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Stuck in traffic in Kent?  That's clearly the fault of immigrants trying to get into Britain, rather than the striking french workers who are setting up illegal roadblocks and blockading ports.  What we need is a strong government which can make a show of getting tough on immigration just before a referendum on Europe.  Best to avoid any mention of how a small number of French citizens are to blame.   Trust your government.

Hey fellahs.  Just wanted to share the Fallout Monopoly I made for the other half's birthday. 


I'm not a fan of monopoly.  I'd go so far as saying I hate monopoly.  But she loves it, bless her, and she loves Fallout.

UKIP have launched their Scottish manifesto in my local constituency, where the MEP David Coburn is running for parliament.

Coburn, who is possibly Scotland's most offensive man, has claimed that UKIP will win up to 50% of the vote here in Falkirk, demonstrating a complete lack of attachment to reality that will serve him well in the party.  He's also a bloke who compared an asian Scottish Labour frontbencher to Abu Hamza, has called those in favour of gay marriage "Equality Nazis", has publicly called Ed Milliband "a w****r and an ar*****e ", and apparently worries that the Scottish Government will cancel christmas and have him shot.

UKIP have tended not to poll well in Scotland (probably since we have additional parties who can pick up the traditional protest votes), so how do they intend to woo the Scottish voters? 

By cutting the Scottish budget, so that England no longer "shovels money over Hadrian's wall".

By cancelling the "Named Person" scheme, which ensures that every child in Scotland is given a contact at social work who can help them if they need assistance.

Fracking.

Less immigrants.  They are apparently a problem. 

This is, in Mr Coburn's words, "what William Wallace would want".  It's also important to vote UKIP, because the SNP want to return Scotland "to the days of William Wallace". 

He would love to give you a copy of the manifesto to take home with you, but he doesn't have any because they haven't been delivered by the printers yet, because its a bank holiday.

I once received a phone call from a politician, who was angry at being told he couldn't legally do what he wanted to do.  He told me that "the law is wrong".  He wasn't happy when I told him I didn't write it.

Also, I once stood behind Effie from Take the High Road in a post office queue, and Daniel Bedingfield blocked my view at a concert.

Just watched an Oxford professor being interviewed by Sky news, about the role of universities in fighting extremism.  A three minute rant which included such choice cuts as...

"The government funds people going to university.  We pay people to go to university"

"This isn't about whether universities teach that the Earth goes around the Sun, or the Sun goes around the Earth.  This is important. "

This man is clearly from the past.

Particularly loved...

(Fame at last! Art by the awesome Dode C.)

The Journal is easily one of the most consistently original and satisfying publications out there. Looking forward to this one.

Another excellent and striking cover.

[Birdman (or the unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)]

Birdman (or the unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Caught this earlier today, on the one day my local cinema is showing it.  Michael Keaton, a man who shot to worldwide fame playing a superhero and who drifted into cinematic obscurity after refusing a sequel, plays a man who shot to fame playing a superhero and who later drifted into obscurity after refusing a sequel.  It also stars Edward Norton, an actor often accused of taking himself too seriously, playing an actor who takes himself much too seriously.

...which makes it sound like an extended episode of Episodes.  But it's not.  It's brilliant.  It's an examination of the vagaries of fame and celebrity, of love and ambition, of mental illness and talent.  It's beautifully shot, pretty much as one long continuous shot, with a single camera tracking through a maze of corridors and dressing rooms, drifting unseen in front of mirrors or through impossible gaps in railings.  The use of sound and music are surprising and original.  The performances, all up close and unflinching, are powerful and likely to win a whole bunch of awards.

Or I thought so.  The lady next to me thought her mobile phone was much more worthy of her time. 

Why was Ann Widecombe allowed to become  the nation's curmudgeonly, eccentric old auntie?

Because I'm a pedantic bugger who loved this story and want strangers on the internet to love it too....

The first page of the comic is out of synch - it shows the young man, Future, wandering around, watching the Crossed.  It's a scene actually taken from later in the story.  The Crossed he is watching are the ones that the other group have just watched run away, being followed by the wolves. 

You can tell that this scene is taken from later, firstly because Future has his face painted, which he only did at a later stage.  Also, a few pages into the book, Future is surprised to hear that the others have seen any Crossed.

So when the wolves attack, Future isn't on top of the train, he's out walking around, doing what he's been warned not to do, annoyed that the others have left him to go exploring.


The pack size shown is about fifty or sixty, which is large, but not unheard of.  Also, wild dogs don't bark.  Barking is a behavior found in domesticated animals, but wild dogs tend to hunt quickly and quietly.  If Future has been hanging around at ground level, they could be on him before he was able to get away.


I can understand futurespeak being annoying, especially for it's own sake. I still grimace whenever I hear "frack".  But it's reasonable to think that language would develop over time (the English language's ability to evolve quickly is totes amazeballs).  I feel that here it really added to the story, slowly unveiling this alien culture.

Was so impressed by this, i picked up the original trade to compare the two.

Im not easily shocked or disturbed, but the original was as close to the line as I've ever read. Its well written and powerful, but ugly, brutal and nasty.

Moore, though, has crafted something beautiful.  He's set his enormous mind to constructing a believable apocalypse.
The future speak was difficult as first, but through the quality of the writing gradually becomes clear. On second reading, words like  [spoiler]"Crunk"[/spoiler], which isn't explained until the end, adds layers.

I thought the [spoiler]wolves[/spoiler] were especially powerful, given their appearance in the original Ennis arc. We're supposed to be [spoiler]reassured by an early Ennis scene involving wolves, safe in the knowledge that nature will survive the collapse of mankind.  Moore's wolfpack shows what that survival would actually look like.[/spoiler]

Ya bunch o' miserable cynics.

Dinosaurs!  Chris Pratt!  More Dinosaurs!  Running!  Screaming!  Motorbikes!  Dinosaurs!

So, Clara just decided that letting a whole bunch of kids die was kinder than saving them and allowing them to travel anywhere in the universe. What a cow.

Some lovely dialogue and characterization. I thought that the Doctor's refusal [spoiler]to tell a school kid she was "special"[/spoiler] was brilliant, especially when compared to Smith's [spoiler]"you are all made of stars" shtick[/spoiler]. 

Nice, creepy atmosphere.  Some impressive and not-over-used monsters. 

Then some plot happened, which just seemed silly.  Ignore that bit. 

Finishing on some nice dialogue and character development as Clara finally realises that [spoiler]the Doctor is a dick[/spoiler].

Again, I'm not really enjoying much by way of plot, but have enjoyed Capaldi.  I've felt that this season has referred back to previous episodes to demonstrate the change in the character...

Tennant stood before a massive Devil, and called on human ingenuity and love to save the day.  [spoiler]Capaldi stood before a massive Dalek, and was saved by hate.[/spoiler]

Smith was trapped in a maze with a bunch of innocents, facing a monster that needed saving. [spoiler] Capaldi breaks into a maze, messes with the lives of innocents and stands by whilst a whole bunch of lives are endangered, to save the Teller from its own maze.[/spoiler]

Smith pretended to be a comedy human and though everyone was brilliant.  [spoiler]Capaldi pretends to be a comedy human and thinks everyone is annoying and deserving of their impending death[/spoiler]

Smith and Tennant warn their companions not to blink.  [spoiler]With Capaldi, they can't even breath, whilst he disappears and leaves them to fend for themselves.[/spoiler]

Excellent.  Looking forward to the next episode.

Love the website too - nice to see how everything is put together and the animated option is inspired.

Whilst our political betters squabble over devolving power in a way that doesn't inconvenience those in charge, ordinary people try to make the world a slightly better place by providing food for their hungry neighbours:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-29307940