-07:00The Doctor Who Figures I Actually Want Them To Make.When Doctor Who made a comeback in 2005 one of the most obvious types of merchandising available to the BBC was, of course, the action figure. The first wave of which included the Doctor, Rose and, rather puzzlingly, they made some odd characters that made little more than cameo appearances. Moxx of Balhoon? Did that guy actually need an action figure made of him? More puzzlingly as the series progressed and Christopher Eccleston changed into David Tennant the odd figures kept on coming. Take, for example, the episode The Idiot Lantern. Did they decide to make a nice figure of the Doctor with his groovy Elvis style quiff? Or Rose in her 50's dress and sunglasses? No. They chose to make an action figure of the old lady with no face who appeared for at least six seconds! Because every kid wants to play with an action figure of an old lady! They even included a swappable head in case you wanted to have the old lady with a face. <br />
Despite all these odd releases Character Options have started making "classic" (we have to call all Who before 2005 "Classic" these days. Just to make us all feel a little bit old. Bastards!) figures. To their credit these figures are well detailed and amazing to look at. Even the 6th Doctor's jacket has the right pattern on the right part of the patchwork. There are some characters from Doctor Who that really do deserve their own action figure but are yet to get one.<br />
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Sarah Jane Smith.<br />
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Even though there have been several Sarah Jane Smith figures released all of them are from after 2006's School Reunion. There have even been a couple of figures from her own show The Sarah Jane Adventures. What I, and several other folk, would like to see is this version from The Hand Of Fear. The red and white striped dungaree costume. Or, as <span class="st">Elisabeth Sladen referred to it "The Andy Pandy suit".</span><br />
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<span class="st">The Haemovores.</span><br />
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I'm told that Character Options are looking to make a figure of Ace from The Curse of Fenric. If so surely she needs a couple of these guys to go with her? Look at them. They were probably one of the most terrifying monsters to ever feature on Doctor Who. What made them even more scary was that they were also technically Vampires. You know, from when it was ok to be a bit scared of Vampires and they didn't glow.<br />
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Sarah Kingdom.<br />
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Sarah Kingdom kicked ass. In that way that women in 1960's TV shows kicked ass. Like Mrs Peel in the Avengers. Not the one with Captain America in.<br />
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Adric <br />
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The 5th Doctor's companions are a little under represented by way of action figures. Even back in the 80's when Dapol were knocking out dodgy faced figures of the 7th Doctor they didn't even think the 5th Doctor deserved his own figure even though they made figures of the 4th and 2nd Doctors. The trouble with making a figure of Adric though is that some people may well take it upon themselves to find various ways of destroying it. Oh well, if there is a figure of him released keep an eye out for the YouTube videos of Adric figures being killed in inventive ways.<br />
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Romana. The first version.<br />
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Mary Tamm is sadly no longer with us but she is without a doubt one of the Doctor Who assistants that definitely deserve their own figure. While she only appeared in 6 stories (The Key To Time story arc) I think that one of the best costumes to make the figure would be this one above from The Pirate Planet. <br />
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Romana. The second version.<br />
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One of the strangest things in Doctor Who, to me, was the optional regeneration of Romana. It was part of the tapestry of Who by the late 70's that the Doctor and other Time Lords could regenerate when they were dying. So how then did Romana manage to get through several different bodies before she finally settled on the one that look uncannily like Lalla Ward. Did she nip off into a back room of the TARDIS and shoot herself in the face? Either way, if they make a figure of Romana 1 they need to make a figure of Romana 2. Preferably in this costume from Destiny of the Daleks.<br />
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Krotons <br />
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Look at that thing there! Does that not scream "Make me into an action figure!!" at you? No? Well it should. The black and white era is sorely missing any sort of villain in the action figure range. Unless of course you count Daleks in which case there is a plethora. But I think that these guys would make a great addition to anyone's action figure collection. They could even have a little smoke spray added to them.<br />
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Ben and Polly<br />
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Ben and Polly were the vital link between William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton in that they were present during the very first regeneration. They were the vital link that helped the transition between Doctors and as such they are more than deserving of their own action figure. Besides I still think Anneke Wills is one of the most beautiful women to have ever lived.<br />
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Ace<br />
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While Character Options have said that they are going to release an Ace action figure it will be Ace as seen in Curse of Fenric. With no Haemovores. I think they should really go for the version seen in Remembrance of the Daleks. Mostly because the figure could come with a nice backpack, Nitro 9 and a baseball bat. Though Dapol did release a Remembrance Ace action figure with some pretty good detailing on the badges the face was utterly terrible. It looked like Sid James in Ace's costume. These days, with laser cutting from computer specification, action figures do look a lot more like the person they are supposed to represent.<br />
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Rose Tyler<br />
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Don't think that I'm sticking to "Classic" Who and bemoaning the lack of decent figures released of them. I am but that's beside the point. As I said up there at the top, Character Options seemed to decide to not make a figure of Rose Tyler in this fantastic 50's outfit. It's not too late you know.<br />
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Jamie McCrimmon <br />
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Jamie accompanied the 2nd Doctor almost throughout his tenure. Still he has no figure. While there are assistant figures for both the 11th, 10th, 9th, 6th and 3rd Doctors all the others look a little lonely over on the shelf there. I'm reliably informed that Jamie may well be getting his figure soon in a set featuring Zoe and Yeti. Here's hoping.<br />
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Sergeant Benton<br />
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While a figure of Brigadier Leithbridge-Stewart was released last year no word as yet as to whether there will be a Sgt Benton to keep him company. Sgt Benton was a vital part of U.N.I.T. during the Pertwee years and surely deserves a figure?<br />
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The Master.<br />
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I'm not just sticking a whole load of complaints about the lack of figures of "classic" assistants you know. Some old enemies are a little under represented too. For instance Anthony Ainley as the Master. A version of Anthony Ainley's portrayal of the Master was released a couple of years back. Unfortunately it's the version in the plain black suit form Planet of Fire. What most fans, me included, want is the high collared long velvety jacket version. Obviously they'd need to include a Tissue Compression Eliminator as an accessory.<br />
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Meglos <br />
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Sure it's a copy of the Doctor made by a cactus from outer space but doesn't it need a figure? It would be pretty easy too. All they'd need to do is reuse one of the Tom Baker figures and just add the cactussy hands and face.<br />
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Ian and Barbara.<br />
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The first Doctor took with him on his travels his granddaughter and two of her teachers. Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright. While there was a version of the first Doctor figure released in black and white surely Ian and Barbara would make a perfect addition to that figure. They could even release it as a boxed set with....<br />
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Susan Foreman<br />
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Susan was the Doctor's Granddaughter who took her surname from the name of the owners of the junkyard where we first encountered the TARDIS. If you're going to make an Ian and Barbara figure you wouldn't be complete without Susan.<br />
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Tegan Jovanka<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07BGw8ZCJNwkvYvdXvdWlQ5jRQfVuqloFm4OyVsbGu9xVRlHabMPgcZjoYoWJlMm0DHGDVI7Fr_-d9UbNO8o2Y3ljvj3mAvga1SD79GZvYZsoYmJMnSiDmFdmrw-4Ww6JVT68qxPdAlFn/s1600/jovanka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh07BGw8ZCJNwkvYvdXvdWlQ5jRQfVuqloFm4OyVsbGu9xVRlHabMPgcZjoYoWJlMm0DHGDVI7Fr_-d9UbNO8o2Y3ljvj3mAvga1SD79GZvYZsoYmJMnSiDmFdmrw-4Ww6JVT68qxPdAlFn/s320/jovanka.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<br />
Ah, Tegan. My all time favorite assistant ever. Of course it would be stupid to ask Character Options to make a life size figure just for me, not to mention ever so slightly disturbing. But I'm sure it would be fairly easy to make a couple of hundred 5" figures. Oh, and whilst I am a big fan of the purple air hostess uniform if they made a figure this (Resurrection of the Daleks) version is the one I would most like to have next to my 5th Doctor.<br />
<br />
So there you go. A few suggestions as to who you should start making figures of Character Options. If you only take one idea - make me a Tegan!! <br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="st"><br /></span>
TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-13870775547829032042013-01-15T14:01:00.001-08:002013-01-15T14:03:30.255-08:00The Death of the Record Store<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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HMV is dead, but does it really come as a surprise?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s go back in time, hop in my virtual TARDIS and we’ll be
whisking back to the year 1992.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20 years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, apart from the crazy middle
parted hairstyles and garishly decorated hooded tops what do you on the high
street over there?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my home town,
Barking, we had a whole bunch of record shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was Our Price, Sam Goody, Woolworths, W H Smiths, that nice indie
place on the corner and, round the back street by the church was Renns Records
which dealt mainly in second hand recordings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you wanted a record, if one didn’t have it then another was bound
to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although if you were looking for
something obscure from the mid-seventies on 8-track the Renn’s would probably
have it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, let us take a walk along Barking high street in
1992.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam Goodys in in Vicarage Field
shopping centre, here is where you can get most new releases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it isn’t on the shelf have a quick word
with the guy behind the counter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He may
have it under the desk but not put on display yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was introduced to a band called The Manic
Street Preachers here before they had even cut their first album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought You Love Us, released on the little
indie label Heavenly right here after the guy behind the counter put it on the
shop system so I could hear it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought
nearly every single released from the album Bellybutton by Jellyfish right
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was even one of the first people
in the UK to hear a new single by a guy called Lenny Kravitz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Never get anywhere with an unpronounceable
name like that” I said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we leave Vicarage Field, on our right is that nice little
indie place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my shame I cannot
remember the name of it but it is, indeed, nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reasonably priced and they have some stuff in
that other shops don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I once stood
here while the guy behind the counter (his name was Paul but that is
immaterial) managed to convince someone that they really should buy the twelve
inch version of Shiney Happy People because the larger size disk meant better
value for money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was just a larger black skatey bit when
the actual song had finished but the drove a hard bargain.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Across the road, in the station, is Our Price records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very standard chart buy shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that if it is in the chart they will sell
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They never liked to be the trend
setters just pander to what the public wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though sometimes you could get a bargain in the cassette single basket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty much right next to it is W H
Smith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly a newsagent but they had a
little rack of chart cassettes that travelers weary of the one cassette they
had with them to listen to on their Walkman’s would stop off to buy something new.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alright, before we go back to 2013 let’s go along the high
street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There, resplendent in front of
the court house, is Woolworths a large shop that sells everything from sink
plungers to pick and mix. They had a massive section of records, cassettes and
CD’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although if you needed to know
something the staff were utterly clueless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My dad bought me the soundtrack to Batman by Prince in here in 1989
before I’d even seen the movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally we leave 1992 but not before a quick stop off to
Renns records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A proper record shop with
racks of musty old smelling vinyl and shelve filled with cassettes by bands
most people had never even heard of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes I used to just go and buy one completely blind just to see
what it was like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course sometimes
there was some utter crap but in the case of a band like The Dream Syndicate
there was bands that I fell in love with and still am to this day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right then, let’s get back to 2013 shall we.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What do we have here now?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I want to buy a record, any record, where do I go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The answer is nowhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is nowhere left to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sam Goody stopped trading in 1994.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That nice indie place on the corner went in
1996.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our Price in 2004 and Woolworths
in 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Renns closed down in the late
nineties at some point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t remember
when because, to my shame, I stopped visiting there sometime in the mid
nineties.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Up until a couple of years ago I could walk into Ilford
where there was a HMV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last album I
bought there was the Ray Davies duets album from 2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It closed down not long after due to lack of business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was still a HMV in Romford up until,
well, it’s still there until they close it down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How did it come to this?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A thriving industry bought down to nothing in the space of some twenty
odd years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Greed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the example of Barking each of the major
shops kept trying to outdo each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was the same the whole country over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each of the record shops would drop their prices in order to get
footfall through their doors and in doing so was hammering a nail into the
coffin of their rivals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One by one the
smaller companies were swallowed up by the bigger ones until only one remained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That giant, that Tyrannosaurus Rex of the
music industry was HMV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They never
learnt anything though they thought they were bulletproof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when their last remaining contender,
Zavvi, died they still never learnt anything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Times were changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most people would like to go to record shops but the internet provided a
much cheaper alternative.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You didn’t
even need to leave the sofa in order to buy a new album – it would come
straight to your letterbox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>HMV still
charged extortionate prices. I bought a DVD from HMV Lakeside just 4 months ago
and paid £14.99 for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same DVD on
a rival website was on sale for £10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
make matters worse HMV’s website was selling it for £12.99!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See the big Tyrannosaurus Rex of a record shop that went
round swallowing all the competition so that there was none but itself left
made one fatal mistake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That mistake was
that any market is about completion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No competition
means a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>monopoly over the market and, as
HMV seemed to believe they had the monopoly on all music and DVD sales
throughout the country, they became complacent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They kept the prices high for no real reason other than profit and in
the end the final blow came in the shape of the virtual shop front that is the
internet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the story of the record
shops of England ends not with a bang but a sad pathetic whimper as the Tyrannosaurus<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rex known as HMV crashes to the ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who killed HMV?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did, you did, we all did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a way I
think I’ll miss it, even though all I’ve done in there for years is browse for
something that I came home and found cheaper on the internet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AR2PYc4BBiUpCX5Ix4npKQYqJlmsj9Pg6QfHLR1MDB3iJWUrmWK7TgDXihUW0udrSrJHao6Ci1F-ZQzbjPevXv95XmD2YvHSAcmDhLlyKCSISi_8UlP0oCDDl-v0EZCYREuaYzrkftah/s1600/PICT1188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AR2PYc4BBiUpCX5Ix4npKQYqJlmsj9Pg6QfHLR1MDB3iJWUrmWK7TgDXihUW0udrSrJHao6Ci1F-ZQzbjPevXv95XmD2YvHSAcmDhLlyKCSISi_8UlP0oCDDl-v0EZCYREuaYzrkftah/s320/PICT1188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1997, Lucasfilm took the original three Star Wars movies,
cleaned them up a bit and remastered them whilst also (controversially)
tinkering with various elements and scenes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was incredible to go to the cinema again to see these three movies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I was married at the time and my
first son had been recently born I still managed to sneak out on a day off from
work to see them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife thought I was
actually at work for the day mind you but she was none the wiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were good things like that in the days
before the advent of the mobile phone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next time I would be in the cinema watching a Star Wars
movie would be two years later.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was 1999.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The year
that Star Wars Episode One The Phantom menace was released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A mere 16 years after Return of the
Jedi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an excitement, a
buzz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every product available had given
in to Star Wars advertising, from Walkers crisps to Pepsi, all had the Star
Wars logo proudly emblazoned upon them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The action figures were a different animal from the previous ones in
that they actually looked like the character they were supposed to
portray.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You couldn’t even turn on the
TV without there being some mention that a new Star Wars movie had been
released and I was desperate to go and see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I persuaded my mother to come and babysit my (now) two sons and my wife
to accompany me to the cinema.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t
overly impressed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously more so than
my, then, wife who hated Star Wars anyway and only came to the cinema to shut
me up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the movie that divided the
Star Wars community like no other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Depending on which camp you were in it was either a new era of Star Wars
or the destruction of the great memory of childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was, for quite a while on the borders of
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed it but it didn’t seem
the same as the movies I grew up with. Although I was totally impressed with
the lightsaber battle, it was so much better than any that had been seen
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I left the cinema that night
with anything it was an uncontrollable urge to buy a lightsaber.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The DVD release came about a year later and I snapped up a
copy on the day of release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were
other things too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had the game of the
movie on Playstation and played it almost every day until I completed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I played it again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The game gave me a better understanding and
liking for the Episode 1 characters much more than just a single watching of
the movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I watched the DVD several
times too and it became a favorite of my, now, 3 year old son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would watch it together on a regular basis
and I played him the original trilogy too which loved too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my second son also took an interest all
three of us would sit together on the sofa and watch Star Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 2000 my daughter was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried suggesting several names for
her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leia, Padme, Amidala etc…I almost
got her named Amidala until my wife realized it was the name of a character
Star Wars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2002 was the year of Episode 2 Attack of the Clones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took both my sons to the cinema to see
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was their first cinema experience
and my first experience of taking my children to see Star Wars in much the same
way my mother had some 25 years previously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I bought them the action figures, t-shirts, bedding etc. the same as my
parents had and it occurred to me that there was now a new Star Wars generation
and I was responsible for a small part of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005 both my sons
were aged 8 and 7 and, naturally, we were the first in line to see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to the local 18 screen multiplex a
huge soulless building compared to the 2 screen<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>cinema in Southend where I had seen Return of the Jedi or the one screen
Lewisham cinema where I’d seen Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars (It was still
called Star Wars then before they tacked on the New Hope part).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was sad in a way because this was going to be the last time that the three of
us would see a new Star Wars movie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>George Lucas had said as much in many interviews at the time claiming it
was always planned as a six part adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was sure that back in 1983 he had said it was a nine parter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
January 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
waiting in line at the IMAX Waterloo with all three of my children to see Star
Wars Episode One The Phantom Menace in 3D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My daughter isn’t really all that excited having admitted several times
that she really doesn’t like Star Wars that much she just came along for the
day out and to watch it in 3D.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sit
with her and my two sons on the middle row of the IMAX and between the four of
us there was a real buzz of anticipation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sure we’d seen the movie a hundred times and we could repeat the script
line for line only this time it was in 3D!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the opening Lucasfilm logo glistened green the audience cheered!
Yes, I did cry three times too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily
the 3D glasses covered up for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
October 2012 Lucasfilm announces it has been sold to
Disney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disney, of course, wants to make
more Star Wars movies and this news angers a great many people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They claim that Disney will kiddify the Star Wars franchise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why would they?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wouldn’t make sense to buy the Lucasfilm Company
and then destroy everything they had already done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m
excited about the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disney says that
there will be a new movie every three years starting in 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If that means a new trilogy by the time the
third movie is released my eldest son will be 24 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m still going to go with him to see
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe by that time I’ll be going
with grandchildren too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe my
children will be telling me that the new Star Wars is rubbish compared to the
Star Wars they grew up with as kid and how they’ve never come up with a
character as good as Jar Jar Binks. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So to sum up, what did George Lucas give to me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He certainly didn’t rape my childhood as one
“fan” claimed after the release of episode one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He certainly never gave me the greatest movies ever made, or ever will
be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he did give me is some
fantastic memories not just from his movies but from hot sunny days when I was
a child standing on the beach pretending it was Tatooine, or when the snow fell
in winter hanging out with my friends in the park and making it seem like we
were on Hoth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, as I became a
parent, late evenings having lightsaber battles in the back garden with my
children as the sun set and running through the forest pretending we were on speeder bikes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See to me Star Wars has been more than just a series of
movies it has been a thread that has run through my entire life and I’m glad
that that thread still continues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know
the new movies may well turn out to be complete and utter crap, I know that, but as long there
is Star Wars you can guarantee I’ll be there waiting in line behind the sign that says "House Full". </div>
TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-39686559907065824642012-11-19T12:13:00.000-08:002012-11-19T12:13:05.416-08:00Star Wars and I<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivczJawHGOf2SvaU7Zko3drDnithzyuShpM5tB6F3gClV5t0VfLB5tHXNVtp3G0TRHZgMgn921V1rV5NqI71DDG6THKP2T1AV0rU4YgFdBqv-5kw3i2symzEi13fGgiY_1HYfgIYgDvD3n/s1600/PICT1158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivczJawHGOf2SvaU7Zko3drDnithzyuShpM5tB6F3gClV5t0VfLB5tHXNVtp3G0TRHZgMgn921V1rV5NqI71DDG6THKP2T1AV0rU4YgFdBqv-5kw3i2symzEi13fGgiY_1HYfgIYgDvD3n/s320/PICT1158.JPG" width="240" /></a>Actually the year is 1977, the galaxy far, far away is that hive of scum
and villainy otherwise known as Lewisham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m standing in a queue that stretches right around the block of the Odeon
cinema and have been for nigh on two hours now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m standing with my mum looking at a sign outside the entrance of the
cinema that reads “HOUSE FULL”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then a
man in a suit comes and removes the sign to allow the next lot of customers to
enter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Never before or since had I ever
experienced excitement like the excitement that was filling me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just a few steps away from seeing
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movie that everyone was talking
about, everyone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even already had some
action figures of characters even though I had no idea what they actually
were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of them was obviously some
sort of white soldier with a gas mask on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a midweek day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was 8
o’clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should be in bed by now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t matter though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would be happy to spend the rest of the
next day sleepy and tired because right now I was about to go and see Star
Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mum led me by the hand into the
grandly decorated auditorium and we were shown our seats by the usherette.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
what seemed an age of advertising the now familiar yellow worded opening crawl
began to fill the screen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held my
breath in excitement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t that good
at reading what with only being four and a bit so I had no idea what the crawl
actually said but the music was great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was possibly the best thing that I had ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For days afterward I would discuss it with my
friends at school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time any of us
was near a paper cup it would be employed as a Darth Vader voice changer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All cardboard tubes, felt pens and sticks
became lightsabers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upturned litter bins
in the school playground became R2-D2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only thing on our minds was Star Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the summer of 1977 my mum took me to see
what was to become known as A New Hope no less than 12 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Christmas approached all anyone my age
wanted was Star Wars toys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although I
remember that Christmas I also got a Meco Mr Spock doll but that’s a different
story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the next few years my childhood was dominated with Star
Wars – Toys, books, comics, clothes, bed linen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I must have made my poor parents pay out endlessly on Star Wars related
merchandising.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, in the playground
one day, someone spread the news that a new Star Wars movie was going to be
made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Made it was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That movie became The Empire Strikes Back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again I managed to persuade my poor mother
into taking me to see the movie that summer no less than five times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again one of the many talking points in
Valence Junior schools playground was Star Wars and we would always argue about
who would play who at lunchtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
never Han but normally settled for Luke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Mostly because I could go down the slide backwards holding my hand
inside my coat and pretend it was the air shaft on Cloud City.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, in 1983, the final Star Wars movie was released.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Return of the Jedi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My mum took my friend Neil Phillips and I to
the Southend Odeon to see it on the first week of release and we loved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although we did both have a bit of a cry when
Yoda died but in those days, when smoking was still allowed in cinemas, we
managed to tell everyone we had smoke in our eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then came the dark period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No more Star Wars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alright there
was Caravan of Courage a movie starring the Ewoks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was an Ewok TV show and a show about
R2-D2 and C3P0 called Droids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than
that nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>George Lucas kept saying
that he had originally planned Star Wars as a 9 movie epic adventure but the
following parts were no forthcoming and Star Wars became the stuff of legend.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until 1996 when Lucasfilm announced a new Star Wars movie,
tentatively titled Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To be continued…..</div>
TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-61060723757950318972012-10-19T15:10:00.000-07:002012-10-19T15:10:00.015-07:00Now Then, Now Then...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcvFSgZx8Sl7LCICITqByGHrCGsBSO4x-987Ab1Mv9lOxF8_JvzGaSnciUev1IR_MNBzkp11_y7VO1DRmue4D-UR5eGb70aBU1IOqs5ZXQp_0HqdnGq2sQ_ogho1l-g8IWQemrhS74puL/s1600/imagesbbb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcvFSgZx8Sl7LCICITqByGHrCGsBSO4x-987Ab1Mv9lOxF8_JvzGaSnciUev1IR_MNBzkp11_y7VO1DRmue4D-UR5eGb70aBU1IOqs5ZXQp_0HqdnGq2sQ_ogho1l-g8IWQemrhS74puL/s1600/imagesbbb.jpg" /></a></div>
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I met him once you know, that Saville man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 9 years old and living on a small
island by the sea in Essex.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the sea,
of course, I mean the Thames and by island I mean it was separated by a small
river.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An island nonetheless!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I digress, I met Jimmy Saville!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A local woman on our street did a lot of charity work for….you
know what??<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t remember
exactly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it was the blind but I
can’t be sure. Either way she did a lot of charity work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would hold fancy dress parties where all
the children in the neighbourhood, me included, would spend days making
costumes in the hopes of winning first prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A pound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yep, one whole
pound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot of money for a pre-teen kid
in 1982!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You could buy enough sweet and
crisps (healthy stuff in those days) to stuff yourself to the point of collapse
and still have change to buy a can of Coke.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was on the occasion of one such of these fancy dress days
that he turned up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had…hold on I’ll be
more truthful here – my mum had spent days making my costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to be the Hulk!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had some inflatable muscles which could be
cunningly hidden under a ripped shirt and some purple (true to the comic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a fussy bugger even then.)
trousers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trousers were ripped up
too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just above the knee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trouble was I wasn’t exactly the right
shade of green and, in the early eighties, body paint was not readily available.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, my mum made up a wash over body paint
using green food colouring and water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
went on well with a sponge and dried to a rather fetching green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact I was skinny as a rake was never
mentioned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I lined up with the other kids in the street in our costumes
and something inside me was yelling “you won’t win”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Especially as I was stood next to my friend
Darren who was dressed a victorian swimmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Complete with a stick on moustache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On my other side was Gregory who was wearing his mums overcoat and Trilby
style hat with a bit of card shoved into its brim that read “PRESS”. He said
that he was a reporter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both comparatively better costumes than
mine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even my little sister had a
costume my mum had made entirely from copies of the local paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local paper liked her costume a lot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then came the judging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The old lady from down the street, who did a lot of charity work, announced
that she had a special guest to come and judge us today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then she <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>explained to us that she was going to be on
the TV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then came the shock to all of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stepped out from her front door wearing a
gold tracksuit with a huge gold chain round his neck and smoking <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his trademark cigar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently he was there to film an interview
with her about her charity work and had “Fixed” something for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He walked along the line of us, smiling, then
took the old lady (I’m sure she was Mrs Wilson or something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I probably will do sometime tomorrow) aside
and told him her choices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Victoria from around the corner won first prize in her<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>rather ridiculous monster costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say ridiculous because she had a rather bad
mask and was wrapped in a brown bath mat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The claws that were made from a pair of
Marigolds and cardboard were quite convincing though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
won a pound for it too!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr Saville
presented her with the pound and stopped for pictures with the photographer
from the local paper.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The big shock was that I had won second prize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a bit dumbfounded and accepted a shiny
50 pence piece from Jimmy and shook his hand for the camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His cigar stank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even more than the masses of after shave he
seemed to be covered in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My sister won third prize for her newspaper girl
costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or as Jimmy described it “Whatever
that little girl is”. She won 20p.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was very nice to her, handed her the coin and even added a “How’s about that
then”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then the old lady ( I really must remember her name you
know) said that Mr Saville had to go now and they stopped for photos for the
press then went into the old lady’s house to film an interview for Jim’ll Fix
It.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I, happily, decided that I should now wave my new 50p coin
at my friends who hadn’t won anything. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only bad thing was that food colouring was not
particularly easy to scrub off from skin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My mum stood me in the bath and scrubbed for ages, so much so that I was
sore for days, but I was still a light shade of green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took about a week to eventually come off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there you go then.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One more story in the multitude that are appearing about Jimmy
Saville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although, I’m not saying
anything bad about him, except that cigar stunk like a rhino fart. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, there you have it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I met him once you know…</div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It all started quite innocently in a record shop hidden
around the back of Romford market.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a
teenager I used to be in that record shop every Saturday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I worked Monday to Friday and Saturday
mornings I would get up early and get straight to the record shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds Familiar it was called.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t bother looking for it, it’s gone the
same way as many record shops and only exists in the memories of certain record
collectors these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How I loved
spending hours flipping through the musty smelling albums upstairs and walking
along the wall of cassettes and videos downstairs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sounds Familiar was responsible for a large chunk of my
record collection and was also responsible for introducing me to new bands and
singers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the days before instantaneous
song plays on the internet if you wanted to hear a song the only place you
could was the local record shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
was a record player at the back of the shop with a massive, and I mean massive
even by early nineties standards, headphones with which you could listen to
your chosen record.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Many of the albums I bought from Sounds Familiar were by
artists I’d already encountered in one way or another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, something that had a well-known
single featured on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was in this
way I managed to acquire albums by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Damned,
Gerry Rafferty and a whole host of others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then there were albums that were fairly cheap by artists that I kind of
knew but had never heard solo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Into this
category I can throw Sid Vicious, Bruce Foxton and one T.V.Smith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the time I would buy these albums on
the strength of the bands the artists used to belong to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Bruce Foxton album was a bit crap by the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BUT!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>T.V.Smith!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1D_K1T8Uk3W6sFiEohsJuJ8rqBpD7GNAR9iLluyHBVN_G-aSofgLBgN_Bk7GZBJSlgXrgIME73uUMxeKGt74IHWyjVAr3sYU-B6RW0R-I1Bc7ynLbetHDoVo57JTVOxIifuECrbI05n_/s1600/tvsmith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1D_K1T8Uk3W6sFiEohsJuJ8rqBpD7GNAR9iLluyHBVN_G-aSofgLBgN_Bk7GZBJSlgXrgIME73uUMxeKGt74IHWyjVAr3sYU-B6RW0R-I1Bc7ynLbetHDoVo57JTVOxIifuECrbI05n_/s1600/tvsmith.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
T.V.Smith I’d known from his work with his band The Adverts
but the album I picked up that Saturday morning was The Last Words Of The Great
Explorer by T.V.Smith’s Explorers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I arrived home most of the other albums I’d bought that
day were sidetracked in favour <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of the
Explorers album. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I studied the cover featuring
a picture of Mr Smith standing against a background of mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
listened intently and something, somewhere on that album totally managed to
connect with my angsty<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>teenage
brain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not overly dissimilar from Smith’s
previous work with The Adverts but sounding a lot more polished and featuring
the staple of early 80’s music – The Synthesizer. One track in particular
always stood out for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The title track
The Last Words of the Great Explorer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Much of my teenage depression stemmed from <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>pretty much the same thing as a lot of teenage
boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One line in the song spoke to me and it was
almost as if it was an epiphany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
line was “You meet a lot of girls who don’t mean anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So only look for one”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over the years that album has stayed with me, played
practically to bits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was ever
feeling a bit down I’d simply shut myself in a room and play that album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The album is probably responsible for helping
me get through a rather messy divorce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Many mornings I would wake up with the slip case in my hand having fallen
asleep listening to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year, quite by chance, T.V.Smith played a solo concert
at the 12 Bar club in London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to
go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just had to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took with me the CD version of Great
Explorer which, rather annoyingly cost me a stupid amount to buy from
America.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I entered the club I
noticed there were several other bands on that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paid my admission and the nice lady on the
door asked me if I was there to see any artist in particular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“T.V.Smith”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I replied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a small booth in
another corner of the bar a shout came out “I’m over here”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There in the corner was T.V. himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Call me Tim” he insisted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I showed him the CD I had with me and he told
me it had been deleted several years ago and it was the first one he’d seen in
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then he pulled out a marker pen
and signed it for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When he handed it
back I seemed to hold on to it for ages like it was priceless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The concert that night was incredible he even
played a song from that, by now, 30 year old album.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqCdPhreRlCyZ7yonckI80fUFhFcoaZEChk5yESvlg7QZ9VYUTPu7W-8lGN_gHBet6GYkFiwhQaya4hzcpZXJmO8vECNGBfwt_fth7gYIhIRTIKOc8ETomifCxK6YuzeKCKscCut2Wj3V/s1600/PICT0079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsqCdPhreRlCyZ7yonckI80fUFhFcoaZEChk5yESvlg7QZ9VYUTPu7W-8lGN_gHBet6GYkFiwhQaya4hzcpZXJmO8vECNGBfwt_fth7gYIhIRTIKOc8ETomifCxK6YuzeKCKscCut2Wj3V/s1600/PICT0079.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A couple of weeks ago I had to have that talk with my 15
year old son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That talk that most
fathers have to have about girls with their sons during which the only really
good bit of advice I could think to give him was….You meet a lot of girls who
don’t mean anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So only look for
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty sound advice as far as I was
concerned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I went to a T.V.Smith gig way out in Carshalton at the
weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spoke to Tim before the gig
and told him that the only advice I could give my son was ripped off piecemeal
from his lyrics and he laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sound
advice” he said. During his set looked over at me smiled and played the song
The Last Words Of The Great Explorer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They say never meet your heroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whoever they are never met T.V.Smith.</div>
TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-71627822338209857842012-09-26T13:07:00.001-07:002012-09-26T13:08:52.903-07:00Take A Sad Song. Or, How John Lennon Swears on the Radio Everyday and Nobody Hears.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZGKeLNOco1I_D20Wueur2v4LLtMCFJ3reoncD4s5BF6JEu-kpajAYW2S2PV2mtqquwrp88VBBHmsF2lSbdhmyh6aTyWd6wxvYCIrfgfn1lyfNhgaR29tz-s6d4CIuZofx7iwxW-aI_g4/s1600/2345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEZGKeLNOco1I_D20Wueur2v4LLtMCFJ3reoncD4s5BF6JEu-kpajAYW2S2PV2mtqquwrp88VBBHmsF2lSbdhmyh6aTyWd6wxvYCIrfgfn1lyfNhgaR29tz-s6d4CIuZofx7iwxW-aI_g4/s1600/2345.jpg" /></a></div>
Everybody knows the song Hey Jude by the Beatles. Heck, even unborn babies know Hey Jude by the Beatles. But do you know this little nugget of fact? Everyday on a radio station somewhere in the world John Lennon yells F**king Hell!<br />
<br />
Don't believe me? During the recording of Hey Jude the Beatles were not on the best of terms. Remember, this is just under a year before Paul took the rest of them to court in order to dissolve the Beatles partnership. Plus Yoko was hanging around and making everyone a little more edgy than normal. <br />
George Martin, the producer, had pretty much had enough by this point too. He couldn't handle the arguing. So much so that during the recording of The Beatles (more commonly known worldwide as The White Album) Martin decided to go on a long holiday and let his understudies get on with the producing.<br />
Hey Jude is full of glaring errors. Some of them you wouldn't know about unless they were pointed out to you.<br />
<br />
Ok, here is the song itself. There's no video here, but that's unimportant just listen. <br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDdI7GhZSQA" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDdI7GhZSQA</a><br />
<br />
Right then, did you listen? Are you na-na-na-nana-nanaaaing along? Good. But, though but...did you hear George come in too early with his guitar riff? Skip back to 2:12. Hear it? George comes in with his little na-na-na riff, realises he's in the wrong place and promptly stops two seconds later.<br />
<br />
If you listen at the very start, about 6 seconds, you can hear a tambourine rattling. That shouldn't be there.<br />
<br />
But here is the big one. How Lennon say F**king Hell without anyone noticing. Skip to 2:52. Listening on a regular volume you will hear a shout of Awwww. That shout is George realising he's just played the wrong chord. What comes after you need to really listen out for. You can hear George but listen closely and under that Awww is John saying wrong chord. Then, at 2:58 listen again and you will hear John saying F**king hell. Listen again. Believe me once you hear it you can't un-hear it. Now - everytime you hear that song on the radio you will hear Mr Lennon swear.<br />
<br />
It amazes me that it actually got past all censors. Nobody has ever tried to cover it up. You can hear songs like Jessie J's Price Tag on the radio where the blank out the word hoe but nobody ever catches on that one of the most respected bands of all time manage to throw in the word F**king without a mention.<br />
Oddly enough the version you have just listened to is the version released as a single. I beleive it to be the third take. I wonder if there was going to be another take but they ran out of time, or if they were fighting too much, or if John was off his head on something illegal.<br />
<br />
Whatever the reason I leave you with this little fact that you pass on and inform others. So, next time the BBC play Hey Jude you can be safe in the knowledge that at 2:58 John Lennon is about to swear at the nation.<br />
<br />
See Ya.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-423263801070759982012-08-22T12:31:00.001-07:002012-08-22T12:31:37.124-07:00Serendipity.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtYlTtFxz8fUsbT0Eb6OYwsIRt-mZW85RBSsqBs_9oDidmVeUJ8EF0it9-rRJiMKwplbbUeYOXggKGu_fszZZnQBUQmB0BJasyzq1uHkvNHHkbzaGHSZGIqpHykSPWdBKa09Qq09ITcBi/s1600/classic-london-sunset-autumn-spring--large-msg-9130-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtYlTtFxz8fUsbT0Eb6OYwsIRt-mZW85RBSsqBs_9oDidmVeUJ8EF0it9-rRJiMKwplbbUeYOXggKGu_fszZZnQBUQmB0BJasyzq1uHkvNHHkbzaGHSZGIqpHykSPWdBKa09Qq09ITcBi/s320/classic-london-sunset-autumn-spring--large-msg-9130-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Serendipity:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ser-en-dip-ity - The occurrence and development of events by chance in a
happy or beneficial way: "a fortunate stroke of serendipity".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Funny how serendipitous some things can be isn’t it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For instance, I had to take the long way home tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The looooong way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just a little out of my way but a whole
30 miles further.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why you ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The road I normally took home had been closed due to an accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just your common or garden little bump
but a full on smash, flip and crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
could have still used that road but only if I fancied sitting in traffic for
several hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t so I took the
long way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Longer but still a clear run
no stopping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I didn’t expect was
what I saw on that journey back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Normally on my way home I can see, maybe, one or two
trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That and the tower blocks,
flyovers and road signs that are my usual driving viewing for the journey home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But tonight…Tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I saw a field with a hundred deer running wild and free, some of them
lying in the shade of a massive tree and some standing watching the setting
sun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw the blood red sun set
through fields of trees and freshly rolled hay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Beautiful orange clouds spreading like marmalade across a pale blue
sky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I saw the skyline of London.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even from such a distance it still impresses
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun making each building glow orange in
the sunset like jewels on the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Shard standing proudly among The Natwest tower, The Swiss Re
building and Canary Wharf.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all a very
serendipitous journey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I’ll take
that route again one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure it takes
me more than half hour more that my normal route but the views are worth it
alone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t have any pictures to add
mostly because it’s not only difficult to take pictures at 70 mph it’s also
illegal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> That picture up there? Stolen from Google. </span>Never mind though the image is
implanted on my mind and I can view it whenever I like.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Serendipity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not just
a film with John Cusack in it.</div>
TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-80886314020646199182012-04-26T12:14:00.001-07:002012-04-26T12:14:50.956-07:00Going Posteral!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVwZ1mZ5vd39VRNpUFBiDQU6s81aoKNRnN6PkH_T0CxoHKy69T6aL_hGePzW6_uXMOTa27L7Dmf-jUhgOAV3aXjyft8Bwdmp95Bs2r96fhqqY_ftUKcKAk_6RBBb5M1TzqjHftUu-EHKP/s1600/Marvel-avengers-poster-280212front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVwZ1mZ5vd39VRNpUFBiDQU6s81aoKNRnN6PkH_T0CxoHKy69T6aL_hGePzW6_uXMOTa27L7Dmf-jUhgOAV3aXjyft8Bwdmp95Bs2r96fhqqY_ftUKcKAk_6RBBb5M1TzqjHftUu-EHKP/s320/Marvel-avengers-poster-280212front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Why do I hate this poster?
Why? Let me tell you, it’s indicative
of everything that is happening with movie posters these days. I mean just look at it. Lazy Photoshopping of each of the main characters and each one seems to come with their own source of light too! Take Stark at the front there, lit from the left. Hawkeye, right next to him, is lit from the right. To make the poster look even more shitty Captain America seems like some sort of giant towering, as he does, over Nick Fury and Black ca.. sorry, Widow. Also, what the hell are they all meant to be looking at exactly? Their all looking in completely different directions and the plane that caused the explosion is disappearing into the distance without a single glance from any of them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like I said, it's just another in a long line of shoddy Photoshopped photos that seem to pass for acceptable these days. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGByttdyuCwrZrOHwjlRBf3P9fEr_itqQylTWo-YiwQEBZx33wfkqh2OlPYO8DCTA17IUmZhqArSOTqT3LoD9QEZ8uQ5n3X_lhQT8KxW4fx3Vat77QAvlCcBCJAy1a5dXGLVBKo0mQWmV/s1600/Devil_film_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGByttdyuCwrZrOHwjlRBf3P9fEr_itqQylTWo-YiwQEBZx33wfkqh2OlPYO8DCTA17IUmZhqArSOTqT3LoD9QEZ8uQ5n3X_lhQT8KxW4fx3Vat77QAvlCcBCJAy1a5dXGLVBKo0mQWmV/s320/Devil_film_poster.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It wasn't so long ago that marketing a movie included creating an eye catching image in order to arouse the attention of the passing possible punter. Even dull pointless movies like The Devil actually made an effort in order to create a decent image for the advertising poster. See. Simple. A lift with a strong light shining from the inside that makes an inverted crucifix. At least the people at the poster company actually put some sort of effort in. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That brings me to this pile of old toss:-</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKFCqKKy9fHdscIWbfsnpAK-2f63Dbo_fJzROuuXSFB2sIFauRIVPfwHFBkqYS44q-jGAW0f3EJSDeAe3my7XoHI_nXfQYy5sZ-2wFNHWLUYv99zFRGwNBXf0pPSjN2mTfmcg-8L2wSuA/s1600/wraith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKFCqKKy9fHdscIWbfsnpAK-2f63Dbo_fJzROuuXSFB2sIFauRIVPfwHFBkqYS44q-jGAW0f3EJSDeAe3my7XoHI_nXfQYy5sZ-2wFNHWLUYv99zFRGwNBXf0pPSjN2mTfmcg-8L2wSuA/s1600/wraith.jpg" /></a></div>
This is just awful. This crap adorned the sides of buses and was all over the Underground in London. How lazy do you want to be about this? Is this what happened at Warner Brothers:-<br />
<br />
Executive 1: Ok, so we have this totally unwanted sequel to the totally unwanted remake of Clash of the Titans. It cost us millions to make even though most of it was created by a ten year old boy on his computer. Now I feel we have spent enough all ready but, according to the contract, we still need to promote it otherwise people wont pay to see it. Any ideas?<br />
<br />
Executive 2: Well sir, we could just get that picture of the guy in it and stick it on a background of....er...fighting or something. That should show just what the movie is like and it'll only cost us about ten dollars!<br />
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Executive 1: I think I can see where you are coming from. Right send a couple of pictures to the ten year old, buy him an Xbox and we'll have our posters done in days!!!<br />
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Take a look at any movie poster from the 1950's up until the early 2000's and 9 times out of ten you can see that there has been a creative hand in at least part of it's design. Here are a couple of my favorites:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42QgRkPFsg8xCXumZQE30GrvAGUJM6LwcLFiZHEQO57nvKQflMF7YQSnq5m3qbIrf_Ye6bP41YJx-HcBAdotE4asDvMjoun19VaSbEKz7Dy8ySP4HKxo678l7eNIK5XiolpFN_QY23sAh/s1600/alien_movie_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42QgRkPFsg8xCXumZQE30GrvAGUJM6LwcLFiZHEQO57nvKQflMF7YQSnq5m3qbIrf_Ye6bP41YJx-HcBAdotE4asDvMjoun19VaSbEKz7Dy8ySP4HKxo678l7eNIK5XiolpFN_QY23sAh/s320/alien_movie_poster.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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Now that! That there... ICONIC. One of the most iconic posters to adorn the student dorm rooms of the world. I remember seeing it on the walls of a London Underground station when I was a very small boy. It scared seven kinds of crap out of me. Even though the poster in itself is quite a simple design nothing, and I mean nothing, not even the movie itself would ever be as terrifying as my pre pubescent brain had made it out to be. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Mm8xEWB2wy7igKawy_aeAqIIp5w8-F8rpPdNBre72Ek2PemOeKiabmhYjj0bka4eiah1pGvNdwrrfSxXmMInZZDQCuwwFa01zFtIuYDS6mhVcjR8oGByr6hXJByqwAVaL71nCqAakJGd/s1600/planet_terror_poster1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Mm8xEWB2wy7igKawy_aeAqIIp5w8-F8rpPdNBre72Ek2PemOeKiabmhYjj0bka4eiah1pGvNdwrrfSxXmMInZZDQCuwwFa01zFtIuYDS6mhVcjR8oGByr6hXJByqwAVaL71nCqAakJGd/s320/planet_terror_poster1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Quite a recent poster. I include it not only because I have it proudly on the wall of my bedroom but because it is a great example of a modern day rendition of a classic exploitation style poster.</div>
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Not to say recent movies haven't had any decent posters. Take for example these two movies from last year. First up Paul:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1Pw9idcHZxK-vewxpB_KfORlgSaOU60wrCVIkTPmmtJ9a50byLiLGFRbAA5ZwYP9mN3RsKfh7Ixrt4mJvrIC-p1U3Hv39fvKzBWzjgzfu7GxUn5a4oVnfj8CuUCHUVvl13AfY2yy1KhC/s1600/paul_movie_poster_02-530x785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1Pw9idcHZxK-vewxpB_KfORlgSaOU60wrCVIkTPmmtJ9a50byLiLGFRbAA5ZwYP9mN3RsKfh7Ixrt4mJvrIC-p1U3Hv39fvKzBWzjgzfu7GxUn5a4oVnfj8CuUCHUVvl13AfY2yy1KhC/s320/paul_movie_poster_02-530x785.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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Whilst this is a great poster it never really found it's way into the bus stops and billboards of England. Oh no, we got the shoddy Photoshop picture that also was then slapped on the DVD case.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcgJ-ksmGtjzS82ydMkwYZIDuOWL-WHAnO4dwXMpnG_wHOK5-DoW_P3vC8cIPTEjP1uqHhFRr_-7LZz_c6JPscQqKdA7o5559rIVCBPbof0B1vR83yJkhCT6VI2CINsrDi_18F5OV6fJW/s1600/paul2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcgJ-ksmGtjzS82ydMkwYZIDuOWL-WHAnO4dwXMpnG_wHOK5-DoW_P3vC8cIPTEjP1uqHhFRr_-7LZz_c6JPscQqKdA7o5559rIVCBPbof0B1vR83yJkhCT6VI2CINsrDi_18F5OV6fJW/s1600/paul2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Then take this. One of my favorite films from last year, not least because of it's harking back to the Spielbergian stylings of the 80's adventure movie. The poster here was designed and drawn by legendary movie poster artist Drew Struzan. Just take a few moments to go and admire his work (http://www.drewstruzan.com/illustrated/portfolio/) you wont be sorry! Creator of some of the most iconic movie poster images in history including Raiders of the Lost ark, Back to the Future and various Star Wars movies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVALsMH4XAKMLNvp7AcNMkvgZhel9tr6oE8lNHDFyL1qrSDeTkRdcdbRe1olt-qV8aqGEcWpwcTMt38UA-oqjziojXP5wMIw1yxpAlIUgTs0BIWgxITxyh-rewJdh-vMCNWYTNfDJRNFYJ/s1600/new-super-8-poster-58510-470-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVALsMH4XAKMLNvp7AcNMkvgZhel9tr6oE8lNHDFyL1qrSDeTkRdcdbRe1olt-qV8aqGEcWpwcTMt38UA-oqjziojXP5wMIw1yxpAlIUgTs0BIWgxITxyh-rewJdh-vMCNWYTNfDJRNFYJ/s320/new-super-8-poster-58510-470-75.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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But. What do we get upon release of the movie? We get this....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2aChOs-IR2Wm6f1roQRat0XPqmSntlJxClVwxZENOXjJT7_DFI4cQBAJBB-2V_Zz1f50S-qStofEqFRx3NBOgiLRui_n-KC2kOstbxOjHt7K0m6RHrjjF2nWkpJA7IBjE-jHf0IckSgB/s1600/super8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2aChOs-IR2Wm6f1roQRat0XPqmSntlJxClVwxZENOXjJT7_DFI4cQBAJBB-2V_Zz1f50S-qStofEqFRx3NBOgiLRui_n-KC2kOstbxOjHt7K0m6RHrjjF2nWkpJA7IBjE-jHf0IckSgB/s320/super8.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
Cryptic eh. If you've seen the movie you know exactly what is happening but the casual onlooker probably has no idea.<br />
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All in all, the lazy Photoshopped images are a lot cheaper to create than commissioning an artist to create something a little better and these days "cost effective" is the buzz word that surrounds most industries. The movie industry included. So, while they spend millions on synapse destroying 3D technology expect shoody Photoshopped posters to be the standard thing of the future.<br />
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I really find it hard to believe that university student of the future will want to hang a poster like this on their walls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3Pko8hAxBKTFB7mdopQosiBNH9888hcZRXJxfRabic9fCE_qxXddFbAxhVt3XHrFrmAJ0Dy3b09swJ6KFcjutK4Kh3HhJ3yo6OR_N1wzn4zK84lSax-fddQLf6QkFxHeqJqqlsnD62-H/s1600/popper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3Pko8hAxBKTFB7mdopQosiBNH9888hcZRXJxfRabic9fCE_qxXddFbAxhVt3XHrFrmAJ0Dy3b09swJ6KFcjutK4Kh3HhJ3yo6OR_N1wzn4zK84lSax-fddQLf6QkFxHeqJqqlsnD62-H/s1600/popper.jpg" /></a></div>
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See ya.... TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-22235038093211758212012-03-04T13:08:00.002-08:002012-03-04T13:11:08.552-08:00Dyeing For My Art.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7Vx_z-Ay8zd9FFm-nicKTXpYZj8cSXXpJJuC0DC9kx3BPCLQeddy72FYTXXfQftKoF1qC5WLYwWMYXUNxG7EQ6irWZjKl40vukhms1xtAVSIy_QMicrNvKsGp8qcTyeBi5D1XS4JOtmT/s1600/dye.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 273px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik7Vx_z-Ay8zd9FFm-nicKTXpYZj8cSXXpJJuC0DC9kx3BPCLQeddy72FYTXXfQftKoF1qC5WLYwWMYXUNxG7EQ6irWZjKl40vukhms1xtAVSIy_QMicrNvKsGp8qcTyeBi5D1XS4JOtmT/s320/dye.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5716152444841531826" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> 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class="MsoNormal">How hard can it be?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Why is it that when I actually need something it turns into a never ending quest like I’m questing for something that doesn’t really exist?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today’s impossible item?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The item that causes shop assistants to stare wildly at me?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fabric dye.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Not an impossible to find item you may think.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You think wrong my friend!</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I live in a place called Ilford.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The shopping center here is fine if you find yourself in need of several different types of soap, a cup of expensive coffee, or a nice dress.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s face it who doesn’t.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Today though all I needed was a box of Dark Brown fabric dye.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I had some fabric dye that I had bought from that popular internet auction site.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Unfortunately it was a cold water hand dye that did not take to the fabric I was dyeing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Therefore I was left with a half finished jacket, nicely sewn, built up but totally the wrong colour.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thusly, I set off into town.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I done some preparation before leaving.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I looked up where I could get some fabric dye in Ilford and I found two place Sainsburys supermarket and Wilkinsons.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I decided to go to the supermarket first.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There, in the washing powder aisle, was indeed fabric dye.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A choice of black of navy! Thanks Sainsburys, but no thanks.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I then walked over to Wilkinsons.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whenever I go to Wilkinsons I always have the feeling that I’m going to be walking out again empty handed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For such a big shop they seem to sell so little.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Fabric dye being one of the things I knew would be one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After strolling around the shop for a while I began to realize that they did not have any fabric dye black, blue or otherwise.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hunting down a shop assistant I strolled over to him and asked the question “Do you have any fabric dye?”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This obviously seemed a ridiculous, alien question to him as he looked at me with that same look people give you when you tell them you are from darkest Peru and you enjoy stamping on badgers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Hair dye?”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He asked</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“No, fabric dye.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For dyeing material”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>replied.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The assistant gave me the darkest Peru look again and called over a colleague.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The colleague was similarly stunned by my request.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“We’ve got hair dye?”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>she offered.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“No fabric dye”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I said slowly feeling the anger rising up through my chest and causing my head to boil.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Ooo, no.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We don’t do anything like that”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She announced.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Almost as if I had asked her for a copy of horse shaggers monthly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I left the store steadily keeping my fuming temper under control and went back home.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I found some fabric dye on eBay.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Easy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have to wait<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>a few days for it to arrive though but it’s a small price to pay for actually getting what I need.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The moral of the story?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If you need something you can get it on the internet no fuss, no messing about and definitely no dealing with shop assistants who don’t have a clue about products that the company they work for allegedly sell.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">See Ya</p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-25024359677333788922012-02-29T15:09:00.001-08:002012-02-29T15:16:13.187-08:00Hey, Hey!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:donotpromoteqf/> <w:lidthemeother>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:lidthemeasian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:lidthemecomplexscript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:splitpgbreakandparamark/> 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mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I heard about it on the radio.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">A genuine jaw dropping moment.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Davy Jones, lead singer of the Monkees, has died at the age of 66.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I sat for a few minutes and checked on my phones internet that the information I was hearing was true and, sure enough, there it was already on Davy Jones’s Wikipedia page.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Growing up in the late seventies the Monkees television show was still in heavy circulation on the British networks.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When I say networks in the seventies there was only two.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>ITV and the BBC.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The Monkees was normally shown on BBC 1 on a Saturday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have some brilliant memories of sitting in front of the large wooden paneled television in our living room watching the show with my dad.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We always watched it together.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My dad had actually seen every episode of the show when they were first shown some ten years before I had and knew how each episode would turn out. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To me though this was a brand new show.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was a new show to every other kid that lived on the same council estate in Kidbrooke as me too.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As such it became very popular.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So much so that everyone I knew had the matchbox model of the Monkeemobile.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I even had a tendency of wearing my belt with the buckle on my left side just because I’d seen Mike wear it like that.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Everyone had their favorite Monkee for different reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My friend Paul liked Mike.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Mostly because Paul’s mum made him wear a wooly hat in the winter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He associated with that. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">My favorite Monkee was always Davy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The simple reason was that there, in the midst of this blatantly American TV show, was a short British guy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Davy was always the one that got the girls and the band member that always made the most sense.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If a nut needed cracking, while Mike would pull out a chainsaw and Micky a massive hammer Davy resorted to the sensible nutcrackers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Davy was an island of British sensibility among a sea of insanity and, for that, I loved him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I grew up and learned more about music I started to learn about how the Monkees were hated by a lot of real musicians for their use of session musicians on records.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hell, even the Beatles, upon learning that the Monkees were based on them, changed their act.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ever wonder why Revolver was such a departure from the mop top jollity of the previous albums?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Look no further than the Monkees.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Of course to this day people still refer to the Monkees as a “fake” band.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How can the vocal talents of Micky, Mike and Davy be faked?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s face it even your average X Factor contestant is hard pushed to even rival any one of them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s sad that Davy died just a few months after completing a world tour with the Monkees.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I couldn’t get tickets to any of the shows, they sold out in a matter of hours.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I just hope that those that did get tickets appreciate that they were witness to Davy’s final shows.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Davy may be gone but he’ll live forever in the world of entertainment.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A great singer, actor and jockey who will be sorely missed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In tribute here is one of my favorite Monkee songs:-</p><p class="MsoNormal"><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JsJeJhJMM74" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="420"></iframe><br /></p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-64842271065465297632012-02-13T13:08:00.001-08:002012-02-13T13:10:01.111-08:00Cheer up, might never happen.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrAci0LRv7wRjnSdM3nfdyK3NpW7tki3jVqtf-mtS07wKZTHBDEWxC6HZSFKY5ZYhyphenhyphenCQZLBQKbzO8WMCHePLpWHToddd4vQT-x4cq_Cgdo6Crd5myI7io2d1d1okLVjYyogll_U1keFUt/s1600/DSCF6161.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYrAci0LRv7wRjnSdM3nfdyK3NpW7tki3jVqtf-mtS07wKZTHBDEWxC6HZSFKY5ZYhyphenhyphenCQZLBQKbzO8WMCHePLpWHToddd4vQT-x4cq_Cgdo6Crd5myI7io2d1d1okLVjYyogll_U1keFUt/s320/DSCF6161.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708730387524198690" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 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mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">One week on and I have settled back down into some sort of semblance of normaility.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sure I miss being able to walk to the beach when I felt like it, but Canvey Island is only just under an hour’s drive away.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ok Canvey Island is not technically a beach seeing as it is part of the Thames estuary. There is a man-made beach there though and the water is a lot cleaner these days. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m also assured the water is fairly safe to swim in.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I grew up on Canvey Island and once knew a kid who had three nipples that was always swimming in the water.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Take from that what you will…</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I’m going off at a tangent again.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Where was I?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Oh yeah….</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Regular readers will remember from last time that I had decided to make myself cry in order to….Now, here’s the thing .<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m still not quite sure what I had hoped to achieve.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I thought long and hard about it and decided the best way to snap out of it was just to get on with what I enjoy about being at home.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I watched some classic Who, played a couple of hours of Old Republic, cleaned out my hamster, went for a walk in the town….etc.. Just got on with how I would usually pass the time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">After a couple of days things seemed to settle back down and a calm air of normality soon consumed me again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Right now everything is back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m sat in the kitchen on the high stool and I’m typing this, the memory of SFX weekender drifting off in the back of my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A good memory, a damn good memory. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If I want to reminisce I took a whole load of photos as did everyone else.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Con Comedown, as it is commonly known, is a regular minor illness that can be caught by anyone.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Obviously the best cure is prevention and not go to a convention again.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Stay away.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Only go to a convention for something I hate. Cheese juggling or something.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Actually that sounds fun but you know where I’m going with this.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I should really stay away from conventions as it only brings me down when they are over.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Bearing this in no mind what so ever I booked myself into another convention in May.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>13 weeks to go.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>14 weeks until the inevitable depression.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s worth it though. Those few days make the comedown all the more worth it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So there you go.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Part of the solution to the problem was mostly to go make another one.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have something to look forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Maybe my mind will exaggerate how good it is going to be and in the end it all turns out to be a bit of letdown.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Either way, roll on May.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some wise men once said “The best place to be is here, the best time to be is now” and I think I’ll stick with that. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hold on…wise men??<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Bill S Preston esq and Ted Theodore Logan?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">See Ya</p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-3576911054548874372012-02-07T13:30:00.000-08:002012-02-07T13:33:50.304-08:00SFX, no drugs and Rock n Roll.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBXobHfMacbQn-ZO-VqCR_Lj7912S6ZPiJZHkGRV_3StKf6YhsrhPp5kg5-Ml4RCbY0Qa1rFehKwttEfOEjdFBXWmRE99g13RiQQmxgYb5bjk9FqEpMu_qVP1g9WpexNCDRVEubRrdgCE/s1600/DSCF6191.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBXobHfMacbQn-ZO-VqCR_Lj7912S6ZPiJZHkGRV_3StKf6YhsrhPp5kg5-Ml4RCbY0Qa1rFehKwttEfOEjdFBXWmRE99g13RiQQmxgYb5bjk9FqEpMu_qVP1g9WpexNCDRVEubRrdgCE/s320/DSCF6191.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706510091568805538" border="0" /></a><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif][if gte mso 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class="MsoNormal">I hate going away. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually that statement is not strictly true.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What I hate is coming back.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Right now I just feel tired and utterly, utterly depressed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But why?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Alright the journey to North Wales was not a quick and easy one, it took nearly seven hours.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Whilst normally driving for that long would certainly tire me to the point of collapse I was so excited by the promise of what was to come I dumped my bag in the chalet and ran off in search of fun.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I found it as soon as I entered the auditorium for Sylvester McCoy’s talk and noticed that there must have been thousands of people there. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I had the most amazing weekend meeting new people, seeing some incredible costumes and going to some interesting talks and movie showings.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I got to see one of my favorite episodes of Doctor Who on a massive screen introduced by Sylvester McCoy himself.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>On one day I sat on the beach and watched the sun rise before driving into Prestatyn town, one of the most charming places I have ever been.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hugged a Wookie, danced with a Twi’Lek <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and even, while dressed as the 7<sup>th</sup> Doctor, shook hands with the Master.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As usual I spent far too much money, stayed up far too late and met a girl I had a real connection with that I totally failed to get anywhere with.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This was possibly the best weekend I have had in a long time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately one weekend isn’t enough.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want more.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I want more now.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If this kind of thing was a religious cult that was in existence all year round I would drop everything and move there tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Right now in fact. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But it isn’t.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The thought of leaving on Sunday morning depressed me greatly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But, as Sunday came round, I found myself feeling more miserable than I had in a long time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even the brief detour to Portmeirion never really cheered me up, nor the sight of massive mountains that were topped with snow in the Welsh valleys managed to raise a smile.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I drove back into London I was glad of the familiarity was welcoming but everything just seemed…how can I put it politely?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Shit.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Everything just looked shit.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There had been a massive snowfall in London so most of the streets in Ilford were iced over a slippery.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I arrived home and went straight to bed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two days later I’m still feeling miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Utterly miserable.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I cannot place as to why.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have a couple of hundred photos on my camera which I can look at and that kind of cheers me a little.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">My only thoughts are that the weekend was so good it was like a massive high only to have the comedown after it was all over.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Hopefully I might snap out of it in a couple of days but I constantly feel like I need a really good cry.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Odd I know, I can feel the tears built up at the back of my eyes but they just wont come out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe that is what I need to do to relive this dreaded horrible feeling.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Right, lets go make me cry……</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">To Be Continued…</p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-19639325496277802482011-12-04T11:54:00.000-08:002011-12-04T12:48:48.055-08:00A Close Shave<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiXw_mhjC6-7MyG02_jHx9Qo0hQ7wjIfMrM1_cDqZOd_L_qpykV0oq_1PW13MnsKlQKPP69c_mUniJ_1LVPwpZpf7Qx_fiXTVN9cgfAyeqY-9jq4pDj1YTbBDLnXzylz_oK7MIyT6n_4e/s1600/DSCF4945.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPiXw_mhjC6-7MyG02_jHx9Qo0hQ7wjIfMrM1_cDqZOd_L_qpykV0oq_1PW13MnsKlQKPP69c_mUniJ_1LVPwpZpf7Qx_fiXTVN9cgfAyeqY-9jq4pDj1YTbBDLnXzylz_oK7MIyT6n_4e/s320/DSCF4945.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682371204953680418" border="0" /></a><br />Or, 'Tashe the way uh hu uh hu I don't Like it. Or, Mo Go. Or Hirsute today, gone tomorrow.<br /><br />Ok, so for Movember (http://uk.movember.com/) I agreed and grew a rather fetching moustache. I say fetching as it looked quite good. Unfortunately there is a bad side to the whole story.<br /><br />When I first decided to grow the moustache it seemed like a good idea. How hard can it be to not shave one's upper lip for a few weeks? Bloody, as it turned out. It turned out to be bloody hard and more irritating than being locked in a cupboard with Micheal Mcintyre and a large bag of particularly hungry leeches.<br /><br />It started out fine. Three days in, I trimmed around the full face stubble and formed an outline of what was to become a big Burty moustache.<br /><br />A few day later, with the stubble a lot longer, I trimmed again and was quite pleased with the results. It was starting to look good. Then came the itching.<br /><br />I would wake up at night feeling like a rather hairy worm had fallen asleep on my top lip. Scratch it. Complain.<br /><br />When the wind blew on my face I would scratch it. Then complain.<br /><br />Toward the end I kept getting food stuck in it. Drink would soak into it, and eating anything that was in the slightest bit sticky was an absolute no-no.<br /><br />Then came the first of December. Movember was officially over. I had completed the challenge to grow a fine moustache with honours and I had raised some money for testicular and prostate cancer. I even achieved the prized ranking of 96546 in the whole of the country. I don't know how far the rank actually is but there are something like 17 million people in the whole country so it must be good. Anyhoo on the first of December, with the task complete, I had to (I really had to) shave the damn thing off my face.<br /><br />Upon returning home from work I made a run for the bathroom but upon procuring a nice new razor blade, some shaving foam and a mirror I stopped.<br /><br />Maybe this should be documented I thought. So document it I did.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jkJP4V0y8OTbYNf07IN4tNQ_-JcwLLBcQ6WbrycNDTYWP1SvS8Q7cESyx-ZXHLzllwdkVflr-eDi2r55SZus-S4_ciRRL8kSWBvBAfc_Hw1IeHkPOM7VXSOCoWxCDoVvdnOaQRbFqW2z/s1600/PICT1769.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6jkJP4V0y8OTbYNf07IN4tNQ_-JcwLLBcQ6WbrycNDTYWP1SvS8Q7cESyx-ZXHLzllwdkVflr-eDi2r55SZus-S4_ciRRL8kSWBvBAfc_Hw1IeHkPOM7VXSOCoWxCDoVvdnOaQRbFqW2z/s320/PICT1769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682371449446600754" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This photo was take five minutes before the removal of the offending facial hair.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PyUvtFCDBmy0xlRc804RCgqPcosqNKqCigeFiVNoQpHdG7vRNM6rrfjRHaTwl9JaCccqOqu5DBeJVz-V_Ja9S3VzjtYTkVXGsKaGJOY-0flBcyMfP3Yki5y5AShQVmNLOT2bO6Z8TptR/s1600/PICT1771.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PyUvtFCDBmy0xlRc804RCgqPcosqNKqCigeFiVNoQpHdG7vRNM6rrfjRHaTwl9JaCccqOqu5DBeJVz-V_Ja9S3VzjtYTkVXGsKaGJOY-0flBcyMfP3Yki5y5AShQVmNLOT2bO6Z8TptR/s320/PICT1771.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682371872604943154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />The razor blaze hardly made a dent in it, it just trimmed a little bit off the top. The hair had become quite long (about a centimeter in length) and I needed to trim it a bit before proceeding.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstxDh2-rK6iKIQCK1kAiV7FXk-CbaGfQ_J0ILAcQSP_1Bv9PaPB_CS2XXLPTt3nHPTpnP0TL_xc6FrBoYWTJrizj908HYQqY2YRbXLowq9WoKeDHZ651szHAHQ7jYM66jyYgnonvRP0It/s1600/PICT1772.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstxDh2-rK6iKIQCK1kAiV7FXk-CbaGfQ_J0ILAcQSP_1Bv9PaPB_CS2XXLPTt3nHPTpnP0TL_xc6FrBoYWTJrizj908HYQqY2YRbXLowq9WoKeDHZ651szHAHQ7jYM66jyYgnonvRP0It/s320/PICT1772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682372537861080066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Then it was plain sailing. I started on the outside and slowly made my way toward the centre of the top lip.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVGGFNP5OuSiONQo_YU9ZpguHUtEanQvfIN9q4GJTL5tMjwcXvvMlAOYzPGsYrqQyB26EIhzayOYjLMW91Ut4atreJZ-Yhrr6gHi6jAvaOw2fNHR918a8yJGvcCq-vGb0J-McXHouvI0O/s1600/PICT1773.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHVGGFNP5OuSiONQo_YU9ZpguHUtEanQvfIN9q4GJTL5tMjwcXvvMlAOYzPGsYrqQyB26EIhzayOYjLMW91Ut4atreJZ-Yhrr6gHi6jAvaOw2fNHR918a8yJGvcCq-vGb0J-McXHouvI0O/s320/PICT1773.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682373173342399042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was slightly painful, after all, I hadn't actually shaved that part of my face for over a month.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidepLDJmhHxy5sJE4Kh2auCvkzfqAmMT-EwfEYNpH8Gqel1UU-GAtMEDByrzhYxpNcBqd9YMsDt9LMQH_XgCpxyfNXWxfk2U519iUJGqOleoAQL5Jt3eWjzeP7HA196Mml-Wg9HKry0Ymh/s1600/PICT1776.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidepLDJmhHxy5sJE4Kh2auCvkzfqAmMT-EwfEYNpH8Gqel1UU-GAtMEDByrzhYxpNcBqd9YMsDt9LMQH_XgCpxyfNXWxfk2U519iUJGqOleoAQL5Jt3eWjzeP7HA196Mml-Wg9HKry0Ymh/s320/PICT1776.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682373614005012274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />About halfway through I noticed that I had the perfect Chaplin. Yes I do know that a certain Austrian dictator also favoured the moustache style and has since become synonymous with that particular person. Which is why I decided to trudge on undaunted and remove the whole thing.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX659GdPSHU_olrP1uLEACrEsQz5lQHTj4ekuBa3vY70MIAMSoefUkD9CRhmkTMUMNIsY5eZlkzXFeiRCi2ynkahkBI40IdqssmGKagBmhBNbf1P45hJCTDUI_oLUkLesQurO9OLcaEDI/s1600/PICT1777.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQX659GdPSHU_olrP1uLEACrEsQz5lQHTj4ekuBa3vY70MIAMSoefUkD9CRhmkTMUMNIsY5eZlkzXFeiRCi2ynkahkBI40IdqssmGKagBmhBNbf1P45hJCTDUI_oLUkLesQurO9OLcaEDI/s320/PICT1777.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682374404455730066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />...obviously stopping for the obligatory "I'm just off to invade Poland" photo first.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtIrnAMUrbmtRx_-yKL4dOL3jvH55Nrvp6yS4MyCb3Rtv0R0PhV75eiZnCRmaY_pvQOsTF6AkmFmaWuOOg8VAkFxQIKbMDlkcEjDbGdOavGqqRGKqd910wbeAbC2XjnIZjuMD4IFdQVVQ/s1600/PICT1779.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtIrnAMUrbmtRx_-yKL4dOL3jvH55Nrvp6yS4MyCb3Rtv0R0PhV75eiZnCRmaY_pvQOsTF6AkmFmaWuOOg8VAkFxQIKbMDlkcEjDbGdOavGqqRGKqd910wbeAbC2XjnIZjuMD4IFdQVVQ/s320/PICT1779.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682374933815566546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Finally, it had gone and a weight was gone from my mind (well, top lip at least).<br /><br />Feeling cleaner, more aerodynamic I ate a massive sugar encrusted doughnut and reveled in the fact that the sugar did not stick to my face anymore.<br /><br />It was certainly well worth it in the end. I raised some money for the Movember charity, and I got to see how I would look with a massive moustache. I had been told that I looked like Freddie Mercury, Magnum p.i., Lemmy and an utter twat too.<br /><br />So the lesson learned is that moustaches really do suit some guys. They really don't suit some. Me, of course, being one of them.<br /><br />I made the decision to never, never, ever grow a moustache again. Never. Never. N.E.V.E.R.<br /><br /><br />.....until next Movember at least.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-46450617708523027282011-11-17T13:25:00.000-08:002011-11-17T14:43:20.978-08:00Mo. (Better Blues)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4Mt_sKBLH15vCjAlLu9k6WDAK6SW3FP3uBNxbJy0ggQn19nUXHhBaXAbRnSrorhNth_JF1qGDjDUzuI8TYm49LB2mqVdO0Q9gjnwf0fGuu9m-SNqLoViPF-mlNLGdELAmF2iLNiHhEiy/s1600/DSCF4229.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4Mt_sKBLH15vCjAlLu9k6WDAK6SW3FP3uBNxbJy0ggQn19nUXHhBaXAbRnSrorhNth_JF1qGDjDUzuI8TYm49LB2mqVdO0Q9gjnwf0fGuu9m-SNqLoViPF-mlNLGdELAmF2iLNiHhEiy/s320/DSCF4229.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676083873846979234" border="0" /></a><br />So I decided to grow a moustache for Movember and, quite frankly, I'm beginning to wish I hadn't.<br /><br />Sure I have a damn cool Burt Reynolds thing going on there, I could do with a Stetson, but it's going well.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I do not have a Pontiac Firebird parked outside. Neither do I have Dom Deluise making jokes about something or another and falling over in a slapstick manner. Most unfortunately I have not scored with Farrah Fawcett Majors or even, at the very least, Sally Field.<br /><br />What I do have is a damn itchy upper lip. Constantly.<br /><br />Itch, itch, stop for a bit, give it a bit of a rubbing and finally back to itching.<br /><br />It makes me wonder just how Burt Reynolds, Tom Selleck, Freddie Mercury and other great moustache wearers from history managed to keep the damn things.<br /><br />Of course back in the old days facial hair was very fashionable. Handlebar moustaches ruled back in the seventies. In fact you couldn't actually be in a band from 1970 - 1974 unless you had some sort of facial hair. It was fairly acceptable if you happened to be a slick looking guitarist, under 16 or a woman of course but on the whole most auditions for bands would involve tugging on the beard to make sure it was genuine. Look at Roy Wood. Not only does he get his Christmas song played every year with out fail but he also appears on telly with a massive beard. A massive beard with glittery bits in it. Take, also, for example Slade. Christmas song all over the place every year. On the telly with Noddy Holder and his massive sideburns.<br /><br />In the 1800's trimmed 'tache's were all the rage. The Beatles had facial hair adornments in the late sixties. And of course cave dwellers way back in the year er...minus several thousand it has been proven by archeologists that men had big beards. No shaving equipment to tidy it up a bit, but big beards none the less.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoIRVbiPjJmlZ9TnbXOS6vUubxKyxGtMh0Dui_Eye-qviQI5WTMX0ITCxBAnL6lspvBhRi_tpyuf0cx-BpqsNaYfpmORP5GbEwoYg4f9BcIt2zeH5rTn467ClEtaTjw3wNQxKp8q-My-U/s1600/211140.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvoIRVbiPjJmlZ9TnbXOS6vUubxKyxGtMh0Dui_Eye-qviQI5WTMX0ITCxBAnL6lspvBhRi_tpyuf0cx-BpqsNaYfpmORP5GbEwoYg4f9BcIt2zeH5rTn467ClEtaTjw3wNQxKp8q-My-U/s320/211140.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676094767310082370" border="0" /></a><br />Me? Well, during Movember men grow a moustache (starting on the 1st of November, although I started a week early) in order to raise funds a awareness of Prostate cancer and other cancers that affect men. I can officially refer to myself as a "Mobro". Although I wont.<br /><br />Trouble is I really, really do not like the damn thing sprouting out of my top lip. It's itchy. I keep feeling the wind blow on it. Worse still I can hear a sound like the summer breeze through a field of barley when I sleep. Turns out it is just my breath blowing through the facial hair.<br /><br />I will keep it until the end of November as I have pledged to. On the first of December though I will be straight into the bathroom, with a lovely new shaving kit, in order to get the damn thing off.<br /><br />Burt. For keeping a cool 'tache for all these years I salute you.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-25575426182504955752011-10-13T12:11:00.000-07:002011-10-13T14:04:05.641-07:00....and a happy Halloween to you too Fido.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaLrZXPWP5ubzS1mBmK-mHeqLkb_mtwIOT0n3t3-s8Rr3wy5wbBS87FTxuM3eEmRepL2-re5hSX1NYquN5CFIvixblTSH8OSKBzP1Rqj0l-FdmVFCxxBzaUb5JeCjXjYr5ohPqvQhAF6q/s1600/dog-costumes.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaLrZXPWP5ubzS1mBmK-mHeqLkb_mtwIOT0n3t3-s8Rr3wy5wbBS87FTxuM3eEmRepL2-re5hSX1NYquN5CFIvixblTSH8OSKBzP1Rqj0l-FdmVFCxxBzaUb5JeCjXjYr5ohPqvQhAF6q/s320/dog-costumes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663075195026228978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />With just over two weeks until Halloween it really is time to be thinking about getting your costume for the big night ready.<br /><br />But....<br /><br />Spare a thought for all the pets that dont get to go out trick or treating. Poor old Rover the dog who has to sit at home and chomp on that old squeaky toy he's had for years. Or even poor Tiddles the cat left at home with nothing but a pile of Wiskas treats for company.<br /><br />Now, you can take your pet with you! That's right you, and many others, can now enjoy the thrill of *Drumroll* Pet Trick or Treating! If they get a treat make sure they get a nice Bonio, if they are a dog, maybe something like a fish for cats? Fish or some of those little fish shaped biscuits they all seem to like?<br /><br />Anyhow, collected here for your viewing pleasure are some quite ridiculous pet costumes to inspire/amuse/worry you...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JjpxGE4quzsVP2wz57KMp-mCCd6Vb4JSXjHe8A3G_0S07synd4xv35_vBD-PPZ7zTuROaX22sv7pq9s0EheO1hlN8EtjCCZhC6pRN-jRFTr_RWfw-nN8wRD5Ls_Ss3LbkJIF54t83JRY/s1600/6a00e54ed05fc288330120a526dc19970b-800wi.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JjpxGE4quzsVP2wz57KMp-mCCd6Vb4JSXjHe8A3G_0S07synd4xv35_vBD-PPZ7zTuROaX22sv7pq9s0EheO1hlN8EtjCCZhC6pRN-jRFTr_RWfw-nN8wRD5Ls_Ss3LbkJIF54t83JRY/s320/6a00e54ed05fc288330120a526dc19970b-800wi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663058610778684322" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Look at this poor creature. Not only is he saddled up with some cardboard and empty beer cans but his owners, fearing nobody would work out what he is, scrawled USS ENTERPRISE in marker pen on the side to just let you know. I bet they came up with the idea not very long after they had emptied those beer cans.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja88Dwj9X7y6qtoIfWyGbbJmbSYyCrhBH9sJTKwlJiASyPYJvVSRxcx744tTknZ67s_ZakCQyntjhOpbRyl-6aVzaQI-VOzVjdTG0-iFEy5bsDO1JQ_Nv9VWjDHL5KfpQNII6olhjmk1Fx/s1600/306843686_3829919251.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja88Dwj9X7y6qtoIfWyGbbJmbSYyCrhBH9sJTKwlJiASyPYJvVSRxcx744tTknZ67s_ZakCQyntjhOpbRyl-6aVzaQI-VOzVjdTG0-iFEy5bsDO1JQ_Nv9VWjDHL5KfpQNII6olhjmk1Fx/s320/306843686_3829919251.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663059450330138146" border="0" /></a><br />Bob: "I can't think what we can dress Mr Woofs as honey.....wait a second that fun fur from your nightgown.....and this crazy glue.....Could it be??"<br /><br />Skunkdog. Nobody really wants to feed you. Or be near you. In fact....could you go over there....<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b1GT7RLefXPeOgV8ctIABj75XrRUg8RA-__uSQE_iFWeVdjqx-aqmKPPUYGviT1hNoyw4qLapGBLDtV8jK6Qfpgx9H6cvU-E0Eq8pwJcSYcSRL6SDNgiXHDR3EuucTGkn3t7_ZltBPgA/s1600/1643929176_1a9bce8559.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b1GT7RLefXPeOgV8ctIABj75XrRUg8RA-__uSQE_iFWeVdjqx-aqmKPPUYGviT1hNoyw4qLapGBLDtV8jK6Qfpgx9H6cvU-E0Eq8pwJcSYcSRL6SDNgiXHDR3EuucTGkn3t7_ZltBPgA/s320/1643929176_1a9bce8559.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663060682209634610" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Yes. I get it. The dog on the right is Darth Vader. The dog on the left is Princess Leia.<br />"Where is the rebel base?? I hear they have treats filled with marrowbone jelly".<br />Also, Darth Dog, your helmet looks a bit flimsy. Would'nt bring it to the attention of the Health and Safety people.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9OMVsFHTzfRiaXCDNUe8dZxdr_5FL9OiBdP6hqUb73XT0mHLc0zsC9Mu34eA4YAkgxRKMgftpmTDXP61fLbY8K3Wrt13SGD9rdXy8npCXFSwBo89Pt6Vs9wRAswKl9O5i7VCgR0kFa1e/s1600/cat_in_hello_kitty_pet_costume.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9OMVsFHTzfRiaXCDNUe8dZxdr_5FL9OiBdP6hqUb73XT0mHLc0zsC9Mu34eA4YAkgxRKMgftpmTDXP61fLbY8K3Wrt13SGD9rdXy8npCXFSwBo89Pt6Vs9wRAswKl9O5i7VCgR0kFa1e/s320/cat_in_hello_kitty_pet_costume.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663062073470188306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I.......can't.....say.....anything.....sarcastic. Just too, too cute. Awwwwwwwww.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccjHvudW_zqp0Puk0jeMr14lbXlvn8dXmHTh22iT-X-oafqi_gGKYqOGmjzGNDV8OvR2MXIu37kud9bHInKyYM0cOAvwqigohQQEJnF3A5wYchUuxOTbETRb4ZAfB0jpO_TI95dVfXLEh/s1600/pet+costumes+pinterest-chia+pet.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 282px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccjHvudW_zqp0Puk0jeMr14lbXlvn8dXmHTh22iT-X-oafqi_gGKYqOGmjzGNDV8OvR2MXIu37kud9bHInKyYM0cOAvwqigohQQEJnF3A5wYchUuxOTbETRb4ZAfB0jpO_TI95dVfXLEh/s320/pet+costumes+pinterest-chia+pet.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663062830984356050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Dress your dog like a Chia pet. Just how freaking angry does this poor dog look.<br /><br />Mind your ankles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWMbekVUyHpjq2V4voSHT7ukqiNIU5eZRGPDsb-fDsK33tY_gljcmObgxMfdqSYmlqZSxElMMPTWot0z8hFPVkd4WWW54Ln-kIbJXNg3eeY7H2_l4p2zMk6ro5FnfVDm9Ev_N9bDAfsK6/s1600/fish-drinks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 316px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWMbekVUyHpjq2V4voSHT7ukqiNIU5eZRGPDsb-fDsK33tY_gljcmObgxMfdqSYmlqZSxElMMPTWot0z8hFPVkd4WWW54Ln-kIbJXNg3eeY7H2_l4p2zMk6ro5FnfVDm9Ev_N9bDAfsK6/s320/fish-drinks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663064430202558882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Oh. A dog. Dressed like a fish. A dogfish? Oh the comedy! I hope nobody decided to try to throw him back into the water.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZHyhYl6HQ-itfl_2ql25k-MjrxnWrEkHT7odaOzhKusNqCMY7DUH5ATiUOIg8F6iLtwz7DmetfFW_O52Hdtq1lAdck-etrAYgTokuPYOet-O8O3INC8G-gxOFiSzgYXCjOwqCYqpfOWw/s1600/pet+costumes-scuba+%2528dailydawdle.com%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 260px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZHyhYl6HQ-itfl_2ql25k-MjrxnWrEkHT7odaOzhKusNqCMY7DUH5ATiUOIg8F6iLtwz7DmetfFW_O52Hdtq1lAdck-etrAYgTokuPYOet-O8O3INC8G-gxOFiSzgYXCjOwqCYqpfOWw/s320/pet+costumes-scuba+%2528dailydawdle.com%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663066316703661810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />....although this guy looks like he would be more than willing to go for a little swim.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvleo-nqfbbMXenI3gDIfF5xY4iEa4w96_RsTV6xLdCwWW0YWy2vzA6U3Hsu_BQd1wd8fSxx9B-DxT-r1rZPuyitKpcnL5cas67ZUwZjSVXUm66FhzCBnoeNXxtxA34DzKfwvRxAwUxNbx/s1600/cool+star+wars+photos+Darth+Cat%255B6%255D.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvleo-nqfbbMXenI3gDIfF5xY4iEa4w96_RsTV6xLdCwWW0YWy2vzA6U3Hsu_BQd1wd8fSxx9B-DxT-r1rZPuyitKpcnL5cas67ZUwZjSVXUm66FhzCBnoeNXxtxA34DzKfwvRxAwUxNbx/s320/cool+star+wars+photos+Darth+Cat%255B6%255D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663067059178903298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...."I find your lack of Fish Paste disturbing..."<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqys1CaiT0wTPKqgIo8wt1zS09VxEmd6gyGR6sBqmFa7netP7TT7HoSVKcmlRaxbXbTMn0UpVWuLZpT6F3b2WrM7QH_mf0kgG2eWIjqq8Wgt-DClEU1T61rdwHIpP1h2TcvxU3EbGHHO2/s1600/pet_halloween08_57867_xl.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihqys1CaiT0wTPKqgIo8wt1zS09VxEmd6gyGR6sBqmFa7netP7TT7HoSVKcmlRaxbXbTMn0UpVWuLZpT6F3b2WrM7QH_mf0kgG2eWIjqq8Wgt-DClEU1T61rdwHIpP1h2TcvxU3EbGHHO2/s320/pet_halloween08_57867_xl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663068258218022050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Probably one of the coolest dog costumes on the interwebs. If I had a dog I would definitely dress him, or her, like this for Halloween.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukP02Y32KnHwk7fXoJ-GeebWGZMPq_MkGTHxWllxHtbw1mcRZeFaN0GH3Irm8TOx8ltGLk10NUMwb0fOX_E7UYdJQ1BYWvgg-8a9k2uzqzVFzI3ypYX3I4W61trZb0G9Mo3Tlk4QR-VSG/s1600/pet+costumes-witch+%2528alldeaf.com%2529.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukP02Y32KnHwk7fXoJ-GeebWGZMPq_MkGTHxWllxHtbw1mcRZeFaN0GH3Irm8TOx8ltGLk10NUMwb0fOX_E7UYdJQ1BYWvgg-8a9k2uzqzVFzI3ypYX3I4W61trZb0G9Mo3Tlk4QR-VSG/s320/pet+costumes-witch+%2528alldeaf.com%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663069311527845138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />She may look all cute and innocent, but she will turn you into a frog without thinking twice.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX-xzgYLkigSbeLaZhxsd71y6n0TizFpam1a_rJVK_hornghAhmF-npbzmr_CZNusqVzDHJSLSWi7NM6IXjRU7Ypnple4ogrCvJ5SMwrndr8LO7kQEU_tjXWhyphenhyphenJWj0ZCWKkJ1goG75OqC/s1600/pet+costumes+pinterest-yoda.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKX-xzgYLkigSbeLaZhxsd71y6n0TizFpam1a_rJVK_hornghAhmF-npbzmr_CZNusqVzDHJSLSWi7NM6IXjRU7Ypnple4ogrCvJ5SMwrndr8LO7kQEU_tjXWhyphenhyphenJWj0ZCWKkJ1goG75OqC/s320/pet+costumes+pinterest-yoda.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663069939539565266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can actually buy this costume. Seriously, Google Yoda and Dog and there you are. Why you would want to dress your dog like this is another thing. The big problem though is that the costume looks fine front on. It all looks a bit odd when the dog turns to the side.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEg1w2odgVCcAj2Mevel7XgJDqRe3p1vTwQu4TLFbLpcFnOW19HVe79vRXuLN01qGs-yp8PD6iOxFqnpaWqbimWYRvmquTZawvP6Ip2rdH8xP_H-Y7je2QGQVbn2BhXipLnJuZpyeU_BP/s1600/dorothy-dog-wizard-of-oz-pet-costume.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEg1w2odgVCcAj2Mevel7XgJDqRe3p1vTwQu4TLFbLpcFnOW19HVe79vRXuLN01qGs-yp8PD6iOxFqnpaWqbimWYRvmquTZawvP6Ip2rdH8xP_H-Y7je2QGQVbn2BhXipLnJuZpyeU_BP/s320/dorothy-dog-wizard-of-oz-pet-costume.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663071377543878274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />....I don't think we're in Kansas anymore<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQXOG0FVw-ZO6Oclq2jx0gvkdn9W3SuEjdOOQQnUqy8j1AjUlI6BtH3TCT7mr7xgqvMPYQZ7Y4Cu-EhYWDZVS4NuaokF3DBTflev5RPElVFgRBeghQGOO9ZsB0L4Wrel2_4sP9Dpee-Zv/s1600/small-pet-costumes1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQXOG0FVw-ZO6Oclq2jx0gvkdn9W3SuEjdOOQQnUqy8j1AjUlI6BtH3TCT7mr7xgqvMPYQZ7Y4Cu-EhYWDZVS4NuaokF3DBTflev5RPElVFgRBeghQGOO9ZsB0L4Wrel2_4sP9Dpee-Zv/s320/small-pet-costumes1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663072122808725810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />...and finally. Fed up with the standard "Hot Dog" joke? Try dressing your dog up as the filling to a massive taco. Then spend the rest of the evening trying to explain it. I have absolutely no idea.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So, on Halloween, if you hear a knocking at your door it will probably be the local children coming round for sweets and stuff. Or maybe to do a trick. Normally involving eggs. Sometimes dog poo.<br />If you hear a scratching at your door it may well be a dog dressed like Dorothy Gale or a Cat witch. If so you had probably give them a treat. You don't want to know what they do as a trick.<br /><br />See Ya.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-19956564574660910702011-09-25T10:00:00.000-07:002011-09-25T13:36:51.740-07:00Facebook Must Die...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9v151C7gryzH5VyuXITgXwcT3fscHyvGP7MW0lihoS0tLgB_A6N5OEAbtgamm9av0th-ekKkBtfr5VPNbkLOT3tYGEpkyl2EooIKimKp2D1dYmtp-GnaFOCHIhOAUOajiA98epCuND60/s1600/top-social-networking-websites.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid9v151C7gryzH5VyuXITgXwcT3fscHyvGP7MW0lihoS0tLgB_A6N5OEAbtgamm9av0th-ekKkBtfr5VPNbkLOT3tYGEpkyl2EooIKimKp2D1dYmtp-GnaFOCHIhOAUOajiA98epCuND60/s320/top-social-networking-websites.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656398866711710530" border="0" /></a><br />Anyone else notice the connection here. In the final weeks of MySpace's conquest of the social networking scene their membership dropped dramatically and most users migrated to Facebook and Twitter. There were some, of course, who went over to Bebo. That person was named...actually his name is not important, suffice to say it was just him and a fourteen year old form Michigan called Heidi who were the only users. Oh yeah, I forgot about Livejournal. That's ok though so did it's users.<br /><br />MySpace was the king. A rather greedy king it turned out. When MySpace became part of the Google network advertising revenue went through the roof due in part to success and part due to necessity. In the heyday of "the space"' the company had started to employ more staff and use bigger offices, then came the crash...<br /><br />MySpace reduced it's staff by 30% in 2008 and continued to drop in users.<br /><br />What I remember most about MySpace are the things that used to annoy me. Long term readers will hark back to the days of the MySpace blog when I spent whole column inches devoted to complaining about how spam had become rife and how much I hated the stupid things people were posting as bulletins. Those stupid things like " you will have to pay for MySpace if you dont put this as your status" or the classic 'You will die if you don't put the colour of your underpants as your status".<br />These little things used to annoy me more than being stuck in a lift with Bonnie Langford on speed.<br /><br />Now....<br /><br />They are back...<br /><br />Today seven, count 'em, seven people posted the following:-<br /><br /><h6 class="uiStreamMessage" ft="{"type":1}"><span class="messageBody" ft="{"type":3}">FACEBOOK<br />JUST RELEASED THEIR PRICE GRID FOR MEMBERSHIP. $9.99 PER MONTH FOR GOLD<br />MEMBER SERVICES, $6.99 PER MONTH FOR SILVER MEMBER SERVICES, $3.99 PER<br />MONTH FOR BRONZE MEMBER SERVICES, FREE IF YOU COPY AND PASTE THIS<br />MESSAGE BEFORE MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. WHEN YOU SIGN ON TOMORROW MORNING YOU<br /><span class="text_exposed_show"> ... ... WILL BE PROMPTED FOR PAYMENT INFO...IT IS OFFICIAL IT WAS EVEN ON THE<br />NEWS. FACEBOOK WILL START CHARGING DUE TO THE NEW PROFILE CHANGES. IF<br />YOU COPY THIS ON YOUR WALL YOUR ICON WILL TURN BLUE AND FACEBOOK WILL BE<br />FREE FOR YOU. PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON IF NOT YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE<br />DELETED IF YOU DO NOT PAY</span></span></h6><br />What annoys me (apart from the fact that it is all in capitals) is that PEOPLE STILL BELIEVE THIS SHIT!!!!<br /><br />Seriously, would Facebook give you a days warning that they were going to start charging? Would they??? More to the point is there someone who is going to go through the millions of users just to check they put this as their status?<br /><br />If the case in point is that Facebook will be a pay service then I don't really give a toss. There are plenty of other sites. You know what? I hardly use Facebook anyway so what the hell!<br /><br />People. Listen to me. I know you are worried about losing your beloved Facebook. Don't be. It is not going to happen. You have all just been spammed. FFS people have you not wised up to this tactic of sheep mentality? Nothing, I repeat, nothing is going to happen to Facebook. It will still be there tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after. You will not have to pay, you have been lied to by some fourteen year old from Michigan called Heidi who actually turns out to be a fifty four year old man called Sidney.<br /><br />Mind you.....<br /><br />If the case is that people will post anything if they are made to worry......<br /><br />PLEASE POST THIS AS YOUR FACEBOOK STATUS. IF YOU DONT POST TEN POUNDS TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS THEN YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED. YOU ALSO HAVE TO COMMENT THAT ALAN IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. iF YOU DONT YOU WILL BE KILLED BY.......erm.......TERMITES OR SOMETHING. MAYBE COCKROACHES. OR A MASSIVE METEOR WILL FALL ON YOU. HA<br /><br />LOTS OF LOVE<br />SID...NO WAIT....HEIDI.<br /><br /><br />See Ya.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-5676633711990195172011-08-11T13:08:00.000-07:002011-08-11T13:36:26.966-07:00Welcome To Hell<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUKL-MC-WGLRn7p9e5rE_Ix1TzuOL_FKUBga9R-xVaMXiGTSZwiaCv5DqVAZ7Mdm3mKlRvWoANpObcrBHvjawHxE-3SBxiz2UHsEEcilIVr3jA-Nf792JJAtqS0OOtZGDUEffbdAZD_Pg/s1600/090304nipriot_2--123635563547050500.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 186px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUKL-MC-WGLRn7p9e5rE_Ix1TzuOL_FKUBga9R-xVaMXiGTSZwiaCv5DqVAZ7Mdm3mKlRvWoANpObcrBHvjawHxE-3SBxiz2UHsEEcilIVr3jA-Nf792JJAtqS0OOtZGDUEffbdAZD_Pg/s320/090304nipriot_2--123635563547050500.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639694405998608690" border="0" /></a>
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unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Subtle Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="32" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Intense Reference"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="33" semihidden="false" unhidewhenused="false" qformat="true" name="Book Title"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="37" name="Bibliography"> <w:lsdexception locked="false" priority="39" qformat="true" name="TOC Heading"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">Painful to live in fear isn’t it?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the past few days I have driven the streets of London and do you know what I see?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Fear, anger, hatred, destruction and despair.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How did this happen?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can’t tell me it was because of some crook holding a gun that was shot by the police.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Certainly not.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That would mean that the police actually could make some sort of real decision, that they still had some sort of power.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s face it the police have had their power slowly eroded over the past few years and their numbers dropped.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What totally screws the police up is that now they prefer to be thought of as a “Service”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The police “Service” of course sounds a lot less threatening than police force.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Although “force” implies that they do have some sort of power.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What power the police do have is mired in piles of paperwork.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I know firsthand that anything that the police get involved in requires them to first write a report, then get statements then, finally write another report.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The police basically can’t blow off without first writing a report then getting it signed in triplicate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then, of course, we have the Community support service.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What can they do I hear you cry?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Nothing, nada, zero, zip.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The most they can do is give someone a stern talking to until the real police eventually arrive.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Also in the mix here we have the CCTV operators.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While they are employed by the police they can do nothing except watch and report.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I spoke to a controller at Wandsworth and he told me how he watched the Tooting CEX store get it’s shutters ripped off and its windows smashed and he said he felt so powerless because all he could do was radio it over to an already stretched police service.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">During the week I have encountered people that I could just see the hatred glowing in their eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These people just seemed like they wanted someone to pull them aside and say “It’s all going to be alright” but then, at times, so do I.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Don’t we all?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Is it going to be alright or is this the future?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are we going to be mugged every time we leave our houses?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are we going to wake up to destruction every day?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whilst the police have increased their numbers and visibility at the present time how long can they keep it up?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How long can they maintain 16000 officers on patrol?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Will the rioting happen all over again when the police finally drop back their numbers?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What you really have to ask yourself is how much the taxes will be raised in order to pay for everything.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Heck, if it means putting a stop to this shit and returning some sort of calm to the streets I will be happy to pay more.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Wouldn’t everyone.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I don’t know anyone who took part in the riots and looting but I have encountered people before that I am sure would have joined in.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think everyone has met at least one person that seems like they would stab you in the face if it could gain them something.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It makes me wonder how long this had all been planned.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Was it just a spur of the moment thing or had it been pre meditated?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So many questions.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So few answers.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Solution?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m not sure anyone does.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Maybe it lies in proper parenting but as we have seen in the past few days some of the parents didn’t even know their child was involved.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Maybe the police should have less paperwork and more power. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>An ex-policeman described to me that during the riots in 1981 a lot of the officers removed their identification numbers from their shoulders, so they couldn’t be identified in the newspapers and TV, and beat seven kinds of crud out of the protestors.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are we likely to see that sort of thing again?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Maybe there is a time for vigilantes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s face it, in Watchmen the costumed heroes were originally just people who were fed up with the crime rate who just put on masks so that they couldn’t be identified.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The original Nite Owl was of course a police officer named Hollis Mason who was so fed up with the criminals hiding behind masks he decided to do the same in order to hand out his own brand of justice.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As we have seen, the events of the past week are not just confined to London.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol just a few cities in which thing have turned bad. It seems that the violence is spreading like a virulent cancer throughout the country.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I heard that it is also spreading to other countries too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Whatever happens after the events of this week we all have to notice that the country has changed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The world has changed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Not for the better.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sales of baseball bats have increased, as have tasers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>People are scared.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>People are angry.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Welcome to the new world people.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Hope you enjoy your stay.</p> TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-10815111589691328402011-07-24T12:39:00.000-07:002011-07-24T14:11:34.201-07:00Lazy Buskers Revisited.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHuK_gQHbBeA7dk7XoTWgUdFe4EWCvWnud6XXxXrygdvvHvOpuWSSlcw-X6qLjtUxwJlq3v0BFXF_J0g20xwU4UF0Q3t6PxioXa2KWaPTrEJUps16vkkGU3U39z4f-YSQ0JT0E3eCa2FW/s1600/london_underground_tube_station_closed.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLHuK_gQHbBeA7dk7XoTWgUdFe4EWCvWnud6XXxXrygdvvHvOpuWSSlcw-X6qLjtUxwJlq3v0BFXF_J0g20xwU4UF0Q3t6PxioXa2KWaPTrEJUps16vkkGU3U39z4f-YSQ0JT0E3eCa2FW/s320/london_underground_tube_station_closed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633029504862519218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It seems these days that trains need to be stopped almost everywhere at weekends in order to have the dreaded "Planned engineering works."<br /><br />Strange though that these "Vital" works can only be completed at weekends. Do the staff only work Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays?<br /><br />So, after every other place I wanted to visit looked like an impossible quest I ended up on the overground to Camden. Again.<br /><br />Camden is a worse place to be on a Saturday than during the week due to the fact that is unbelievably crowded with, and let's be nice to them, utter morons.<br />The worst type of brain dead pedestrian that saunters along the street pausing to stop and stare at a random piece of dust that has blown past them. Or standing in the middle of the street with their similarly affected friends discussing "that bloke with the trousers" ( I shit you not, this was one conversation that was actually in English that a bunch of overly Goth girls were having. Right in the middle of the pavement.), or staring at the floor to try and look more melancholy than their associates. Sometimes you can't understand the tourists that are shouting in foreign at each other about...about..whatever it is they are shouting at each other about. One thing is for certain though they are in everybody's way.<br /><br />I fought my way through the market to the T-Shirt stall that I noticed last week. Great stuff, only a little expensive seeing as it is designed and made by the stall holder. I am now the proud owner of a one-off R2-D2 T-Shirt and a cool Real Ghostbusters one too.<br /><br />I fought a hardy battle through the staring morons and the odd lot of Italians that decided it would be nice to eat their lunch by the smelly dustbins. Then slipped unnoticed past the raver crowd that had gathered and were slowing banging their heads up and down by the stall that was seemingly playing the sound of a car alarm going off in a fishtank while someone slammed a coffee table with a large slipper.<br /><br />Once I escaped the center of stupidity I found myself outside a comic shop where I spent a stupid amount of money on a stack of comics that, quite frankly, some people might actually call their entire collection.<br /><br />After fighting to get the stack of comics into my bag I made my way to the Underground station. Listing slightly to one side due to the weight I was now carrying.<br /><br />It was outside the station that I paused briefly to reflect on the large amount of people queuing to use the cash machine when there was one over the road with two people waiting. To make matter worse the cash machine on the other side of the station had one guy using it and he even managed to take money out if.<br /><br />I traveled on the Northern Line for a few stops to Waterloo. Where I eagerly decided to hunt down the one thing that annoys me more than anything in London. The Lazy Buskers.<br /><br />I first came across this gold painted woman shoving a picnic box full of something.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPH-CMMe0XxQe29iFHNV_ni2CojBMWHsSm2AbMJuywiHg1N0FHPkrHm9DU46kh_IXrM5Cec5hhyfo42Iuj0yrOPDy1mPN0jLyRvtkPGeqiUt3MWpoIE6YgBNk2BehyMehgEaihEyoVCt4/s1600/PICT1458.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPH-CMMe0XxQe29iFHNV_ni2CojBMWHsSm2AbMJuywiHg1N0FHPkrHm9DU46kh_IXrM5Cec5hhyfo42Iuj0yrOPDy1mPN0jLyRvtkPGeqiUt3MWpoIE6YgBNk2BehyMehgEaihEyoVCt4/s320/PICT1458.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633018371253139442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then there were these silver painted statue people...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRR_K1wTafoyB62l69Mng8gFkqElqqNYpQcx_2yaRVA0O2_ddqgAeJE7vZDAtv0x4mCBHBdRYfxqgoNYcxy-XdAOssWJWS728OAWwdT7bDeVZzhWyT7k-A7X3E7DEZ2HKy9xMFnXL75a5G/s1600/PICT1459.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRR_K1wTafoyB62l69Mng8gFkqElqqNYpQcx_2yaRVA0O2_ddqgAeJE7vZDAtv0x4mCBHBdRYfxqgoNYcxy-XdAOssWJWS728OAWwdT7bDeVZzhWyT7k-A7X3E7DEZ2HKy9xMFnXL75a5G/s320/PICT1459.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633019066090462226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />At least those two put some sort of effort into their costumes. It really, really annoys me when you see the morons in their cheap tatty stag night, fasten at the back complete with boot<br />toppers, bought at the local Argos costumes. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyYlXJ96EOXpQBD4jMqktNE236pyzNbsw5O9ruwhnFoGG6TyC3A8LXtUCgJCKsPGXK2eFqMBwuPV0nejyWPF-g9SHmkYIxC9iR2k3cQ5vO4WlzRIumuSxCJ6BGno0StOxoL3yGyRe1gtp/s1600/PICT1470.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggyYlXJ96EOXpQBD4jMqktNE236pyzNbsw5O9ruwhnFoGG6TyC3A8LXtUCgJCKsPGXK2eFqMBwuPV0nejyWPF-g9SHmkYIxC9iR2k3cQ5vO4WlzRIumuSxCJ6BGno0StOxoL3yGyRe1gtp/s320/PICT1470.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633020667991112578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Take a look at these imbeciles. Not only did one guy decide on the cheap nasty Spider-man costume he then choses to stand next to someone in the same shoddy outfit. I was quite tempted to go up to the Spidey furthest away in the picture and say "Peter mate, you have really let yourself go!"<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The absolute worst though has to be this effort. Effort being the word.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ctRDqEex2B2AsxMTru897D0yqdYgSDdk_hA8j5CmFYI1t5KHN7oX9XaE0GiAbI1wDwKePSA2jToFIgAoy-8DqLEkc8_6JMOH7wvtYA01CKLIPIOlBQ3eas22ImGYErkrVNDoJLef1kge/s1600/PICT1465.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ctRDqEex2B2AsxMTru897D0yqdYgSDdk_hA8j5CmFYI1t5KHN7oX9XaE0GiAbI1wDwKePSA2jToFIgAoy-8DqLEkc8_6JMOH7wvtYA01CKLIPIOlBQ3eas22ImGYErkrVNDoJLef1kge/s320/PICT1465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633021209850787618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />I mean what the hell!! Is he supposed to be a living box? Or a man trapped in a box? Written on the front is "Write on me" in black marker. To which one rather comical person had written "YOU TWAT" in large friendly red letters. Also, rather strangely, he was being interviewed by a radio crew. I hope they asked him what he thought he was.<br /><br /><br /><br />Also spotted. Is it the queen? No, wait....it's Maggie Thatcher!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQ3JEU5dkZhPHFrhh7Pxz2u8oIBOgVCa08CVGteNncJgKilattu9jX3ZlMrACxcRdseY-i0RcABM9o8mKY56xAJVVjKkWqv6gMQ4z-zPKZD_sGNa4Ms89rj9mjWIIDKq-IKdphcAyho0Z/s1600/PICT1473.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQ3JEU5dkZhPHFrhh7Pxz2u8oIBOgVCa08CVGteNncJgKilattu9jX3ZlMrACxcRdseY-i0RcABM9o8mKY56xAJVVjKkWqv6gMQ4z-zPKZD_sGNa4Ms89rj9mjWIIDKq-IKdphcAyho0Z/s320/PICT1473.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633022388062244626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Also take note of the woman having her picture taken with the Thatch. She could try busking as Olive from On The Buses.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Crappier than low budget Spider-Man. I give you the pound shop Batman.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije3gDDonccN4zPa9u5tKLFNOOkO5qfMOfu5FgSx5CXX9puqu3x_S8-O7L3uyCbcw4_lwLGv17PFGw6qYAsU7pUPuhRd3cJSQOj33aA76SzSsswtcNLyf7M-qTlYV1xaLr2IMrnh2tRPpU/s1600/PICT1461.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEije3gDDonccN4zPa9u5tKLFNOOkO5qfMOfu5FgSx5CXX9puqu3x_S8-O7L3uyCbcw4_lwLGv17PFGw6qYAsU7pUPuhRd3cJSQOj33aA76SzSsswtcNLyf7M-qTlYV1xaLr2IMrnh2tRPpU/s320/PICT1461.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633024193483802210" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Possibly the worst of the lot. A tatty cape and a headpiece that looked like it had been stuffed in his pocket all day.<br />Amazingly people were still paying him!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then there is this...Cowboy? Possibly. Not sure the old west had anywhere that sold motorcycle gloves and Converse air.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiv8jnXJAR9g_pIpIIZqWZluLKXj6PkCJVUWjkDy3CB-tXluGTFx0nO_CpseUfKMBeipFKM6cwfZ6RrGBOX0hEfG6wPw8nj-s59gFnTegM-mw42Q6mhB1zO07Qf9V3b6Lumc3AXgUfH00/s1600/PICT1463.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiv8jnXJAR9g_pIpIIZqWZluLKXj6PkCJVUWjkDy3CB-tXluGTFx0nO_CpseUfKMBeipFKM6cwfZ6RrGBOX0hEfG6wPw8nj-s59gFnTegM-mw42Q6mhB1zO07Qf9V3b6Lumc3AXgUfH00/s320/PICT1463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633025238146685474" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Funny thing is he was not happy about me taking his picture. After this snap he pointed his guns at me and scowled. Funny. Very funny.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I leave you with this. I have no idea either as to what he is supposed to be.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXycb3OPLU9XRJiyTedVzradrEmyfuuionvBAmA9MPPejaV356ByZUwowoWrgmiS2Ba1WwZ0OR_cFAEOjIgO2maRgPUiy2GtyCth3vf6k_V_-GBtIwoRsuH3I7NwwrlSyZZa_fUypWyqxp/s1600/PICT1474.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXycb3OPLU9XRJiyTedVzradrEmyfuuionvBAmA9MPPejaV356ByZUwowoWrgmiS2Ba1WwZ0OR_cFAEOjIgO2maRgPUiy2GtyCth3vf6k_V_-GBtIwoRsuH3I7NwwrlSyZZa_fUypWyqxp/s320/PICT1474.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5633026076333072066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The head looks a little like something from American Werewolf in London. But the body. Teddy Bear? Polar bear? Whatever he looked scary and cuddly at the same time time. A bit like a monster from Blake's 7 then. Maybe that is what he was going for.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I am toying with the idea of digging out the Jedi outfit I wore at the London Film and Comic Convention and standing around by the London Eye just to see if anyone is willing to give me some change for taking my picture. Maybe. Although, surely that would make me just as bad as these half assed buffoons. Still, there are no other Jedi there so I may have the advantage.<br /><br />See Ya.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-57389117039500483212011-06-28T13:58:00.000-07:002011-06-28T14:33:28.811-07:00The Lazy Buskers Of Old London Town.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJS4FZCNy-TzNl1DHNwR6MDe5c2aZYO0DFPZY0LKLjAeNqKAO7oFzOy9iFkMwb3ukvVoMa8jtFo7_62pD1q9Mq_5vSpIQVLBwB6jLc73EOheqM-JFCWeZzhkKAIenuovCObRG4RZ_BHyeR/s1600/PICT1079.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJS4FZCNy-TzNl1DHNwR6MDe5c2aZYO0DFPZY0LKLjAeNqKAO7oFzOy9iFkMwb3ukvVoMa8jtFo7_62pD1q9Mq_5vSpIQVLBwB6jLc73EOheqM-JFCWeZzhkKAIenuovCObRG4RZ_BHyeR/s320/PICT1079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623386890930808866" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Remember when buskers used to actually work for money? You could see one at every Underground station on the line, sometimes they would even get on the trains and "entertain" you. If you were so inclined you could nip off to Covent garden and see buskers sing, dance, chuck stuff in the air and tell jokes just to get that wee bit of change out of your pocket.<br /><br />But. There is a new scourge in town. The lazy busker...<br /><br />Why are they lazy? Well it's like this. They. Don't. Do. Anything. Nothing. Nada. They Just stand there. Sometimes they even spray their clothes and any exposed areas of skin in silver, or gold and stand around like a statue. I mean look at this...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdDAT3fcyIxJL6jVutCHXm0uK2e9dr0PcDq6wAwF9TGfgzAmzjzrJaK7FbU80bmX8UISjuiVkQWfat4mU4sqwMgYPCrfM50quHFAo4Za5pqtAudmj0d0Rp_DtJCTdwP0wV-SHTNdfWf2Q/s1600/PICT0786.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdDAT3fcyIxJL6jVutCHXm0uK2e9dr0PcDq6wAwF9TGfgzAmzjzrJaK7FbU80bmX8UISjuiVkQWfat4mU4sqwMgYPCrfM50quHFAo4Za5pqtAudmj0d0Rp_DtJCTdwP0wV-SHTNdfWf2Q/s320/PICT0786.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623379330395188658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Whilst I do appreciate the way the guy in the stripy shirt is laughing at him, it is just some bloke covered in gold paint. Notice the pot? The pot is for the change he expects people to give him. What for exactly? Feeling sorry he had a terrible accident in the paint section at B & Q?<br /><br />I wonder how these people come to want to do this. Do they sit at home one day and think..'I have this cowboy outfit and all this spray paint plus a need for a little extra cash. If only there were some way to combine the three...Ah ha!!!'<br /><br />Of course sometimes they do things for you when you give them a bit of change. Nothing useful you understand, like fixing your sink blockage or tiling your roof. No, this guy would pull out his gold guns and point them at the middle distance. Groovy. I'm wondering at the moment what he would do if someone nicked his bag that h<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbPMR-_-YGzebwTuao3iEE02Y7fMci95DBsEPbyU1F9T4P3L-qr1Z4CpoCsVb69qpWukfYTh98lbRS1a7NUabhTyk9bVVRNgcM8DNo4ZC7laiKcLGYOyxrUlFI1unxTzZq_VdFKxCNG0g/s1600/PICT1057.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMbPMR-_-YGzebwTuao3iEE02Y7fMci95DBsEPbyU1F9T4P3L-qr1Z4CpoCsVb69qpWukfYTh98lbRS1a7NUabhTyk9bVVRNgcM8DNo4ZC7laiKcLGYOyxrUlFI1unxTzZq_VdFKxCNG0g/s320/PICT1057.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623381413567534498" border="0" /></a>e is standing over. Would he treat them to guns in the middle distance or just stare longingly off like a cat studying a rather exciting new speck of dust.<br /><br />I did encounter this chappie on the left at the London Eye...<br /><br />He was quite good in that the second he saw the camera he started doing all these Chaplinesque poses. He even went so far as to wiggle his moustache. Even though I utterly despise Chaplin (long story and one that I don't fancy explaining right now) I dropped fifty pence in his pot and he bowed politely.<br /><br />Of course you know that seeing this would get my attention...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxaGm59cNXjA5NYsQzgGutVpPc684cWqGscTq7EVqWmpeOLrxP_GdiTU1EXhRnububGfwVQqulaoDa5mKN_oBkO8iSMzTEOUBwGZA5kDkysBs3YfsLsBaikjON_kROqqY2HZGOQUryYWL/s1600/PICT1056.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHxaGm59cNXjA5NYsQzgGutVpPc684cWqGscTq7EVqWmpeOLrxP_GdiTU1EXhRnububGfwVQqulaoDa5mKN_oBkO8iSMzTEOUBwGZA5kDkysBs3YfsLsBaikjON_kROqqY2HZGOQUryYWL/s320/PICT1056.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623382409746561938" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Trouble was he about two feet too small and two stone too heavy to be the Sith lord in person. Plus he was getting small children to attack him with plastic lightsabers. I was amused to a small boy thump him with a red bladed saber. I hope he'll be there again when I go back with my own lightsaber.<br /><br /><br />Also along this stretch of tourist trapping pathway was a man in a Coldstream guards uniform. Probably not genuine. A man dressed as Spider-man. Definately not genuine. And then there was the man with a damn fine Captain Jack Sparrow costume that carried a sign pr<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMXxaBFCM0aVfdSuJE4dFY9agyITDhfveZdrSkh1ik1a654PqIyM9VJasaXieez4fdf04UBHBQnJKURv7LUhGL5Fq7LgjXtwUAWvLm18plkFUFzGdhpm_vY-99c1ir1JtjU3OzFUdKBF1/s1600/PICT1055.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMXxaBFCM0aVfdSuJE4dFY9agyITDhfveZdrSkh1ik1a654PqIyM9VJasaXieez4fdf04UBHBQnJKURv7LUhGL5Fq7LgjXtwUAWvLm18plkFUFzGdhpm_vY-99c1ir1JtjU3OzFUdKBF1/s320/PICT1055.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623384459966213538" border="0" /></a>oclaiming " £1 FOR A PICTURE". I didn't want to pay so I didn't take a picture.<br /><br />I did, however, get this picture of a man dressed as a lizard riding a bike with a smaller lizard riding a smaller bike.<br /><br /><br />So, there you go then. The Lazy Buskers of Old London Town. Like them or loath them it does look like they are here to stay. I mean standing around doing nothing is a lot easier than spending all that time learning how to play a musical instrument or juggle and stuff isn't it? Actually if that is the case then I think I may have to give it a go. You'll find me outside the Tate Modern in my special costume of a nudist. Complete with fig leaf. Give generously now.<br /><br />I'll leave you with picture I took outside the National Gallery when I visited it a few weeks ago. I never even<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlldZGLST4nHGa13l081Aoi8tVZL49nBsS6OG0IDdDzz3UaOUQ47oTj1fLtB3A96qtNL1D52Oz0H2Lg-wZTnroO6lBb1AsvPr-FVYay2_OvfktYoU41-JTMFdBrvD57XNshg4i-Po75ek/s1600/PICT0788.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlldZGLST4nHGa13l081Aoi8tVZL49nBsS6OG0IDdDzz3UaOUQ47oTj1fLtB3A96qtNL1D52Oz0H2Lg-wZTnroO6lBb1AsvPr-FVYay2_OvfktYoU41-JTMFdBrvD57XNshg4i-Po75ek/s320/PICT0788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623385894105613458" border="0" /></a> noticed the pigeon flapping past her face until I uploaded the pictures a bit later. Nice image though and the look on the old lady to the rights face is priceless.<br /><br />See Ya.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-20172934371209167402011-06-06T15:11:00.001-07:002011-06-06T15:12:36.836-07:00Bands don't play no more.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAc31hkAn003h7yCh-EP0BhWhGghXa7TW7YpULdq-ihbMLxOM1xeKuTTs1nAZbTH9dGMF-UgMTMI7J7BHnues-8HLOAForfkeVbkEKOwIq5MgAoYz9_e1vmQqj69QNPxNTWjPPA2VdhS-/s1600/index4.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 259px; height: 194px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAc31hkAn003h7yCh-EP0BhWhGghXa7TW7YpULdq-ihbMLxOM1xeKuTTs1nAZbTH9dGMF-UgMTMI7J7BHnues-8HLOAForfkeVbkEKOwIq5MgAoYz9_e1vmQqj69QNPxNTWjPPA2VdhS-/s320/index4.jpg" alt="" 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I took a walk into the local town today.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I needed to buy a present for my mums birthday and I knew of a great shop where I could get everything I needed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Only…. I couldn’t….</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Upon arrival the lovely bookshop that once stood proud on the high street had become a hollow shell. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To make matters worse it seems that half of the shopping centre has been <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>boarded up and knocked out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Even the food hall on the top floor is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The trouble with most high streets these days is that there are no real independent shops anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ask an “expert” and they will probably tell you that internet shopping has killed off the conventional high street.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That is true I suppose to a point.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s true that a lot of things can be bought cheaper from the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Example:<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ramones Anthology Compact Disk.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>HMV<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>£15.97.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Amazon New £4.93 or used £2.98.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While there is the advantage of saving money you do still have to wait up to two weeks to actually get whatever you have ordered.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Even then there is no guarantee that the postie won’t have it away.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(Listen all postal workers!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m not saying that you are all thieves, I know some perfectly trustworthy postal workers, but there have been occasions when certain parcels have “been lost in the post”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Let’s face it this does normally happen at Christmas when the post office takes on temporary cover staff but it does happen.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Right?)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">At the risk of sounding like a bit of an old git here, I kind of miss the old record shops that used to litter every high street in England.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I would spend hours flicking through the racks of albums and singles in search of something that I could take home, play loud and annoy my parents ( in that capacity Anthrax were outstanding, as were The Damned but I digress…).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There was also a whole lot of book shops, video shops, toy shops, modeling shops and these days I don’t seem to see any of them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Well I do but most of them are way up in the center of London and to get to them I need to take several<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>train journeys to get to them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">What really killed the high street? Greed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Pure and simple – G.R.E.E.D.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Greed from the shop landlords hiking up their prices to make more money from the retailers and greed from the retailers who then put their prices up in order to cover the ridiculously high prices set by the landlord and make more of a profit. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then there are the shops that just have ridiculously inflated prices that they could surely lower except they don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Maybe every now and then they have a 5p off special offer.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Waterstones book shop is one of those perpetrators in that they have vastly exaggerated prices for books that you can easily get a lot cheaper elsewhere that nobody wants to pay for.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then they wonder why they are going out of business.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Waterstones was recently sold by the HMV group because they could no longer afford to keep it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The reason?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>High competition from the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>YO!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Waterstones owners!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Did you not think that maybe your prices are what is killing your shops?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Did that never occur to you?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Try dropping the prices and you’ll start seeing custom again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">These days there are, what they refer to as, pop up shops.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These places suddenly appear, are around for a couple of months and then, as quickly as they appeared, they are gone.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The idea behind the pop-up shops is that they generate a quick bit of business for the local area.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They will also suddenly appear at certain times of the year.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>How many Christmas shops have you seen appear for the two months before December 25<sup>th</sup> only to be long gone after Boxing day?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The owners of the buildings get to pay lower tax if the building is in use too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So the only shops to survive on the high streets are the big corporates.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Every street in the country now has a Tesco on it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Every high street has a Starbucks, a Subway, a McDonalds and no doubt a JD Sports.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These are the only companies left to survive the high street cull because they can afford the landlords prices.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thing is the more they hike up their prices the more we will resort to buying things from the internet.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If only the Royal Mail could cope though.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I need to check my bids on Ebay.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">See Ya.</p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-28075610223054732542011-06-03T03:53:00.001-07:002011-06-03T05:08:53.372-07:00Carrie Fisher and the Big Cake.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7b0PIGRmt-7JwoWm42iBTpFlYPZD7OaNYg78AJXeFM47a0m6kNhnvWHqMiW230C5SVpkpbEpRLzHyixJpa4vmnpBoWK_7NYLeqpF1cE3q9MJdfj7L9H_ZWnWwIm8WK9qqeVSBB0HwSra/s1600/index2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" 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0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">I joined a gym yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was starting to become painfully obvious that I had started to get a wee bit sluggish and wheezy and gone up at least one trouser size, it occurred to me that I could do with a bit more exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“A bit more” of course being a sort of code word in my mind for ”actual”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I needed to get some actual exercise, as it turned out that playing Daley Thompsons Decathlon on an old Amiga did certainly not count.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The local gym was only a short walk away from home so I took a leisurely stroll there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Hello, I’d like to enquire about membership” I asked the attractive lady on the reception desk. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Come through to the lounge and I’ll send someone through to speak with you” she replied curtly and opened the turnstile to let me through.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">As I entered the lounge I noticed that the wall at the back of the room was made of glass and you could see in through to the gym itself and the throng of sweaty people running, cycling, rowing etc…..<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I looked at the strain on one woman’s face.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She was just on the other side of the glass on, what I can only refer to as the runnywalkliftything machine.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Her arms furiously pumping up, down and up again and her feet pounding along at such a rate that if you removed her from the machine she could probably outrun a Cheetah. Her face was straining with sweat streaming down her forehead and her white t-shirt was soaked through.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I watched her puff in controlled bursts and competently pound along as if running to some unseen reward in the middle distance that she would never reach.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I find myself thing that the reward may be a cake.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A big cream cake.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A big cream cake dripping in cream with strawberries.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A big cream cake dripp……</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I realized where this line of thought will get me a decided to think about something else.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Something non cake related.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then I realized that I was thinking about Carrie Fisher wearing the Slave outfit from Return of the Jedi.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Holding a big cake!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I started sweating.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hardly even run anymore let alone operated a runnywalkliftything machine.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Furthermore I didn’t even know what a runnywalkliftything machine was actually called.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It concerned me even more that I had suddenly become obsessed with cake.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I sat in one of the comfy looking chairs to recover from the exertion of watching the woman exercise heavily and the whole cake incident and read a magazine left on the table.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The article about farming in Devon helped take my mind off cake for a while.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The manager of the gym arrived and we sat and discussed the reasons for me joining the gym.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was quite insulted when she asked if I would like to lose weight as I hadn’t realized it was actually that obvious.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Turned out that most men join for that reason which made me feel a little better.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was then shown round the gym, the main room that I had seen through the glass, the steam room, the weight room and then asked to fill in a couple of application forms.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We discussed my eating habits and when I mentioned I like cake I’m told in no uncertain terms that I should stop with the cakes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I feel a bit sad.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Like I’ve just been banned from seeing an old friend.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then the bomb really hits.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No chips, no kebab, no Chinese on a Friday night, no nipping into Greggs for a couple of steak bakes and a cake.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I feel I may starve.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I went back today.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Membership card proudly in hand and looked around at all the exercise machines that were available and decided to start off lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I entered the men’s changing rooms and was shocked to see a man in the nude.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Seriously, <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have not seen another man in the nude since I had to get changed in the school locker rooms.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Embarrassment causes me to try to look in every direction except the direction of the man’s penis.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I trip over a bench. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>After being helped up by a naked man and trying to say thanks without making eye contact with his shlong I attempt to use one of the lockers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They are just wooden doors with a nice little shelf inside but no key!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No key?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The naked man, who was now thankfully wearing some trousers, showed me how they work.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You put your stuff into one which is open, close the door and put your membership card on the red light at the front.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The locker made a loud click and I pulled at the door to find that it was indeed locked.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Looking around I decided on using one of the bikes that don’t move machines ( I still have no idea as to what these things are called ok, so I’m still naming them myself.) Setting it for 15 minutes, and worrying it might be a bit much I start pedaling.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are a bank of television screens across the wall from me a couple showing some awful looking music videos, some with the news and directly in from of me a television showing the Jeremy Kyle show.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">15 minutes later I find myself panting heavily, soaked in sweat and sitting in a comfy chair trying to regain my breath.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Enough exercise for one day” I think to myself as I reclaim my belongings from the locker and decide to jog home for just that little bit more exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I deserve a montage you know.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yeah, a montage.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Like in Rocky.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With this thought I jog off toward home.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I stopped after a couple of yards a decided to just walk.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You can overdo these things you know.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">See Ya</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-87236127279827057732011-05-10T05:30:00.000-07:002011-05-10T08:54:18.769-07:00The Worst Star Wars Costumes......Ever!I checked in with TheForce.net early this morning. Nothing really much new there. Then, just below the game section, I noticed something. That something was a big 3 and the letter D right next to a Star Wars logo. I clicked it and found that it was not only the cinematic release date for episode 1 in 3D at cinemas but also a link to Hasbro's toy page showing the new packaging for the figure collection due out after Christmas. I was so happy I immediately decided that I would be one of those nobs that queues for two days in advance wearing a costume and waving a lightsaber.<br />So, in celebration of the rerelease of the Star Wars Sextant in 3D here are some of the worst costumes you will ever see. If you are thinking of putting a costume together then here is exactly what it shouldn't look like.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUOr6Iz1Shb2NzhNh6TNmJXCg31Hjyi_EFNjAmqfjy21iKBSzIOimmRHOjbdDY3fPoIhPW4j7TO85Ku4Bjm39tayqG7Yj-g0rrKfn6Nk6pcpk3YIWAvNDXtAl85B5YtA2BeYJF9Nzs_Ye/s1600/12.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisUOr6Iz1Shb2NzhNh6TNmJXCg31Hjyi_EFNjAmqfjy21iKBSzIOimmRHOjbdDY3fPoIhPW4j7TO85Ku4Bjm39tayqG7Yj-g0rrKfn6Nk6pcpk3YIWAvNDXtAl85B5YtA2BeYJF9Nzs_Ye/s320/12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605068652991932754" border="0" /></a>Darth Maul was bald with a whole load of little horns coming out of his head. He looked like a black and red orange juicer. This guy. He looks like Darth Maul crossed with Elvis. Kind of a dark lord of the Vegas.<br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsC4DylClgawri-wEfoLXU01ZP4FxM1sCeLH582kiNtywedUx4HtCtrMO21dT9HNU8TFBwPg1lO0qKkK3wLfkTNByY0vTqcDxxh3QPjaB0MUNvIGKDz7L7la1nDZSQON2vdveBKMhn2tp/s1600/costume-6.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsC4DylClgawri-wEfoLXU01ZP4FxM1sCeLH582kiNtywedUx4HtCtrMO21dT9HNU8TFBwPg1lO0qKkK3wLfkTNByY0vTqcDxxh3QPjaB0MUNvIGKDz7L7la1nDZSQON2vdveBKMhn2tp/s320/costume-6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605070180417264610" border="0" /></a>AAAARRRRRGGGHHH! Oh My GOD!!! What the hell is this? Luke I am your daddy Biatch. No, No and thrice No. Darth Gaydar is possibly the most terrifying thing I have ever seen. Wear this costume whilst walking down the street and expect a severe asswhupping.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtNAZQbRhWf-rSQIylH_9RrKaTs_WtNS_35rHTL9A69DEk1fw8-aa4vAxxWyrmFpNZ1Q4T14ogFovcoLI4JD6xB_gWyXkdazAgLZSRrMf4dQ17SY2sq_NFw7dQopk5u2I_FySZ6DD-kVi/s1600/stupid_star_wars_costumes_27.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 278px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtNAZQbRhWf-rSQIylH_9RrKaTs_WtNS_35rHTL9A69DEk1fw8-aa4vAxxWyrmFpNZ1Q4T14ogFovcoLI4JD6xB_gWyXkdazAgLZSRrMf4dQ17SY2sq_NFw7dQopk5u2I_FySZ6DD-kVi/s320/stupid_star_wars_costumes_27.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605071183993366802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Err, this guy has a cool stormtrooper outfit but someone should tell him about the little error with the chestplate there. "Hey Dave.....cool costume and that, but you do appear to have breasts there matey." 8 out of ten for effort, minus several thousand for good thinking.<div style="text-align: right;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpQ6v3c4aiUZILmFijxiDF37bgABBDufirB5AADs1wG8J9PFVN-MTAif0HoYpU1kf_a35jvXA5y-SMw0yHvui0satVmB3z9c0TIMM3JjLHXVbNiuy15EC_scd-SSwSwcAoyI4Fou0czIw/s1600/darth_maul_2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpQ6v3c4aiUZILmFijxiDF37bgABBDufirB5AADs1wG8J9PFVN-MTAif0HoYpU1kf_a35jvXA5y-SMw0yHvui0satVmB3z9c0TIMM3JjLHXVbNiuy15EC_scd-SSwSwcAoyI4Fou0czIw/s320/darth_maul_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605073236783731634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Whilst I originally thought this costume was a little stupid a second look reveals that the costume is actually quite cool. This guy has melded together Kiss, the greatest rock group ever, with Star Wars the greatest movies ever.<br />Although I can help but think the whole costume might work better if he had decided to stuff a pair of socks down the front of those tights. Dark lord of the Sith, playing Rock and Roll would most certainly have a bigger package.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllHJAQ0Ik0QmhGj6xCK_OLxmjcsz1M88oOTccesvy5d2aASkibtMuuzvQz2PPLKOwK6hlC3N2ur3su2EbkRfb2y8KZvifDqFbZzQA72pUMXXr27jl8Z5d6GZJIwjuzp5XLE9m2n1scNo9/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllHJAQ0Ik0QmhGj6xCK_OLxmjcsz1M88oOTccesvy5d2aASkibtMuuzvQz2PPLKOwK6hlC3N2ur3su2EbkRfb2y8KZvifDqFbZzQA72pUMXXr27jl8Z5d6GZJIwjuzp5XLE9m2n1scNo9/s320/8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605074712111268114" border="0" /></a><br />This is supposed to be Wookie. Really?? A Wookie?? This costume looks much more like Ewok Poop.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsoisWJaD-YDD7w097xC4CmtDBPCOJ24XfDUzGKxfmFN0N4l8AwGqzneC0eMmHF7CGuNYnr4FV2e6OKZYYddVk735AKIfjd9pvZzSmimMjgZ_yh-63Yse_OWHzTy1PXjWjzPQghEX6TkB/s1600/star_wars_crew_2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsoisWJaD-YDD7w097xC4CmtDBPCOJ24XfDUzGKxfmFN0N4l8AwGqzneC0eMmHF7CGuNYnr4FV2e6OKZYYddVk735AKIfjd9pvZzSmimMjgZ_yh-63Yse_OWHzTy1PXjWjzPQghEX6TkB/s320/star_wars_crew_2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605084344356761490" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I can't begin to talk about everything that is wrong here. Oh, is rag week at uni? We can't afford costumes. What do we have in the kitchen???<br />So much so they even included the rubbish bin by taping a bit of paper to it with"R2-D2 written on it in marker pen.<br />If you looked up the phrase "Epic Fail" you would find this picture. I really dislike the awful cardboard 3PO and Vader the most.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WKhvxDM5oS0PTDiaQ1bwa1FYIoSJtEYm57vQTDLBhxcimkTdoCfVUEhyuBvC8h7u9Ejy7tB6GGcxd3nFjmvShFxsvC6cLxGjkbHXrWga4zaiJUzj6Q87Mp7IY-ABk1QAbV7vlkqKig8k/s1600/star_wars_costume_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0WKhvxDM5oS0PTDiaQ1bwa1FYIoSJtEYm57vQTDLBhxcimkTdoCfVUEhyuBvC8h7u9Ejy7tB6GGcxd3nFjmvShFxsvC6cLxGjkbHXrWga4zaiJUzj6Q87Mp7IY-ABk1QAbV7vlkqKig8k/s320/star_wars_costume_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605096877864240882" border="0" /></a><br />Speaking of crap cardboard costumes.<br />If a six year old had made these then everyone would be going"aaaahhh how inovative of a six year old to use the packaging from the fridge like that"<br />This, though, is five grown men which is not just a bit weird but also quite ridiculous that they went through all that effort to make these costumes and they still look like something a six year old could make.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_2gP6AoVkV4AY5c4moo_H6ptoDJcwI5FwAQ1FARFC92dLik99yTv3LESv-Qe3jOqkHpCtclcbF4Jl9itOZ7rmUswwChGe1YvzKz_SafOV8sXQ9OmRatnU3QUTATNJks4hLV1ZK_tlAWV/s1600/star_wars_costume8_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_2gP6AoVkV4AY5c4moo_H6ptoDJcwI5FwAQ1FARFC92dLik99yTv3LESv-Qe3jOqkHpCtclcbF4Jl9itOZ7rmUswwChGe1YvzKz_SafOV8sXQ9OmRatnU3QUTATNJks4hLV1ZK_tlAWV/s320/star_wars_costume8_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605098350743300546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />OMFG!!!! MY EYES!!! PLEASE GOD NO!!!<br />Another picture please to rinse this monstrosity from my retina!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3ATeSv0x8ZQeQTrCSp-GJjTIHUcTrRlFGdBNlFHtEUyfLteKE5O0oC1u_L0PVtaoBV2c8jWEyBXwShgnuc3fNLSJXa7s58yjRklNX8bVg_A38kuZz965dOIPFYoqzSp3gmWG2L7qsP8P/s1600/costume-11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3ATeSv0x8ZQeQTrCSp-GJjTIHUcTrRlFGdBNlFHtEUyfLteKE5O0oC1u_L0PVtaoBV2c8jWEyBXwShgnuc3fNLSJXa7s58yjRklNX8bVg_A38kuZz965dOIPFYoqzSp3gmWG2L7qsP8P/s320/costume-11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605099491012668706" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">OK. Um...Now I am just plain confused. Luke...I am your........?? This is just plain freakish.<br />Does she need to pee or what? Ewww.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrsGW4JlgdwSJZmH8Ve2wvLQp_kal7Mcge3Pi8Hx__VLA83k44zilYfAN-WoavW3pXNsj39hKWBu6kjW2kHOeMG-AFXuQEFT8WinMo8czzo_syd8pHOkfn17MGCfhwyMUh2amJ5aSpxW6/s1600/han-solo-carbonite-costume.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 211px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrsGW4JlgdwSJZmH8Ve2wvLQp_kal7Mcge3Pi8Hx__VLA83k44zilYfAN-WoavW3pXNsj39hKWBu6kjW2kHOeMG-AFXuQEFT8WinMo8czzo_syd8pHOkfn17MGCfhwyMUh2amJ5aSpxW6/s320/han-solo-carbonite-costume.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605100156356065410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Not a bad costume, ten out of ten for the idea. Can't help but think it might have worked better though if he had painted his face too.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibju3OdGVZABGdLhoc2GZZE31Q7YR0x9khIGuZNBEW-r_tzOTJ7x6B7pDoQ2I5Jzqm9JlnYktFxV90qwjRUncvAlV2pBXJRtszZ0Kk6FURSxw9OocGsK7D5eCkLTgPpzwQ8kqXMjy9t3fr/s1600/costume-4.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibju3OdGVZABGdLhoc2GZZE31Q7YR0x9khIGuZNBEW-r_tzOTJ7x6B7pDoQ2I5Jzqm9JlnYktFxV90qwjRUncvAlV2pBXJRtszZ0Kk6FURSxw9OocGsK7D5eCkLTgPpzwQ8kqXMjy9t3fr/s320/costume-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605100994068540018" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This costume just does not deserve to be here. It's a great costume. Besides there is something strangely sexy about Twi'Lek dancing girls. 9 out 10 Hutts can't be wrong.<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNSy3FJQQaUrBsEzAf-Cje41IuejZOfPdTD34DSKg33QEkMMjZKzdso3b7aGTWMfPutIGck3oKNusWR3NEhejoBDiTSH6zLRTORsMOOnWSTkEUathLj_ElUE4EZNNGqZdXoPU-ShvpuDF/s1600/11.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrNSy3FJQQaUrBsEzAf-Cje41IuejZOfPdTD34DSKg33QEkMMjZKzdso3b7aGTWMfPutIGck3oKNusWR3NEhejoBDiTSH6zLRTORsMOOnWSTkEUathLj_ElUE4EZNNGqZdXoPU-ShvpuDF/s320/11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605101744176563234" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />At what point did these two look at each other and say "Dude, you look totally badass. Let's get off to the convention so that other people can revel in our cool costumes"?<br />The guy on the left looks like a high tech Oscar the Grouch. While the guy on the right just looks like Justin Lee Collins.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEc_5j7vGDjGLvX7WOtTVFI0Ck3CzBK4RstHsd7CwhKe4IAs-h-okhaC96_HaBRxT09AbgkNmHEvm3yWi44zcSJ0T5bDyT1yoi-qMqEjMDH_uXzRDup0vA8Cv-UdfqFNouRSsK2fsbmAn/s1600/star_wars_costume1_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 198px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEc_5j7vGDjGLvX7WOtTVFI0Ck3CzBK4RstHsd7CwhKe4IAs-h-okhaC96_HaBRxT09AbgkNmHEvm3yWi44zcSJ0T5bDyT1yoi-qMqEjMDH_uXzRDup0vA8Cv-UdfqFNouRSsK2fsbmAn/s320/star_wars_costume1_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605108509467465474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">No, no, no, no. He thinks he looks like an astromech droid. He looks like a laundry basket.<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pILLMOLSbgx21W8Uz2l-vCZAXs9wlCCKYLwYDqcyOs5KCaA75CuvuBMv-1_sqXsKfdAGM6Y7hE3hBeQ_FWv5EYGJ5YtTKe9Yxu4XtJ0n2chhuwAKLRTAzIcr6RH6GvMitN8pQn1qF5rj/s1600/star_wars_costume7_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pILLMOLSbgx21W8Uz2l-vCZAXs9wlCCKYLwYDqcyOs5KCaA75CuvuBMv-1_sqXsKfdAGM6Y7hE3hBeQ_FWv5EYGJ5YtTKe9Yxu4XtJ0n2chhuwAKLRTAzIcr6RH6GvMitN8pQn1qF5rj/s320/star_wars_costume7_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605109737264982226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Darth and Boba visit the local disco circa 1977. You can just tell these guys had these disco outfits but, just as they were leaving Boba's mums house, they found the helmets. Of they mix seamlessly.<br />Why does Darth Vader have a green lightsaber? Did he convert back to the Jedi?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnldRSZsFxlv1wFF4D3APURecSFbjpVh4kxnonelQgZP0wPizRir8xtT7ZIIvgYimX17HGuA6YhgGJ9Dt1bF-oSTFS_d7Ovg4zn-GkOvYcoyKTu1zIGDahaV6hlqtA7FKjQowtHvtYXe7U/s1600/stupid_star_wars_costumes_14.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnldRSZsFxlv1wFF4D3APURecSFbjpVh4kxnonelQgZP0wPizRir8xtT7ZIIvgYimX17HGuA6YhgGJ9Dt1bF-oSTFS_d7Ovg4zn-GkOvYcoyKTu1zIGDahaV6hlqtA7FKjQowtHvtYXe7U/s320/stupid_star_wars_costumes_14.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605110911648729362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Oh no, It's a fancy dress party? Nobody told me....Wait a mo, hand me those paper plates, that masking tape and tip the crisps out of that bowl. Ok I'll be back in five.......<br />Ta-da!! I'm a Stormtrooper!!<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgCipImJWuVeWb_RWGuobtcZ3bJOaA5fAyVjumuqh1whBzKAbGzqfRZF86-DrwabxUFN-Ft7ki0VSECZSXclLoEFbVUzBn5qwniNZGUsOLsWz4o6YIVwnb3Afu4lKPwtkCtviC_zcFnIP/s1600/star_wars_costume10_thumb.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgCipImJWuVeWb_RWGuobtcZ3bJOaA5fAyVjumuqh1whBzKAbGzqfRZF86-DrwabxUFN-Ft7ki0VSECZSXclLoEFbVUzBn5qwniNZGUsOLsWz4o6YIVwnb3Afu4lKPwtkCtviC_zcFnIP/s320/star_wars_costume10_thumb.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605113168473577250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Again with the cardboard box costumes. These guys must have been amazing artists with card when they were twelve. Also, a fat guy in a sleeping bag in no way constitutes a Jabba the Hutt costume.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHjP9M4YbJdqJDgKhIf3ZiPXNfbv6CZszPC2efGP2W_Nc8-tE1oJnxX0Yhh-3jwXz6SW5XFRiNcnsqSbJNjInv4neWkPcTTHWYivx7mwZLJsOrQM4PGZ-go6tvIP-pW-ihbJKa7NgEcOm/s1600/badcostume9.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFHjP9M4YbJdqJDgKhIf3ZiPXNfbv6CZszPC2efGP2W_Nc8-tE1oJnxX0Yhh-3jwXz6SW5XFRiNcnsqSbJNjInv4neWkPcTTHWYivx7mwZLJsOrQM4PGZ-go6tvIP-pW-ihbJKa7NgEcOm/s320/badcostume9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605114307872072882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">...and finally. Get some boxes and a can of spray paint from the craft shop and, hey presto, instant C3PO.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Seriously there are some decent hire shops for costumes, or you can buy pretty good replica stuff on internet these days. Whatever you do though, if you have to make your own costume put a bit more time and effort into it than these guys. Also, it help if you have a picture of what the costume you are trying to make looks like do not, I repeat DO NOT, try to do it from memory. Other wise you could end up like poor fool with the Stormtrooper costume with tits on. Can you imagine how he tried to justify that..."Oh yeah, well, I made the chest plate in a mould and it melted a bit but I just thought what the hell...."<br /><br />See Ya....<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-55940771471964250852011-04-30T13:02:00.000-07:002011-04-30T13:09:18.691-07:00Where in the world?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPWeq8XOLa1sWheTZhgHuEHrF3iE2TSKi8c5aq0fvaOKtWl4nUrLzDnFU4-v2AxS1JahEe0TY9oqWEFXWqjF63B1XqOcveMJTF_6LbqgTC69eKN1JY7kYCd0AZVgL6cb1qhf3iNyaksOt/s1600/index.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 232px; height: 217px;" 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0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">I'm standing in my local PC World waiting to collect my laptop from the "Repair" department.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Repair in quotes because it seems that the word is either used as an affectionate nickname or it has been wrongly named.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">It all started about six weeks ago. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My laptop was getting on a bit, it was about four years old at last count, and had developed a few little eccentricities.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The screen would freeze on a regular basis, it took about an hour to boot up and it had started making an angry beeping noise when I tried to log off.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One day it had shut itself down and wouldn’t come back on again.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It tried though.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It would start to boot up then shut straight back down again and would do this over and over until the battery drained.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">A friend of mine recommended PC World (Also Currys and Dixons so don’t be fooled by the different names.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No matter what you call dung it is still dung after all) in that the repair was done on a set price and they would fix every little problem the computer had.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The set price it turned out was £230.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Almost the same amount as actually just going and buying a new one. I liked my laptop though.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It had everything I’d ever written on it along with about 200 gigs of music, so I decided to try and get it repaired. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">When I took it in to the shop and told the mousey assistant with lank greasy hair I would like to have it repaired she seemed slightly shocked and told me gravely ‘It does cost £230 to have it repaired you know?’ I did indeed and though it pained me to part with that sort of money I confirmed I did.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then she asked me what was wrong with.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I had no idea what was wrong with it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Someone suggested that a new motherboard would be needed so I mentioned this.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I also added in that the CD drive needed repair, the keyboard was missing a couple of keys and the battery didn’t hold a charge anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Get my money’s worth at least.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She took the computer into the back room and told me ‘shouldn’t be more than a week or so and you should get it back’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">That was four whole weeks ago.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m leaning on the counter waiting for the assistant to come back from the store room where she went to collect my laptop.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ten minutes ago </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">The mousey looking assistant has bought my laptop out from the back room.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is stored in a large plastic tub.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She opens the tub and places my laptop on the counter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It has had various stickers attached to it which indicate it has been to at least two different places over the past month.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The assistant picks up a piece of A4 paper which is stuck to the laptop with tape and announces:-</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">'The repair shop were unable to repair this computer, but we will offer you a full refund'</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Arial","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">Whilst I am glad to get both the laptop and the ridiculous amount of money I spent on the repair back, I am rather miffed that it has taken so long to just found out they couldn't fix it.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">I glare at the assistant with, what presume is a rather</span><em><span style="Arial","sans-serif";font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style: italicfont-family:";" lang="EN"> </span></em><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;font-style:normal;mso-bidi-font-style: italicfont-family:";" >authoritative </span></em><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">stare.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As she looks up at me I realize I may well look like I’m about pass wind.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">‘Can you explain why it has taken nearly five weeks just to be told that your company cannot repair my computer’<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I ask the assistant feeling like Jeremy Paxman talking down to a politician.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">‘Says here they can’t get the parts’ she replies.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">I take the piece of paper from her and read it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It seems that the “repair” shop has been unable to source parts.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Apparently the computer manufacturers no longer supply the parts and they couldn’t get them from their suppliers either.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">I feel I need to address this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I feel the anger bubbling away like it just hit boiling point and it suddenly explodes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>‘How can they not get parts from their supplier.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Who is their supplier Greggs the bakers?? These parts are all over the internet for sale.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These “repairers” as you like to call them couldn’t have tried very hard, or is it that I asked for other repairs to be done which would have exceeded the fixed price of you repairs?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Did they even look at the computer because these problems written here are what I told you when I booked it in and I have no idea as to what is wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They haven’t even bothered to look at it at all have they?’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">The assistant looked at me with the same look that care home workers like to give old folk just after they have announced that they invented the bag.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>‘I don’t know, I just work on the till.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do you want a refund for that or not?’</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">I could see that I was having as much success talking to this woman as I would breaking down walls using only my nose and nod.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a defiant gesture I roll my eyes too.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">She presented me with several more pieces of paper to sign in order to agree a refund and I accept back the £230 I handed over several weeks ago.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">As I turn to leave a gentleman comes in clutching a laptop under his arm.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>‘I’d like to get this repaired?’ he asks the assistant.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I suppress the urge to tell him the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Just go buy a new one, they won’t fix it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>They probably don’t even know how.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I turn and leave and, just to show I know when to admit defeat I glare at the assistant.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then hurriedly make a beeline for the door.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">I decided it might be easier to just go and buy a new computer and, an hour later, I am the proud owner of a brand spanking new shiny laptop.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In order to retrieve everything from my old computer I remove the hard drive and plop it into a converter to make it into an external drive. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">The moral?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are many places to get your computer repaired.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Try independent repair shop who will spend days scouring your files before halfheartedly performing a sort of repair.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Or try one of those places where you send them your computer in the post so they can the scour your files before eventually performing a halfhearted repair.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language:ENfont-family:";" lang="EN">Or you could just repair it yourself.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If you balls it up you only have yourself to blame.</span></p>TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5686065586882535889.post-68428864506705936512011-03-14T10:14:00.000-07:002011-03-14T10:49:37.475-07:00It's a Tatt!Recently I considered having another tattoo.<br /><br />I contemplated where I Would have it and what it would be and, you wouldn't believe it, it was going to be Star Wars related.<br />But what? I thought long and hard about that. Vader? Nah, too dark sidie! Luke? Slightly gay. C3PO? Very gay. Anakin? Whiny. Leia? Hmmmmm....Gold bikini? Hmmmmmm.....<br />So, with my thoughts lingering on Jabba's favorite dancer I looked into other Star wars tattoos on the interweb.<br />These are a few of the good, bad and, quite frankly, fucking awful tattos that the internet has to offer.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0tHzCGXrAHwBCEAdglKuyvCoQqb5gKiEMvYqdsANEnt6MNc4ZmmialMnpkt9YEClaUydrTTWirZ8JNKAcxRNyPDdJ0BMHL8d3Ng7muoEWQaJ7Ch77uNoqmW_Oa5-XsmfbsOpAFhaLf4z/s1600/2222.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 198px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0tHzCGXrAHwBCEAdglKuyvCoQqb5gKiEMvYqdsANEnt6MNc4ZmmialMnpkt9YEClaUydrTTWirZ8JNKAcxRNyPDdJ0BMHL8d3Ng7muoEWQaJ7Ch77uNoqmW_Oa5-XsmfbsOpAFhaLf4z/s320/2222.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583986319403180162" border="0" /></a>Yoda. Ok Yoda is cool. Cooler in the prequel trilogy for the fact that he kicks ass like Sonic the Hedgehog on speed. But Yoda form the Clone Wars?? Really. The Clone Wars are bad and should be destroyed. Did all that really happen between episodes 2 and 3? What about what happened between 1 and 2. Or even between 3 and 4? Totally poor choice of tatt here.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe1Atq0GW5C-xNN8Z7CoCaN-xI8Mry7p6ALq6K37tYWltGlDrKkQOuWOhfH6TUWwMhVOqU2-Jz8okaZLAOddx_2YWW5RRLkqe_Zkaf-pa5Ej27e_iaN1SWPhVkCWg2Q5fCjKAXghgQYNf/s1600/buscemi-darth-vader.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLe1Atq0GW5C-xNN8Z7CoCaN-xI8Mry7p6ALq6K37tYWltGlDrKkQOuWOhfH6TUWwMhVOqU2-Jz8okaZLAOddx_2YWW5RRLkqe_Zkaf-pa5Ej27e_iaN1SWPhVkCWg2Q5fCjKAXghgQYNf/s320/buscemi-darth-vader.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583987179491036418" border="0" /></a>What the fuck??? Seriously. I really am lost for words here. Steve Buscemi as Darth Vader unmasked? No, No and No again. I expect it must really be meaningful to whoever had this designed and the inked onto their...arm? Or is it a leg? Either way it is wrong in every sense of the word.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN1d-_QyUhuIBH-ZySjs25GhPT6PBejEEQnajk8M6dd2hwhQvurzKyw8g0lhBZapS_NK0amGq8R1kLLoUaaBytyBSN2MGVvaoDMCcjs_2gxESz2wdIG19PRkDZgplYieKjRlyIG-U_7Av/s1600/hellotroopie.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQN1d-_QyUhuIBH-ZySjs25GhPT6PBejEEQnajk8M6dd2hwhQvurzKyw8g0lhBZapS_NK0amGq8R1kLLoUaaBytyBSN2MGVvaoDMCcjs_2gxESz2wdIG19PRkDZgplYieKjRlyIG-U_7Av/s320/hellotroopie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583988076066130706" border="0" /></a>AAAaaaarrggghhhhhh!!!! No. Hello Trooper? Storm Kitty? Horrible.........<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUX2LIwcerWnnDkSLras_WrdTBkY8YI3TfC8WBqGphtAlMwNcpv53MJjlZcFgx5_4-tfxUztbM0lDiQhhXFB1mSyfgoNlcDP6KdN67LsNO7mY3BYXATXM2PfJJIJUQBbPNH9NraKBhDlm/s1600/111.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitUX2LIwcerWnnDkSLras_WrdTBkY8YI3TfC8WBqGphtAlMwNcpv53MJjlZcFgx5_4-tfxUztbM0lDiQhhXFB1mSyfgoNlcDP6KdN67LsNO7mY3BYXATXM2PfJJIJUQBbPNH9NraKBhDlm/s320/111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583988436018773250" border="0" /></a>I like Mario. I like Star Wars. Why not make a combo of the two. Original at least.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMmx1ZTq3YXJKosb87r3bKE82LBsBYwX0iN5O2D5WyiFImnRJpQFj7GG76vzIV8KsU8BlSdvFhcddQbhwatarDczShmd9tLT4N95A1KPmGOXFHQKDWYo7C9mjemt8nUHLvsdrRYhVssQE/s1600/gayder.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 246px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLMmx1ZTq3YXJKosb87r3bKE82LBsBYwX0iN5O2D5WyiFImnRJpQFj7GG76vzIV8KsU8BlSdvFhcddQbhwatarDczShmd9tLT4N95A1KPmGOXFHQKDWYo7C9mjemt8nUHLvsdrRYhVssQE/s320/gayder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583988851839598002" border="0" /></a>The most unbearably gay looking Vader the world has ever seen. Arise lord Gayder! Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpL_A0WMYYDgVLcmOvF5wXtXWYfMjmD6LPJ7uDNl-kF61DXJfJiExZGXWk3I2coNN5yETi-lWuD97XbZuZqZepo4loaYADfqy2OOFsvceIDiXOQMPYdGrh2g09ZgAIo1D2-NZSZxPhM5j8/s1600/r2tattoo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpL_A0WMYYDgVLcmOvF5wXtXWYfMjmD6LPJ7uDNl-kF61DXJfJiExZGXWk3I2coNN5yETi-lWuD97XbZuZqZepo4loaYADfqy2OOFsvceIDiXOQMPYdGrh2g09ZgAIo1D2-NZSZxPhM5j8/s320/r2tattoo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583989180407210962" border="0" /></a>R2D2 and a rose. Whoever this is that has this tattoo quite obviously has feelings toward that little astromech droid that some people might find a little disturbing.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkkXwwAfIAepNVbcYOjF1Rm7V0xsyKwBdvrn1UpyDsjoV99B_fsNJ3IZQcPCfj17MHsHWizlO-RlHVXc-YwAu7Uu7Bd7lD00HT1YZ-MOY5wopu1XLJpdP9gFoOeDuZGSMF6GOgih_YH4c/s1600/tatpooh.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkkXwwAfIAepNVbcYOjF1Rm7V0xsyKwBdvrn1UpyDsjoV99B_fsNJ3IZQcPCfj17MHsHWizlO-RlHVXc-YwAu7Uu7Bd7lD00HT1YZ-MOY5wopu1XLJpdP9gFoOeDuZGSMF6GOgih_YH4c/s320/tatpooh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583989808114132498" border="0" /></a>Oh my crap! What the hell were you thinking? Not the tattooed woman here (at least I hope it's a woman) but the tattooist who sat there when she came in, listened to her idea and then said "Sure, I can do that for you". Mr Tattooist you should be struck of the tattoist register for such heinous crimes against the world of tattoos. I'm sure Lord Vader would not be over pleased with the depiction of him lovingly holding Winnie the cocking Pooh either.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLP-4bOY8EygpPC4TjaATLffg18xYOm5Fp2O1_824Dj52MIk9t-q3ephIB8LfEmk88AKOaaJnp_I_dyoewKfYkDgMgzVnSB0E9n0HrI6BHEjXqrP-9n4J-Pa8_fOO6SAz3MlvVDqa7cK6/s1600/legoarm.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 183px; height: 275px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLP-4bOY8EygpPC4TjaATLffg18xYOm5Fp2O1_824Dj52MIk9t-q3ephIB8LfEmk88AKOaaJnp_I_dyoewKfYkDgMgzVnSB0E9n0HrI6BHEjXqrP-9n4J-Pa8_fOO6SAz3MlvVDqa7cK6/s320/legoarm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583990671586648722" border="0" /></a>Lego Star Wars? While LSW has indeed created a whole genre of its own I really didn't think it had come to this. Still you know what they say. You know you've made an impact when someone tattoos you product on them. They do say that.. actually I might have just made that up but you get the general idea.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkHfdO4GiZE2LbwRrcvnR16CRsqPwPmvE6HVExt8KUviqnyVS48Y_JpoxNUjrA9a0NrDfdeiiBRPtvswAZikZocJhK2gfjMqkgtB6MMN9_K8YS2Pcmig4oMHE4mYQSu6iOvVBz3J47dbU/s1600/trap.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 186px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFkHfdO4GiZE2LbwRrcvnR16CRsqPwPmvE6HVExt8KUviqnyVS48Y_JpoxNUjrA9a0NrDfdeiiBRPtvswAZikZocJhK2gfjMqkgtB6MMN9_K8YS2Pcmig4oMHE4mYQSu6iOvVBz3J47dbU/s320/trap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583991438512371426" border="0" /></a>IT'S. A. TRAP!!!!!!!!!!! Cool tattoo though......<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yVDi461xBkgt3lF7BYZNvtR5uQPzRUL5p7hZgLowmmiRc6B3IMsWw5t3R5yuuRRFYwaKapPmBg3qHHhsip0TGTIZro9mW0gxR6xt0Hiq2HOvGmsijaQmIooDsuej72HA52hNiBX4tH2P/s1600/fingers.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yVDi461xBkgt3lF7BYZNvtR5uQPzRUL5p7hZgLowmmiRc6B3IMsWw5t3R5yuuRRFYwaKapPmBg3qHHhsip0TGTIZro9mW0gxR6xt0Hiq2HOvGmsijaQmIooDsuej72HA52hNiBX4tH2P/s320/fingers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583991754819739122" border="0" /></a>What the smegging hell is this all about. Does she have little saber battles in times of boredom? You know you're behind her on a train because she's wiggling her fingers and making whhurrrmmmm noises.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIwTGkXaKgJxWs_Oo-NNBdDdSmfoqEWy3EFeLi4OkaT7RixrlrIEIX40bBcXNAaGjA6WYndgPl_VUgrEmhHP7qIrtUCGxx_rpevHfn9xBlXLWhjzSykGWsbamzyGc5unCs8Zb5h_eeRe1/s1600/r2bad.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqIwTGkXaKgJxWs_Oo-NNBdDdSmfoqEWy3EFeLi4OkaT7RixrlrIEIX40bBcXNAaGjA6WYndgPl_VUgrEmhHP7qIrtUCGxx_rpevHfn9xBlXLWhjzSykGWsbamzyGc5unCs8Zb5h_eeRe1/s320/r2bad.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583992319087623218" border="0" /></a>Finally, nice idea. If I were to have a Star Wars tattoo I think it would be R2. But better than this. I mean just look at it. Out of proportion, bits missing and he appears to have a wonky front wheel. Hmmmmm<br /><br /><br /><br />So, maybe I will get another. Maybe. I've got a few ideas. The Beatles as Jedi? Ray Davies as Han Solo? Maybe. Then again, after seeing the above, maybe not.TheFrysterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11593005755000162156noreply@blogger.com0