Random Quote #116

Everybody has a secret world inside of them. I mean everybody. All of the people in the whole world, I mean everybody — no matter how dull and boring they are on the outside. Inside them they've all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds... Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands, maybe. 

Neil Gaiman

Me, Myself & I

There are various sides to my personality – sides that conflict with each other.


Take my optimism for instance. While outwardly I saying “I’m sure it’ll be fine”, the pessimist in me (locked in a cupboard in the back of my mind) hammers on the door shouting “it’s going to go spectacularly wrong!”

Little things that I forgot to do or didn’t get or whatever throw me in to a brief panic. Then the (slightly) more chilled side of me walks over switches off my over-reactor and says “what are you getting so worked up about? It’s not the end of the world”.

Then there is my personality over all versus my wardrobe. I am a very shy person. I don’t like to be the centre of attention. I’d rather sit back and listen, take in the information (most of the time) and make as little input as possible.

But then there’s my wardrobe – I've managed to narrow down my style to tattooless-rockabilly-goth-geek. Nice and specific. I like vintage clothes, t-shirts with classic cartoon characters printed on them, Converse, Dr. Martens, printed/brightly coloured jeans, Iron Fist, flowers in my hair... I could go on and on and on.

Basically my wardrobe makes me stand out from the crowd… which is one of the things my personality doesn’t want to do.

But maybe deep down I really do want to stand out… otherwise I wouldn’t dress that way… would I?

Do you have conflicting sides to you personality? Or should I think about seeing a professional?

Have fun This Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

The Graphics Fairy

Random Quote #115

I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally. 

W. C. Fields

Christmas: I'll Be Glad When It's Over

If you are reading this then clearly the world has not ended so we'll carry on as normal...

In the Friday before last's post I talked about something (carol singers) that I included in my list for the Bah Humbug Blahgfest that I took part in last year.


Well this week I’m elaborating on another one. You can call me Scrooge if you want… but I happen to spend a lot more money than Scrooge ever did. Don't get me wrong I like Christmas... just not some of the people who you encounter during this time of year.
So anyway…

What is it about this time of year that turns people in to complete and utter morons (I may have to start another new category)?

Not only does the World and his dog crawl out of the woodwork and clog up the shops but they seem to loose the ability to walk down the street properly (presuming they had that ability to start with).

And they have no manners. You hold a door open or step to one side to let someone past and about 50% of the time you won’t even get a look of recognition let alone a thank you. Did they think the door opened itself? No, it didn’t. It’s just someone who’s still clinging on to their manners, who is now stuck holding the door open or wedged in to a corner as a tidal wave of people swarm past.

Then there are people who don’t seem to comprehend that the pavement (or whatever you are walking on) isn’t just for them. They do not own the pavement. There are other people using it. People who may be in a hurry. People who would easily be able to get past you if you could walk in a reasonably straight line, instead of meandering back and forth before stopping dead and causing a pile-up of pedestrians behind you.

It is at this time of year that I thank the gods of the internet for online shopping. So I can spend as little time in the actual shops as possible.

Granted that won’t be the case after Christmas – I love a good sale (I'm a natural born bargain hunter after all).

Another reason to look forward to life after Christmas!

Random Thought #45 - You Wait Ages For An Advert To Come...

Given that it's nearly Christmas I thought I'd treat you with an extra random post this week (my regular Friday post will still come along tomorrow - although be warned it's not in quite the same spirit as this one). I say extra but for the second week in a row I've missed Teaser Tuesday due to Christmas card production. So technically this means you are getting the regularly advertised number of posts this week.

But anyway...

For me I never start to really feel that it's Christmas until I've seen the Coca-Cola advert on TV (watching on the internet wouldn't have counted). And although the internet assured me that it had been on TV since 10th November and other people assured me that they had seen it (it's not Christmas until I have seen it) I only saw the advert for the first time on 16th December. I clearly have been watching the wrong channel since November as after I saw the advert for the first time I then saw it another two times.

So in ninety minutes I saw it three times. You wait ages for a bus to come and then three come along at once. Well the same can now be said of adverts.

(If you haven't already seen this advert on TV then this doesn't count as the beginning of Christmas - you'll just have to watch more TV!)

Random Quote #114

Talking nonsense is the sole privilege mankind possesses over the other organisms. It's by talking nonsense that one gets to the truth! I talk nonsense, therefore I'm human 

Fyoder Dostoyevsky

Deja Vu Blogfest - The Day Of The Do Over Returns

I only found out that this blogfest was taking place again this year a couple of days ago. So it was a mad scramble to find a post I wanted to repost.

DL Hammons has decided to make the Deja Vu Blogfest an annual event.

So I decided to repost A Tale Of One Tortoise that you can read in it's original June post here.

A Tale Of One Tortoise

Before I share this tale let me tell you that tortoises aren’t as slow as everyone thinks. Once they warm up and get going they can move at some speed (OK so the hare would probably still win as long as it didn't take a nap). One minute they are there the next… GONE!!!

So anyway…

We have a pet tortoise who goes by the name of Lily (I’ve no idea why her name is that).

Lily the Tortoise

When she gets quite warm and active she starts trying to claw her way out of her tank. So we let her out for a walk around the house.

Lily seems to have a fondness for hide and seek as she will wander off and hide in a corner, often pushing things out of the way to get to them (she’s quite strong for her size).

And then we spend ages looking for her under and behind various pieces of furniture, under the curtains, those kinds of places.

With the recent warm weather we have been letting her have a jaunt around the back garden (she likes dandelions) but only if there is someone out there to keep an eye on her.

The other day it was my Dad… who seemed to have forgotten the speed at which tortoises can move at once they get going (especially in the sun – she must be solar powered).

So one minute our house was peaceful the next my Dad is bellowing the war cry that he had lost the tortoise – last seen heading for around the back of the shed.

So I started looking for her, then my brother and Mum were enrolled by my Dad for tortoise hunting duty.

While my Dad grumbled about it not being funny and the rest of us telling him that he was supposed to be watching her I noticed through the chain link fence (and whatever the plants are growing in front of it) that our next door neighbour was acting strangely. He put a box upside down on the floor at the end of his garden.

After a few more minutes of searching the neighbour seemed to notice us… given that we were all stood behind the shed under a tree and asked us if we had lost a tortoise.

Lily had only found a hole in the chain link fence!

Who knows where she would have ended up if the neighbour hadn’t spotted her?

Well it took us slightly longer to get her back as the neighbour, having never come across a real life tortoise before, was reluctant to pick her up.

We assured him that she didn’t bite and she wasn’t that heavy… after all she’s not an alligator snapping turtle nor is she a giant tortoise (if she was a giant tortoise she’d have probably taken the fence with her!).

So until we can get some sort of run made for her Lily has been grounded!

***

She still likes to play hide and seek with us... my Dad ended up building a little makeshift wall about 6 inches high out of bricks. Lily patrolled it and investigated for structural weakness - so far she hasn't found any but at this time of year she is confined to the house anyway.

Click the link at the top of this post to go and check out other Deja Vu posts.

Random Quote #113

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. 

William Arthur Ward

Last Christmas...

As I mentioned last year in the Bah Humbug Blahgfest I don’t like carol singers who come round to your house.


Last year I opened the door to a youngish boy (maybe 11 or 12 – I’m not very good at guessing ages).

He immediately started to sing. He wasn't the greatest singer in the world but he did give me a montage of various Christmas songs. So I thought ‘oh go on then I’ll give him some money’.

I was further impressed when I told him I was going to close the door (to keep the greyhound in – not a euphemism of any kind!) whilst I went to get some money – and he continued singing.

I handed over some money he said thank you and he went away.

Not five minutes later there was another knock on the door – I opened it to find two boys (probably about 10 or 11) standing there who launched in to a very lack lustre, unenthusiastic version of Jingle Bells (I think it was Jingle Bells and maybe ‘launched’ isn’t the right word).

What they didn’t realise was that I had seen one of them stood in the garden when the previous carol singer had been there. So clearly they were following him waiting to see which houses he was successful at.

I clearly unnerved them a bit when I stepped out of the house and peered up and down the road trying to spot where the other boy had got to.

After about a minute I asked them if they had in fact been with the other lad. Their singing deteriorated further at this point and they began to look nervously at each other out of the corner of their eyes. One boy kept forgetting the words (to Jingle Bells?) and the other was trying to prompt him.

They then went silent and I suggested to them that they perhaps go in to partnership with the other lad to avoid irritating anyone else.

And then I closed the door.

A couple of days later I saw the first carol singer standing outside the local shops singing, with one of those huge plastic Coke bottles to collect money in - an entrepreneur!

The other two weren't with him...

Teaser Tuesday - I'm Back!

 I have returned!

The last few weeks I have been busy NaNoWriMo-ing. And so I kept forgetting about Teaser Tuesday - oops!

But NaNoWriMo has come to an end and I am back.

So all you have to do to take part in Teaser Tuesday is:

 • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments.

So here are my teasers:

The cat hissed, trapped in a dark corner with two large beasts hovering above it. The two of them were in their element, a man and his dog hunting for a cat.

Page 32, 9 Lives by George M. Moser

And this book counts towards the New Author Challenge 2012 hosted by Literary Escapism and the Horror & Urban Fantasy Challenge 2012 hosted by Book Chick City.

Random Quote #112

Books are a uniquely portable magic.

Stephen King

Where Have I Seen That Colour Before?

Don't ever say I'm not random on this blog. Last week I posted about cyclists. And this week I'm posting about lipstick.

Before we start I know the photos aren't that great - lighting issues.

Now just a lately I've noticed a lot of bloggers and vloggers talking about Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in the colour Black Cherry.

A lot of people have said you can use it more like a stain if you don't want it full on dark.

So I tootled along to Boots to do a swatch. So I swiped it on the back of my hand and I liked it. It's a nice colour.

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry

So I thought I'd buy it. But Boots had the wrong colour above the tester and I couldn't see it anywhere else. But then I looked at the colour again and thought... that colour looks familiar.

So I went home and rooted around in my lipstick collection until I found this:

NYX Round Lipstick in Snow White

What did I say about the lighting - it refused to be consistent!

So this is NYX Round Lipstick in Snow White. Now in order to compare the two I did a swatch of the Revlon one on a tissue and brought it home to compare against the NYX one.

As you can see the NYX one is a teeny tiny bit redder than the Revlon one but it probably won't be that noticeable if you use it like a stain... plus the NYX one is cheaper :)

Random Quote #111

Moral indignation is jealously with a halo.

H. G. Wells

Cyclists: A Pedestrian’s Point Of View

Ever since Olympic cyclist Bradley Wiggins was knocked off his bike recently there has been a lot of talk in the UK of how to keep cyclists safe.


Now I do have a driving licence but I tend to be a pedestrian (or a passenger) more often than a driver. When driving and I approach a cyclist I become very cautious as though they might suddenly veer inexplicably in to my path. Given that I have approached junctions before and cyclists have pulled straight across in front of me without even looking.

But I’ve had more experience with cyclists as a pedestrian. And I thought I’d share some of my war stories with you – mainly things I’ve seen.

Now I’m sure that Mr Wiggins and a great many cyclists are actually very good road users. I’m sure they all wear helmets, have working lights, follow the rules of the road etc.

But there are some of you out there who do not. You know who you are. Yes I do mean you.

I’ve seen cyclists going the wrong way down one way streets. Speeding through pedestrianised areas. Speeding along with one or sometimes both hands in their pockets – it’s a bike - it is controlled by you but not telekinetically! I’ve seen them going down alleys (or ginnels or snickets or snickelways - whatever you want to call them*) when there is a perfectly visible sign telling them not to go down there on their bikes.

Riding of pedal cycles prohibited

The round white sign with a red ring around it and a picture of a bike means 'riding of pedal cycles prohibited'. That means either get off the bike and walk or go another way round.

One of my pet hates is the cyclist who approaches a lights controlled crossing that are on red (so we pedestrians can cross ‘safely’), and decide they are suddenly a bike-human hybrid. They go up on to the pavement over the crossing and then back on to the road.

My most physical experience with a cyclist was when I was at university. It was dark and I was walking on the pavement. As I turned the corner there was a bike coming towards me, also on the pavement.

I panicked. I was like a deer caught in headlights. Only I wasn’t because he had no lights for me to be caught in. He definitely saw me because he spoke to me. But he didn’t really slow down until he was about to hit me. He ran over my foot and the only reason he didn’t flatten me was because I put my hands out and put them on his handlebars to stop him.

As he then cycled away (after not asking me if I was alright) I was told that I had a ‘bloody cheek’ (he thought I was being rude not that I was injured).

It was hours later that I realised I should have pointed out the errors of his ways – no lights, cycling on the pavement – he didn’t even have a helmet on.

I appreciate that the roads are scary places and that drivers don’t always look out for you – but that doesn’t mean to say you should invade the pavement and act as though the pedestrians shouldn’t be there. The Highway Code applies to you too you know.

Although pedestrians can be just as bad sometimes.

I think everyone needs teaching how to look out for each other – not just drivers but everyone.

Maybe there should be sections in the Highway Code – How To Deal With: 1. Idiots In Vehicles (a) Pedestrians (b) Cyclists, 2. Idiots On Bikes (a) Drivers (b) Pedestrians, 3. Idiots On Foot (a) Drivers (b) Cyclists.

It probably wouldn’t help though…

Here endeth the rant!


*I personally tend to say ginnel and occasionally snicket

Random Quote #110

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

Mahatma Gandhi

Random Videos

I usually think up these Friday posts during the week. However I am in the midst of NaNoWriMo so all I've been thinking about is that.

So this week I decided to post a couple of my favourite videos that I have found whilst travelling around YouTube.

Enjoy!

World's Best Bartender

Eddie Izzard - Lego Deathstar Canteen

Confrontation Mashup

Random Quote #109

Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Random Thought #44 - What Is With All This Spam?

I never used to get spam on this blog (or my other blog come to that).

But just before the A To Z Challenge started up this year I decided to make it easier for people to comment by letting anyone comment (included those who wish to remain anonymous) and removing the word verification thing.

And within the first week I had spam appearing in my inbox.

But it was only like a spam comment a week.

But in the last couple of weeks I'm getting spam comments nearly everyday - usually with some websites listed where I can either get a virus for my computer or buy something that may or may not be fake.

The only spam I like comes in a tin!


Update 16/11/12 - I'm currently getting about a dozen spam comments a day! A DAY! So I am currently getting all emails that alert me to comments sent to my junk mail folder. And then each day I have a quick scroll through the new ones to see if there are any legitimate comments.

So if you leave a comment anonymously (and you are not a spammer) I might not notice for a while

Teaser Tuesday

Taking part in Teaser Tuesday is simple. All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments.

Here are my teasers for the week:

Shaun, on the other hand, is a moron and had gone zombie baiting in nothing more defensive than a cardigan, a Kevlar vest, and cargo pants. He won't even wear goggles - he says they "spoil the effect".

Page 9, Feed by Mira Grant



This book counts towards three of the reading challenges that I am taking part in this year.

Book Chick City

Book Chick City

Literary Escapism

Random Quote #108

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

Ray Bradbury

Halloweeny Nails

Well it would seem that all of my posts this week have had a Halloweeny feel to them in one way or another so I thought I might as well see out the week in spooky style.

Now eagle eyes readers of this blog may have noticed the title and be saying:

But Chippy you said you weren't going to buy any more nail varnish for a while!

That is true - I did post a couple of weeks ago that I had placed a ban on myself when it came to buying nail varnish and lip balm but what I used for this nail art I've had for quite a while anyway.

It was kind of difficult getting the flash just right so you could see the actual pattern - but I have recently discovered the 'macro' setting on my camera otherwise this picture would be very very out of focus. But if you can see past the flash you can see that my nails are silver with black spider webs on them. And you will also see that I didn't do them myself.

No I used the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips. I don't know if you can still get this particular design anymore as I got these from a discount make up shop. I saw these and just had to get them - and in the shop in question they were only £2.99!

So they were easyish to put on. Peeling them off the backing paper was a bit precarious - you know how tape loves to stick to itself? Well if you are not careful these will do the same. You get 16 in a box, which are split in to 2 packets.

The instructions say once you open them you have to use them or throw them away because they will dry out otherwise. However I got around wasting most of a packet by only opening one and then cutting a couple of strips in half to use on more than one nail (that works best on your shorter nails). This also means that I can do my nails like this again sometime in the future.

They were a little fiddly at first but I got the hang of it... eventually. And as they are supposed to be 'real nail polish' I put a top coat over them.

So endeth the Halloween festivities - next stop Christmas! (unless you are in the US and then it's Thanksgiving)

(actually I tell a lie - in the UK we have Bonfire Night coming up on 5th November... but then it's Christmas!)

Update 16/11/12 - these lasted about six days before they started chipping. On the seventh day I got fed up of the edges that were lifting up catching in my hair so I removed them. A word to the wise the spider web bits are a bit like glitter polish - a pain to remove!

Happy Retro Halloween!

The Graphics Fairy

Teaser Tuesday

Taking part in Teaser Tuesday is easy peasy!

All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 Then head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments section.

And this week, in the spirit of things, I'm reading a book by one of the masters of Halloween! So here are my teasers:

He was nearly three-quarters of the way back when the huge whirring filled the darkness. He looked up and the gigantic flying form smashed into his face.

Graveyard Shift - Page 96, Night Shift by Stephen King

This book counts towards the Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2012 hosted by Book Chick City. (I seem to be on target with my other reading challenges just not this one!)

Monstrous Monday Blogfest

Aargh!!! Tis Monstrous Monday.

And there was you thinking you'd only be seeing monsters on Halloween.

This blogfest is being hosted by Tim Brannan on his blog The Other Side today. All you have to do is post something about monsters.

Now I like to think that I went to the Buffy The Vampire Slayer School Of Monster Killing. In the event of a monster uprising I will probably go for the Buffy methods of dispatching them (or be hiding in a cupboard in the foetal position whimpering).

Now I have The Monster Book that lists all (or most) of the monsters that appear on the show... only I'm not 100% sure where I've put it. It's probably hiding with The Watcher's Guide somewhere.

But not to worry I can remember most of the details of the monsters I want to mention (and I can look up any I can't remember - thank you internet). On Buffy The Vampire Slayer (and Angel) there was a wide variety of monsters that were not just restricted to vampires, werewolves and witches.

So I'm going to share what I think are some of the slightly more unusual monsters that Buffy went up against (not all of them obviously - The Monster Book is at least 500 pages long - after all we don't have all year!).

One of the creepier monsters that I vividly remember (even though I haven't watched it for a while) were The Gentlemen.

 

They appeared in the episode 'Hush'. Basically they steal the voices of everyone in Sunnydale and then go around cutting people's hearts out. They can be killed by the sound of a human voice - which makes their heads explode... hence the voice stealing. They float about a foot off the ground and grin constantly - very eepy-cray!

Another freaky monster from the show was Der Kindestod who showed up in 'Killed By Death'.

Der Kindestod lurked in the hospital killing sick children and can only be seen if you have a fever.

In my opinion it looks like Freddy Krueger on steroids. If you think it looks freaky here you should see the picture that appears when you click the link to the episode!

And just one more before I give you nightmares. Now this monster shows up in several episodes of season four.

Adam is basically a mish-mash of demon and mechanical bits that have been put together as part of Maggie Walsh's experiment to make super soldiers.

 

Because he is made up of various bits he has a variety of weapons/advantages over we mere mortals. And he wants to take over the world (The Gentlemen and Der Kindestod seem content with just killing people).

He's a tougher enemy to bring down - screaming and fevers/neck breaking won't cut it here. No ,this one involves magic and super human strength.

I think that's enough nightmare inducing photos for one post don't you?

If you click the link near the top of this post you can go over to Tim's blog and check out other people's monstrous posts.

(All pictures came from the Buffyverse Wiki)

Random Quote #107

 Despite my ghoulish reputation, I really have the heart of a small boy. I keep it in a jar on my desk.


Robert Bloch

Down Memory Lane (Or 80s Kids TV)

This week I have decided to take you on a trip back to my childhood and the TV programmes I like to used to watch. I've probably at least mentioned some of these before.

I can spend ages on YouTube clicking on random videos and singing along to theme tunes such as Dogtania and Danger Mouse.

If I just listed them all you’d be here til Halloween so I thought I’d just give you four of my favourites (and their theme tunes). The great thing about the first two is that the opening credits explain what it is about… for those of you who are unaware of the 'plot'.

These aren’t in any particular order… except for the last one which is was my favourite.

First up we have the plasticine marvel that is The Trap Door… which me, my brother and my sister still quote to this day. When we were younger one episode of this seemed to last about half an hour, when in reality they only last about five minutes each.

Then we have Count Duckula – voiced by the same person as Danger Mouse – David Jason. In fact Count Duckula actually appeared on Danger Mouse before he got his own show.

I don’t know how widely distributed (is that the word I’m looking for?) The Trap Door and Count Duckula were outside of the UK. But the next one (and then the last one) should be ones that non-UKers will recognise. In fact they really ought to be recognised. If you’ve never seen these (or the movies) well you’ve just never lived!

So next up is The Real Ghostbusters. So called because there was another cartoon called Ghostbusters which looks as though it was kind of like Scooby-Doo (I don’t know for sure as I haven’t watched it - Ghostbusters that is, I've seen Scooby-Doo).

And last and most importantly we have the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles – note the Hero part of that. Here in the UK we did not have Ninja Turtles but Hero Turtles. And so the parts of the theme song that include the word ninja were replaced with the word hero or fighting (and it is the version that I sing in my head when I hear the theme tune).

I couldn't find a clip of the original opening credits that was embedable so I'm afraid this one is just a picture :( But I did find a rock version :)

Not that I’m in anyway childish but I do happen to have t-shirts with all these programmes on except for The Trap Door – but my brother has a t-shirt with that on so it’s all good.

And I do happen to have all of The Trap Door and Count Duckula on DVD. I also have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles DVD but I can’t remember how many episodes are on that. And on my special edition of Ghostbusters 1 & 2 there are two episodes of The Real Ghostbusters. Each episode links in some way to one of the films.

They don’t make kids TV like they used to!

And don't forget about Tim Brannan's Monstrous Monday Blogfest on... err... Monday - there's still time to sign up. 

Teaser Tuesday

I'm still on the same book as last week but luckily for you it is a short story collection.

Taking part in Teaser Tuesday is simple. All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then hop over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments.

So here are my teasers for the week:

He put the tip of the stake where his father had showed him and struck the hilt with the mallet. It turned out it was all true, what the old man had told him in the basement.

Abraham's Boys - Page 136, 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

Random Quote #106

I reject your reality and substitute my own.


Adam Savage - Mythbusters


(Other possible sources: Doctor Who - The Deadly Assassin (1974), The Dungeonmaster (1984))

A Ban On Both Ye Shopping Addictions

When it comes to shopping I like to think that I control my spending quite well. As a natural born bargain hunter I tend to stick to sales and look for offers – I love a good bargain!


I try to customise things to make them my own, or make them fit better, or last longer. I’ll admit it is a very a bit of a tight squeeze in my wardrobe at the moment. But the pile of sewing/customisations is slowly but surely getting smaller.

I recently realised that there were two smaller ‘collections’ from my shopping life that were starting to grow quite considerable. Now they are the type of things that don’t take up too much room but I realised that it couldn’t go on forever. So I have instigated a ban on myself. Until I use some of them up I will not buy anymore.

The first of these ‘collections’ is lip balms. I have some I use regularly but I seem to keep buying new ones before I’ve used the others that I have.

So here are the lip balms I use regularly:

And here are the ones that I have waiting in the wings that I have yet to use.

Now the second of these collections is a little bit scarier. It is nail varnish. Long time visitors to my blog may recall my post about me having too many nail varnishes. Well my collection has changed and grown since then.

This photo refused to come out the right way round!

Now some of you might be thinking that that isn’t all that many nail varnishes. Well I haven’t finished yet. Those are just the nail varnishes that I have actually used and liked – the tried and tested group you might say. The nail varnishes that I own that I haven’t yet used on my nails is quite a bit bigger.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

So until further notice I am no longer buying lip balms and nail varnishes.

However if other people want to buy them for me… well that’s a different matter entirely :P

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is here again!

Taking part is very simple. All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments.

Here are my teasers for the week:

He started down the corridor. The way grew darker the further he went.

Best New Horror - Page 25, 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

This book counts towards the Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2012 hosted by Book Chick City.

Random Quote #105

Bryan: I don't know who you are. I don't know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

Marko:  [after a long pause] Good luck.


Taken (2008)

Spring Cleaning in Autumn

The other day when I was favouriting yet more things on my blog reader of choice, I began to wonder just how many things I had favourited. And I was sure that there would be a few that could be unfavourited.


Well an hour later I had been though and unfavourited the ‘few’.

There was a lot. And I think I decided to keep less than half of them favourited.

The ones that went were all items that I said that I would read later and never did. Or ones that I saved so that I could show them to someone… that someone having seen them months ago and I continued saving them for no apparent reason.

And there were the projects that people had posted that I declared I would try… and never did.

There a handful of posts that I had kept to add new blogs to my reader… the blogger in question was moving blogs or starting something new… or whatever. And I had only just got around to resubscribing.

I think since the clearout I have favourited a ‘few’ more. But I’m trying to be more selective – the ones that I would normally save and never read read later I’m trying to read there and then.

In other news I’m thinking of rearranging my bedroom so that I can (you’ll never believe this) actually use my desk for its intended purpose. Bam bam bam!!!

I first got the desk to use as a dressing table (dressing tables are quite expensive). Then I inherited my Grandma’s dressing table (which it turns out was her Mum’s so it’s actually my Great Grandma’s dressing table) and the desk got shuffled around the room where it has been straining under the weight of all the random crap I stored on it.

Things like storage boxes, books, games, the plastic chest of drawers that used to have wheels on it.

I reckon if I move my bookcase (and my many many books) and sort through some of the mountains of rubbish I can pull the desk in to a position that I can actually sit at it. Then whatever crap is left can go in the corner that the desk came out of.

I think that sometimes, one of the reasons I don’t write/draw/craft as much as I would like to or should is because I haven’t got somewhere proper to sit and work.

However this grand move-around may have to wait until the workmen having finished re insulating the attic… otherwise I’ll have nowhere to dump all my stuff while I shift through it.

Teaser Tuesday

I'm still on the same book as last week but I've only got 60 pages to go until I finish. So I should be on a different book next week.

So, anyway, taking part in Teaser Tuesday is simple. All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then go to Should Be Reading and post your link in the comments.

So here are my teasers for the week:

Chapman smiled and took her hand, holding it for just a moment longer than was necessary, before inclining his head politely. "Delighted, I'm sure."

Page 78, The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

Random Quote #104

Mrs Doubtfire: He was quite fond of the drink. It was the drink that killed him.

Miranda: How awful. He was an alcoholic?

Mrs Doubtfire: No, he was hit by a Guinness truck.


Mrs Doubtfire (1993)

Violently Funny

The other week I saw Avengers Assemble for the first time. The reason I hadn't seen it before is because I'm not overly keen on The Hulk. It used to scare me when I was a child.

"Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

"OK. I'll take your word for it."

That didn't stop my family watching The Incredible Hulk when it was on TV... whilst I cowered in the kitchen.

Anyway back to the film - even though I don't like The Hulk my brother insisted that I watch it (I was distracted most of the time by Robert Downey Jr. so it was all good).

And I did enjoy it. In fact one of the scenes that I liked the most included The Hulk. I found the scene in question funny and violent both at the same time.

This scene may... or may not... spoil the film ever so slightly if you haven't seen it.

Thinking about this scene made me think of another violent scene in a film that I find inexplicably funny.

It is the scene from The Dark Knight commonly known as 'The Pencil Trick'.

I think it's Joker's reaction immediately after the 'trick' that makes me laugh the most. You don't have to watch it all - just the first 35 seconds is the violent bit that I find funny.

I'm a peculiar sort of person...

Teaser Tuesday

Taking part in Teaser Tuesday is simple. All you have to do is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments.

So here are my teasers for the week:

Harrison scrambled hurriedly for his rifle, fumbling as he attempted to bring the barrel to bear on the horrifying creature. Hargreaves was already on his feet and rushing forward, his sword drawn, ready to take a swing at the monster.

Page 12, The Affinity Bridge by George Mann

I haven't read much of this book yet however it does appear that we have a first for this blog. It looks as though this book counts towards not one... not two... but all four of the reading challenges that I am taking part in this year.

Book Chick City

Book Chick City

Book Chick City

Literary Escapism

Random Quote #103

 Genius is nothing more nor less than childhood recaptured at will.

Charles Baudelaire

Aah! There Be Monsters!

I seem to have become obsessed with mentioning the Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds PS2 game here lately. I mentioned it in my What's Your Chocolate post the other week.

And now I'm quoting it in my title. My title comes from the extra behind the scenes videos - Nicholas Brendon is recording his lines and keeps repeating that line in a pirate-like voice.

So anyway this post is not actually about Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

I have discovered another blogfest - yes another one!

This one takes place on 29th October on Timothy Brannan's blog - The Other Side. It's the Monstrous Monday Blogfest. And all you have to do is post about monsters on that day - that's it. Anything you want as long as it's about monsters.

So click the link to the blogfest and go sign up!

Teaser Tuesday

Taking part in Teaser Tuesday is very simple:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then head over to Should Be Reading and add your link to the comments.

So here are my teasers for the week:

The House was a ghost arena, yearning to be haunted. And as the weathers circled Earth for a hundred years, the House became known, and across the world the dead who had lain down for long naps sat up in cold surprise and wished for stranger occupations than being dead, sold off their ghastly trades and prepared for flight.

Page 40, From The Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury

This book counts towards the New Authors Challenge 2012 hosted by Literary Escapism.

Yes, that's right, I've never read any of Ray Bradbury's work until now.

Random Quote #102

 In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

Douglas Adams

Book Review: Raven: Blood Eye

DISCLAIMER: I received Raven: Blood Eye byGiles Kristian free as a First Read on Goodreads.

I’d never really read any Viking based fiction before this book, so I didn’t really know what to expect… apart from blood.

I was expecting at least some gore given that I had already knew what a ‘blood eagle’ was.

The story centres on Osric, whose village is visited and then destroyed by the Norsemen (not all the Norsemen’s fault I might add). Osric is taken prisoner by the Norsemen and then becomes accepted and eventually renamed ‘Raven’ by them. As with any story some of the characters are more likeable than others.

Even though most of the story takes place on land, we learn about the Norsemen’s relationship with the sea; what life on a longboat was like. We also learn a little of the Norsemen’s religion and how they were viewed by the Christian Church, and vice versa. Although there is a fair amount of violence we learn that violence was not the be all and end all of Viking life.

Allegiances in the story change back and forth as we discover new things about the different characters. It is not just Group A versus Group B for instance. Sometimes it’s Groups A & B versus Group C. And then there are conflicts within groups; loyalties change, groups gain members and also lose them. The story twists and turns; people are used and betrayed.

There was never really a lull in the story; something always seemed to be happening or about to happen.

Overall, for my first jaunt in to this particular period in history, I enjoyed Raven: Blood Eye.

4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads

This review can also be found on Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday

There is a definite chill developing in the air. The beginning of autumn. And with autumn comes Halloween. And so I had the urge recently to read some Stephen King.

All you have to do to take part in Teaser Tuesday is:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Then head over to Should Be Reading to share your link in the comments.

So here are my teasers this week:

'You have to make up your own mind about what we did, Helen. I'm in no position to throw stones.'

Page 103, Carrie by Stephen King

This book counts towards the Horror & Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge 2012 hosted by Book Chick City.