TimC

What's Dennis the Menace's favourite grape variety?

Garnacha.

Paul Bettany's not too busy, is he? And, looking at his recent CV, not too proud?

Likewise, the fourth character being cast for the Constantine pilot right now is "Manny." Any ideas?

Bernard! Bernard! Bernard! Bernard! Bernard!

A fucking dickhead writes : http://blogs.telegra...my-dear-watson/

Christ what a moron. Holmes actually explicitly states in one of the books that he is completely and utterly uninterested in politics.

But he is a sociopath.

I'm also confused as to how to use that gift code. Do I need to sign up for the site?

You do have to sign up, I'm afraid. It's the tanstaafl rule.

The promo code has now expired but – just for you, Mr Red – if you message me with your email and preferred e-reader format, I'll see if I can send something over to you.

The murder method was ludicrous;

And, I've been reliably informed, 'borrowed' from a Georgette Heyer novel.

The Captain Kirk Problem: How Doctor Who Betrayed Matt Smith

^ This article utterly nailed a lot of what I dislike about Moffat-era Doctor Who.

That's bang on. I don't think there's been a Doctor as ill-served by the producers and writers since poor old Colin B.

It did seem remarkably short on yer actual drama – like an awful lot of Moffat, not so much a story as a bunch of stuff happening because.

Did anyone else feel a bit uncomfortable with the idea of the Doctor setting himself up as god-king of an insular, infantile, mind-controlled populace who show no signs of development over several hundred years? That's exactly the kind of society that you'd expect the Doctor to bring down overnight.

Thankyou! The Kindle is a wonderful thing. I shall read this fairly soonish

Thank you, sir! I hope you like it.

Edit to add, I thought you were a long time published novelist for some (probably dysfunctional head wiring)reason. Also, I can not work out that site, possibly the same reason. Or too much sun today. Or Rum, possibly on top of too much sun.

Sadly not – I am a widely published journalist, and have written some small press short fiction back in the day, but any youthful dreams of being a rich and acclaimed full-time novelist have withered away for a number of reasons.

"As a young child I wanted to be a writer because writers were rich and famous. They lounged around Singapore and Rangoon smoking opium in a yellow ponge silk suit. They sniffed cocaine in Mayfair and they penetrated forbidden swamps with a faithful native boy and lived in the native quarter of Tangier smoking hasiesh and languidly caressing a pet gazelle."

- William Burroughs

But thanks for the reminder that I need more rum.

I e-published a short novel called Spaceboy last year. As my festive gift to the world this year, I'm giving it away for nowt.

Just go to -

https://www.smashwor...oks/view/143752

- and enter the promo code QK43X

Happy Christmas, Straight to Hell kids.

I did enjoy it, but it was fundamentally an awful load of fanwank. We really didn't need to revisit the Time War, and we really didn't need to do it in a way that felt like it undermined RTD's entire run.

It was very Moffat, let's say.

ITMA -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p01lhhv4/Doctor_Who_Mini_Episode_The_Night_Of_The_Doctor/

Hey, TimC, did you make the video for work as in, "it was some work you were making in a milling machine so you filmed it" or as in "It was some filming I did during the course of a work day, some people had me film them running a milling machine." ?.

Sorry, just spotted this question. The machining was programmed and run by some colleagues - I just sourced and set up the camera, compiled the time-lapse sequences, shot the extra footage and opening stills, edited the video, did the music, and liaised with the Bloodhound PR team.

It's the people you see at the end who have the proper skills, basically.

I enjoyed Elysium. It's like a 2000AD version of the founding of the NHS.

I try not to get worked up about the physics. On that front, if I were in a pedantic mood, there's no film ever made that'd keep me happy.

I guess someone wants to direct a Jason Statham movie.

A video I made for work -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcrBwS0zexY

Is that our John checking out a Denise Mina trade of Hellblazer?

First of the current line of Moore-era Swamp Thing trades, isn't it?

Fair summary. I didn't object to the ending as much as some seemed to, but there was an interminable amount of mimbling round the museum in the second half.

Mina tried to do something different, at least, so I'd rate her over the hacks either side. And her run got me into her novels, which are often very good, as well as the art of Joan Eardley.

I say, like Star Wars (with better writing) crossed with Farscape with some Terry Gilliam

It's the kind of space/soap opera which might have a whole issue of the hero having an awkward conversation with his mother while fighting a monstrous naked alien giant with elephantiasis of the scrotum on a planetoid that's about to hatch.

That'll give you a flavour of the book. Lovely art, too.

That reminds me. Years ago I wanted to buy a gold colored Zippo and have it engraved with FUCK COMMUNISM. I don't recall if the lady wouldn't do it because of the language or I just chicken out, assuming she wouldn't. I'm such a bad-ass.

I had a Zippo so engraved for a girlfriend, back in the day. It didn't last.

Titbits on a few new titles... including new Milligan!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/01/business/media/vertigo-a-dc-comics-brand-is-rebuilding-with-6-new-series.html

“Hinterkind,” by Ian Edginton, which focuses on a post-apocalyptic world in which the creatures of myth and legend have returned, and “The Discipline,” by Peter Milligan, an erotic thriller about a woman at the center of an shadow war that spans eons.

Also, more Sandman-flogging.

It's the sad truth, I'm afraid.

Which one was the cat and mouse one? Was it that interminable one about a dog?

The only run where the consistently poor quality of writing and art made me decide to drop the book (saved only by a temporary upturn in art when Manco started).

All His Engines didn't distinguish itself from the monthly chaff. The Papa Midnite thing tried to do something different, at least, but still wasn't much cop.

We call it... the dark times. And not in a good way.

The roof will need looking at, of course, which is another set of headaches - the presence of bats (and also the listed status of the building) will just cause a bit of extra hassle and cost if work is needed. And at this stage, it's another big dose of uncertainty in the transaction.

Actually, things I dislike greatly include most aspects of the English housing market. Even Scotland does it better.

It is a very nice house, though.

After this, I'll be dressing up at night and getting into fights like a mad bastard.

It's one of a number of issues that the building society want action on before they approve the loan. To be fair, there are also some potential problems with the roof and chimneys, any remedial work on which will be complicated by the presence of legally protected wildlife.

Funnily enough, the house is about the same age as the state of Michigan.