Miniclip

When I first started to use the internet, I got drawn to miniclip.com. it had free games all in one place and the choice was amazing. As time went on, the site managed to recruit loads of bugs to my computer which slowed it down a lot. Some of the games that I committed to would crash or would simply not allow me to save; so I gave up on it. What I did enjoy was the pool which I carried on into the Facebook world. Then, once I got my tablet, things got so much easier to play pool. Aiming became a lot easier and the gameplay went a lot faster. Nevertheless; I still struggle to win most games; and even though I have a high rank I still have the worst luck when it comes to easy shots. One day, I’ll work my way through all the achievements, but I’ll probably have to burn through thousands of coins before then.

Now You See It

The man in red has the magical ability to make things disappear; namely drinks. But he’s a researcher. He often likes to do things his own way and go off-road to tread the untrodden; though he’s more likely to post his location rather than his opinion. So often he likes to make himself disappear; whether it’s racing off on his own agenda or hanging back until the last possible moment. But when he needs help, he’s happy to hide away behind the backs of others; if only to save his hide from the raging bull in the field. He’s also a realist who’s soft-spoken and always has energy for the next adventure, meaning that he’s just as likely to pop up anywhere as he is to disappear. But most amazingly, he’s always up for tasting the strongest beer; so long as it’s in half form. But you best drink it quick before he makes it disappear…

Getting Served? #dreamdiary38

I’m staying in an apartment in London near a tube station. It’s a scorching Summer’s morning so I’ve left the window open. Suddenly; there’s loads of shouting coming from the station. I ignore it and prepare for my day’s travels. Unfortunately, the house’s wi-fi is very slow which is odd as I’m the only person who should be using it. On my way to the station, I log into the server and find out that the same person who’s been ranting their head off all morning has somehow hacked into the wifi. I head back into the apartment to turn off the modem; and once he discovers that he’s been disconnected, he looks up at the window in disgust. ‘Beat it’ I say, and he does. I return to the station and discover that my bag which I left in a corner of the station has gone. Frustrated, I board the train, realising only afterwards that it’s got my cash and travel documents in. As the ticket man approaches I manage to produce a mobile phone and many card receipts but not the ticket itself. I’m therefore charged £80 to get me to my destination; where I’ll have to buy another expensive ticket if I want to continue traveling for the rest of the week. Did I get served?

Ashover Turning Stone at the Wilkes Head, Leek

This pub was just off the end of the town’s high street and was alongside many other local businesses in the oldest part of the town. It was a small pokey pub with wooden walls which had a great collection of humorous quotes from the locals pinned to them. We were the second batch of arrivals in our group, and were greeted by a bearded hippy kind of guy who looked like he’d had some very strong views about the smoking ban. Opposite the bar was a large table on which some local cheese and nibbles were laid out for us. The barman seemed quite upset that we all wanted halves; and struggled to find glasses to accommodate all of us. Perhaps I should have asked for a stick. Towards the other end of the pub was a history corner dedicated to John Wilkes; an English rascal, journalist and politician which explained all the sarcastic comments; but not the local connection to Leek.

Family Guy: Season 8

This series felt like another slow stream of half-baked and instantly released ideas. The main theme of each episode would only be focused upon for half its length if that. It’s almost as if they’re focusing more on their TV cutaways and less on their own characters. The one thing I found quite strange with this series was that people were prepared to act quite stupid for the sense of a comedic situation; as in Back to the Woods. Thank god for Brian’s intervention. Yet just one episode later; this too is disregarded when we delve into the dog’s sexual relations. For me, the most enjoyable episode of this series was Road to Germany. And it’s a shame that Peter’s pirate theme halted halfway through the episode to focus on Chris’s love life; I would have liked to see more pirate antics. Some of the featurettes were just too droll; there seemed no planned antics at the 2008 Comic-Con which unsurprisingly built up zero anticipation within the audience. The office tour also seemed to be drivel; it would have been much more interesting if we saw some of the staff in action.

Black Jack Pokies at the Earl Grey Inn, Leek

From the outside, this pub looks like it’s been remodelled from the set of Coronation Street. Its traditional corner-shop entrance allows for a very airy lower lounge with room enough for two or three groups. A set of steps leads to the bar behind followed by a corridor with bench seating leading to a beer garden. This meant that the bar got very congested at times; but the barman was very enthusiastic to serve us. It was lucky that we caught the pub as it was opening which allowed us to set up camp all over. The pub has four real ales and strives to please beer-tickers; though the beer failed to impress me. I opted for a mild which was acceptable; though for a Good Beer Guide pub and a Regional Winner I expected the quality to be better. I suspect that the pub won over its competitors through décor and charm. It wasn’t surprising that we got our heads together to plan our next venture.

The Postman's Pint

Dawn. For many, a new beginning; for others it’s the start of another drudge day. The cold feel of crawling out from underneath the duvet to begin the daily toil. There’s no traffic to blame as an excuse for an extra five minutes in bed. It’s time to fish out those shorts; get the kettle on; and grab a bite to eat before facing the frosty cold air outside. Then it’s into the dark for the even colder commute. You arrive; you punch in; and bleary-eyed; you start to sort through the rounds. At nine o clock; it’s time for a break and a bit of snap. A refreshing boost and something hot if you’re lucky. Then the day gets better as it’s time to depart. The quicker you deliver; the quicker you finish; or at least get some free time on your hands. And at noon; when everything is done; you can be first at the bar. And that, my friends, is the Postman’s Pint.

Maxim The Great Escape at the Roebuck, Leek

This was my first visit to a Titanic pub, and it was quite a strange one. It was in a traditional merchant’s house; yet the bar was quite small and reached out into hidden rooms beyond the reception room. It served the full core range of Titanic beers alongside a selection of brewery souvenirs and food products. We also had to wait quite a while for service. Considering the size of the building; the bar wasn’t in the best of positions. As I was beer-ticking, I decided to try their guest rather than one of their usual regular beers. There were two other smaller rooms in the pun which were both packed out. After staking out the bar to get served, we managed to seat ourselves on one of the larger bench-styled tables. It was then that one of the oddballs of our group got even odder and began scoffing at the remains of a leftover lunch at the table.

A Visit to Qualor #dreamdiary37

I’m standing in a field holding a small metal coin with the letter ‘Q’ inscribed on it. Its memories takes me back to an old town lined with small independent high street shops and cafes with smells of freshly baked cakes drifting out of its doors. As I climb the grassy hill to the top, all I can see is chained fencing with yellow diggers perched on top of churned up soil behind them. This coin is all that is left of the shop age; a time when people actually left their homes and spent time in different buildings, browsing through the wares that each individual dwelling had to offer. Nowadays we just stay put plugged into our screens and let everything come to us. It’s too risky to set foot outside the door; there’s too many machines zooming around with their packages to everyone’s drop zones. Though how they can afford it all is beyond me.

Blackjack Flack Manor at the Picture House, Stafford

This pub was well worth visiting, and it’s a lot different from the usual high street Wetherspoons. From the inside, there’s an empty foyer with an old ticket booth in the centre but beyond that is the bar. The pub is divided into different levels, while a level of steps goes down alongside all of them to reach the bar; which sits where the screen would have been. I’d hate to work there; you’d always be on show and it would be difficult to see to the top of the pub! I was under starter’s orders off the bus so I was the first to plunge in. Being as it was the first stop of the tour, I plunged for a pint of Blackjack’s Flack Manor; a sweet porter with plenty of hops. Once served, I took in my surroundings of first edition movie posters displayed on the walls. Many thought it was too early to start on the booze and opted for hot beverages instead. Some of my closer companions opted for halves and we shared the beers on offer between us.

Watchmen

This is one of Snyder’s first works which focuses on a lesser known franchise of costumed crimefighters in a world dictated by politics under threat of nuclear war. It’s got quite a dark edge as its main narrator has quite a husky voice; and while each character has their own set of abilities to seek help in neutralising the cold war; they must first battle their past demons and resolve their conflict with each other. There’s at least an hour of origin material and flashbacks to get through before the viewer is brought up to date with the current storyline. As the protagonists continue to battle their past; their journey is more of a political one rather than of facing a traditional villain. The film also deals with superhero issues such as what they do when they retire; and their exposure to the public in political terms; making the plot dark indeed and is often quite hard to understand. Yet out of all their actions and sacrifice; humanity survives at their cost.  

Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my favourite book of the Fowl series so far. Perhaps it’s because Colfer focuses much more on his descriptive surroundings and the relationships of his characters rather than the free-flow action scenes that I’ve read in his previous novels. There’s even emotion and unquestioning loyalty involved between each character; as they work together to scheme a plot against some rogue humans. We also see Artemis committing some very noble acts for the very first time. Unfortunately, Spiro makes for a very week villain. Apart from having the usual twinge of gangster evil; he has a habit of describing all his acts up front so you know exactly what to expect. This makes you wonder how Fowl and his team will attempt to do the impossible. But, as in all of these stories; we do seem to witness the power of technology rather than magical abilities. This tale would be the perfect story for Colfer to end the series on; as everyone has survived the odds and has reached an almost happy ending. But the series goes on…

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Nagging Networks

Mum fancied a smartphone to keep in touch with everyone for free; providing she’s got internet access. She didn’t want anything too expensive or too big, and her brother recommended an Alcatel phone. It’s the cheapest of the cheap. So it came and we began to set it up but the first thing we had to do was to change the SIM card. Mum’s had a candy bar phone for ages and wanted to keep her number; but she also had to change networks as Orange has now become EE. So we had to get her number exchanged onto a microSIM and the only way we could do that was by phone. My phone, that is to avoid the expense of calls. So after chatting on the internet to the EE team; I rang them up on a Thursday afternoon and once I got through to the right department; I carefully explained what we wanted to do. We didn’t want a contract as Mum’s never paid over £30 a year for a phone. Four days later, we got the SIM update to say all was up and running.

Stretches

My friends, it is time for us to commence our stretches. All these people have assembled to admire us; so let us not detain them any further. We will begin by pointing our left arms at a forty-five-degree angle into the sky to look as though we are about to take off into the night. Ignore the masses of evil culminating behind us; we shall despatch them shortly. Just listen to the music; and when don’t forget that when the spotlight shines on you; that is when most of the attention is on you. Don’t waste this opportunity. Don’t forget to smile and wave. Afterwards, they will assemble in the halls and purchase our highly priced merchandise in worship of us. You may like to focus on some of the individuals; look for the ones that already have our merchandise; they may like to return to the merchandise stand after the show to purchase more.

Craddock's Crazy Sheep at the Talbot, Droitwich

This pub has recently taken over by the Craddock’s Brewery, and features beers from Bridgnorth as well as their own. It resembles the form of a tall, traditional coaching house inn, and has an adjacent lane where the horses might have been led at its rear. A corridor entrance leads you into a small bar where locals are welcome to perch up for the day. A loyalty card scheme is also in operation; so best grab one if you’re part of a large round. Up to eight real ales are available on the wooden bar; and the back bar is painted an odd shade of green. It’s run by a group of friendly young people who are always happy to chat with you at the bar. At the rear there’s a comfy lounge area with stuffed leather chairs and exposed brick. It also serves as a restaurant serving Pie Minster Pies. There’s also a courtyard beer garden and traditional wood stoves are in operation during the winter. 

Sneak Attack

While the heroes have decided to pose on their podiums for their beloved audience; we’ve used the element of surprise to sneak up behind them on our motorbikes. We’ve parked about five metres away so that they don’t hear us; and we’ll approach in waves of three at a time so that we’re stealthier. Once the first wave has engaged our primary targets; our secondary targets will be alerted and will begin to attack our primary wave; by which time our secondary wave will be ready to help counter the secondary targets’ attack. We also have a third wave who will guard our vehicles and engage only if the first wave has been despatched. Soon the stage will be littered with dead Avengers; and it will be our turn to mount the podium and be admired. It serves them right for them to pose and not to have a look-out facing the west. 

Return to Lampeter #dreamdiary36

I’m on my way to my school reunion. It’s a long drive and my car’s low on fuel, so rather than taking the shortest route through the windy country roads; I stick to the main roads so that help can be found easily when the inevitable happens. As usual there’s no phone signal but I manage to borrow a mountain bike to complete my journey. As I push my bike through the high street; I recognise the outline of the buildings but their contents have changed. A church has now been gutted out to become a small supermarket. A car dealership ship has been converted into a two-storey bike shop. And a building near the entrance which might have been used for overflowing classrooms (but not in my day) has been ripped up and is surrounded by metal barriers. As I push my bike along the gravel path; I recognise a few faces that were there during my time; making their way home after afternoon lectures; but nobody I knew personally. Oddly, my work colleagues are also here making their way home. I chain my bike up in the cycle park and make my way to the Student Union. 

Poser

As I stand here on this podium; I see another bloodthirsty crowd before me. I’ve spent years toning my body to athletic perfection; but all they want is violence and punches. They don’t care about my speech; my years of elocution lessons and lifelong confidence building skills. All they want is another stunt off a motorbike and buildings turned into rubble. The more people that get hurt; the more thrilled they’ll be. But the whole show has gone perfectly. No-one has missed their lines; no-one has been in the wrong place at the wrong time; and everyone has done their bit to get the job done properly. And everyone has had a chance to see all the characters wherever they’re sitting in the arena. All that remains is to get them out of the arena so that we’ve got a chance to rest and reset the stage for the next show.

Family Guy: Season 4

I bought this box set as a bargain from Amazon’s Prime Day; yet it’s clear from the first episode that the executive producers still weren’t sure whether this franchise would hold its own. Once again, there are plenty of cutaway references to TV shows that we just don’t understand to illustrate McFarlane’s point; but there’s plenty of classic family moments in this series; as each character battles their own demons. There’s many unlikely scenarios such as encountering celebrities; persuading the government; and smuggling people out of prison; but all could happen in corporate America; albeit to the same family. Apart from the giant chicken; there’s no storyline throughout the series and each episode stands on its own without change; allowing each wacky adventure to exist in its own right. We also see less of Stewie’s evil side; and more of his childhood. It’s all about trying to uphold the same values.

Jarvis Guides Us In

After a welcome from Jervis, we’re flown into the jungle where Loki is attempting to track a new source of power with his henchmen. Fortunately he’s interrupted by Shield agents who arrive in jeeps, but despite the fight scene Loki manages to get away with the new Tesseract. Then we head over to Stark towers who introduces the other Avengers. The dialogue is all done on headsets; though it’s unclear as to whether the characters actually speak or whether they’re voiced over in American accents on the sound system. Because of the size of the arena and the lighting, it’s hard to tell. There’s lots of motorbike stunts with people popping wheelies and riding ramps; as well as a lot of characters flying around on wires. The climax was the transformation of the Hulk; which was done with a lot of dry ice machines and a fabric costume. It was quite an exciting stunt show; and lasted as long as a regular movie; as well as having a proper interval.

Funky Pigeon

I’m amazed at the range of products that Funky Pigeon have to offer. From greeting cards to mugs, cushions to calendars; there’s something there for everyone. I usually use it for personalised greeting cards; but just last month I was commissioned to order a cushion; and we were all surprised by how quick it came. The key thing about this site is to make it as personal and creative as possible; and use every blank page possible to add your own photos. It’s good to have a proper think about what you want to create before ordering to get the very best value out of your product. Although the photo interface is easy to use; sometimes it crashes and it’s not often clear if your photo has uploaded or not so it really is essential that you check every detail before placing your order; as I imagine that once your order is placed it’s hard to amend or cancel it. 

Avengers Live

A couple of friends of mine got together one afternoon during the Christmas break to take in the delights of Birmingham. The highlight of our visit was to see Avengers: Live!; a live action stage show featuring stunts; combat scenes and action galore. We had a bit of trouble getting to the booth as we had to figure out which lifts to take as one of my friends was in a wheelchair. After getting as far as the Sealife Centre, we backtracked to a lift that was controlled by a security guard whose attention we had to attract by waving at a camera. But once we got through; we got our tickets and headed in where a friendly steward escorted us to our seats. Unfortunately we couldn’t get seats together as there were no spare chairs available in the wheelchair zone; but luckily my friend got seated directly in front of us so that we were able to enjoy the show together.

Christmas Workout

I’ve always tried to get into the habit of doing an early workout at the gym. If I’m awake early enough, the plan is to leap out of bed and have breakfast with a cup of tea, then brush my teeth and let the dust settle for an hour. Then if I’m lucky, I can be at the gym for when it opens to do a workout. After that I have plenty of time to come back home and have a shower before work in the afternoon. I could always go later and shower in the gym then go straight to work afterwards, but I always seem to be in a rush when I attempt this; and it usually leaves me feeling knackered as there’s no chance for a rest. But lately, I’ve been trying to catch up with my gym shifts. I tend to reach for the i-Pad as soon as I’m awake to see what I’ve missed during the night. Or I get distracted on the computer while I’m waiting for my breakfast to settle. It’s a constant battle.

Burton Bridge Burton Ale at the Weatheroak Taphouse, Studley

It’s quite off-putting when you just need a pint and you get told off by the locals for your appearance. Whatever happened to calling in for one on the way home? Perhaps they felt that their local had too many visitors that day. Nevertheless; I opted for the stranger beer on the bar since I was made to feel that way and the taste suited the atmosphere. It’s got a nice malty edge without being too smooth and sharp; which made it very refreshing. The pump clip is in the traditional Burton Bass colour; but I’m a bit miffed as to why they felt the need to put a Facebook-styled thumbs up on the front. Perhaps the brewery felt it necessary to let you know that the beer was OK; or maybe they just wanted more followers on social media. And nothing more was said about the stranger in the corner; quietly supping his pint while reading his magazine. I’ll just have to make sure that I do my make-up for him next time.

Stockroom Stairs #dreamdiary35

It’s a chaotic day at work. The stockroom has seemed to resemble a maze of staircases from my middle school and all the stock seems to be kept in each of the classrooms. Rather than have a lift, we are expected to carry the items down four flights of stairs; though we do have a crashmat-styled trampoline to throw the heavier items down the middle of the staircase. It’s also a quick way for us to get from A to B; although it’s a health and safety nightmare. My boss who is blonde keeps shouting up from the ground floor since that’s where the stock needs to go to. I’m suddenly realising that I’ve got no idea how the stock gets there in the first place. Perhaps there’s a chute into each room and we distribute the stock from the roof. I have a desk on the second floor which prints each order onto a scrap of paper telling me what I have to fetch from which room.

Christmas Reindeer

Of all the little novelties and stocking fillers that you might see; the perfect little guy managed to creep over my stockroom counter and into my home. I had to keep my eye on a few unclaimed reservations to get my hands on one. It was quite a good design considering the price; it’s just a shame that it couldn’t be bigger. I also got confused by the fact that the extra blocks were presents. With an extra Lego set, I could have been inspired to build a Christmas village for him. I’m also hoping that this model’s unique and that he doesn’t appear in the Lego Advent calendars. He’s cute with his festive bells jangling from his neck but he is kind of lonely on his own and he has to sit with the rest of the Christmas decorations for the next eleven months. Maybe next year there’ll be other models so that people can make a collection.

St Austell Tribute at Steps, Redditch

Originally known as the Bell Inn, this pub had a makeover just after the millennium and became a trendy chrome bar. There’s a variety of comfortable lounge seating near the entrance; and a long bar in the corridor allows for locals to lean over and catch up with the events of the day. Towards the end of the pub is a space for a dance floor with a narrow corridor for the facilities. In the past they’ve had a beautiful beer garden. Trees, decking, glass tables and sunbed-styled chairs made for an impression that you were abroad; with each table having its own roped-off section. In the middle was a beautiful fish pond. In recent years this has been scrapped; either due to maintenance or vandalism issues. Instead they’ve built an awning which created extra inside lounge space and overlooks a smaller second bar. The ale’s been quite good in recent years and has known to occasionally surprise us; though often it’s from a national brewery.  

A Wanted Man by Lee Child

A Wanted Man by Lee Child
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an enjoyable thriller. It’s centred on a man who is well travelled and has plenty of facts and philosophies to share; and if you’ve never read any of Reacher’s novels before; you learn about his past through his interactions of the other characters; although he tends not to reveal much about himself. It’s not easy to trust a man of Reacher’s calibre, but he often leaves them with no choice. I thought that the reaction of the motel manager was quite comical; trying to put as much distance between himself and the incident as possible. When they find Delfuenso’s car it seems that all leads have been exhausted. From there; the tale seems to get a little conspirative and unreal. I found the decryption of Delfuenso’s message a little far-fetched and unrealistic, but I suppose it makes sense when you learn of her identity later on. But what a strange alias to have. It would have been a good perspective for Child to delve into more of the Wadiah and their plans to pollute the water table. I also found the FBI’s method to find a particular branch of McDonalds very questionable. But despite the gung-ho one-man army approach towards the end, it still makes for a very interesting page-turner.

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Scrappy Burger

This show barely gets things going. It’s another South Park-styled animation, and the episodes aren’t short enough to keep the jokes rolling in. There’s so many issues that they can tackle; yet like their characters they give up before the episode’s started. It touches on a few stereotypical issues such as the characters’ low-paid prospects; and there’s very little character development. Their narrative is often a little slow and is spoken without any enthusiasm. Occasionally they do make relevant political comments and devise their own actions; demonstrating that they have some intelligence. Then there’s the stereotypical hoarse old man who always stirs up trouble owing to their lack of understanding of the modern world. But their humour is typically British and their well-thought out puns may be just too intelligent for some. The score suits the series perfectly; it has a here-comes-trouble attitude; but as the series progresses it’s rare that a solution to each problem is found. But there’s so much potential for development here. 

The Post-Meal Breakfast

Everyone seemed quite keen on getting tanked up before heading off to the venue. I had a pint in a pub while I waited for the others to arrive. It was a shame that everyone decided that they all wanted to get tanked up; and it kind of ruined the evening towards the end. No-one acknowledged the fairground tickets that I procured; although I don’t think I put any money towards the taxi. And I got bored after the hottest girl only had their eyes on just one person. It takes a lot to get me drunk; especially when I’m somewhere where I’m not familiar. I still have my guard up. But at least there were bacon sandwiches to grab towards the end. Meanwhile, one of the others got too giddy; passed out and got took back to the hotel. Somehow they’d got a key to my room and splurged everywhere in the bathroom; leaving a great mess. He also left his phone in our room; which kept ringing constantly. As a result; I couldn’t have a shower in the morning; and I could still smell the stench on my clothes as I headed back home for breakfast. 

Sinking Ship #dreamdiary35

It’s charity fundraising season, and we’ve decided to raise funds by sailing a boat alongside the coast of Wales. We spend Friday night traveling down and once we’ve arrived it’s far too late to set up and board so we find a pub and treat ourselves to a couple of beers. The next morning we’re all due to work before setting sail; so we rush in and we run out of time to report to our friend about the leak in the boat. We set off in the afternoon, and by early evening we find ourselves in a canal as we’ve decided to take a shortcut. We’re passing through a student town and we decide to moor up to get some fish and chips. Unfortunately, the hole seems to be getting wider. I’m wondering what we could have done and the only thing that I think that we could have done is to ask my friend to cut a board to plug the leak. While I’m thinking when to ask out a girl I just met, the boat starts to sink, and my wallet falls out of my pocket as I ponder the best way to save the vessel.