tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post2075035201999349493..comments2024-03-13T06:04:12.643+00:00Comments on Thoughts Of A Workshy Fop: DMZ Book 11: Free States Rising (#60-66)varalys the darkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-90496531141909380192017-05-27T19:43:00.515+01:002017-05-27T19:43:00.515+01:00Uh turns out today was the day I was supposed to p...Uh turns out today was the day I was supposed to post this, time definitely is bendable for me right now. Enjoy it when you get a mo :)varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-38357907380013412022017-05-27T18:46:11.980+01:002017-05-27T18:46:11.980+01:00Sorry to hear your thing didn't go through. So...Sorry to hear your thing didn't go through. Sounds very frustrating. I'll be posting the last DMZ post at sometime round midnight. Or the morning, depending when I go to bed.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-5344137264336252472017-05-26T22:22:53.845+01:002017-05-26T22:22:53.845+01:00Well, I say shower, it were more a hole in the roo...Well, I say shower, it were more a hole in the roof that we set fire to when it were raining.<br /><br />Gah, that thing didn't complete. Horrible day. Lots of slamming phone down on irate client (we're friends again now). Couldn't muster the energy to go to that party. But rang my.artist friend.to apologise and he's said come up anytime in the week. So that'll be nice.<br /><br />Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. Grrr, really wish we'd got off our arses and finished that comic idea. Ah well, history is made by people who turn up, as they say.<br /><br />But Holmes, fruity? He lives with an ex soldier. Can't get any more macho than that. Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-2531063194115696622017-05-26T21:23:37.239+01:002017-05-26T21:23:37.239+01:00You had a shower? Luxury! Our boiler was so smal...You had a shower? Luxury! Our boiler was so small you couldn't fill a full bath before it ran cold again :D<br /><br />I haven't started the Sherlock Holmes game yet. So tired and I still have to write up the final DMZ. The last Sherlock Holmes game I played was fun though, just one case investigating who was Jack The Ripper. The person doing Holmes's voice was amazingly fruity it made me laugh all the time.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to Erasure. Going with mum, sister no.2, her boyf and his sister and mum.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-90513852451685275692017-05-26T00:44:24.107+01:002017-05-26T00:44:24.107+01:00Well if we're going "Four Yorkshiremen&qu...Well if we're going "Four Yorkshiremen"...I lived in a house once so cold that I just used to go in the shower for hours on end to be in hot water. Then there was having to face up to getting put of it into the cold again. I used to pre-prepare (is that actually a word?) a stash of towels and blankets ready to jump into.<br /><br />That place was on the street the Brontes grew up on (before they moved to Haworth). Someone had graffiti'd their old house with "Fuck off Bronte cunts". That's when I decided I wanted to move out of Bradford. (You do sort of have to admire that level of pointless animosity though)<br /><br />Yeah, the population literally doubles. Cue debate about second homes and affordable housing.<br /><br />Trophies, gotcha. Seriously though you really have taught me loads. Also I can understand what my comic superhero obsessed mate is on about now. She's the one who's now got your back thing. Hmm, comics sound dangerous. That's probably just for girls though.<br /><br />That sherlock game sounds great. I think I'd enjoy that. We used to play a sherlock board game. It was a bit like a hyped up Cluedo. There'd be a mystery and you'd go around picking up clues. Ooh, now I want to play it again.<br /><br />If I don't speak to you before enjoy Erasure. Ooh, sometimes...<br /><br />Gah, and I'd only just got flock of seagulls out of my head.Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-56412665286732252992017-05-26T00:23:48.480+01:002017-05-26T00:23:48.480+01:00We didn't have central heating in our Buxton h...We didn't have central heating in our Buxton house. I remember going to Uni and being amazed at what it felt like to be warm at night. God that house would get cold. Icicles on the inside type of cold.<br /><br />So you get swamped by grockles eh? Buxton is a tourist town too, we might not have had a beach but we had plenty of lovely hills.<br /><br />I'm glad my gaming tutelage is paying off, just remember if she has a PlayStation Achievements are called Trophies. I'm finishing up the second underwater city game. Then mum bought me a Sherlock Holmes game, which is like the CSI game. ots of detectoring and no need for reflexes, I intend to chill out with it over the weekend, although I am going to an Erasure concert in Manchester on Sunday.<br /><br />Glad to hear your deal is almost done. Don't get squashed!varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-46928893890803784642017-05-25T23:00:47.877+01:002017-05-25T23:00:47.877+01:00I went all soft and southern after about five year...I went all soft and southern after about five years in London. I actually remember the exact moment. Going back oop north, got to Leicester Forest services and had to put a jumper on. Even worse being down here. Flew up for Julia's birthday party. It was snowing! And all I had on was beach clothes and Converse. (I rang Julia to say hurry up, so she deliberately parked just round the corner so she could spy on me shivering my ass off and laugh. Probably marry that lass one day!)<br /><br />We've pressganged a mate's daughter to help at work. She's well into her video games. Actually got some related degree. But thanks to all your educating me on gaming she thinks I'm well cool. "Yeah, well once you've got all your cheevers it's nice to explore the sandbox innit"<br /><br />Looking forward to the weekend. Although this is the start of the tourist season, so gets heaving down here. And I literally live at the seaside. Got the opportunity to move into that massive place in Truro though so if it gets too horrendous might up sticks. I do like the sea, but ironically I prefer it in winter when it's all spectacular (and living in my hallway occasionally). <br /><br />Got a tip-off that deal will deffo complete tomorrow. Hope so, then I can just chill. And go to that art thing with nothing nagging away. That should be really cool. They're like an old hippy pagan couple and they even have real standing stones on their land. Well, they're currently toppled but they're letting me put them back up. So when you see the headline "Squashed idiot's last words were 'No, *this* is how they would have done it in the neolithic'" you'll know I started.Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-29225285213729290542017-05-25T21:39:12.138+01:002017-05-25T21:39:12.138+01:00Aaaand I just woke up again. I'm blaming my l...Aaaand I just woke up again. I'm blaming my lady hormones now. And the heat. Been to hot for might liking, that's what happens when you are raised in the Arctic wastes of Buxton.<br /><br />Now if I was presented with an selection of cakes and the option to eat as many as I could I'd definitely go for it. Unless my mum was there looking disapprovingly, then I'd have to play along.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-46051571536597478752017-05-25T19:44:44.697+01:002017-05-25T19:44:44.697+01:00Oh vey, mazzeltov. I need some sleep. Been stuck a...Oh vey, mazzeltov. I need some sleep. Been stuck at work til nine most nights recently. I don't actually do that much whilst I'm here (post on Mammoth mainly) but it's the principle. Hopefully though a deal will finally complete tomorrow, then I can sleep all bank holiday. Although now I remember I'm supposed to be going to some arty do tomorrow evening. Hmm, I'll see if I get my second wind. I would like to see everyone. <br /><br />One of my favourite tea experiences was in Simpsons in the Strand. Now that's not somewhere I used to frequent a lot I must confess. Occasionally went for brekky if someone else was paying. But went for tea once. They bring posh cakes on one of those stand thingies. Now you're just paying for 'afternoon tea', it's not per item. Apparently the etiquette is you just take one, and two at the absolute max. But of course I just dragged the place down to an all you can eat sort of affair. Well, it's not like I was bothered about ever going back there.Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-65385660994984424612017-05-25T19:18:10.988+01:002017-05-25T19:18:10.988+01:00Heh, no long after I posted that my brain checked ...Heh, no long after I posted that my brain checked out and I woke up still gripping the controller. I needed more sleep I guess. And I just woke from a nap, so now I probably won't sleep tonight. I want to try and write up the final DMZ volume, I finished it on the train yesterday and got a little verklempt. I don't think you'll be disappointed.<br /><br />Afternoon Tea. My late maternal grandmother was a big believer in it. No matter how big lunch was, no matter what was gong to be for dinner at around four we got Afternoon Tea. Big pot of tea, cups and saucers, a selection of cake, fancies and buttered raisin bread. Best time of the day that was.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-57426156095144510692017-05-25T12:48:12.609+01:002017-05-25T12:48:12.609+01:00There's something very homely about battenberg...There's something very homely about battenberg. Conjours up tea at your nan's and doyleys. Like how macaroons remind me of Alan Bennett for some reason. Great, now I want a macaroon. <br /><br />Speaking as someone who managed to drill into his own thigh (being daft, not some S&M thing) I can vouch for their effectiveness as weapons. So hope you're having fun.Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-78549366986082476622017-05-25T02:11:35.927+01:002017-05-25T02:11:35.927+01:00I nodded off now it's two, I'm wide awake ...I nodded off now it's two, I'm wide awake and I just ate the chocolate cake which was gorgeous. Mind you battenberg is a fine choice.<br /><br />As for Leeroy Jenkins, I was playing World of Warcraft when that video was released. It's actually a very funny and astute parody of over-preparedness when it came to raiding. The setting off of every monster in the area by the titular Mr. Jenkins was just the hilarious icing on the cake.<br /><br />Now imma drill someone.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-24322353233045251692017-05-24T23:05:57.955+01:002017-05-24T23:05:57.955+01:00In the end I got a battenberg. In the end I got a battenberg. Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-75342116441189192452017-05-24T20:46:53.810+01:002017-05-24T20:46:53.810+01:00Leeerroyyyy Jenkins!!!
See, that's how down w...Leeerroyyyy Jenkins!!!<br /><br />See, that's how down with the kids I am.<br /><br />That was interesting and informative though, so cheers.<br /><br />The nearest I ever came to cooperative gaming was in the era of point and click adventures. We'd all play the same game, then ring each other when we got stuck. Never done any of that real time stuff though. Probably just as well, I'd end up yelling at kids "Right you little bugger, I know where you live you know!" And I understand hunting down and beating up kids is frowned upon even in the anarchic world of videogaming.<br /><br />Anyway best hit the cake shop. Mmm, cake.<br /><br />Happy gaming. Hit someone with a wrench for me.Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-80630783375320224492017-05-24T20:30:46.541+01:002017-05-24T20:30:46.541+01:00I haven't played online because it costs a sub...I haven't played online because it costs a sub and most play is on the Xbox One now (which I shall be getting for my birthday). But I know how it works. When you first buy your Xbox you create a profile which records all your achievements, game files, unlocked goodies etc. When you first sign into Live you have your profile registered remotely so you can then switch back and forth between the various machines and keep your score updated. People can read your profile see what achievements you have and so forth, Live has a variety of different settings for example you can simply choose to only play with people who are in your friends list (every ID is unique) if you're mucking about in a game or waiting for a download and a friend signs in you get a little pop up message and you can communicate via headset or typing. The notorious side of online gaming is just jumping into open games with just anybody which from what my mates on gaming wesbites have said are where you spend most of your time being sniped by a racist twelve year old all the time. Some games are way worse than others, Call Of Duty games seem to be the worst offenders for underage, rage quitting everything phobic assholes. When I get my Xbone I plan to play mostly Gears of War, that seems to have a better behaved fanbase. You only need a paid sub to game online, everything else on Live is free.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-14349510443620976712017-05-24T20:07:07.939+01:002017-05-24T20:07:07.939+01:00Ooh, I must tell you one day about when we crewed ...Ooh, I must tell you one day about when we crewed the Wembley Arena segment of the world's biggest "Ommm" session.<br /><br />Ironically you have motivated me because now I want chocolate cake and it's a mile to the shop.<br /><br />It's once got 990 on Space Invaders, does that count?<br /><br />So when you do your xbox thing do you get to choose who you play with? Or is it just random folks online? Just wondering about all the abuse and stuff I've read about. Or do people know you're handy with a wrench and not mess with you?Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-49604356998958802692017-05-24T19:45:39.743+01:002017-05-24T19:45:39.743+01:00Ooh I forget my gaming slang sometimes I do. Funn...Ooh I forget my gaming slang sometimes I do. Funny I was chatting with my mum who'd listened to a radio show about the specific language that has grown up around gaming. I do try and remember to translate back into English when I natter about games with non-gamers but sometimes I forget. My gaming life is ruled by acheivements. Not so much my overall score which is a fairly decent but not remarkable 88,000 odd. I care more about getting every single acheivement for my games, which I have managed for 32 games now. Which is pretty decent seeing as up until a few months back I had no access to Xbox Live and so it was single-player only games I concentrated on.<br /><br />Anyway, mind control. Bzzzz, you will exercise. Ommmm... no I don't think it's working. I can't stop thinking about the big bit of homemade chocolate cake on the kitchen counter. That can't help.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-30965027209057770972017-05-24T19:24:33.474+01:002017-05-24T19:24:33.474+01:00You have no idea how chuffed I am thar I figured o...You have no idea how chuffed I am thar I figured out 'cheevos' from the context :-)<br /><br />'smooth talking English woman'. You self inserter you. Mind you (see what I did there) felt a bit gestalt when we did that synchronicity posts yesterday.<br /><br />Now you are engaging in mind control, would you mind making me get off my ass and do some exercise?Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-24542105284792793332017-05-24T19:17:15.321+01:002017-05-24T19:17:15.321+01:00Well I have to admit Part of me did want to go up ...Well I have to admit Part of me did want to go up and ask them about their weapons because, c'mon, half of me thinks GUNZ SQUEE! But I thought that probably wasn't a good idea so had to make a guess based on the shape. Did like that one of them was a woman shorter than me, she looked pretty badass as did the tattooed and bearded guy holding the dog's leash (lovely dog too, if I could have a dog German Shepard is my ideal one). But yes, still weird seeing them on the streets.<br /><br />Actually to keep myself awake long enough to fall asleep at bedtime I've dived into the sequel game. I have all the single player cheevos for it but it's just such a fun place to run around in. This time you play a monster with a drill for his main weapon, also fun. It's a commentary on communism, with the Objectivists gone after the events of the first game, a smooth talking English woman takes control with some whacky plan to form a gestalt mind from those left (I think, been a few years since I played it last).varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-1270660168025653572017-05-24T19:04:12.196+01:002017-05-24T19:04:12.196+01:00Tssk, a gun fetishist like yourself should know th...Tssk, a gun fetishist like yourself should know the MP/5 and MP/7 are sub machine guns not assault rifles. They fire pistol ammunition from an open bolt. ;-)<br /><br />Yeah, just explaining to an American friend who wondered how long our 'severe' level was likely to last. Told her that it's usually about a week until we remember we're more scared of guns than terrorists.<br /><br />She liked the "We're British. I don't get scared until the threat level hits 'replacement bus service'" tweet that's doing the rounds though. <br /><br />Congratulations on your skull cracking achievements. Get some well deserved rest and we can catch up when you've come out of a 57 year hypersleep. Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-78648266499269249952017-05-24T18:39:50.208+01:002017-05-24T18:39:50.208+01:00I shall peruse the article tommorrow because I did...I shall peruse the article tommorrow because I did not sleep a wink last night, ended up finishing the Atlas Shrugged First Person Shooter Deconstruction Game of Massive Wrenches with the final achievement I needed at around 0700 and then headed into Manchester to see the folks so haven't had a chance to take a nap. <br /><br />Very surreal seeing six policemen armed with assault rifles outside Piccadilly plus a couple of dogs too. Funnily enough they didn't make me feel very secure. Manchester was half empty too, normally the walk down Piccadilly approach into the centre is somewhat trying for someone like me who hates crowds.<br /><br />I have remembered where I saw something dealing with the Pine Ridge incident. It was an episode of Criminal Minds where they go investigate some murders on Apache land, and the Indian rez cop who teams up with them is freaking crazy cool.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-59990552566523414702017-05-24T11:50:09.934+01:002017-05-24T11:50:09.934+01:00Ok, well that's a U2 song called 'Native S...Ok, well that's a U2 song called 'Native Son'. <br /><br />'Oh you are silly Al' I hear you say 'that song's called Vertigo'. Well it is now, but with somewhat different lyrics. The original version is about a chap called Leonard Peltier and an incident known as the Pine Ridge Shootout. And that's the thing that 'Scalped' seems to be referencing. So why wasn't the original song ever released and why the lyric and title change? Well basically U2 were advised that it was just such a controversial topic that they risked alienating their US audience or at least getting into a lot of bother about it.<br /><br />Now if you're Indian then Leonard is practically MLK/Ghandi and Nelson Mandela rolled into one. If you're not then he's the guy who murdered two FBI agents. Now I was going to go into my big polemic about the incident, the legal cases and whether or not (a) Leonard actually did it and (b) whether he would have been justified anyway, but the Wikipedia entry seems quite comprehensive. I'm usually a bit wary of Wikipedia but the info there does tally with what friends have told me. So, some light reading for you...<br /><br />https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Peltier<br /><br />From what you're saying about Scalped I think knowing this background might give you a bit of context and make it all the more enjoyable.<br /><br />The Pine Ridge incident does permeate through fictional portrayals of indians. There's that film with I think Val Kilmer that's like a fictionalised or inspired account, and I seem to recall a few others.<br /><br />But perhaps I get ahead of myself, I'll wait until I actually read the bloody post before I start commenting on it! :-)<br /><br />(But I already have some stuff in reserve for our JKD friend)Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-14145419008666911202017-05-24T11:20:15.460+01:002017-05-24T11:20:15.460+01:00I'm going to pontificate a bit about this, but...I'm going to pontificate a bit about this, but to set the background yiu might like to listen to this;<br /><br />https://youtu.be/i1K0t0OhdT0Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-61921925207379324252017-05-24T02:34:53.131+01:002017-05-24T02:34:53.131+01:00I like the idea of an Indian kickboxing racists. ...I like the idea of an Indian kickboxing racists. Funnily enough Mr. Bad Horse is trained in Jeet Kune Do so he does some asskicking himself. As I said I've only read half the series so far, but it does feel authentic. Right down to the mum of Dashiel being a Indian rights agitator who was involved in the death of two FBI agents back in the 70's which I believe is roughly based on a true story. There are people who do awful things in it and you can feel the tug of a people trying to hold on to their identity in a world that has pretty much abandoned them.varalys the darkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17032083859598898676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2243012679315072030.post-80414402945435812642017-05-23T23:29:47.856+01:002017-05-23T23:29:47.856+01:00Ooh, track him down (see me keeping the Indian cli...Ooh, track him down (see me keeping the Indian cliché theme) and invite him on board. Then we can channel Mrs Merton "Let's have a heated debate!"<br /><br />Heh, big horses and bad horses, but is there lurking out there a big bad horse? Or maybe the Wolf got dibs on that one.<br /><br />I saw an episode once of that Walker Texas Ranger. Gawd that seemingly had some groanworthy bits in. "I love Chuck Norris, but I'm not convinced of him as a half Texan half Cherokee"<br /><br />"You know he *is* half Texan half Cherokee?"<br /><br />Oh<br /><br />But the portrayal of Indians in mainstream media is dire. That Rich Hall doc goes into that. It also showcases some films by actual Indians. Now I know you're always supposed to act like you appreciate stuff like that to demonstrate your progressive sentiments. But these films *were* brilliant. I suppose it's that thing where you've got next to no money so you just have to be better than everyone else. And thing is a lot of them were just films about Indians without being 'films about Indians'. Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is its like Mike Leigh films are about working class people (who may happen to be northern) and their lives and struggles, not about northerners specifically. They might feature particular local themes but ultimately they're universal stories. Well these films were like that. And also there was one about a bloke who just kick boxes loads of anti Indian racists. Guess which is the highest grossing out of all of them?<br /><br />Yey, roundhouse kick to the teeth ftw!Alan Robertshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14509360521332746130noreply@blogger.com