Dreamcast Delights

The Dreamcast is a neat machine. The graphics are good enough for solid gameplay, and Sega have gameplay in shed loads. Number one son has given Soul Calibur a thrashing and I've caught four pretend fish playin Sega Bass Fishing. Underneath my telly is starting to look a little crowded. I've since found out that you can get Dreamcasts from ebay, in good nick with a bunch of games, for around 20 quid or so. Even if you have to pay around a tenner for the postage that is still a whole hunk of fun for the money.

Life on the Ice

Alan looked out of his igloo, across the ice towards the lake. The night was very cold and very dark. He wandered out, shivering slightly, and noticed a knot of villagers by the lake's edge, huddled together and pointing at the sky. "What do you think it means?" one of them asked. Alan looked up. Where normally there was inky blackness he could make out a new star where none had been before. It hadn't been there yesterday and now there it was. It was a strange colour and he found it vaguely unsettling. As he watched he thought he noticed it getting bigger. He blinked and looked again. Yes. Definitely bigger. A frightening thought occured to him. He was just about to shout a warning to the rest of the group when he and his entire civilsation was pulverised into dust by a massive explosion.

And the headlines read:

"Worldwide telescopes analyze NASA's comet collision "

Voyages in Sound

A couple of weeks ago I decided to embark on a journey. I thought I'd start my Media Centre at the very first track on the disk, "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" by the Stranglers and go all the way through to "Zoo Station" by U2. In order. Well, it helps to pass the time and it relieves me of the responsibility of having to choose what to listen to.

After a bunch of tracks who's names start with brackets and dots, a few [Untitled Tracks] the machine started on all the ones that have the track number in the name. I'm presently up to "07 - Not So Manic Now" by Dubstar and I've had to stop for a break to listen to some Pink Floyd. I saw them live last night on "Live 8" and now I'm going to work through their stuff (best album "Wish you were here") before continuing. It was wonderful to see "the Floyd" together again and sounding like it was only last week they recorded the stuff. Instead of over twenty years ago. Kind of give me hope for the future.....

I've found some interesting tracks on the journey that I forgotten I had, and a few I didn't even know were there. Perhaps I'll continue again in a little while.

The Voice of Reason and Upstairs Fishing

Now that number one son is back at the ranch for a while I'm kind of relieved to have someone to go up town with me and stop me from buying more gadgets and computer games. So, today I set off shopping with a slightly lighter heart than usual, knowing that a restraining influence was present to keep me in check.

So when we got home with the second hand Sega Dreamcast console that we subsequently bought, with Soul Calibur (number one son says it is the best ever Dreamcast game) and Sega Bass Fishing (complete with computerised fishing rod) I was able to reflect on how well that plan had worked.

The console itself is in good nick, and works well. And the fishing is fun, if a bit silly. We had the windows open 'cos it was a bit warm. I hope that the neighbours weren't too confused by the loud cries of "Get that fish over there", and "Quick, reel him in, not too tight, you'll break the line"....

Hellooooooo

The cold is getting better. The good news is that it has left me with a wonderfully deep and butch sounding voice. Kind of like Leslie Phillips and Terry Thomas, with an added bit of "Pot Noodle Horn" thrown in. I've been going round saying "Helloooooo" and impressing all and sundry with my masculine tones. I suppose I could have this kind of voice all the time, all I'd have to do is smoke 20 Woodbines a day.

(if you don't understand the reference to "Pot Noodle Horn" don't worry. The latest promotion for the "lumpy dried soup in a plastic cup - just add boiling water" which are Pot Noodles involves a suggestive voice asking questions like "Do you have the Pot Noodle Horn?", a reference to a competition of some kind.)