Innovation & Insanity

Look Out Pedestrians

2008-09-04T02:19:00.002+01:00

Today I had my first driving lesson. I think it went pretty good... I could be wrong though... you'll have to ask my instructor =P

Just so much to learn I got a little overwhelmed on my first attempt to reach 3rd gear... clutch, gas, gear, clutch, check, handbrake, clutch, gas, clutch, gas, clutch, gas, gear, gas, clutch, gas, gas, brake, clutch, gear

Anyway, I'll let you know how all that goes as it happens.

Other than that... I finally got some upgrades for my computer so its whizzin a little faster by now... thank god =P

Ciao all <3

For Your Attention

2008-09-03T02:03:00.002+01:00

The government today issued a health and safety warning to all drivers in the south of England today. Tomorrow between 4pm and 6pm the roads are deemed unsafe. My understanding is its because I get my first driving lesson tomorrow. If that is the case, small children has better beware because I will be aiming for you.

Draggin Myself Up

2008-08-27T04:24:00.001+01:00

ok... time to stop feelin sorry for myself and get back to something productive. I'll talk more when I kno wmore, and I'll try to update this thing more often. =)

Fact of the Week

2008-07-19T01:02:00.000+01:00

Every year world wide, some 3,000 people are killed by falling coconuts, times that by 12, thats 36,000 people every year, which works out at nearly half a million people every 12 months, spread that out over a year, thats 4.2 billion people every month. A frightening statistic.

Bored and Lost

2008-07-02T23:56:00.002+01:00

ok... so I spent 3 years working towards a goal which then blew up in my face. I have nothing to do and Im bored.

So I started a redesign for GrangeOnline.co.uk

http://www.grangeonline.co.uk

Check it out

Update You All

2008-07-01T03:42:00.002+01:00

Ok folks... so its been a little while... I've been in the US for a while. Long story that I wont bore you with now. Suffice to say... I barely made it through the last 3 weeks alive, but I'm here... still punishing the living.

I'll be back with something worthwhile when I have something

FedConUSA - The Con That Never Was

2008-06-17T17:03:00.003+01:00

Well, here I am, in Texas, after the hardest week of my life without question. If you were keeping up-to-date, FedConUSA was this last weekend, a science fiction convention that myself, and many others had been working on for sometime. Well Saturday morning, we cancelled the show.

Now theres a lot of people going around bringing up the past, specifically the SaveEnterprise campaign, and calling my boss, and friend, Tim Brazeal a thief and a "con" artist. It saddens me that we're having to go through this again, probably, for the most part, wit the same people who were btiching 3 years ago.

Anyway, I don't have a whole lot to say, so here's a few links where you can find out what happened.

www.vadercast.com
www.fedconusa.com (avoid the forums if you value your mental health)

Anyway, next week - Colorado

Fact of the Week

2008-05-29T03:25:00.002+01:00

Did you ever wonder why flights from Europe to the US fly north before flying to the destination? Why not just fly a straight line?

I know I wondered, and here's why.

It's shorter. We're taught that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. However, this is only true on a flat surface. The curvature of the Earth increases as you get closer to the North Pole, which makes flying north first, a shorter journey than flying straight.

Where Are All The Bees Gone?

2008-05-18T17:47:00.001+01:00

Not that I'm complaining... Just wondering

Fact of the Week

2008-05-18T00:01:00.003+01:00

What is the most tornado prone nation in the world?

No, it is not America, although you would be forgiven for thinking so.

Dr Fujita of Chicago University calculated that since Britain has an average of 33 tornadoes every year, in an area 38 times smaller than the USA, you are twice as likely to witness a tornado here, than anywhere else in the world.

Mommy?

2008-05-17T00:41:00.002+01:00

OH
EM
GE

http://www.worstpreviews.com/trailer.php?id=748&item=0

It takes a while to load... but.... OMG

Old Friends

2008-05-15T17:04:00.003+01:00

Just giving a link back to an old friend who is adding me to thier blog roll

Adam Wiltshire - www.adamsarea.me.uk

I hope to get back to you all soon with some FedCon news :-)

Fact Of The Week

2008-05-08T19:28:00.002+01:00

Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants aren't hugely known in the US. They mainly grow in Europe, and are hugely popular, especially in the UK. Often I see US substitues such as grape, which frankly just don't cut it. So here's a little history.

The Blackcurrant has long been a popular fruit in Europe, and specifically the UK. During World War 2, oranges and other Vit C fruit came in short supply, and so the Blackcurrant was farmed on a massive scale. It contains plenty of vitamin C and tons of antioxidants. It has been popular ever since.

The blackcurrant was banned in the US in the early 1900's because it, like other berries such as gooseberries, was thought to be carriers of a virus, which kills a special kind of pine wood that was grown and used in manufacturing on a massive scale. Turns out they weren't that harmful, and the ban was lifted recently. Blackcurrants are now slowly gaining popularity in the US once more.

6 Things You Didn't Know About Me...

2008-05-04T11:23:00.004+01:00

ok... let's add a nonsense entry.

1. Robbie Williams Fan. I'm not obsessed or anything, I just enjoy his music. Excep tthat last album... what the hell was that. Other than that album though, I do have them all. Always baffles me how he never made it in the USA.

2. German was the first language I ever spoke. Lived in England all of my life, and I can barely put two words together of German now, but, I am told, I started speaking German before English.

3. I got an A in Maths at school, but if you through a maths question at me... even some of the simplest sums, I panic and something that should take a few seconds will cause my mind to go blank. When in doubt, run for the calculator.

4. I actually get very nervous around people I don't know, especially large groups of people. Those who know me well will probably tell you I'm active, outgoing, lively, bubbly and hyperactive at times, but when it comes to new people I'm always very quiet, reserved and withdrawn. I eventually come out of my shell and you'll live to regret letting your guard down. Sometimes my hyperactivity is attributed to drinking alcohol, which is wierd considering I don't actually drink that often. First thing people say about me when I'm in that mood is... Is he drunk? More often than not the answer is a resounding no.

5. Here's a personal and depressing statement for you. I'm single. Always have been. Never been in anything close to a relationship. I put this down to a number of things. Point 4 is one of them, Point 6 is the other.

6. This started as 5 things you didnt know. Then I got to point 5 and realised some people don't even realise point 6. I'm of the homosexual variety. How does this relate to point 5? Well I fought with it for a very long time. It is what it is, and I try not to let it define me. Its one aspect of a much bigger character so if you have a problem with it either look past or get out of my way because I'm a busy guy and haven't got time to deal with your issues. =)

=) Ciao for now

PAAAAAIN

2008-04-05T06:01:00.000+01:00

In Pain... Can't Type... Hernia Op done... Need Rest... Call For Help

Heath Ledger - The Legend That Never Was

2008-01-23T01:52:00.000Z

So much potential. So much ahead of him still.

Heath Ledger - 4 April 1979 ~ 22 January 2008

So far...

2008-01-19T16:50:00.000Z

ok, so I've been told off for having my Christmas message up so long untouched.

So how's your year going? Let me tell you, it seems to me, that everyone's year has started out pretty bad.

My year has been... a rollercoaster to say the least. My heart is in a strange place right now. I think I've broken someone's elses heart. I lost a friend to cancer. A friend of mine is in and out of hospital right now for reasons I wont disclose. My best friend had an accident involving a spiked drink and his meds (He's fine). I've eaten tons of ice cream (good or bad? you decide). I've been invited to Canada for a week, which I have literally just been informed, as I'm typing this, might be Colorado now. I bought the cutest cuddly toy (a puppy named Kipper). The weather has been really bad. I was "hacked", for lack of a better term (It wasnt a hack, more like some kid trying to be clever). Convention is moving forward, more details on that soon. Studio is moving forward. Search YouTube for IQ 145. And I'm sure I've missed some stuff.

Right now though, I'm pretty good. I have met some pretty awesome people over the last couple of months, people I have come to consider very close friends. One in particular I have become very close to. He's just so awesome, and I love him to bits. Definatly the bestest best friend I have ever had in the whole widest world. ^___^

Anyway folks, thats my update, I hope to bring you some information on the convention and studio very soon. Hang Tight.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T04:48:00.000Z

Merry Christmas To You All. I hope your day is filled with happy memories.

Server Maintenance

2007-12-12T20:59:00.001Z

Wanted to let y'all know that server maintenance begins within the next 24 hours to perform some upgrades. Hope to be back better than ever tomorrow. :D

The Internet Is For Porn

2007-11-29T14:45:00.000Z

Everyone's a little bit racist, and what can you do with a BA in English? I've learned that some people may think I'm a little crazy right now. Others will know I'm talking about Avenue Q.

Avenue Q tells the story of Princeton, a college graduate who has found himself looking for purpose in his life. Finding himself at the bottom of the ladder of life, he and his new found friends of Avenue Q, slowly, but surely drag themselves up out of the rut, and on to a better life, if only for now.

To say it lived up to my expectations would be an understatement. It totally redefined them. Naturally, it was hilarious from start to finish, and the "Adult Sesame Street" theme was very clear throughout, and helped to break up the story, and add a different dimension to the humour.

That being said, it was also a very endearing, and a touching story, a story of friendship, love and discovery. I didn't really think about it much at the time, but looking back, all this was achieved, for the most part, with puppets. I almost shed a tear at one point, over what can only be described as a stuffed fur bag.

The production was clever, and intuitive, including the entire audience in parts of the production which would otherwise be blocked from view for those in the cheap seats. It took me two hours to get there, more than three hours to get back, and I almost got lost in the center of London, but it was worth every minute.

Going to the Street

2007-11-28T03:35:00.000Z

Well, the Avenue to be more precise... or Avenue Q. That's right. Tomorrow I'm off to London to see Avenue Q, and I am really looking forward to it. I'll be sure to report back.

To close this brief entry, I just want to give a personal shout out to a friend of mine, who is going through a rough time right now. You know who you are, and you know I'm here for you buddy.

New Entry - Less Than A Week Later

2007-11-22T05:39:00.000Z

So its been a bizarre week to say the least. Like last time, I wont talk about the bad, only about the resolutions made. Sorry to say, nothing resolved yet, which is frustrating. One way or another it will be resolved by the end of the week. No more to be said there.

So I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the USA. Hope you have a good day, and try not to get yourself killed on Black Friday :D I know I almost did last year when I was in Indiana.

So, with the above problems in mind, I've spent a lot of my time spending time with friends, until the issues are resolved. It's been good to catch up with old friends, and make some new ones as the case maybe.... who has apparently been sexing me up. At least so others would apparently believe. :p

So anyway, thats my week. I have a gig on the 1st which I have some preparing to do, and a really busy Christmas ahead, so I will get back to you all later.

Ciao

New direction

2007-11-16T04:52:00.000Z

Oh... hi there... you're still here? I thought you would have left by now... hm

So there is tons of stuff going on right now... some good... some bad.

Lets start with some good.

I'm always keen to inject myself into different circles of people. Sometimes they go well, sometimes not. I love to meet new people, which is why I travel so much, but its really great when you meet people online, because you dont have to wait until next year to meet back up with them to see how they are doing. I just signed up to Stickam recently, and started throwing myself into the chat rooms, and its been an experience. I haven't been in a chat room for years, probably since I was about 15, so it was interesting to see how the way chat rooms are used as a whole havent changed. For people to perv, and get a cheap thrill. I did however find a room with strict rules against this, and the people in there are really nice, and I've quickly developed friendships, which I hope will continue to develop. I could talk forever about how cool some of these people are, but I wont bore you.

More good.

I'm going to see Avenue Q in a couple of weeks. :D If you don't know what it is, check it out at www.avenueqthemusical.co.uk. I've been wanting to see this for a while now, and I am very excited about finally getting there. I'll report back with my thoughts.

End of the good.

I'm not going to really talk about the bad, except that I cant make it out to Indianapolis this year, which kinda sucks. As for the rest of the bad, I'll ride it out, and see what happens, and let you know what it does.

Ciao for now

Back From RingCon

2007-10-16T17:43:00.000+01:00

So, for those unaware, I have been at RingCon in Fulda, Germany for the last couple of days. It is a Lord of the Rings (LotR) convention brought to you by the people at FedCon. It is probably now, by far, one of my most memborable conventions to date.

This was my second RingCon. I am by no means a fan of LotR, having only seen the films once, and that only happened after I had attended RingCon for the first time. I have never read the books. It is a good story, and the films are certainly well made, its just not my cup of tea.

RingCon 2007, for the first time, introduced media guests which had very little to do with the story. Isaac C. Singleton Jr, and Clive Ashburn from Pirates of the Carribean (PotC) joined the lineup. I had the pleasure of meeting with Clive, a fellow englishmen, in the bar on Thursday night. He has a fascinating story, being that he had only recently become an actor before PotC, having left his job to pursue his dream. I also met Isaac, along with a number of the other guests, on Sunday evening, after being invited to join the RingCon crew for thier after con dinner. He was an extremely funny man, which surprised me, as he came across as quite contained on the stage.

Any regular RingCon attendee will tell you that attendance was definatly down, though only noticable in the main room, where seats which would normally be full, where empty. So many reasons coudl have caused this. I had heard some people were not happy about the PotC additions, and there were some cancellations pretty early on, though they were of course eventually replaced. The biggest thing was probably the train strikes in Germany. I was personally terrified that I was gonna be stuck in an airport all day, and as German Rail Unions werent letting anyone know when they would strike, it would be difficult to work around. I don't however doubt that RingCon will be back to its normal attendance next year.

One of my most memorable meetings was on Sunday evening, where I spent the evening in the bar with Kate Robinson, who is producing a film in the UK based on the LotR sotries, and Daniel Falconer, who is part of the team who were responsible for many of the effects on LotR, including armoury, weapons, costumes, make-up effects and other props. The three of us spent the night drinking, and talking about a lot fo things, as well as mingleing with many other people. Words and Phrases that will hold special memories for me that evening (each with thier own story, that I wont go into) include Orlando Bloom, the Pinaquila Coladunrise and "It's only 4pm in New Zealand".

The weekend was rounded off with Monday morning breakfast, where we had our final talks, and goodbyes. I joined Marc B Lee, and a few other friends for breakfast. Jed Brophy joined us, as well as Lori Dungey, where we... talked... a lot. It was interesting to talk to them outside of the pressure and the stage that is RingCon.

All in all, it was good to meet so many new people, many of which havent been mentioned, mostly because I forget names very quickly. It was good to meet with those I have already previously met, and those I consider friends. The costumes were great. The programming was great. The staff were great. Another great Con.

See you next year :D

HEROES

2007-10-03T23:59:00.000+01:00

Gotta say... I'm thrilled to see Heroes back on US television, and it's gotten off to an awesome start. I don't know what it is about the show... but there's something very appealing about the whole idea.

Ciao