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Tuesday 30 October 2012

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!)


Monday 29 October 2012

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

Friday 26 October 2012

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. 

Tuesday 23 October 2012

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

Monday 22 October 2012

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))

Friday 19 October 2012

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



Tuesday 16 October 2012

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.


Monday 15 October 2012

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)

Friday 12 October 2012

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.





Tuesday 9 October 2012

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

Monday 8 October 2012

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)

Friday 5 October 2012

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...

Tuesday 2 October 2012

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

Monday 1 October 2012

Random Quote #103

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

Charles Baudelaire