like sputnik, spherical but quite pointy in parts.....

Tornado / Vortex seen from Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex 25-10-2011

2011-10-25T15:51:00.001+00:00

totally awesome!
Was just looking out of my window when a storm was brewing and I saw this Vortex/Tornado tail in the distance. Watch the video that I took on my phone, it starts to get bigger so stick with it.

Blinkin-ada if it isn't Darth Vader

2011-10-11T00:08:00.002+00:00

Do you recognise the man in the middle? You should!

He played the most infamously iconic character, in arguably the greatest movie franchise ever! This is David Prowse aka Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies.

Saturday the 8th October with the kids I met him. The original Star Wars movies are a cherished part of my childhood so I admit I felt a little reluctant about meeting the great man himself. For a start I didn't want to be disappointed as it is said, "never meet your heroes", but also I was concerned I would gush.

True to my word I was over the man like a rash with my handshakes and whitty quips....it was soo embarrassing for the children. The shame of it. What I will say is that I had nothing to be concerend about, Mr Prowse was very friendly and kind, a gentle-man, not phased by a pathetic middle aged man acting like a giggly school girl. He had huge hands though, and you can get a sense why he is/was pals with other 'big boys' from the business like Lou Ferrigno (aka the Incredible Hulk) and even Arnie.

Let me tell you what I know about David Prowse.....
For a start he was a big man at 6'7'' tall when younger and upstanding. Us 70's kids knew him from TV, especially his character the Green Cross Code Man. This is him.

Lastly, did you know James Earl Jones' voice for Vader wasn't in the initial plan? David Prose had a go at doing the voice for Vader but it was eventually dubbed over, which in part is a shame, but as much as it pains me I agree with the decision......see what I mean below. (Scottish? what a blinkin cheek - nothing like showing your ignorance!)

Just having fun after all this time

2011-09-23T14:24:00.000+00:00

Dedicated to 'my mate' Steve

Personalize funny videos and eCards at JibJab!

Driving me mad

2010-09-19T14:01:00.002+00:00

Been too long since i've added a post here, but thats circumstance really. Having had enough of the restrictiveness of a corporate envirnoment I took advantage of an opportunity to get out. Thing is 3 months or so is a big enough break now. So its time to find myself another job.....thing is i don't think the job wants me to find it! So i'm gonna have to hunt a bit harder, but I'm confident it will work out alright eventually.

The best reason for driving me mad involves cars. Went to the Brighton speed trials and lusted over the white Nissan GTR in the photo. A few weeks earlier I got to go out with the 'Silver Arrows' driving display team at Mercedes World. Most of the crazy ride was spent drifting sideways, excellent fun. I recommend it if you can go!

I got bored.....again

2010-04-27T15:27:00.000+00:00

The saying goes 'devil makes work for idle hands', so it wasn't my fault it was his!

think its quite clever tho!

Amazing stunt!

2010-04-16T15:51:00.000+00:00

This fella transfers from one glider to another....really clever

Brave skydiver's human link stunt @ Yahoo! Video

Project Tardis

2010-04-09T21:44:00.000+00:00

No particularly intending to focus so much on the Doctor Who theme as I have recently. I am hoping this is it for now as we come into summer and I have the prospect of new opportunities for work. At least looking at it optimistically opportunities will arise! Anyhow I digress as always. Previously I have mentioned a project I was working on in building a Tardis and figures from an Airfix kit with my son. Well with the power of Windows Movie Maker I am proud to show a presentation of what we did. Then swiftly followed by another project involving me and a friend building what should have been a standard size headboard for my sons new bed, but it got a little out of hand. The dimensions at the end were 10" (25 cm) deep x 4ft (125cm) wide x 6ft 6" (195cm) tall. Then adding to that the 2 halogen built in night lights and the blue roof light, you can see that a couple of grown men got a little carried away. It was worth it when we brought it back on the roof of the van to my home. Seeing to my son who at the sight of what we were carrying, was rushing about like an excitable dog. I hope you enjoy the presentations.

First Attempt

2010-04-05T18:02:00.000+00:00

Here's my sons first attempt at stop frame annimation using Windows Movie Maker. It was after doing this that he took on the epic production of the Doctor Who Episode that I blogged about previously. Well done again to my kiddo for having a good imagination and improving technical talent.

Doctor Who The Lost Episode

2010-04-02T13:25:00.001+00:00

This is a fan movie that my son has made of Doctor Who. As its his first undertaking of a movie this size and it includes a mix of both stop frame animation and video footage I think he's done a storming job. He used over 700 photos alone, plus the rest. Have a look, but beware of the Man-Eating Guinea Pig ARRRRGHHH

Don't become a victim to your environment.

2010-04-01T12:52:00.001+00:00

This is a mantra that I keep repeating in my mind.   In essence it means, don't allow things around you get you down or make you it's victim. For instance your work, or your neighbourhood, or even the people you mix with. There is always something we can do about it. It could be as simple as changing the way we look at these things, perhaps the easiest and most practical way of improving our environment.

In a job you don't like? Then try looking at it as a means to an end, where the job just facilitates your real life away from it. What about if this proves impossible and where the environment effects you or your loved ones severely? In that case you have to make bigger decisions. Do I/we stay or do we move? Do I stick with this job that makes me unhappy?   etc etc.

These things have to be thought about even more seriously when we have others that are dependant upon us, like a family for instance.

For me though it comes down to this in the end, do I still want to be in this same situation for me and my family in 10 years? The answer over the last few years has been no. Our home wasn't serving the job, so we did something about it. My sons education was a problem, were we going to allow him to continue being a victim of his environment? No we did something about it? Ignoring a situation can only go so far, but looking at ourselves every once in a while and saying, "Do I want to be in this same situation in 10 years?", can help to motivate us to do something about it.

The most recent thing for me has been work. I am doing a job that I dislike that does not pay enough to cover our bills. Thing is, we are in a recession and work is harder to find.   For a long time I have reasoned that even though it is far from perfect, it is still the best solution. That has changed and as well as the opportunity to make a change arising, it also coincides with the fact that I've had enough. So I'm moving on. It's not an easy decision to make or to put into action. My success from here is now up to me, I can't be a victim to anything or anyone else. I either find another job or make work that will support the family. Success or failure is down to me from now on nobody else, it is my effort or lack of it that will make the difference.   One thing is for sure I am determined not to become a 'Victim to my environment'.

Happiness or Contentment?

2010-03-15T17:39:00.000+00:00

Thats what i'm trying to work out on my daughters face here. The sugar around her chops (frosting around her mouth) just adds to the effect! I have been assured that was a very good donut!

Decisions

2010-03-05T12:44:00.000+00:00

That cold and cough was severe, beyond normal man-flu I tell you. Until earlier this week I had been unable to go outside for the previous ten days, because of the cold and its effect on my cough and chest. It's a great relief to be clearing up from it now at last. Someone suggested that maybe it was the infamous 'Swine-Flu' that has been talked about so much, but personally I think it was just a nasty 'Piggin' Cold.

Things are back to normal for life and work again. When it comes to work, normal means dreadful. My true feeling is that I really am unhappy in my work, but I have always believed that work is a means to end. So I should be able to find a little place of contentment knowing that it funds my real life. Thing is now I can't hide away from it, the reality of redundancy is looming for many including me. The discussions about cost reduction and headcount has made things a little more complicated. I can't go into the details as it could easily be the catalyst for making my severance a premature one. So its like this, do I sit it out and just wait and see what happens? Or do I take the bull by the horns and turn my hand to something else. The latter option is the one I really like, because I hate the thought of being a victim and having someone else decide my future. Thing is though, I have a family, a mortgage, a loan and to pay and two pets to care for. I don't want to put them under pressure unnecessarily, the family I mean, not the pets, they might become the meal at this rate (only kiddin of course). I have had enough of the corporate world, and would love to turn my hand to other things, but I need to earn a minimum that covers the essentials.

I think reality is that I will have to sit this out, even though I really don't want to. It's realistic that I might have to look at other options anyway, as the situation could easily turn terminal (in a work sense). In that case what does a man do who has IT skills but lives away from the big towns and cities and lives by the sea, where a lot of old people have retired? Decisions, decisions.

Oh No!! It's a man with a cold....stay away unclean! unclean!

2010-02-21T03:05:00.000+00:00

Typical caught a blimmin cold, and I can't sleep. The kids have got it too. What annoys me the most about colds is that are so.....inconvenient! You know you're not going to die, yet it's capable of stopping you doing anything constructive. Then you also have to watch out for the cold outside making you worse. I'm fed up of colds, they are irritating. The kids agree too, my poor daughter was half crying/half moaning that she wanted it to 'go now', it was making her feel rotten. This is why I am blogging now at a time when a normal person would have been asleep for a few hours already.

I have tried hard to use the time 'ill' to do some things with the kids. Any free time I've had since before the holidays I've tried to have little craft projects on the go with them. Over the Christmas time my son and I worked on his Doctor Who Tardis, Airfix model kit. We spent a lot of hours putting it together and painting the Tardis, but we spent even longer painting the Doctor and his assistant Martha Jones. (if anyone is interested I will add some photos of our workmanship of which we are very proud) If none of this makes much sense please look up Doctor Who and use the links I've provided.

Anyway as I said there is another craft project I have been working on. It's very girly too. My daughter and I have been creating a little fashion brochure, and she has been designing her own fabrics.(or at least decorating ones we already have to her own taste) I am genuinely impressed by her definite taste in clothes and how much she notices the little details like the collar and the pockets, even the buttons. My role has been mainly advisory, but I'm good at cutting and I also designed and drew the mannequins we are dressing. I'm loving it! It's really interesting, not the clothes, I mean the craft and design involved. I'm loving us working as a team too, good old quality time with the kids.

While we have been doing this, my son has been building a spot of LEGO. He loves it! He obsesses with a model until it is complete. He's built 2 ships, a helicopter, a Batmobile, Darth Vaders Tie Fighter, the mojority of Spongbob Squarepants themed LEGO, such as the Rocket, the character houses, the boating school blah blah blah...there's loads more! The latest one is a bit smaller it's a car, and a snazzy one at that. It looks like a Shelby GT500 (aka Ford Mustang) to me, which makes it muscle car cool. Here's an image of it taken on my mobile phone.

A break in the weather

2010-02-17T17:50:00.002+00:00

Just a week or so back, just as the first snow had cleared, we had this beautiful day. It was cold, but there's a certain something about sunny wintery days that motivates you to action. I had earlier in the day come across this little opening to the beach less than a mile from home, and had to investigate it with the kids as soon as possible. It's now my favourite local beach, quiet and clean.........beautiful.

The photo isn't as clear as I'd have liked because I was zooming using the digital zoom. Still, I love the activity of the waves and the sea, all so busy!

Who wouldn't want to look at the waves like that. I think actually my son was letting the waves chase him up the beach.....and he used his real feet and legs not even virtual ones!

There's always the excitement of discovering something interesting that came in from the sea. This skull was a major discovery that day. After a bit of discussion we decided it was a fish skull rather than a seagull which was my first thought, but still it looks interesting and we bought it home.

This stone has been added to our collection, with its squiggles and veins.

about time too I reckon

2010-02-09T16:37:00.000+00:00

For all of us music has had a profound effect on our development in life. My tastes in music have changed drastically, from the early pop years, through to my funk, soul, disco and even blues years. I still love this music, but now is is joined by rock both modern and classic. For instance I have a favourite Beatles song, and its a more obscure one! Now that the days of Mod's has been and gone, I can enjoy The Jam and The Who without needing to be a part of the culture. Britpop era was eye opening, exposing me to Supergrass, Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp all of which have retrained my tastes.

But I go on, you see the purpose of this post is to let the music do the talking. It is my pleasure then to invite you now to the Royal Opening of my new blog, set up to share great music! It was once said that (you know who you are) that I had cloth ears because of my taste in music. Well i'm hoping this will establish enough evidence to disprove that. Please subscribe/bookmark and click the link to .......

http://whosaysihaveclothears.blogspot.com

To update this second blog should be simple, so do have a look often as you don't want to miss out!

Music Gold

2010-02-08T16:39:00.003+00:00

Thought i'd share little bit of musical gold with you. If you can close your eyes and turn it up, do it. To me this is a like the new Crabbies Alcoholic Ginger beer, filling your pallet with a fresh yet nostalgic taste, a little dry but wonderfully satisfying and crisp.

You may missed this when it came out years ago. Or maybe you haven't heard it for a long time. Its worth a listen now believe me!

Toploader -Achilles Heel

Now go to itunes, you know you wanna.

Off my FACE.......BOOK!

2010-02-05T13:40:00.002+00:00

It's empowering you know, cutting myself off at long last from Facebook. What they have been calling social networking, i've been viewing as unsolicited intrusion. It's weird, because I love people and am very social, but that was just making me choke under a barrage of mundane and benign tripe. I know this is only an opinion and one my darling wife doesn't share.

It's probably been like trying to give up smoking. You think oh its alright i'll just cut it down, I control it not the other way around. I thought by killing off my friends links to just a couple of family members and a school mate or two would give me back my life. (hold on thats overdoing it, give me back my ...time? yer. sanity?...yer a bit. ....my soul? hmm) It didn't work. There are too many reasons to enjoy Facebook to try to ease the relationship calmly. So i've had to do the leap of faith and kill the account once and for all, and just hope that I still have some friends after the massive (irony alert) fallout and carnage.

So here I am, me as me! Broken free! Hello-o-o-o-o? is anyone there-e-e-e-e? Am I alone-e-e-e? helloooooooooooo-oo-o-o-o? Oh damn where did I put my old Facebook account details...please let me in!!! Its cold and i'm so lonely!!

Avatar

2010-01-18T13:08:00.005+00:00

About the movie Avatar

Just wanted to make this nod to the latest James Cameron movie. He's had a very successful career to date it must be said, but this latest addition could be the top of the tree.

When asked what I thought of the movie, I have to use words such as beautiful, luscious, fantastical and mesmerizing. I did see the film at the best possible screen, the Imax in London, and in 3D.

The imagination and attention to the smallest details make this the most visually stunning film of all time. The story is a familiar one, but the delivery is good. You care what happens to the heroes in the story. You can't help but feel at the end......'oh, I want to live there', and I do!!

Look at the trailer and the featurette that I have linked below, you can get a good idea of the quality of this creation.

Click here to go to the featurette, Experience the World of Pandora.

If you haven't seen it before now and it appeals to you, then I make the suggestion that you should see this movie at the best possible screen you can find, you wouldn't want to miss any of the detail.

Question.... Did you notice the fingers? See anything?

Root Canal

2010-01-14T16:29:00.003+00:00

Just back from my last session of root canal treatment. Its been ongoing for about 4 months, and this was the last session.

Tell me Charlie, what are your thoughts about the treatment?
Thank you for asking. After some quiet contemplation and thought I feel that another time I would rather stick a fork in my eye than go through this treatment ever again!! People wince when you say root canal, but seriously if you haven't had it done before and they suggest it, do not take the decision to have it done lightly. Anaesthetic to numb will not stop all the pain!!! No way bob! When they start sticking needles into the individual canals of the root and then filing, you are in for it, without a doubt. Now understand i'm not complaining about my dentist, he seems a very competent chap and seems to be genuinely trying to be as careful as he can. Its the treatment itself, it just plain hurts.

Ok Charlie, you expressed that clearly, but was it worth it?
Hmm maybe for some. For me, I think no, just pull the fella out so I look like an 8 year old kid with great gaps in his mouth. I think the look could catch on, and i'd be quite fetching. It should also make whistling a lot easier. (do you remember Phylis Nelson?)

Just wanted to share that to whoever is listening. You are welcome to think of me as a great big wus, but I say you weren't there man! You don't know what it was like! They do things to you, bad things, things that just should not be allowed. He he gotta laugh at yourself!

let's go on with the snowwwww.......

2010-01-13T17:25:00.007+00:00

Just to add a few more photos and videos from yesterdays post. I was going to leave the snow subject as it had started to thaw, but no, more snow last night and today. Its all good. As long as it doesn't stop me going up to London on Friday (2 hrs by train) to see the movie Avitar in 3D at the Imax in Waterloo. It is possible because it just takes a leaf on the rails to stop the show here!

My daughter with her mates, the snow looks almost fake!

Our garden at the back of the house. Funny how the snow makes even the messiest of gardens look pretty.

Here's the kids in the snow as we make our way to sledging in the Bexhill Down wood. You get a good idea of our locale too from this image.......although its not normally so ....white.

Do have a look at my other videos on Youtube. My account id is chuckie002, and you can even subscribe if it takes your fancy.

there's no business like snow business

2010-01-12T12:18:00.003+00:00

Like many, we have had to make some changes to our routine with the recent snow. Some have had power cuts and travel issues as the roads have been to icy, or the snow has been to high. I'm not looking forward to seeing my heating bill for this winter, the thought of it scares me enough. This aside, the snow has forced us into a simpler life for a few days. Stores have been closed, forcing us to consolidate with the things we have in the cupboard already. Driving has been dangerous so we have been walking, which obviously has its limits too. Thing is, these are minor inconveniences in comparison to the fact that we have SNOWWWWW! And snow means for any kid, snowman, snowball fights and not forgetting sledging! We've all loved it!! Have a look at this video and some of the other links of us.

here's a couple more of the sledging

My Son Sledging

Mr Wife Sledging....well if you can call it that - haha!!

Echolocation

2010-01-06T13:50:00.002+00:00

Maybe you have heard of this before. What the video shows is a blind 7 year old boy who uses echolocation like a dolphin or a bats sonar to see things with his ears. Its genuinely amazing and humbling.

This isn't the first time this has been done. I believe the technique was inspired by this boy in the the States.

Super Fast Rail Travel

2009-12-09T19:51:00.003+00:00

Check out this video that I took on a simulator with the family. Its a steam train travelling at about 750 mph between London and Brighton. BTW I know I sound irritating, I was just trying to make it interesting and exciting for my daughter that was complaining at the time.

Bring me Sunshine.....

2009-12-08T17:07:00.003+00:00

We had a great time as the Wedding in York. The bride and groom themed much of the wedding and indeed the ceremony too on Morecambe and Wise. We had humour and tricks galore based around the antics of arguably the best comedy duo in British history. As best man I thought i'd join in on the theme. Pete and I worked a short Sketch into the speeches based on Eric Morecambe's character with the cap and mac holding a shopping bag. He interrupted my speech for a spot of banter at the expense of the groom. (we wouldn't want it any other way)

We were all given mock glasses to wear during the ceremony which was fun. These antics even made it into the York Press....have a look here!

Congratulations to the happy couple!!!

All boys love trains

2009-12-04T22:10:00.005+00:00

I've never thought of myself as especially a lover of locomotives, but after today that has all changed. Our family trip today included the 'National Railway Museum' in York. Out of us all I think I was the kid gawping at the huge engines. We got friendly with the staff and one of them let us onto the legendary 'Mallard' and esplained abouts dual controls and record holding speed, a massive 126 mph from a steam engine!!!

York has proven to be a real hit for us all. You should check it out.