Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Dark Knight - Final Trailer (?)

hey everyone

what one would assume is the final trailer for the film (it is released in July) is now available! you can get to the trailer via this ace site, Happy Trails, or you can just click here and it should start downloading away - all 121 MB of it.



...please can we just have the film now??? enough already, we all want to see it!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Sunday, April 27, 2008

I Want To Believe (that this will be decent)

i am not at all sure that there is any great need or point to another X Files film. but, just as that can be said of certain people i know, there's also some interest in the idea, and further the reality is that they/it exist/s.





it's difficult to nail what exactly the inspiration is for a return to this subject with the imminent release of X Files - I Want To Believe, really. i mean, the series did not finish all that long ago to warrant tapping up some nostalgia market (unless i am mistaken) and, as much of a mess the final series was at times, it did pretty much place a full stop on the story. at least, i guess that's what we all assumed.





the plot is being kept under wraps at this stage, which is either an attempt to keep the experience of watching the film as magical, mystical and surprising for audiences as possible, or it is an attempt to disguise that this is a lame film with a low budget and ill conceived script. some thing are known, however. apparently Mulder & Scully have gone their separate ways and are now "ex" FBI. presumably they are "ex" in the disillusioned sense, for that would certainly go some way to explain the "acting" look from David Duchovny in this picture, would it not?





as for Gillian Anderson, well, nothing has gone all that right, film & TV career wise, ever since she was unable to appear in one of the Hannibal Lecter films owing to her contract forbidding her from ever playing any other FBI agent, has it?

one hopes that this is not just Chris Carter and his two stars milking the last possible cash out of the whole X Files phenomenon. i really do wish to believe that this is a film for the fans of the show, and remains decent entertainment.

will Agent Doggett (or whatever that bloke that was in Terminator 2 was called in the show) be in it?


be spooky and excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

more from Sunday

thanks Dad for sending a stack of other pictures through!!! i would not wish to put each and every image from today up here, so here's a selection of a few of the best of them. well, a few of the best of them and one or two of yours truly.....


first up, here's why exactly James and Lyla were not all that keen on joining in and eating the rather fine lunch Grandma, Grandad and Erika made (Richard "observed" it being made).....





...in glorious retrospect, perhaps i should have not given them their treats, an ace lucky packet each, before dinner was served!!

and here's one of Richard any myself engaged in conversation -





i would love to shared with you that we were discussing something trivial, such as Cartesian dualism or some other matter of theoretical discourse. alas, we were discussing the rather important, heavy hitting subject of Richard's most excellent new cellphone game, California Chainsaw Massacre. i can very easily see me soon marching into the premises of a distributor of cellular telephone devices and purchasing any model they provide which can play this magnificent game!

next up is a shot of Lyla and James playing on their toy bike things. i am not sure if Lyla is a calming influence or if he has just clocked that falling off it hurts, but by and large today James used the toy bike as it was intended for a change, and as far as i am aware managed not to fall off it!





and finally one of your humble narrator paying a visit to the realm of the bouncy castle. i somehow doubt that i would fit much further into it than one can see in this picture, and this is not really a bad thing.





Lyla was already in the class bouncy castle, and was feeling somewhat nervous and unstable on the bouncy platform. i don't think me sticking my head in, at the behest of my Dad as he wielded his camera, gave her quite as much assurance as it could have done!!

righty-ho, i think that will just about do it for pictures of today, quite frankly! it would be, as ever, my sincere and earnest hope that you all have had a very good weekend too!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Many Faces Of Richard

as Richard was the most vocal in concerns around me not updating my blog recently, it is only fair to pay tribute to him with some pictures. after all, Richard is currently celebrating the fact that his argument, that all films should be Sword And The Sorcerer or they should not be made, has in his world been proved by the imminent arrival of Tales Of The Ancient Empire this year.

a word of caution, however. Richard, by and large, is not a person intended for general public consumption. some of the images below may not be suitable for all. actually, just about all of them are not suitable for all really. you have been warned.


first off, here is Richard proudly standing with an Amstel alcoholic beverage and some biltong. he was on his way to add a camel cigarette to this combination, making something of a triumvirate of quality, if you will. it was indeed very kind of Richard to stop long enough to pose for a picture with parts one and two of this trilogy.

there have been some provisional discussions around the idea of using this picture as the basis of a birthday card of something for our brother-in-law, Grant. it's not an all together bad idea, but as there is a lack of visible wool or any other sheep related materials in the image, how excited and impressed Grant would be by such an artistic statement is debatable at best, irrelevant at worst. that said, if Grant sees the image here, well then, there's the birthday gesture already taken care of. sort of.



now this is a rather fortunate picture, as it captures the essence of Richard in his natural state. lying on a couch, watching TV when not asleep and keeping the TV remote handy on the off chance that something he sees offends him is something that Richard does rather well. another thing that Richard does well, as pictured here, is make what he considers to be appropriate gestures of non-verbal communication to make his thoughts and feelings clear to any passing audience. read into that what you will; and yes, the more observant of you will have noticed two remote controls that are within easy reach if only Richard's hands were not presently busy.


whereas the above picture was never considered as a possible basis for a birthday card for Grant, this image was under some consideration. you will notice the subtle differences in this picture from the very first one. whereas in the other picture Richard had a look about him that said "soon there will be a new Sword and the Sorcerer film, nice one, busting, ace", in this image Richard seems to be evoking the sentiment "i own the film Convoy on DVD and VHS, and i am quite prepared to own it in any other format the Japanese can think of.".

you will further observe that we still have just the biltong and the Amstel on the go at this stage - Richard's words not long after this picture was taken amounted to a suggestion that no further pictures would be considered until such time as he had procured and at least partially consumed a camel cigarette. Richard's actual words, as colourful and loaded with metaphors as they were, will not be repeated on this site, thank you.



and finally, another shot of Richard in his place of comfort. this one was taken some time after the other similar image, after he had finished a light afternoon nap with the TV on. i say finished his nap, but not finished in any sort of naturally occurring way. i believe his words made it clear that my regular filming and taking pictures of him had disturbed his presumably pleasant snooze. it is perhaps as a consequence of the rather abrupt nature that his sleep ended that left him in a rather tired state, hence only the one hand being used to make a gesture which was earlier defined.


so, there you have some brief insights into the world of Richard. i trust that you have enjoyed them, and were not too offended by some of the images and concepts going on display here.


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

more quality records

oddly, Michele has just told me that the excellent High Fidelity is on tv right now. i don't think she's aware of me doing yet another vinyl update right now!!

many thanks to Steve of the magnificent Chilli Vinyl for some more rather excellent record finds!!! James and i were up at his store yesterday, i hope that James did not do all that much damage as he went running around!!

of my finds there, i am busy listening to Another Monty Python Record by, erm, Monty Python. as for the rest of the stuff i found there, well....


the original issue of the 7" of Ceremony by New Order was certainly smart. in rather good condition too, i have enjoyed giving it one or two spins already.

in the history of New Order, Ceremony was their first single, and kind of the second time they had released it that year. it was, if memory serves correct, also the last ever Joy Division single, barring the numerous appearances and re-appearances of Love Will Tear Us Apart. which is the better version of the song? they are both quality, and if you do not own either version, you should pretty much head off and get both versions as soon as possible.


and staying with New Order, having an original issue of Power, Corruption & Lies, their second album, put in front of me was only going to have one result, and that result is it proudly sitting in my collection.

it was ace to find it still in good condition, and in the original "cut out" sleeve, following the artwork style and pattern of the (rightly) celebrated Blue Monday 12".

this is the only way to hear this album as the band intended, oddly. for some inexplicable reason the CD reissues of the album dropped the track Ultraviolence, and the Americans on their version felt the need to write "New Order" on the cover, as well as just slam Blue Monday on the end of side one. go figure, and all the more reason to return to the vinyl of magic, kids - back then artists actually cared what was on the album and crafted it accordingly.

needless to say, the album is a classic in the view of your humble narrator. sure, the big hits and glamour all came after this, but here's the band finding their feet and launching to glory after a "difficult" first album as New Order. this is them, as it were, moving out of the shadow of Joy Division and casting one of their own.


in a gesture of moving away from CD and back to vinyl, i was delighted to find Steve had a gatefold copy of The Stranglers' Live (X Cert) just sat there waiting for me to pick up! i have the CD, but some things are just meant to be heard in the spreading, open sound of vinyl, and this is one of those things.

live albums, be they tape, disc or vinyl, more often than not tend to be contractually obliged fillers, and are seldom any good. this is not true of Live (X Cert). this one stands with perhaps only Live At Leeds by The Who as an essential live addition to the studio work. excellent live passion performances of some classic tracks sit alongside one or two rarities, and the exchanges between Hugh Cornwell and certain members of the audience make it a great listen.

oh, and before anyone takes me apart, read my comments with care - yes, Frampton Comes Alive is a great album, but as Mr Frampton's studio work never quite hit the heights of this one, well, that's the only album of his you really need!!


and finally, what a bonus! the 7" of the magnificent Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley. aaah, to be back in the days of throwaway pop tunes that nonetheless became classics that still get played today. the overwhelming majority of music made in the last decade or so will, sadly, not live on in hearts and minds as long as this one. all things considered, the 00's will be remembered musically as the decade that few cared to make anything of consequence, the years of 60's and 70's acts returned to make fortunes off the back of the fact that the current generation of musicians cared more for being arrested to get publicity rather than be famous first and then try to see how far you can push the line.

as for Rick and Never Gonna Give You Up, i seem to recall that the interwebnet pranksters, those "all your base are belong to us" types, are using Rick and this song across the world network for a variety of reasons? if so, nice one!!!

right, time to give the 2001 : A Space Odyssey soundtrack a spin, i guess!! and as for music, well, remember this - if it is not important enough to commit to vinyl, then it is not an important enough piece of music to give consideration to. CD is disposable plastic that anyone can do, vinyl is a crafted, considered work of art.


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunday Lunch

hi everyone

gee, well, i don't know, a while since my last update, kind of so. i didn't realise that it was close on two weeks since i posted, as per the comments in the last post! oh well, here we go with some images from today!

first up, here's James, doing his rather determined walk thing. i believe he was happily playing with Marmite not too long before the pic was taken. then, we have to assume, he stopped as he had a rather good idea come to him, so off he goes to act upon it. this is a rather common event with James, no idea if it happens with other children. probably!!

now that i think of it, i am not sure what it is that he marched off to do! one suspects that perhaps Lyla had gotten hold of a toy that he, consequently and obviously, decided that no he must have right now! that said, it would be nice to think that he was off to do something as innocent an pleasant as give Mama, Grandma or Grandad some luvvies!


it is the case, alas, that he was probably off to go and see if Lyla was doing the walking thing OK, and to make sure that she was not tampering with any of his "stuff", as it were. with respect to Lyla's walking, it is going all very well indeed, and she trundles off at will and with some ease. just not when in the bouncy castle.....



Lyla does enjoy a good sit down, however. i noticed today that she is considerably happier to pose for pictures than her cousin James is! she is also just as keen to look away at something other than the camera when it suits her, like for instance in this picture where they are sat with Michele. i say "sat" with caution - this is almost as close as we came to getting them together for a picture the whole day!




"almost as close" is probably not the best use of the English language i have dispensed here, but you will see what i mean in a later pic!


meanwhile, here's Lyla safely in Grandma's arms! i think she looks a bit tired in this picture, but one must give her something of a break. with Lyla, walking, yes, running, not quite there. she can walking with a somewhat elevated pace, but she is not as of yet in a position to keep up with James in the house and through the garden!

that said, it's rather a credit to anyone who can keep up with James, quite frankly!!

it was a delight to see Lyla today, along with Erika and of course Richard. it feels like ages since we last saw them all, i think it has been a fair few months anyway! it's not always easy to see each other, what with distance, time, verk and so forth, but i dare say we all would appreciate it if we could overcome all of that!

a-ha, now here we have another picture of James and Lyla together, one that with some luck shall give some sort of justification to my earlier manipulations of the English language! it appears that the two of them had a rather good idea involving the chair cushions and sleep...





poor Lyla, every time she got her hands on a cushion, James decided all of a sudden that he actually wanted to sleep on that particular one! in fairness, he is getting somewhat better with these notions of sharing and accommodating, but he remains just as perfectly flawed as the rest of us in respect of showing this all the time!


time for James to catch up on some reading, it seems! he rather loves books, and i suspect (perhaps hopefully and optimistically) that he is picking up on one or two words, or at least letters, as he goes along. probably just on association at this stage, but it is a start.

i believe he is reading a Superman annual dated 1996 here, and one that is something of a peculiar oddity, as if one had a normal oddity. in this annual, Superman appears to do battle with no less than The Joker himself, and i do mean The Joker. odd, i had never known of the character to appear outside of the world of Batman, but there you go. lurking not too far from James is indeed a Batman annual anyway, dating back to 1981. i am not sure if it was mine or Richard's, but one thing is of certainty - James has made it his own now!!

and after all this activity, what better way to wind down for the day than with a nice drink of warm milk? all that James needed to find to enjoy this wonder of warm milk was a nice, comfy spot to lie down on.......





....very generous of Grandad to oblige! James was happily lying by Grandad having his milk bottle, but when he got cold he hopped off, headed to find his beloved "ball" blanket as he calls it (i believe it was mine at his age!), then climb back on with it!!


well, that's about it for pictures from today! hope you all had a most excellent Sunday too!!!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

transmission

well, as you can see here, James and his Grandad are eagerly checking this site to see if there are any updates! Richard tells me i have been rather slow with updates of late - my apologies for people who have been checking in expecting something and have gotten nothing, then!

there's nothing sinister or untoward in the lack of updates; in fact i was unaware that it had been a while since i posted. it's all probably a combination of being busy, being lazy and, um, not having all that much in the way of updates to share of late!!

we were, however, over at Grandma and Grandad for lunch today, along with Richard, Erika and Lyla. that means there are some pictures to put up here at the least!! yes, like this picture - i don't think they were actually checking to see if i had done any updates, but one can live in a vain hope that they were!!


meanwhile, for those of you who have not seen it anywhere else yet, and that cannot be many people, here's the latest poster for The Dark Knight!



with so much emphasis on the character of The Joker, before and after Heath's sad passing from this world, it's almost weird to see Batman himself in one of the posters!

meanwhile, it seems that they are up to another class interwebnet game thingie with The Dark Knight. clicking here will take you to an interesting site, with a countdown (in days) and all sorts of "hidden" buttons. will this at last be the next trailer?

right, let me get some of these pics uploaded then!!!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Richard, try to remain calm...........

oh dear. there are many, many films (note the lack of the word "fine" before "films", please) that one could declare as being the "King Of Films" in the eyes of my brother Richard. Flash Gordon, for instance, rivals for his affections with Convoy, They Call Me Bruce? and most of the James Bond films.

however, few could hold a candle to this one



so news of Tales Of An Ancient Empire, the sequel promised to this film in the end credits (in 1983), actually being made might excite him!

Cult director Albert Pyun is reuniting with Lee Horsley - the star of Pyun’s The Sword and the Sorcerer in a return to the fantasy genre where both made their name.

Titled Tales of an Ancient Empire the new film casts Horsley as a mercenary general and father to stars Christopher Lambert - himself making a return to the genre that made him an international star - Kevin Sorbo and Victoria Maurette. There are offers out to a number of other significant stars of the genre but nothing is final on those fronts just yet.

In Pyun’s words, “It’s got a sorceress, hordes of demonic vampires, a giant serpent, sea pirates, nasty sword (and axe, spear & leg of cow) fights and gore galore. Everything that a rousing adventure needs to have.” The project began life as a proposed sequel to The Sword and the Sorcerer though I believe it has strayed some from that now and is more a sequel in spirit than in story and Pyun plans to make it as a true, hard R rated film.




i must confess to being rather keen to see it myself. personally, i see this as a qualification very much for my argument that the world went completely bonkers in the 90's by all but rejecting everything 80's, and it is a delight to see the fine gems of the era being revisited. well, that or, if you cast me in such a light, a group of fellow "retro chaps" with considerably better finances than me watched Sword one night and decided it would be a jolly good idea to fund the much anticipated (by Richard) sequel. either way or another way, we are all winners here. let's face it, however this turns out, it will be better than this Lost Boys 2 that will be with us soon.


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

the silence of the lambs

i first read the novel The Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris in either 1989 or 1990. it caught my attention for two reasons; firstly it was lined up to be made into a film by Gene Hackman,and secondly it apparently featured the same characters as the excellent film Manhunter. i confess, i was ignorant of knowledge of the book Red Dragon at this stage.

Hackman's film version never came to being, but the book was a spectacular read anyway, and it was with interest a year or so later that i saw that a film was to be made of it, starring Jodie Foster and a then somewhat unfairly little known Anthony Hopkins. little known in the States, really, although anyone who saw The Elephant Man would never have forgotten him.

i saw the film on release in, i think, 1991, and it was brilliant. it cast a rather large shadow of neglect over the smaller scaled but visually stunning Manhunter, and it was no surprise that nothing released for the rest of that year could stop the film marching on to Oscar glory. it was, alas, perhaps the last time that all the Oscars went to all the right people, sadly.

finding myself a bit stuck for something to watch last night, i decided to pull the disc of the silence of the lambs off the shelf. it was a weird feeling, really - i probably have not watched the film for about 10 years now, but it felt rather fresh in the mind. guessing that i might doze off or something if it all got too familiar, i put it on anyway. my word, how this film has held up over the years.

there is little or no point in going over the plot here - you have either already seen it, do not wish to see it, or may want to see it if you for some reason have not gotten around to it. there may be the occasional ** SPOILERS ** from here on out, so you have been warned if you are in the latter category.

the first thing that comes to mind after watching it again is that there has been no performance in the past 17 years that has come close to being as good as Jodie Foster's in this film with regards to actresses or, if you will, by a "female actor in a leading role". this is easily the pinnacle of her career, which is saying something when you can hold up her work in Taxi Driver and The Accused as being some of the best the cinema screens have ever shown.

other than in the opening training sequence, there's not a moment in which Foster's Clarice Starling does not give a sense of being under overt or covert scrutiny, attention and threat. she gives, if you will excuse the play (of sorts) on the title, an indelible portrayal of the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter that she is cast into, only to remain true to her belief of determination that she is in a world and position to which she belongs when all around her tells otherwise. oogled, abused, manipulated and toyed with at various instances, Clarice clutches emotionally to her dignified pride whilst her physical characteristics give subtle subconscious hints of doubt.

i cannot speak highly enough of Jodie Foster's performance in the silence of the lambs. i would encourage you to watch it and see if you can tell me a finer performance by a "female lead" since this film and i will be glad to have a look.


the somewhat accidental star of the show, of course, was Anthony Hopkins for his career redefining role as Dr Hannibal Lecter. so much has already been written of the chilling brilliance with which he plays the restrained psychotic cannibal that i suppose there is very little i could add, really. i will try anyway!

just how strong the performance Hopkins gives is reflected in the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, he has a rather small amount of on-screen time for the "lead male actor". the only comparison you can give him, and this is intended as a badge of honour, is to Marlon Brandon in The Godfather - a small amount of screen appearances in which a performance is delivered to such startling strength and conviction that the character dominates the mind of the audience as they watch the film. and here comes a possible *** SPOILER SECTION ***

although the film has a fair amount of violence, the two moments of sheer terror from Anthony Hopkins come via suggestion rather than action. the first is when Hannibal hands Clarice the Buffalo Bill case file, and his finger lingers across hers for all of a second. i remember well the whole cinema (the Middlesbrough Odeon no less) giving a collective stunned gasp at that point. the second is when Hannibal escapes. the first you know if it is when you see a hand clamp a handcuff on the wrist of actor Charles Napier. the camera pans up, and the look of horror on Napier's face as he is confronting a free Dr Hannibal Lecter makes you shudder.

*** END SPOILER ***

the films that followed, Hannibal, Red Dragon and Hannibal Rising never quite captured the brilliance of this film. this is perhaps because Hannibal became the central character, rather than the subtle figure lurking in the background. they are fine films all the same, but none could claim to be the masterpiece of cinema that the silence of the lambs very much is.

the legacy of this film is out there for all to see - films like Se7en and The Usual Suspects owe a debt to the iconic work done by Jonathan Demme and co. the silence of the lambs has also had its fair share of rip offs, the worst of which was easily the laughable Backdraft, in which a "deranged arsonist" in the form of Donald Sutherland traded information about a mysterious arsonist on the loose in exchange for stories from one of the Baldwins (i think) about how his father died in a fire. a deliberate and lame rip off of the silence of the lambs, and i remain amazed that so many top calibre actors (and a Baldwin) appeared in it.

righty-ho, off you go and watch the silence of the lambs, then, or go watch it again. preferably before you have an old friend for dinner................

Friday, April 11, 2008

Chinese Democracy 'ready for release' - report

The long-awaited new album from Guns N' Roses - an industry in-joke called Chinese Democracy - is finished and ready for release.

According to reports, Chinese Democracy - which has been 14 years in the making and cost a rumoured $13 million - has been handed over to Geffen Records.

NME.com reported the label was haggling with the band's front man, Axl Rose, over money and rights.

Therockradio.com also reported Rose was in talks to create a reality television show documenting the album's release and the band's comeback.

A source said, "There is a lot of footage to choose from. Some of it is incredibly personal and revealing about Axl's life."

Guns N' Roses launched a worldwide tour last year, playing two critically-acclaimed dates at Auckland's Vector Arena.

They played several new songs, including Better and IRS, versions of which have been floating around on the internet for some time.

wow.

here is a rather impressive poster for that classic of cinema The Godfather



if you are not immediatley impressed or taken with it, i would suggest that you should enlarge it, or click here. what an astonishing artistic work.


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, April 10, 2008

62 Years Later.........

hey everyone

Many thanks to Susan for the collection of pictures she sent through from taking Grandma and Gramps down to where they met 62 years ago! erm, that's my Gran & Gramps, not James' for a change!!

here they are at Old Dalby, where they met in 1946. i am guessing, from Susan's elaborate and punctuation-free email, that this first one is on the grounds of Old Dalby Hall?





again, if i have followed Susan's mail correctly, this next one is in front of the house where Gramps's boss, Mr Kent, used to live. there is a rather cheeky pic of Gramps around the back of the house, as that is where he used to go and collect his wages! not included here, mind!





and this one must be in front of Old Dalby Hall, then. Gramps was under the impression that it had been burnt down or destroyed, so i would imagine that he was delighted to find that it had not!




and finally, a trip anywhere for Gramps without finding a new lady friend is a failure, so here he is in front of what was once upon a time a village school with a lady called Anne. Anne remembered Gramps well, apparently her father wanted Norman Henry to work for him, but with no accommodation available it was of to Cirencester for them. oh well!




it sounds like Gran and Gramps had a wonderful time on their trip down memory lane, so well done to Susan and everyone for arranging it!! i suppose if Michele & i, in about 53 years time, decided to go back to where we met, we would log on to the interwebnet thingie and then eventually head off in the direction of a petrol station on Rivonia Road. as i very much doubt that they will have the interwebnet thingie or petrol by that time, perhaps we shall just sit back and be happy for the time that we have had. aaaaaah.



be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lyla and James (not together, alas)

hey everyone


some new pics of Lyla, thanks to Erika!!

first up, here she is in a class bunny rabbit or possibly rabbit pair of jimjams! they look adorable, and Lyla looks rather awake for a picture taken early in the morning. i will wager that she had quite a bit of energy to burn off that day!!

it feels like ages since we have seen Richard, Erika and Lyla. ho hum, what with verk and them living something of a distance away it's not always to see as much of each other as we would like!! i believe that when they are next here Grandma wants to take them all along to the Lory Park Zoo that James loves so much. it should be a rather grand and indeed fun day out!

and, as for what James is up to these days, well.........

and here's Lyla, clearly happy and delighted to be sat near a rather smart looking Tigger! i think Tigger is at least the same size as Lyla at the moment, if not bigger than her. that tends not to last at that age, would like to see a pic of her with Tigger in a couple of months!

now that i think about it, for some reason we have not watched The Tigger Movie for ages. Batman and Night At The Museum are the top choice at the moment, but i think we shall have a watch of Tigger bouncing around again soon!


as you can see, he has taken something of an interest in driving Grandma's Jeep. actually, if i didn't know better, i would say he's trying to clock how one "hot wires" it, looking at the intent interest on his face!

i think this has more to do with James currently having a rather dedicated interest in climbing over everything and everyone that he can find, really. he doesn't seem to do much damage to himself as he does it, so there you go. i believe i still have the scars of similar adventures at his age!!

anyway, more pics in the not too distant future, i hope! we are probably due a batch from New Zealand soon!!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Batman Hat!!!

hey everyone


just a couple of pictures of James in his class new Batman hat!! Thank you very much Grandma, it looks rather ace as you can see here!!



truth be told, it was rather tricky to get him to wear it for somewhat obvious reasons. if they are not so obvious, well, if he is wearing it, he cannot see Batman! it got as far as hovering above his head and then taken back down to have another look at first, but as you can see he finally had it on!!



sorry that he looks a trifle tired in the images, he's had a long hard day at school today since he had his beloved "tanganastix", a sort of dance & aerobics type thing for kids!!



anyway, wherever you are in the world, i hope all is well!!


be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Dawn Of Never Watching Anything Else, More Like

hey everyone

when this is released in 2009, right, James is never ever going to let us watch any other film ever again!!




Dinosaurs AND Silly Squirrel in the same film as each other? dear me, best i watch every other film ever made before this is released, James will not know what to do with himself!!





let's hope it is just as good as the other two!





it certainly looks like fun!!





be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!