My Favouritest Films

I thought I’d compile a list of films that I love, not in any particular order as the order changes in my head constantly anyway.

Feel free to agree or disagree with my choices or even recommend stuff I may have missed or may have never seen.

Star Wars:  Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi

Although I reckon I’ll get panned by the Star Wars community at large for choosing this about A New Hope or Empire, to me this is my favourite. I even liked the Ewoks, there I said it! It has to be said that I love all of the Star Wars movies (with a minor exception of Phantom Menace in places)

Blade Runner – The Final Cut

This latest final cut version has suppassed my previous Directors Cut version, both of which got rid of the Harrison Ford voice over and happy ending. I love the bleak future as painted by Ridley Scott as well as the constant guessing to whether Deckard himself is a Replicant. I’ve always been a fan of Philip K Dick’s storys and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a great book if you’ve never read it though different in many ways to the film.

Aliens – The Director’s Cut

Again with the director’s cut. I can’t watch Aliens without it being this version, if I do I know things are missing and it feels much like watching an edited version of the film on the BBC to cut out the sex,  swearing and violence. Also this version has the Robot Sentrys, which although have no integral part in the plot do add a sence of tension as the Aliens are trying to find a way into the compound.

Well, my lunch break is nearly over so I’ll leave it here for the time being. I will be adding more and also adding some links and pictures and whatever.

Work’s Secret Santa

Christmas Idiot

This year at work we’ve decided to do a Secret Santa type affair, each person had £3 to spend on their gift and we distributed them on Thursday.

It turns out though that only 7 people out of a team of about 25 can be bothered to join in… miserable b*stards.

Anyway, 11am came and I was on the phone to a customer with a support issue so I managed to hold up the ceremonies for 15 minutes then the time of giving was at hand…

Overall it wasn’t a bad effort, the odd chocolate based present was exchanged along with a selection of garage shop inspired gifts for Kyle including some furry dice. Nick got a wooden puzzle thing similar to a Rubik’s cube, Jade got a keyring sized Operation game and I ended up with an bright green foam sword and shield.

I’m pretty sure that whoever bought this, and I’m pretty sure I know who it was, only did so because they knew I travelled to work by train and I would have to carry it home.

I did get a few looks of wonderment during my journey but they all averted their eyes when I stared back at them. Once I got home I hid in the dark ready to jump out at Bec when she walked through the door, unfortunately I’m not as stealth as I like to think I am and she spotted me through the door window.

I hope to take a couple of shots with them during the holidays so keep an eye out for them in my Flickr stream.

How to be sexy in Photoshop

Wannabe Hero

OK, now I know this image isn’t the most stunning peice of Photoshop work but come on, everyone has to start somewhere right?

To say that I’ve been using Photoshop for about 2 years now I am the first to admit that I am incredibly poor at it, I am also the first to admit I am very self critical about everything I do, even if people tell me it’s good.

So I thought I would let people into the resources I use when I create my mediocre attempts at digital art so that they can create their own digital masterpieces and inspire me to pull my finger out…

First up is PSDTUTS.

I’ve only just starting using this site, God only knows who I managed without it so much. Most of the tutorial sites I’d used before were OK but nothing really presented anything that I thought, “F*ck me, this is fantastic!”. This site offers so much high quality style work that with me gushing all over it some of you are going to think they paid me for this shit, but alas no

Check it out, see for yourself.

Second up is a small collection (which I’m hoping will grow and grow) of video tutorials by one of my Flickr contacts, Aaron Nace, this guy is amazing and he also offers an online digital enhancement course (which if I wasn’t so tight fisted I would pay for). If you take him up on his course tell him I sent you and if enough does he may let me have a space for nothing. Think of it as affiliate marketing lol.

Aaron’s Flickr Page

ARFotography Tutorial Page

I need to shoot off now to catch a train so I’ll update this page more and more when I find some other decent resources. If you have any that you think I should check out just let me know.

What do Mince Pies have to do with Christmas

Instant Fave - Mince Pie & Custard

I like Mince Pies, I always have. I like to heat them up and drown them in thick creamy custard, none of that brandy sauce bollocks or ruining it with ice cream.

But what I don’t like is that they aren’t readily available all year round, at least not in my local Tesco anyhow.

So it got me thinking, what have mince pies got to do with Chrimbo? Well, I got my research assistant (Jade) to do some research (i.e. looked on wikipedia) and it turns out that the Fat Red Suited Sack Emptier is partial to them and that’s it… possibly the worst excuse for eating them in December alone is that a fictional character like them.

Also another “interesting” fact is that back in the 17th century Oliver Cromwell made the eating of mince pies illegal on Christmas day which was voted the fourth “most ridiculous British law” in a 2007 poll. Which makes you think, what were the top three? Something else for Jade to research  methinks…