Oh come all ye faithful......

A sure sign that Xmas is on the horizon, Fenwicks, a local department store has unveiled their animated festive window display, this year complete with carols belting out from 8 in the morning until yawn time....I love Xmas but just not yet!

Just time for one link tonight (the boy in the attic is apparently downloading the internet tonight, he's magnanimously agreed to turn off his downloads for a few minutes to let me post!).....it's an online game with nice graphics and cool music that I haven't managed to play yet (for reasons see above!)

About....

"Little Wheel is the story of a world of self-sufficient robots. Everything runs like clockwork until one day when a mishap at the power core shuts down the entire civilization. After ten thousand years of rusting, a chance lightning strike restores power to one small hero, who sets out to start everything back up again.

Little Wheel is played entirely with the mouse, and the design could not be friendlier. There's no hunting for pixels or hot-spots, as things you can interact with are highlighted by a gray circle. Instead of collecting seemingly random items and rubbing them against everything to see if it advances the story, most puzzles in the game are solved simply by choosing to click these interactive areas in their correct order."

Play Little Wheel

Hitting the wall

I'm still here....honest!! I was suffering culture shock over the weekend (but lots of sleeping sensibly balanced with copious amounts of alcohol got me through it) then it was back to work on Monday for the 'stewards inquiry' into what went wrong on the fieldtrip.....don't get me wrong, there were no recriminations or any unpleasantness, just having to go through everything bad that happened yet again, this time with the Dean and School Registrar. A word to the wise, never EVER stay at the Amaryl City-Hotel if you happen to be in Berlin, they're down-and-out crooks! (note to Paul and Irene.....it wasn't just the ant infestation, there was more.....oh yes, so much more!) I think it's the first time I've come home thinking 'do I really want to do that again next year?' (probably will though....I'm a sucker for punishment, ask anyone!)

OTHER STUFF.....

You can find some lovely animated 3D vintage Japanese stereoviews here at Pink Tentacle, and the original images here on Flickr (with lots more) Definitely worth a couple of clicks!

Silly stuff to do with your pics.....

can be found here

Rather long pause there, one of the effing darling kittens walked over the keyboard, thought everything so far had disappeared into the ether....

I always come back from Berlin with more questions than I went out with.....found this sound and video archive at the BBC that might just get dipped into sometime soon.

Got here

The 'other place' will just have to be back blips....just spent the last hour trying to upload this image (it's only 339kb but no go there and bloody ages here) I suspect the hotel throttles the traffic! Anyway, successful journey, left East Midlands in a torrential downpour expecting to land in the same, only colder but no....lovely day, just a bit on the misty side. Fab walk down to the Tiergarten and as far as The Winged Victory then back through the park via the Zoo.....not in, but along the canal bank which it abuts. Just time for a quick shower and change then we're out for a beer (or three) and a meal. Praying for good weather tomorrow, we're doing the long walk from AlexanderPlatz to Potsdamer Platz with multiple diversions...we may have to come up with a cunning plan if it's tipping it down....

Nearly there

Just about done.....the laptop's on charge and I don't THINK I've forgotten anything vital so I'm taking a comfort break before a bit of a snooze on the couch...it'll be a long night (taxi booked for 1.30am then coach to East Midlands airport for a 9.30 flight....ouch!) Fingers crossed that the hotel really does have wifi access, got caught out last year (different hotel) when their 'internet access' turned out to be a single, supremely beige, geriatric pc in the foyer. I've had real problems with Blogger this afternoon, the connection keeps timing out, so message for Paul and Irene....I'll drop you a text when I get there (including a mugshot so you know who to avoid till Thursday....see you then, and safe journey!)

A bit early for Halloween

It's the same every year, I say I won't but I just can't resist listening.....the original 1938, Orson Welles version of 'The War of the Worlds' that caused a bit of a stir when it was first broadcast.



But if you want to try out a few alternative versions there's lots here....obviously I'm not alone!

Dr Concrete

Dr Concrete, originally uploaded by moclaydon.

Trying out the 'Blog This' feature in Flickr....nifty!

PS....the problem with kittens....

.....lovely but.........

RIP Norman Painting

"The Archers" ("an everyday story of country folk") has been an almost continuous radio essential in my life, sometimes I've fallen by the wayside, but I've always come back!.....we're of an age, the pilot episode went out a little less than a year before I was born and regular broadcasts started on Jan 1st 1951. So sad news today that Norman Painting, the longest serving cast member who played Phil Archer, there from the very first episode as juvenile lead, died aged 85. The above pic is of AN ACTUAL REAL-LIFE ARCHERS SCRIPT, sold for charity a few years ago by Tim Bentinck (who plays his son David)....I bought a few, they made great Xmas presents for other family addicts! In the studio recording only 2 days ago, he'll be sadly missed.

Another thing sadly missed.....

"The Berlin Reunion" which happened early in October, dammit!
"a several-day performance by France's Royal de Luxe street theatre company titled "The Berlin Reunion". Part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Reunion show featured two massive marionettes, the Big Giant, a deep-sea diver, and his niece, the Little Giantess. The storyline of the performance has the two separated by a wall, thrown up by "land and sea monsters". The Big Giant has just returned from a long and difficult - but successful - expedition to destroy the wall, and now the two are walking the streets of Berlin, seeking each other after many years apart."

Great pictures here at Big Picture, and a video at Vimeo.....



I really need to start writing a packing list, finding chargers/adaptors/cables/other electronics shite...and, not least, checking that the work laptop actually 'works' (sadly not a given!).....gotta dash!!!

Half day

Taken on the way out of the (work) front door at lunchtime.....y'know I love them but I love to leave them!

Christmas Cake update....the deed is done, 2 boozy whoppers currently cooling/sobering up on the kitchen bench, they smell rather nice!!

Other stuff

The British Library has a wealth of audio goodies online here
Just a sample....it's an extract from a 'Linguaphone' recording, 'English Conversation' from 1929 (and by the way the customer in the tobacconists shop just happens to be J R R Tolkein.......yes, that would be that J R R Tolkein!)



Tonight's contender for 'classic crap film experience' has to be........

.....available for download (in 12 edge-of-your-cinema-seat-buttock-clenching-episodes) at Archive Classic Movies

Wet fruit

The postponed-from Sunday, 3 generation Christmas cake bake is now definitely on for tomorrow afternoon...so the dried fruit is well and truly soused and smelling bloody gorgeous, but it's not wise to work out how much it actually costs to make, it's probably cheaper to go out and buy one at M&S!

The programme for the Berlin trip was finalised this morning (note to Imp and SD : and Thursday afternoon is officially 'free' if you are?) and I got my expenses in a plain brown envelope this afternoon....that makes it 'real' somehow, roll on Sunday!

A couple of assorted frivolities:
A rather nice free download if you're feeling creative, Livebrush
They say...."Livebrush is a drawing application. It employs an easy-to-use brush tool that reacts to your gesture. By combining simple motion controls with brush styles, Livebrush offers a fun and unique way to create graphics." You have to have Adobe Air installed (but that comes with the download if you haven't already got it) and there's versions for Windows, Mac and Linux



Still feeling creative? Soundation Studio looks like fun if you fancy playing with audio

It's an online app and they say:
"Soundation Studio is the web based sequencer that enables you to make music, ringtones and audio clips directly from the internet without downloading any software. This beta version includes over 400 royalty free audio loops, 9 different effects, track automation, basic loop editing, loop audition, master channel control and mix down to desktop." (not that I understand a word of that!)

And here's some recipes....no reason!
Middle Eastern Cookery

Blurry Monday

I hate Mondays....I may have mentioned that before. Most of it passed in a blur after I woke up at about 5am raring to go....unfortunately it didn't last. Ended up snoozing on the metro on the way home after a couple of eyelid-drooping moments mid-afternoon (though luckily woke up before my stop). The question is, can I last out till about 11pm to try to rebalance the internal body clock........

The sneaky salon shot

A sneaked shot from yesterday taken with the compact camera I rediscovered a couple of weeks ago....unfortunately it was on the 'utter crap quality' setting! But what is it about the lighting in hairdressing salons? Guaranteed to add 10 years to your age and emphasise every wrinkle, freckle, blemish and eye bag...and they charge you for the priveledge. Still, it's worth it for the entertainment value. The guy that's been cutting my hair for the last 30 odd years is a shining light in the local am dram soc (Widow Twanky in this years pantomime, perfect casting!) and was in fine voice yesterday giving us 'songs from the shows' with all the actions. We've got a 3 generation Christmas Cake Baking session this afternoon, so there may be a licking-the-bowl photo op later!

PS....Audio

I've just spotted that a couple of the audio/podcast widgets on the right-hand side have suddenly stopped working....no idea why, but I can't fix them. Just in case you fancy a bit of scifi/horror/fantasy download listening pleasure here's direct links to the websites....after all, it's nearly halloween!

Escape Pod (scifi)

Pseudopod (horror)

Podcastle (fantasy)

In praise of the local rag

Every Friday the (99.2% free) local rag hits the doormat with headlines like "Bus services are diverted", "Choir gains some new members at rehearsal" and (honestly, I'm not kidding!) "Residents urged to plan their funeral", but you know I wouldn't miss it for the world....it's a gripping read! Only tonight I learned that the inventor of Plasticine was born only a few miles down the road and to commemorate the fact "colourful new seats which have been made to look like moulded Plasticine (.....mmmmm, nice....can't wait!) are to be installed" in the streets of his birthplace (and before you bombard me with questions it was a certain Mr William Harbutt in 1894, so just remember that for your next pub quiz, it could be a clincher!)
That sounds like a cue for a video......



But Mr Harbutt wasn't our only famous resident....oh no, this is no cultural backwater, we're terrifically couth....Stan Laurel did time lived round here too and revisited the scenes of his misspent youth with Oliver Hardy in the (I'm guessing!) 30's.....I used to live about 50 yards south of where this was filmed, and the Grand Hotel is still going strong. WARNING.....slightly surrealistic, the commentary is in Italian!



Be thankfull you got the 'light' version tonight....I was going to post a picture of my (kitten-clawed) lacerated legs.....but I decided the world wasn't ready........

Quickie pic

A 'through the office window' shot when the sun caught the leaves on the trees but didn't quite reach the ground.
I survived the day.....result! Enough said....bed!

Low-res rubber soles

And speaking of resolution, I really must start uploading more pictures to Flickr and linking, rather than doing a low-res version to upload to blogger (old habit from when it was just the frivolous links and when there was an upper limit on total blog size....maybe there still is?) Re the shot: Like the shoes, not convinced by the dropped-crotch trousers!

Busy day on the cards tomorrow....we have an 'accreditation visit' where visiting academics (usually from competing-in-the-same-field institutions) and miscellaneous crusty worthies (wearing regulation corduroy jackets with leather elbow patches) decide whether one of our courses delivers what it says on the tin. Luckily most of what I had to do is already done, but I'm down for the 'tour of facilities' which is going to involve a slightly smarter pair of trousers (currently in the wash) and a 'bright-eyed and bushy-tailed' mindset....the latter might be a bit more challenging!

Nice video (it's from Internet.org...their embed code never seems to work for me, I'm probably doing something wrong!)

Link to Way of the Mantis

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Just one of those days....the best I've managed is copying loads of stuff from one place to another and standing up and sitting down a lot.....believe me, you really don't want to know. Tomorrow HAS to be better!