Under one month to go….

…til we move house that is.

First batch of gubbins, the entire contents of the attic which contains 95% of my stuff goes tommorrow in a Rach driven van. I’m working from home, doing the loading at that end, while father in-law does the unloading at the other. We then have a break and then more or less everythiing else except bed/sofa goes to new house week commencing Feb 6th.

So I spent yesterday in the attic packing boxes, a job that was physically tireing and somewhat emotional. The cats ‘helped’ like running around like Viking berserkers, jumping into boxes I was trying to pack. Me and Rach know that the cats know we are moving. Lots of supervised vists to the new outside world and bribes in the form of ham are planned when we move.

All this moving marlarky meant it was good to go out on a whim on Friday night to the Portland and drink far too much beer with deputy_dug, dr_misrule, Speedy, Cal, sarah_orange Jenny and some other folk. It was great to see everyone and despite being a bit too wobbly and huggy on the drinks front its really centred me at a time I was begining to flip out. Thanks chaps 😀

NEWT LEAVING TOWN CELEBRATION take 2

Ok Lads and Lasses, we are officially moving house week commencing Feb 6th.

So on Friday 3rd Feb I shall be going down the PORTLAND* at 8pm sharp for a night of boozing, pure and simple.

If you can read this you are invited. I’ll be sending out an email tonight, but spread the word to those luddites who don’t LJ or do email.

Here’s the obligatory naff flyer.

*not the Victoria as previously advertised.

Happy New Year ya tiddlers

Just a quick post to wish everyone who bothers to read this damn thing all the best for the New Year.

I’ll probably post a self indulgent “reflections on 2005” post tomorrow, but some quick sound bites.

2005 was the year of

  • Grumpy metal courtesy of Fudge Tunnel, Ministry & American Headcharge.
  • Too much FPS leading to disillusionment
  • Titus Pullo, man of the series Rome. Ave it!
  • Gearing up to move house.
  • Er indoors finishing off her course and then going to do a very scary job.
  • Me changing roles at work without moving desk or being paid anymore.
  • Mood swings, grumpyness to idiotic joy.

And most of all

Taking the piss out of keefybabe pictorially.

Bless

The Movies

I’ve previously moaned here me and Rach aren’t doing XMAS properly until the second week of Jan. I sort of had XMAS yesterday, starting with the egg in a bun fest that was breakfast at maviscruet‘s. Massive kudos to that man for feeding the large number of people who turned up. I was literally in shock when I first stepped into the crowded room, so apologies if I didn’t talk to everyone. Lots of people, most of whom have LJ even sweet Jimmythedog. A nice fun way to catch up with people and their hangovers…

Then returned to the peace and quiet of Castle Von Newport, and me and Rach exchanged one present. I gave her the new G4 CD since she likes that sort of thing1 and my sweet darling wife gave me a copy of The Movies.

Hurrah for Peter Molyneux and the chaps at Lionhead. When ever I get bored with FPS and pc games in general they release something that is truly innovative and fun to play. Last time it was Black and White, which I had to put to one side I had to work on my Masters.

On the surface The Movies is a management type game like Theme Park meets the Sims. You have to look after your studio keeping it in good repair and adding buildings while looking after the needs and happiness of your Movie stars. However it all builds up to the creation of Movies that you can watch after they are made. When the game starts in the 20s this is all automated (leading to some very strange Gay Cowboy films). However as the game eases you into it, it lets you lose with the Advanced script writing once you’ve released a couple of films, which allows you to write your own films.

This is my first attempt “Die, Die my darling”, A particularly violent spaghetti western tale2. I created it in game3and nearly bankrupted my studio filming it. My leading lady, who appears in this film, quit the studio soon after. Like most “Art” films this one didn’t make its production costs back.

Download “Die, Die My Darling” (in .wmv format/ ~4Mb)4

Spent most of the afternoon and long into the night playing/tinkering with game. Now firmly into the post war period, managing the chaos which is a busy B-Movie studio. Trying to get “Maximus studios” off the bottom of the Studio league table, by churning out crap short films to rake in the dough. Then I can go back to make my WW2 epic, or perhaps some more strange Sci-fi/Horror films.

I’m rather smitten by this game. I like messing about with this sort of multimedia nonsense. The good thing about the Movies is that you don’t have to create things from scratch, so its relatively quick to put a short movie together. Most of all its fun. Expect more nonsense from this direction 😀

1Of all the muppets that have been on X-Factor they are the most tolerable.
2 Ok so it was an excuse for me to try out all the fight scenes.
3 Apart from adding the music after wards, and slightly changing the titles. This can now be done in game using the “Post production studio” but this wasn’t available when I originally made the game. You can also make films with all the options, sets, props and costumes etc., in the out of game Sandbox mode.
4Next on the list of things to learn is to import these files into flash in a smaller format.

The Begining of the End

In six weeks time, week commencing 6th Feb 2006, me and the good lady wife will be moving to Oldham.

We’ve inherited Rachel’s Grandma’s house so thats were we’re headed. A nice big house in a nice part of Oldham, just a short ways from Tandle Hill Park. Its going to be a short bus ride to the train station, a short train journey to Manchester and a short walk to work. Bliss

For all you people who think I’m moving to Mars, Oldham is only 45 miniutes on the motorway or 1 hour approx direct by train. So I’ll be back to visit 😀 Also if we’ll have more than enough room if you want to come and visit 😀