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Just back from a holiday in Toronto. A jolly nice place, but jolly cold place (and the CN tower was a scarily high place - Mrs X was much amused at my trepidation as I walked on the glass floor. But it was 1400 or so feet high).

Anyway, the hotel room had a Zenith telly. I'd never heard of them, but their logo looked a little familiar... and it was created in the 50s!

Link: http://encarta.msn.com/media_461523310_761559903_-1_1/Zenith_Logo_Circa_1950.html" target="_blank">Zenith logo

Some parts of Star Wars and the Planet of the Apes films were shot on Tenerife. Mrs X and I went there when we were poor students. The location is the top of a dormant volcano, which is higher than the clouds. It gets no rain (what with it being higher than the clouds and all) and is blasted by the sun all day, every day. The whole thing looks like a radioactive wasteland. Or, at least, what Hollywood would have us believe a radioactive wasteland looks like.

It is very impressive.

The drive there is done in a caravan of open top jeeps driven by psychopathic locals. Much "fun" is to be had careering around bends and through villages - especailly when the bends are 270 degree corners up a hill and inside a cloud.

If you do go on the trip, which I recommend, then remember two things:

1) Wear shoes/ trainers and NOT flip-flops. The ground is barren, rocky and treaherous.

2) Take a jumper or, as a minimum, a shirt. Despite being sun-blasted, it is very cold at the top.

So long as it is like the first hour of Independence Day (where everyone gets killed) and not the second (where everyone gets saved by Uncle Sam) then I suspect I'll like it.

1) Auto-saving of checkpoints, Halo style. Better than quick saving, and less frustrating than playing a whole level.

2)Stub guns.

3) Being able to play from where you left off rather than trudge through the same old you've done before just because you never finished a level the last time. Some kind of saving of checkpoints, that might do it. Like Halo.

4) Unique Dredd plot-elements to the fore, in order to differentiate it from other shooters. Policing events would make a good alternative to "escort missions" and bring these out, for example missions could include (from the top of my head): Keep the fatties from a food delivery for a particular time; or, police a crowd during a sky-surfing event (maybe playing hunt the sniper in nearby blocks against the clock - you need to get the killer before he picks off the racers).

5) Being able to save your progress in a level. An innovation sadly beyond Rebellion last time round, but a common feature in many games.

6) Lawmasters and Mantas.

7) Some kind of anti-frustration feature for those without the time to play through a whole level in one sitting. Can't imagine what... no, hang on - I've got it. A BLOOMIN' MID LEVEL SAVE.

I thought I'd be smart and say "Hewligan's Hat".

Then I remembered it was a haircut.

Sorry if that makes no sense. I'll have a coffee and come back.

SUrely it's for profile? She gets her top off and, hey presto, Dr Who is in FHM. She pouts about make-up and, bang, the Doctor gets a mention in New Woman. This, then, could be a Good Thing.

I've never read it. Not then, not now. I did read it in the Meg until about a year ago. I then ignored it until this month, when I tried it again.

It wsa like eating butter beans - I should have known it would still taste bitter.

What have we got? Plummy british officers, mockney scalleys ("luv a duck what a terrible war") and someone from the same school of policing as Inspector Closeau (and the terrible Steve Martin one at that).

To be fair, though, I can see how this strip had an influence. Without it, we would never have had 'Allo, 'Allo.

Just because it's old doesn't mean it's good.

Granted, it may be the best thing from 70s comics, but then so what? Does it follow that because Terry & June was tops then we should be subjected to the regurgitation of that pap?

Like many old things, when Charley's War is taken out and dusted down it turns out to be faded, jaded and not as good as you remember it being.

Sorry, but I've gotta say it.

THE EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES!

Surely Chalrley's War is the most over-long, over-rated, repetitive pile of tripe to ever appear in the Meg? What's so good about it? I get the point - War is Hell - but do we really need to read the same stuff every month?

Darkie's Mob was the same - same stuff week (month) in and out.

It was different when we were all small, because we wanted the familiarity of the same thing happening in every episode, but to lump three to five episodes together every month in the Meg highlights the drawn out nature of these old tales.

You get every region. And, saddo that I am, I can confirm that the quality of BBC regional news is... consistent.

For those lucky enough to live in Scotland, or slightly less lucky to own Sky Digital*, then don't make plans for next Friday night or the seven after that.

Still Game series 3 starts! The best British comedy in... oooooh ages (yes, better than the Vicar of Dibley) returns for another run.

Swearing!
Eating!
Drinking!
Old folk moaning about sex!
Illness!
Morbid fascination with impending death!


What more can you ask for in a sitcom?

Remember: Friday 7th May, 9.30pm.






* Did you know that you get all the regional BBC one channels on Sky? They are roughly around channel 930 (just before the pay-porn). This means you can get the (sometimes quite different) English/ Scottish programming. Why is this of interest? 'Cos in the words of Mrx X "That means you can watch Holby City on a Tuesday AND on a Wednesday"

Leaving aside a debate about whether "parody" is a defence to breach of copyright (suffice to say, it usually isn't) it occurs to me the 2000ad could actually sue for breach of their Burger Wars story.

Before you laugh, look at it this way -

(a) Rebellion are a computer games company;
(b) This is a computer game;
(c) Rebellion own the rights to a story about Burger Wars, where burger barons fight for territoty;
(d) That's what this game is about.

No parody there. And no Durham Red "vampires are generic" issues either.

Was a tad concerned that so many stories were all based  Dredd's world. Is this the first time there have been three separate strips in 2K all in set in MC-1 and with judge/ perp characters? It reminded me of the early meg.

Just a nit-pick, I know.

Oh, and BTW, "Feck" is the word of choice.

AH well, that's what I get for thinking they got Skaro back somehow cos it was mentioned at the start of the McGann Who.

Anyway, they didn't actually LOSE a planet - as in misplace it - which the cybermen did. Although I bet it was actually a cyberwoman who misplaced the thing.

That last post is, of course, nonsense.

Daleks are the superior beings 'cos:

(a) they haven't lost their home planet (and then their new one) - Once is bad luck but twice is just careless;

(b) they can wear gold ornamentation and, indeed, there is a gold dalek;

(c) they can travel through time;

(d) they have perfected the process of humanoid assimilation;

(e) they have no arses.

Still a nice icon all the same.

Just don't get me started on the cybermen and the Borg rip-off!