A history of Attenborough, and of the world in 100 objects.

Been very much enjoying the David Attenborough Early Years collection, placed on-line recently by BBC 4. Not only is it bizarre to find myself fancying the venerable Mr Attenborough when he wanders around the outback shirtless, but the sight of him breaking open a termite mound with a sledgehammer (to show the viewers its insides) are a perplexing demonstration of how far TV's come.

Plus (of course) they're generally brilliant and highly informative documentaries, however rough around the edges 1950s and 1960s television may have been. I'm rather taken with the cultural films Attenborough made as well, back in the days before he became synonymous with animal and nature programming.

In a similar vein, today I've been thrilled to find that the excellent radio series A History of the World in 100 Objects, is online for free download also. A definite must listen.

I think if we ever lose the BBC, I may just kill myself.

Gimcrack Pendergast's Big Boot Boutique

I wrote this for a Terry Pratchett competition (in others words to get some free stuff, I'm easy like that).

Idea was to create your own Ankh-Morpork business. Now Ankh-Morpork strikes me as the kind of city where utter bell-ends would prosper (in business and elsewhere), so I wondered what kind of manipulative and shady practice would sell well.

And since praying on people's insecurities, however dangerous they may be, is always a way to make money, I came up with the below;

It probably won't win, and will never be seen again. But I rather like it.

GIMCRACK PENDERGAST'S BIG BOOT BOUTIQUE

Finding it hard to get your face seen?

Overlooked in the work place?

Trodden on in the tavern?

Worry no more, at Gimcrack Pendergast's Big Boot Boutique we specialise in all forms of raised footwear for dwarfs.

Raised heels. In-built shin stretchers. Spring loaded soles. Our boots have a thousand* ways to raise you above the opposition.

And remember, just because you’re a dwarf, doesn’t mean you have to be of a “miner” height.

Come to Gimcrack Pendergast's Big Boot Boutique, for the modern dwarf who wants to make it big in a man’s world. You’re never too big for our boots.

*Please note this figure is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

Broken Sword 5

A new, 2D Broken Sword game is a rather exciting thing.  No?

Wonder how the new funding method will work out.

A thesaurus reborn.

Thanks to some excellent work by a book restorer from Bedlington named Polly Bird (www.pollybirdbookbinding.co.uk) my Grandmother's thesaurus, which she thoroughly mangled with her out of control crossword habit, lives again. And very pretty it is too.

An unexpected guest.

Cutting the grass at my Mum and Dad's, we found an intruder.

However he seemed a nice enough chap so we let him use the pond.

Game of Thrones Season 2 RPG

Just what it says on the tin.

I would have killed to have had this on the SNES.



Oh dear.  I've just realised;
A - how little I've posted recently, and;
B - how many of those posts have been about computer games.

Urk, they really are a very small part of my life.

(Except when ill.)

Sword & Sworcery EP

You know, when I'm ill I sure seem to play a lot of video games. The majority of the past week seems to have been spent on Advance Wars, Mario Kart, and this little baby below.

I'd highly recommend all three.

Okami HD

It's really rather extraordinary that a second release (this time in HD) of a game I've already played to death is still exciting.  The thought of playing Okami, as well as Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, in HD (not to mention the prospect of The Last Guardian) makes getting a PS3 seem an increasingly good idea.

Machinarium

Just a quick note to say I am absolutely addicted to this game.

The Festival of Belonging

As I can now apparently do this from my phone (consider this post a frisky little experiment) I may just return to Blogger. Family illness got me out of the habit last year, but I have a little bit more time now, and exciting things are happening.

I worked the elections last week, attached photo shows just how exciting the day was. Following that I then spent much of the weekend at NCLA's Festival Of Belonging at which I was privileged enough to briefly meet Sapphire (author of Push, recently filmed under the name Precious) and to do a workshop with the disgustingly talented Helen Oyeyemi.

Of course this was likely me just passing the time until tomorrow, which is of course Game of Thrones night with Hunter and Chris (seen below getting in to the fantasy mood).

I have recently revamped the first novel I wrote, The Firebird & the Nightingale, for an open door month held by Strange Chemistry. Fingers crossed...

Take On Me by a-ha, North Korean Style

North Korean accordionists cover Take On Me. Love it!