Good lord, what is this? A new post from yours truly? Lies! Deceit! Treachery!!!
Yeah, well, I've been busy, OK? Life has been getting the better of me at all times, sadly. I've finished Uni as of now, been kicked out of halls of residence, haired it around the country for a bit, and finally been stashed back in the ever so wonderful south east of England. Oh. Joy. As you can tell I'm far from happy, especially as I'm stuck down here with very few friends for company due to various other reasons that I don't really want to go in to. I've also been struck down with hayfever. And people wonder why I prefer cities...
One bit of recent events that's cheered me up slightly is I'm now in ownership of a genuine, circa 1991 Sega Megadrive Mark 1. This has pleased me mightily and started me off on a retro gaming binge, mostly of the Sega variety. Everyone needs a hobby right? And anyway, I can now pick up, for minimal financial outlay, some of the most fun games ever in existence, so Thank You Chips Middlesbrough for reintroducing me to that most wonderful of games consoles... and for selling me a Saturn, which I finally own after nearly 12 years... >_>
On the FerretCrossing front, my continuing attempt to restart the website continue, this time with a call for talent. If anyone reading this thinks they have something to contribute, go to the site, join the forums and send us your idea. We'll consider anything at the moment.
Some may have also noticed that the Sonic Rush review has vanished. This is mainly due to the fact that I've submitted it as a blog on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com under my internet alter-ego JitteryJoe (please don't ask about this). Go look at it here! It's been refined slightly, so it's worth a second look, and the rest of the site's pretty good too. You're probably wondering why I've done this. A number of reasons really, Reviews are more suited to their site, they have higher viewer figures than a blog ever could, and I'm hoping to get picked up by them as a paid gig. Well, I can hope, can't I? Anyway, all my future reviews will either be on there or at FerretCrossing, but don't worry, loyal DomFans and/or JoeFans I will inform you all here of any escapades out in the wide internets. Ciao!
--Dom--
--Wants to go up in the world, but has forgotten his ladder
14/06/2009
11/04/2009
Adventures in Mediocraty
Yeah, I'm still busy, but fuck it, I'm gonna write stuff instead, what with me being the savvy writer type that I am. Or I'm looking for a looong break from work, whatever works for you.
Yes, it is my Easter/Non-denominational-spring-event holiday, and as yet I've not had a single day to myself without work. Pleased I most certainly aint. I kinda question the wisdom of why the even bother to give us a holiday (they even call it that occasionally) and then snow us under with some crazy-go-nuts task. I wouldn't mind, if they'd just said work, but this gives us a definite list of crap (42 things, forty fucking two!!!) that must be done by x date or woe betide you all. WOE! What a flaming sack of crap.
Now 42 things of varying sizes in two weeks may seem like not a lot to some, but I'll level this one at you. I'm trying to get this done by Monday, so I can spend time with my friend (Sarah for those of you in the creepy need-to-know demographic) who's coming up to see me for a couple of days. Less than 48 hours till then, and I'm at 21. Harumph. On the bright side, the remaining stuff seems relatively straight forward, if such a thing can be said, and shouldn't take too long. Tomorrow, however, looks to be shaping up to a mass clusterfuck of cleaning and work. And I actually want to be a Graphic Designer, strange as it seems.
Moving swiftly onwards and upwards, in other news, I'm still pretty disgusted in the turn of events regarding the Metropolitan Police, but I'm going to give that a post unto itself some time in the next couple of weeks, hopefully when more info surfaces, and I've had the time to read over it. Other blogular relating goings on will follow on from my Watchmen review a while back with other stuff, starting (hopefully) with Sonic Rush for the DS (and the Sonic series in General). Before anyone asks, no I'm not going into the whole review computer games for a blog, as that would strike me as... stupid. I will, as always, write what I please, however I have the idea of a Dr. Ashen's style video at some point before summer.
Anyways, coffee becons in my new, totally swanky, probably wanky Pantone 3272 C mug. Must dash.
--Dom--
--As it happens, Pantone 4252 C happens to be my favourite colour... I've wasted my life...
Yes, it is my Easter/Non-denominational-spring-event holiday, and as yet I've not had a single day to myself without work. Pleased I most certainly aint. I kinda question the wisdom of why the even bother to give us a holiday (they even call it that occasionally) and then snow us under with some crazy-go-nuts task. I wouldn't mind, if they'd just said work, but this gives us a definite list of crap (42 things, forty fucking two!!!) that must be done by x date or woe betide you all. WOE! What a flaming sack of crap.
Now 42 things of varying sizes in two weeks may seem like not a lot to some, but I'll level this one at you. I'm trying to get this done by Monday, so I can spend time with my friend (Sarah for those of you in the creepy need-to-know demographic) who's coming up to see me for a couple of days. Less than 48 hours till then, and I'm at 21. Harumph. On the bright side, the remaining stuff seems relatively straight forward, if such a thing can be said, and shouldn't take too long. Tomorrow, however, looks to be shaping up to a mass clusterfuck of cleaning and work. And I actually want to be a Graphic Designer, strange as it seems.
Moving swiftly onwards and upwards, in other news, I'm still pretty disgusted in the turn of events regarding the Metropolitan Police, but I'm going to give that a post unto itself some time in the next couple of weeks, hopefully when more info surfaces, and I've had the time to read over it. Other blogular relating goings on will follow on from my Watchmen review a while back with other stuff, starting (hopefully) with Sonic Rush for the DS (and the Sonic series in General). Before anyone asks, no I'm not going into the whole review computer games for a blog, as that would strike me as... stupid. I will, as always, write what I please, however I have the idea of a Dr. Ashen's style video at some point before summer.
Anyways, coffee becons in my new, totally swanky, probably wanky Pantone 3272 C mug. Must dash.
--Dom--
--As it happens, Pantone 4252 C happens to be my favourite colour... I've wasted my life...
08/04/2009
Mandatory update
Yeah, been a bit busy of late, hence no updates, sorry 'bout that. Should be done sometime soon (aha aha aha... yeah...) and then the torrent of abuse shall continue. At the moment I'm spending my Easter Hols, sorry "Spring Break" (damn political correctness...) doing Uni work... thanks guys... this also compounds the fact I seem to be one of the few students left in Boro. This pleases me not.
Oh, and before I forget, This Is Bloody Disgusting. I'll probably be writing a full scale rant on it at some point, but I think I'll point it out here first. Seems we're going back to the bad old days... ah well...
Catch you all later
--Dom--
--Normal Service Never Really Started
Oh, and before I forget, This Is Bloody Disgusting. I'll probably be writing a full scale rant on it at some point, but I think I'll point it out here first. Seems we're going back to the bad old days... ah well...
Catch you all later
--Dom--
--Normal Service Never Really Started
14/03/2009
Tonight a Comedian died in New York...
Holtzman's Journal, March 15th 2009
Stray dogs mill around the city streets, in the distance an alarm goes off, the scum of the city... erm... do... fuck it...
Ok, I can't be arsed to keep that up, so back to regular Dom style.
In case the title and attempt at an odd intro hadn't given it away (and if not, you're not a big enough fan, hang your head in shame damnit), I'm gonna be talking about the phenomenal movie version of Watchmen, which I had the privilege of seeing the other day. Oh and if you haven't seen it and intend to, I'd recommend giving this a miss for the time being, spoilers may be abound.
Seriously, if you don't want to know, stop reading now... No, don't wait to see where I'm going with this, just bugger off!
Gone? Good. Right, the film jumps straight into the action with the murder of The Comedian, which is lifted verbatim from the comic book. The direction manages to successfully give the impression that this is no ordinary killing, and that the two combatants are not exactly ordinary men. The fight also takes place to a musical backdrop from a TV commercial that actually, on reflection, gives a huge hint to who the murderer is, as a kind of musical Chekov's gun.
Eventually the retired vigilante loses the fight and is thrown from a window to his death, fade to black. Then there's the opening sequence. Oh. Wow. This has been handled so well. In about three minutes it goes through visually all the back story you need to know from the comic (which amounts to about 40 years of fictional history!) all to Bob Dylan's The Times they are a changing. This scene is full of nods to history, the original source matter and there's even a sly reference to the last supper, just with not-quite-super-heroes. As openings go, it's pretty damn good.
Now, I'm not going to go too deeply into the plot, as it is pretty much faithful to the comic (thank ye fuckery!), but certain elements are worth addressing. A lot of the back story has, understandably, been stripped out to keep the film down to even the long length of three hours (exactly, too, which is admirable in a strange way), and some plot points have become slightly detached because of this. Prime example is Rorschach mailing his journal to the "New Frontiersman" newspaper. In the comic it goes to great lengths to explain why, however it's not evident in the slightest in the film, unless you've seen the clever viral advertising floating around youtube recently. There's also the matter of the newsvendor character and his various related scenes being missing beyond the one where New York gets destroyed (more on that later). Since this group of characters does not feature at all in the film, the brief glimpse before their death is vaguely emotional yet otherwise pointless, as there's no real reason for the audience to become attached to them.
Then there's the ending. Oh, the ending. If you really don't want spoilers, you should have turned back three paragraphs ago, so this is your final warning. Veidt's plot from the book has been totally reworked and changed, although the ultimate outcome is the same. Gone is the giant psychic squid and faked alien attack (yeah, seriously), replaced with a plot against Dr. Manhattan, resident naked blue superman. As a fan of the book, part of me wants to spit bile in their faces for this, but in reflection, the books ending didn't really make that much sense as is, so it's probably for the best. And they did appease the fans with a clever little nod in an earlier scene (keep your eyes wide for a S.Q.U.I.D reactor lurking in the back of a shot).
Visually the film is bloody amazing. Whilst it does occasionally fall into the trope of replicating frames from the book, in the manner of Sin City, it does add enough of it's own flair to stand out from it's parent. The world is well detailed, with clever references stuck in the back of frames, such as the omnipresence of Veidt's advertising, a mural welcoming Vietnam as the 51st state and graffiti aimed at our main characters. The costumes of the vigilantes themselves has been adapted from Dave Gibbon's art incredibly well. From Ozymandias' (Veidt) cape, to Nite Owl 2's Bat... I mean Owl suit, to the sheer blue nakedness of Dr. Manhattan, all the characters look the part. Special mention has to be given to Rorschach's mask, which is constantly moving, creating a very nerve wracking artificial face for the character. And bonus points to the fact it reacts to being pummeled, which is a nice touch.
The characterization of the film has been modified a bit, but not to the extreme that was V for Vendetta, another Moore book. Like the original comic, none of the characters are that sympathetic, as they all are sociopaths to a certain degree, which fits in with the worlds general feel. The most changed has to be Rorschach, who's been made slightly less psychopathic, presumably to let the audience relate more, however he is still enough of a magnificent bastard to please the fans.
I'd certainly recommend this film, however I'd also recommend you read the book first. Yes, it is a faithful recreation of the comic, but it does leave enough out to confuse some viewers, so the back story presented in the book is kinda essential to get the full experience. If honestly want a score, I give it 9 giant-naked-atomic-blue-dudes (GNAB'Ds) out of a possible 14.5, which is pretty damn impressive.
--Dom--
--Resting at 4 Minutes to Midnight
Oh, and if you really didn't get it, a Holtzman test is an inkblot test like the Rorschach test. See what I did there? No? Oh please yourself...
Stray dogs mill around the city streets, in the distance an alarm goes off, the scum of the city... erm... do... fuck it...
Ok, I can't be arsed to keep that up, so back to regular Dom style.
In case the title and attempt at an odd intro hadn't given it away (and if not, you're not a big enough fan, hang your head in shame damnit), I'm gonna be talking about the phenomenal movie version of Watchmen, which I had the privilege of seeing the other day. Oh and if you haven't seen it and intend to, I'd recommend giving this a miss for the time being, spoilers may be abound.
Seriously, if you don't want to know, stop reading now... No, don't wait to see where I'm going with this, just bugger off!
Gone? Good. Right, the film jumps straight into the action with the murder of The Comedian, which is lifted verbatim from the comic book. The direction manages to successfully give the impression that this is no ordinary killing, and that the two combatants are not exactly ordinary men. The fight also takes place to a musical backdrop from a TV commercial that actually, on reflection, gives a huge hint to who the murderer is, as a kind of musical Chekov's gun.
Eventually the retired vigilante loses the fight and is thrown from a window to his death, fade to black. Then there's the opening sequence. Oh. Wow. This has been handled so well. In about three minutes it goes through visually all the back story you need to know from the comic (which amounts to about 40 years of fictional history!) all to Bob Dylan's The Times they are a changing. This scene is full of nods to history, the original source matter and there's even a sly reference to the last supper, just with not-quite-super-heroes. As openings go, it's pretty damn good.
Now, I'm not going to go too deeply into the plot, as it is pretty much faithful to the comic (thank ye fuckery!), but certain elements are worth addressing. A lot of the back story has, understandably, been stripped out to keep the film down to even the long length of three hours (exactly, too, which is admirable in a strange way), and some plot points have become slightly detached because of this. Prime example is Rorschach mailing his journal to the "New Frontiersman" newspaper. In the comic it goes to great lengths to explain why, however it's not evident in the slightest in the film, unless you've seen the clever viral advertising floating around youtube recently. There's also the matter of the newsvendor character and his various related scenes being missing beyond the one where New York gets destroyed (more on that later). Since this group of characters does not feature at all in the film, the brief glimpse before their death is vaguely emotional yet otherwise pointless, as there's no real reason for the audience to become attached to them.
Then there's the ending. Oh, the ending. If you really don't want spoilers, you should have turned back three paragraphs ago, so this is your final warning. Veidt's plot from the book has been totally reworked and changed, although the ultimate outcome is the same. Gone is the giant psychic squid and faked alien attack (yeah, seriously), replaced with a plot against Dr. Manhattan, resident naked blue superman. As a fan of the book, part of me wants to spit bile in their faces for this, but in reflection, the books ending didn't really make that much sense as is, so it's probably for the best. And they did appease the fans with a clever little nod in an earlier scene (keep your eyes wide for a S.Q.U.I.D reactor lurking in the back of a shot).
Visually the film is bloody amazing. Whilst it does occasionally fall into the trope of replicating frames from the book, in the manner of Sin City, it does add enough of it's own flair to stand out from it's parent. The world is well detailed, with clever references stuck in the back of frames, such as the omnipresence of Veidt's advertising, a mural welcoming Vietnam as the 51st state and graffiti aimed at our main characters. The costumes of the vigilantes themselves has been adapted from Dave Gibbon's art incredibly well. From Ozymandias' (Veidt) cape, to Nite Owl 2's Bat... I mean Owl suit, to the sheer blue nakedness of Dr. Manhattan, all the characters look the part. Special mention has to be given to Rorschach's mask, which is constantly moving, creating a very nerve wracking artificial face for the character. And bonus points to the fact it reacts to being pummeled, which is a nice touch.
The characterization of the film has been modified a bit, but not to the extreme that was V for Vendetta, another Moore book. Like the original comic, none of the characters are that sympathetic, as they all are sociopaths to a certain degree, which fits in with the worlds general feel. The most changed has to be Rorschach, who's been made slightly less psychopathic, presumably to let the audience relate more, however he is still enough of a magnificent bastard to please the fans.
I'd certainly recommend this film, however I'd also recommend you read the book first. Yes, it is a faithful recreation of the comic, but it does leave enough out to confuse some viewers, so the back story presented in the book is kinda essential to get the full experience. If honestly want a score, I give it 9 giant-naked-atomic-blue-dudes (GNAB'Ds) out of a possible 14.5, which is pretty damn impressive.
--Dom--
--Resting at 4 Minutes to Midnight
Oh, and if you really didn't get it, a Holtzman test is an inkblot test like the Rorschach test. See what I did there? No? Oh please yourself...
12/02/2009
25 Things
Normally I don't go in for Facebook memes, but this one seemed interesting enough. Enjoy!
1. I have pretty shit self-esteem, although in general I’m pretty good at hiding it. I not quite sure what started it all off, but it’s not exactly got any better recently, I blame Psycho for that. This is usually why I’m quite shy in many situations, and find it awkward talking about myself.
2. I’m anti-war, and in a major way. I protested against the Iraq war, and I refuse to support the War on Terror. And before anyone starts kicking off about me not knowing what it’s like to be affected by Terrorism, a close friend of my family was killed when they blew up the tube train at Russell Square. I know what it’s like, ok?
3. I’m still afraid of dogs. This all stems from when I was about 6 when a dog mauled me because I poked it or something. It tore a massive hole in my cheek and chin, and if it was really determined it could have killed me. From that day on I’ve been afraid of anything canine. I’m not as bad as I used to be, but I’m still pretty uneasy around them.
4. I’m also afraid of heights. Well… depths. I’m usually fine until I see the ground, only then do I get terrified. God only knows what brought this on, but it’s been like that as long as I can remember.
5. Despite calling myself an atheist, I actually believe in some things, I just say it to save time. For example, I believe in reincarnation, as it makes the most sense to me. I also don’t believe in any particular god, but I think there is more to this universe than meets the eye, I just doubt it’s anything we can explain. Apparently this makes me an agnostic.
6. My dream home would be Stromness in the Orkney Islands. I first visited the place when I was seven, and fell in love with the place, and have been back a few times since. It’s a small, peaceful and old stone built town on the southern coast of the mainland. I doubt I’ll end up there for a long time to come, but one day I WILL live there.
7. I’m a relatively creative person, I write, I draw, I come up with crazy stuff. Thing is, I tend to work better when stressed, angry or unhappy. . Downside of all this is that when I’m happy I suffer from extreme creative block. Such is life I guess.
8. I have an alarming knack to get too emotionally attached to things, places and people. This probably stems from my low self-esteem, and the perceived need for some kind of stability in life (it makes sense to me).
9. Mentally speaking, I tend not to work in any particular language. In my mind concepts are images not words, and it takes quite a while to work out how to explain these in ways other people, and often myself, can understand. Makes for interesting discussions, I can tell you.
10. I also talk to myself on various levels. Think of that how you will. Often it’s just a few words muttered under breath or something like that, occasionally it can be an entire conversation, argument or similar. This usually happens when no ones around though, can’t have folk thinking I’m insane
11. The whole hair and beard thing, no it’s not spiritual or cultural, it’s me being me. Could you honestly imagine me without it? Didn’t think so.
12. I’m surprisingly open minded about food, more so than most. I really only have two things I refuse to eat, avocado and bananas, but beyond that I’ll try anything once.
13. Whilst it seems the majority of people think it’s comedic gold, shouting Jesus at me in the street is not funny. In fact it’s fucking annoying. My idea of heaven is a place where comedy seems to have evolved slightly beyond that kind of thing.
14. I don’t really consider anywhere in particular as Home (note the capital). Watford was too long ago to remember much of it; Tring I never really formed ties with the place, and it’s the people that I remember from there; as for Boro, I’ve not lived here long enough to put down roots.
15. If I had to choose, I pick intelligent films over all out action. This is why I like 1408 more than Gornos like Hostel and all that, Brazil more than (similarly themed) Equilibrium. Don’t get me wrong, action films can be good at times, I just don’t see the draw.
16. I am a fan of computer games. Yup, it’s like that, but I tend to go for older games. My current favourites are Wip3out, Elite, Sonic 3 and Paper Mario (The GameCube one). Only one of them has been made post millennium. Suck on that, Graphics Whores!
17. I have a weird taste in music. Most people look at me and instantly assume heavy metal. Boy are they wrong. Personally I’m more alt- and indie- rock, but lets face it I’ll listen to anything.
18. Many people assume I have no accent. Well, that’s not exactly true, mainly because I stifle it most of the time. I have an accent that’s a weird mix of Lancashire, Newcastle and London with bits taken from the accents of people I’m around most of the time. It never really comes out when I’m calm, but when I get annoyed, wow, does it show.
19. I’m currently studying to become a Graphic Designer, as many of you will know. I wanted to be one ever since I played Wip3out in 1999. The game featured design work by the now sadly defunct Designers Republic, one of my idols that presented a strangely bright view of the future which still influences me today. I loved mitDR, and will miss them.
20. I have two places I want to visit before I settle down anywhere. First is Iceland (again), another place I fell for after a trip when I was younger, and the other is Tokyo. No particular reason for it, I just want to see it one day.
21. My current “Plan B” for various situations is flee to Ireland. I’m waiting to see if this is gonna work.
22. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I can ramble on a bit about very little. It’s a condition I have, I can’t help it, I’m just good with words. And sorry this note’s so long…
23. Very few people have seen me properly angry. I get annoyed a lot, but I tend to remain relatively calm about it. Proper anger I reserve for “special occasions”.
24. I’m a bit of a comics geek at heart. Read that how you will. My current favourite is Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis, and I usually favour English creators like Ian Edginton and Dan Abnett. I also think Alan Moore is slightly overrated at times.
25. I really fucking hate my psychotic ex-girlfriend, Rachel (known as Psycho forever more), mainly for all the random emotional trauma, heartache and the fact she cheated on me at least once, and I gave nothing but love in return. It’s enough to turn you off relationships for life (and I’m kinda worried it has…). And yeah, I hope you fucking read this.
1. I have pretty shit self-esteem, although in general I’m pretty good at hiding it. I not quite sure what started it all off, but it’s not exactly got any better recently, I blame Psycho for that. This is usually why I’m quite shy in many situations, and find it awkward talking about myself.
2. I’m anti-war, and in a major way. I protested against the Iraq war, and I refuse to support the War on Terror. And before anyone starts kicking off about me not knowing what it’s like to be affected by Terrorism, a close friend of my family was killed when they blew up the tube train at Russell Square. I know what it’s like, ok?
3. I’m still afraid of dogs. This all stems from when I was about 6 when a dog mauled me because I poked it or something. It tore a massive hole in my cheek and chin, and if it was really determined it could have killed me. From that day on I’ve been afraid of anything canine. I’m not as bad as I used to be, but I’m still pretty uneasy around them.
4. I’m also afraid of heights. Well… depths. I’m usually fine until I see the ground, only then do I get terrified. God only knows what brought this on, but it’s been like that as long as I can remember.
5. Despite calling myself an atheist, I actually believe in some things, I just say it to save time. For example, I believe in reincarnation, as it makes the most sense to me. I also don’t believe in any particular god, but I think there is more to this universe than meets the eye, I just doubt it’s anything we can explain. Apparently this makes me an agnostic.
6. My dream home would be Stromness in the Orkney Islands. I first visited the place when I was seven, and fell in love with the place, and have been back a few times since. It’s a small, peaceful and old stone built town on the southern coast of the mainland. I doubt I’ll end up there for a long time to come, but one day I WILL live there.
7. I’m a relatively creative person, I write, I draw, I come up with crazy stuff. Thing is, I tend to work better when stressed, angry or unhappy. . Downside of all this is that when I’m happy I suffer from extreme creative block. Such is life I guess.
8. I have an alarming knack to get too emotionally attached to things, places and people. This probably stems from my low self-esteem, and the perceived need for some kind of stability in life (it makes sense to me).
9. Mentally speaking, I tend not to work in any particular language. In my mind concepts are images not words, and it takes quite a while to work out how to explain these in ways other people, and often myself, can understand. Makes for interesting discussions, I can tell you.
10. I also talk to myself on various levels. Think of that how you will. Often it’s just a few words muttered under breath or something like that, occasionally it can be an entire conversation, argument or similar. This usually happens when no ones around though, can’t have folk thinking I’m insane
11. The whole hair and beard thing, no it’s not spiritual or cultural, it’s me being me. Could you honestly imagine me without it? Didn’t think so.
12. I’m surprisingly open minded about food, more so than most. I really only have two things I refuse to eat, avocado and bananas, but beyond that I’ll try anything once.
13. Whilst it seems the majority of people think it’s comedic gold, shouting Jesus at me in the street is not funny. In fact it’s fucking annoying. My idea of heaven is a place where comedy seems to have evolved slightly beyond that kind of thing.
14. I don’t really consider anywhere in particular as Home (note the capital). Watford was too long ago to remember much of it; Tring I never really formed ties with the place, and it’s the people that I remember from there; as for Boro, I’ve not lived here long enough to put down roots.
15. If I had to choose, I pick intelligent films over all out action. This is why I like 1408 more than Gornos like Hostel and all that, Brazil more than (similarly themed) Equilibrium. Don’t get me wrong, action films can be good at times, I just don’t see the draw.
16. I am a fan of computer games. Yup, it’s like that, but I tend to go for older games. My current favourites are Wip3out, Elite, Sonic 3 and Paper Mario (The GameCube one). Only one of them has been made post millennium. Suck on that, Graphics Whores!
17. I have a weird taste in music. Most people look at me and instantly assume heavy metal. Boy are they wrong. Personally I’m more alt- and indie- rock, but lets face it I’ll listen to anything.
18. Many people assume I have no accent. Well, that’s not exactly true, mainly because I stifle it most of the time. I have an accent that’s a weird mix of Lancashire, Newcastle and London with bits taken from the accents of people I’m around most of the time. It never really comes out when I’m calm, but when I get annoyed, wow, does it show.
19. I’m currently studying to become a Graphic Designer, as many of you will know. I wanted to be one ever since I played Wip3out in 1999. The game featured design work by the now sadly defunct Designers Republic, one of my idols that presented a strangely bright view of the future which still influences me today. I loved mitDR, and will miss them.
20. I have two places I want to visit before I settle down anywhere. First is Iceland (again), another place I fell for after a trip when I was younger, and the other is Tokyo. No particular reason for it, I just want to see it one day.
21. My current “Plan B” for various situations is flee to Ireland. I’m waiting to see if this is gonna work.
22. As you’ve no doubt noticed, I can ramble on a bit about very little. It’s a condition I have, I can’t help it, I’m just good with words. And sorry this note’s so long…
23. Very few people have seen me properly angry. I get annoyed a lot, but I tend to remain relatively calm about it. Proper anger I reserve for “special occasions”.
24. I’m a bit of a comics geek at heart. Read that how you will. My current favourite is Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis, and I usually favour English creators like Ian Edginton and Dan Abnett. I also think Alan Moore is slightly overrated at times.
25. I really fucking hate my psychotic ex-girlfriend, Rachel (known as Psycho forever more), mainly for all the random emotional trauma, heartache and the fact she cheated on me at least once, and I gave nothing but love in return. It’s enough to turn you off relationships for life (and I’m kinda worried it has…). And yeah, I hope you fucking read this.
06/02/2009
Nostalgia in the Snow (or lack thereof)
In one of my now semi-regular pilgrimages from the studio to the Students Union, all in the cause of sanity and hypotension relieving sugary things I assure you, I picked up a Wispa bar from the shop. Now this was one of the first Wispa bars I've had since they vanished from the shelves some years ago for... whatever reason. Eating this rare chocolaty treat on the way back in the surprisingly clear-but-cold winters day, one thought crossed my mind "My god... New Wispas suck!" And yes, folks, truly new Wispas are not anything to shout about, much like pretty much every other Cadbury's product in existence, that is to say bland, uninteresting, safe and tastes slightly of chemicals. Pleased I was not.
This whole incident set my mind in motion, casting it back to the glory days of the Old Wispa, the Good Wispa, My Wispa... until a terrifying thought entered into the equation. Wait a damn second, Wispas have always been like that! Yes folks, it looks like nostalgia has screwed me over yet again. And isn't that always the case? 9 times out of 10 the random nostalgic moment you experienced probably wasn't that great at the time, you're just using it to overcome how crap the world really is ("future shock syndrome", as John Wagner puts it). Whilst in some fields, it's a case of So Bad It's Good (gods bless you TVTropes), it's still bad, and that gets us nowhere. With Wispa bars, I really don't get what the fuss was about, and currently think the whole deal was pretty silly.
On the subject of silly and nostalgia, I recently uncovered my first attempt at blogging, the Life & Times of JitteryJoe (for those of you who don't know, Jittery Joe is my long-time user name for most things). At the time of writing this, I've read through a few posts there and I can safely say the following: I Am So Sorry, internet going public. By all that's holy, I wrote some shit back then (4 years ago folks, 4 years), including such gems as Fuck copypasted some hundred times, half formed rants about coffee and my magnum opus, Are There Any Belgians Out There? Once again, I can only apologise, I was young then and was a bit of a dick. This is especially evident in a post doubting Nintendo when the Revolution was announced. I offer full retraction of that, even if "Wii" remains a bloody stupid name for the best console on the planet.
Now it's not all bad, as by the time I abandoned the damn thing in early '07 there was some shades of what you're reading beginning to peek through and also a link to the very first, and for it's time incredibly deep, Somewhere Else (which I'll post here some time in the future). But this in itself does not make up for the idiocy and the many spelling mistakes, oh the spelling mistakes... *shudder* The Life & Times was destined to die when I gave up 2 years ago, and die it shall. I'm not gonna subject the internet once again t it's wrath. If you're honestly curious, Google it, but don't say I didn't warn you.
Moving swiftly on, if you've been in Britain you've probably noticed the snow, which according to the BBC is the worst to hit the country on two decades. I remain unconvinced. Today, in my current location of Middlesbrough has been clear yet cold. In fact we haven't really had that much snow since Monday which, whilst very pretty, didn't really amount to a national emergency. I have heard varying versions of how it's going around the nation, as Hull has been similar (according to Sarah, a close friend of mine), as has Cornwall, where my housemate is (and is possibly stuck in) at the moment. Mother London, however, is snowbound, giving us some frankly hilarious videos of commuters sliding down the steps of London Bridge station, and trains across the south have been canceled regularly. I think this must be one of the few times I've ever heard the North getting better weather than the South. What a turn up.
--Dom
--The past is a foreign country, I choose not to dwell in it
This whole incident set my mind in motion, casting it back to the glory days of the Old Wispa, the Good Wispa, My Wispa... until a terrifying thought entered into the equation. Wait a damn second, Wispas have always been like that! Yes folks, it looks like nostalgia has screwed me over yet again. And isn't that always the case? 9 times out of 10 the random nostalgic moment you experienced probably wasn't that great at the time, you're just using it to overcome how crap the world really is ("future shock syndrome", as John Wagner puts it). Whilst in some fields, it's a case of So Bad It's Good (gods bless you TVTropes), it's still bad, and that gets us nowhere. With Wispa bars, I really don't get what the fuss was about, and currently think the whole deal was pretty silly.
On the subject of silly and nostalgia, I recently uncovered my first attempt at blogging, the Life & Times of JitteryJoe (for those of you who don't know, Jittery Joe is my long-time user name for most things). At the time of writing this, I've read through a few posts there and I can safely say the following: I Am So Sorry, internet going public. By all that's holy, I wrote some shit back then (4 years ago folks, 4 years), including such gems as Fuck copypasted some hundred times, half formed rants about coffee and my magnum opus, Are There Any Belgians Out There? Once again, I can only apologise, I was young then and was a bit of a dick. This is especially evident in a post doubting Nintendo when the Revolution was announced. I offer full retraction of that, even if "Wii" remains a bloody stupid name for the best console on the planet.
Now it's not all bad, as by the time I abandoned the damn thing in early '07 there was some shades of what you're reading beginning to peek through and also a link to the very first, and for it's time incredibly deep, Somewhere Else (which I'll post here some time in the future). But this in itself does not make up for the idiocy and the many spelling mistakes, oh the spelling mistakes... *shudder* The Life & Times was destined to die when I gave up 2 years ago, and die it shall. I'm not gonna subject the internet once again t it's wrath. If you're honestly curious, Google it, but don't say I didn't warn you.
Moving swiftly on, if you've been in Britain you've probably noticed the snow, which according to the BBC is the worst to hit the country on two decades. I remain unconvinced. Today, in my current location of Middlesbrough has been clear yet cold. In fact we haven't really had that much snow since Monday which, whilst very pretty, didn't really amount to a national emergency. I have heard varying versions of how it's going around the nation, as Hull has been similar (according to Sarah, a close friend of mine), as has Cornwall, where my housemate is (and is possibly stuck in) at the moment. Mother London, however, is snowbound, giving us some frankly hilarious videos of commuters sliding down the steps of London Bridge station, and trains across the south have been canceled regularly. I think this must be one of the few times I've ever heard the North getting better weather than the South. What a turn up.
--Dom
--The past is a foreign country, I choose not to dwell in it
01/02/2009
Oh, I really suck at this...
Hmmm... I'm willing to overlook the fact it's been, what, 4 months since I set this up and haven't posted in it since if you are. Agreed? Agreed.
Anyways, life moves on and such. Recent events include I am now actually at university, slaving under tyrannical deadlines and insane equipment costs whilst learning to be a Graphic Designer. Fun times? Most of the time... If you're in the slightest bit interested in my work, have a gander at My DeviantART Account to see the stuff I've done in my spare time. It's good, I swear!
Other events include I'm currently trying to get FerretCrossing, my much maligned website, back up and running for the new year. Since I seemed to have missed the entirety of 2008 on the site, I think it's probably high time I revive it...
Finally I'd like to take a few lines here to mark the passing of Tony Hart. The man served as an inspiration to at least two generations of artists and creatives, and while he didn't influence me directly, he inspired those that inspired me. He also deserves credit for showing Morph, one of the early gems from Aardman Animation (of Wallace and Grommit fame). RIP, my man, you will be missed.
I'm also gonna crow bar in here (in lieu of another post later on) another loss, not quite as important as Tony Hart, but just as depressing to me. In this last month, The Designers Republic, the design firm who inspired me to go into the industry, folded. These guys were my icons, and will also be missed. I hope when Ian Anderson says they'll be back, he really means it.
--Dom--
--Wow... tough month...
Anyways, life moves on and such. Recent events include I am now actually at university, slaving under tyrannical deadlines and insane equipment costs whilst learning to be a Graphic Designer. Fun times? Most of the time... If you're in the slightest bit interested in my work, have a gander at My DeviantART Account to see the stuff I've done in my spare time. It's good, I swear!
Other events include I'm currently trying to get FerretCrossing, my much maligned website, back up and running for the new year. Since I seemed to have missed the entirety of 2008 on the site, I think it's probably high time I revive it...
Finally I'd like to take a few lines here to mark the passing of Tony Hart. The man served as an inspiration to at least two generations of artists and creatives, and while he didn't influence me directly, he inspired those that inspired me. He also deserves credit for showing Morph, one of the early gems from Aardman Animation (of Wallace and Grommit fame). RIP, my man, you will be missed.
I'm also gonna crow bar in here (in lieu of another post later on) another loss, not quite as important as Tony Hart, but just as depressing to me. In this last month, The Designers Republic, the design firm who inspired me to go into the industry, folded. These guys were my icons, and will also be missed. I hope when Ian Anderson says they'll be back, he really means it.
--Dom--
--Wow... tough month...
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