Now is the winter of your discontent

Rendered glorious summer by the sun of York. Unless you're me. then it's the other way around, because for me summer is more often than not cruel and unusual punishment. I am a creature of cold by nature you see, so while excellent at keeping warm I simply end up melting faster than a strawberry ice-cream. Mmmmmmmmm.... strawberry ice-creams....

And as a broke student I can't invest in the development of a liquid helium cooling suit either. At least it's now holidays though, so I'm free to do whatever I want. And so should everyone else before too long.

As it turned out the librarything of  yesterevent consisted of a forum to float ideas. Popular topics included pictionary, cheesecake, baking, a games day and a new and improved hallow's eve thingumy. I still remember my own pictionary set, though I long ago ate all the pencils it came supplied with (candy pictionary you see, so edible pencils). Oh well. Should you have further suggestions for things to do leave them in the comments, or give me a penny silly.

Speaking of librarythings the next one is the Yuletide special, on the 19th of December. 'tis the season and all, so remember there will be gift-giving to be had. And if you don't provide a gift you will be forced to stand on one leg singing Christmas carols outside for the whole time. Maybe. It might actually be prohibited from actually enforcing that. But it's still a threat!

And finally I've been actually reading something again. That isn't 'varsity related! It's Out of Oz, the last part to the Wicked series, which I burned through in one week. It was an enjoyable enough yarn, though the ending was a bit awkwardly written. The musical is so much better though. Watch the musical if you can, it is awesome.

That's all for now folks. If you would like to help in my war against the heat by donating supplies of ice-cold chilled Chi or volunteering to be a fan-waver for me then be sure to get in touch.

exunt

PENSIONS CRISIS CAUSED BY MARXIST ILLEGAL LIBRARY BLOG RESULTS IN HOUSE PRICE CRASH AND CAUSES CANCER

Right then, time for another post after an eternity of not posting anything. Except for those extra ones in September. So really everything's up to date, and I just provided October's entry in advance, with nothing to do with October at all.

And now it's the holidays. For the rest of you at least, I've been on them for weeks. What? No I'm not smug about anything at all, don't be preposterous. Well there are exams too, but you don't have to go to school anymore except for them. I think. Maybe. School attendance is starting to fade from my memory now that I have left such mortal quarrels behind and ascended to the plane of tirtiary education. Not that actually enjoy it though, it's a neverending grind which puts Pandemonium to shame (Pandemonium at least has top notch pizza chefs), where the elder gods of long-forgotten night wage unrelenting war against one another and all the realms of all worlds are merely pawns in their diabolical machintations. Though I must admit I have been to worse places.

At any rate it seems there's a new feature to the library, a service by the name of PressDisplay, or possibly Pressdisplay, or even Press Display. Having never seen the name written down, I am not sure if it is supposed to be one word or not. It's a newspaper display function on the library's computers, that allows the user to conjure up an example of any newspaper they so desire, regardless of where in the world it's from. Go ahead, try it out. I recommend the British tabloids for maximum hilarity factor. Or the maximum induction of blood-curdling murderous rage, depending on what your sense of humour is like and if any of their rant articles target something you identify with. Either could happen, since they're very hysterical knee-jerk politically extreme papers.

The next Librarything is next Thursday the 14th. There was going to be a film, but no-one except me suggested anything, and all of my suggestions are apparently too violent and terror-inducing to show, so now I'm not sure what's happening. It could be fireworks, it could be something that doesn't explode, you'll have to be there to find out. Actually my money's on something to do with exams. Also edibles and drinkumbent no doubt.

So then, write and toil, but be merry when you can, for soon you too shall be on holidays!

exunt

Dernièrepartiedeseptembrecomicchoseix

Ha! Yuss! Told you I'd give that extra entry! And you all thought I'd lied about it. You thought I was insane. But I showed you. I showed all of you! AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!

EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!


Yes. Quite. Now for the news.

If you were at the last librarything you probably found out the anual Hallow's eve thingummy had been canceled. The good news is that now might not be true. Maybe. I'm trying to rustle up some more support for it, and I've even offered my services to help organise it so it's less of a burden, but it's still up in the air. You'll need to give some support too if we're going to get one I think. There's a page on facebook I've made if you're on there, do join up if you're really interested. The more effort people put in the more likely it is to happen. I think. Maybe.

Next library thing is the 10th of october, and will be dedicated to our fine modern empire of science and industry. To colonialism, invention and England!

Now for the last part in my trilogy, for what it's worth. For the last of all, I'm going back. Way back. To a time when I was actually happy more often than not. This time I'll be looking at:

Asterix

The paper-based semi-telivised cartoon of my childhood. It is fantastic. Read it. If you ever have children, get them to read it too. If you really really need to know it's story, then I can only assume you have been living under a menhir for the better part of two centuries. It's ye olde classical period, and the titular Asterix and his friends, a bunch of French barbarians or Gouls, spend their daily lives having adventures and inevitably beating the snot out of the Romans that occupy most of France. Come on, I thought everyone knew that.

It is a classic in every sense of the word. I don't know what more to say really. It's hilarious and one of the big things I remember from being a young'un. I can only wish that the 2-3 people who read this will have similarly fond childhood memories from it.

I am nostalgic now. Excuse me while I go and sit by myself looking out into the distance, smoking a pipe and grumbling about how things were better in my day.

Комикс книга продолжает тему в рассрочку блога

Ok so maybe I lied about that extra bonus post. Maybe. It might still show up. Probably not though knowing my luck. Have a distraction coconut instead.

....

...


Damnit it's not loading the distraction coconut. Pretend there's one there. It is a very distracting coconut.

Anywhich, the next part of comic book month. This time it's about the other big one I really like. And by big I of course mean cerebral and obscure. This one is:

The Red Star

I will be very impressed if you have heard of this series. Almost no-one does know about it, especially outside the United States. But despite that it is very, very, VERY good, if a little bit weird.

Basically, it follows the adventures of Maya Antares, a military sorceress in the Russian army, in an alternate history where magic was scientifically discovered, categorised, and put into every day use, technology has advanced MUCH more quickly than it did in real life (By the late 1800s/early 1900s they have gigantic steampunk super-trains, by the 1950s at least they have even bigger battleships that float around in the upper atmosphere battling each other with laser cannons and tanks the size of city blocks), and the Soviet Union lasted a lot longer than it actually did, and broke up after bleeding itself white when it invaded Afghanistan (in case you don't know, this actually did happen, but it did'nt do much to end the USSR, which split apart a couple of decades afterwards from largely unrelated economic pressures). After being sent in to quell an uprising in.. well, it's not quite clear where it is, but it was a former republic of this Soviet Union, and it wants independence. Anywhich, after being sent in to put down the insurgency as brutally as possible, Maya and her friends in the army discover the terrible secret behind their (very corrupt) government, and promptly mutiny to save the world from evil.

It's story is in three bits, with the first third of the series covering the past, looking at the aforementioned invasion of Not-Afghanistan and how it affected our heroes, the second covers what happens in during the counter-insurgency, and the third looks at what happens after the big mutiny.

It's very very pretty, with CG-assisted landscapes and objects along with the more traditional pencilling. The narrative's not to bad neither. If you're into gritty war stories or just like to oggle at pretty landscapes and big formidable looking military hardware, I'd recommend it.

Come back next week, where you'll get the last installment of the Septembre arc. Or not, since something will probably happen.

Look! Up in the sky!

Is it an ad? Is it a meme? No! It's Super-Blog! Faster than a speeding viral-video, stronger than a search engine!

Actually it's just comic book month now. I'm not sure exactly why September is comic book month, when Armageddon is in October, the month after it, but oh well. Maybe Comic-con in America is in September and we're just using the date the yanks give. That might be it.

At any rate the whole month is devoted to comics, manga and graphic novellia of all kinds. The next librarymajig is... well, it's in about 45 minutes. I was going to post this the week before, but never got a chance to, so now instead you get a double-dose of bloggey goodness that no-one ever reads. It'll be featuring something to do with the month's theme of course.

At the same time, I figured I'd write about some of my favourite.... errm.... damn, I'm all out of comic synonyms. Where is my team of script-writing faeries when I need them? I leave milk and cookies out for them damnit!

Anywhich, I'll write up about some of my favourites. Starting with my current #1:

Transmetropolitan

I doubt you've heard of Transmetropolitan. Being of Vertigo origin, it's not terribly mainstream, especially outside the United States. But I love it. It's hilarious.

It's the future, and the series focuses on a bitter disgruntled cynical journalist named Spider Jerusalem. If you've heard of Hunter S. Thompson, then he's kind of like him. If you haven't heard of Hunter S. Thompson, google him and tell me about him. I've only ever heard of him, and been told that he's a bit like Spider Jerusalem. Anywhich, Transmetropolitan follows the misadventures of Spider as he writes about and explores the city he moves back to. Exactly which city it is is never mentioned, though it seems to be New York. The city itself is 100% insane, capitalism taken to it's logical extreme. Genetic engineering has made everyone immune to lung-cancer, so most people smoke through 20 packs a day. There is an underground fashion trend that involves grafting alien DNA onto oneself. Popular TV shows include an insanely ultraviolent children's cartoon called 'Anthrax Cat' and what can only be described as Avenue Q meets Sesame St (I also should have probably warned you that it's a farily adult graphic novel series). Common household security includes Ebola dispensers. They've invented amphibious all-terrain sports-shoes. Ads get implanted into your subconcious. And the list goes on. It's a cyber-punk city of sin, full of corruption at every level. It has fun with this too.

It's a bit on the graphic side, but if you're like me and have a sense of humour black as the Ace of Clubs (spades is too mainstream), and a taste for sci-fi, you might just enjoy it too. 

***



That's it for now. T'was much shorter a review than I was expecting, but oh well. Librarything's in less than 30 minutes. If you can't make it then maybe next month.

Awesome blogger away!

WAR DECLARED!!

As of 10:00 PM of Thursday the 27th of June, we are now officially at war with the Romance Novels. The declaration was made by the leadership of the Sci-fi and Fantasy Coalation in response to the illegal occupation of the corner display shelf by the Romance novellia. Several ultimatums and attempts at diplomacy were made, but ultimately the diabolical novellia were hell-bent on total domination. The declaration was finally made, and the premier of the Sci-fi and Fantasy Coalation stated "The shelf is a display, not a road!"

Already recruitment offices across the Coalation are flooded with eager youths wanting to serve their nation and do their bit in the coming conflict. With Coalation victory assured in a matter of short months, many are concerned they may not get a chance to see action against the foe. While some fringe naysayers are warning that the war may last some time with a high loss in life, we can all rest assured that the new advances of the modern age will mean a short quick and decisive victory before our valient men and women will be setting down for chips in Richmond. Afterwards it can be guaranteed they'll all be home in time for Christmas.

Meanwhile in the voids of space around the corner section the 594th and 728th expiditionary fleets are moving into position to blockade Romance Novel territory, while the 466th Steampunk Brigade under command of Colonel Charles. S. Valenfire, decorated hero of the recent colonial actions, mobilises for a strategic flanking action. Already reports have come in that the Romace Novellia are critically deficient of personel and equipment, with defensive positions being filled with straw dummies and soldiers being issued with painted broomsticks in an attempt at deception. What few troops they do have are reputed to be poorly led and trained, with morale being critically low. It seems they are Cassanovas first and fighters last.

Despite this, reports and stories of horrific atrocities and crimes taking place within the occupied display shelf are already pouring in. We here at the Daily Blog presume we can safely speak for all when we say to our valient lads and lasses on the front, "Go get 'em!". To victory!

AND IN OTHER NEWS

Our literary reviewer has just concluded his latest pick of the week: The Art of Alice: Madness Returns. Filled with countless pages of breathtaking (if somewhat unnerving) artwork, The Art of Alice chronicles the development and creative processes behind the second of the American McGee Alice interactive games, which detail a much darker and more sinister take on the classic stories of Lewis Carrol.

The next monthly happening shall be upon the 11th of July. Expect the usual antics and sugary concessions to be present. Continued on D5

Exunt

There is a castle on a cloud...

So I'm walking home through the pelting seaside rain to my warm humble cottage (and by that I mean I'm on my way back from business in town), when I happen upon a most heart-trembling tear-rousing sight.

A poor teddy, all alone, out in the cold and rain, half-soaked in the filth of the gutter.

Now, being the sort I am, I says to myself "Come now, see this poor thing. Can't just leave it sitting there, no creature so fuzzy should be out in this sh-... shoe soakingly bad weather, a heh heh."

So now teddy (I am unsure of it's designated gender, but I am calling it Cosette for now) is at the library, where I trust he/she will be cleaned up and dried. Teddy is white with a red valentine heart for a nose, and he/she needs a home. If you happen to be teddy's owner or knows of them, please let them know where their beloved child's toy is (unless they hated it and would just cut it to bits, then don't), and otherwise if you would like to adopt teddy talk to me or Suzie. Otherwise teddy will be either sent to the lost-and-found or find a place at the library, where he/she will find company with Mr Wombat and Mr Harris the spider.

In other news, the competition for music paraphenellia is still ongoing. Correctly fill in all the lyrics on the sheet, submit it in and you too could perhaps win some music related shirts and a mystery prize.

The next librarymajig will be on the 13th of June. As it is exactly one week after the single most critically important day in ALL OF EXISTENCE, there will likely be extra sugar present, likely in baked form. At least there will be if everyone knows what's good for them...

Also maybe chips or something.

I must confess to not having read an awful lot of interest recently, however I did manage to find a copy of, and watch-

No, I'm sorry, I can't bare to say it, the memories-

-oh god, the... memories....

... (sobs) no.... can't..... think.... Hazel's not..... dead....

OHH GOD NO I CAN'T DO IT!! (bursts into tears)

(in other words it was Watership Down. Please do not mention rabbits or bright eyes for the next couple of months)

I'm sorry but I will have to cut it there, because now I can't stop crying about the pooor pooor fuzzy little critters. (closes the door)

Varsity Blues

Enter AWESOME BLOGGER

So once again I am at school, if it can be called that. It is a place of study, with brutal uncompromising standards, grinding essays, and I get up at god-forsaken hours for a solid chunk of gloomy solitude.

On the other hand, the city! No uniform! No Riders in Black sent after you if you decide to leave! Three day weekends! Prawn wontons and egg noodle soup! Colas!

If only I had the money for that last one. Oh what unmentionable things I would do if it meant getting an icy-chilled refreshing cola. Or better yet, Chi... 

The next happening is, if my calculations are correct, on the 11th, after Easter. I know not what will happen there, but I did hear talk of the annual board-games day. Hopefully as always there will be sugar/starch, and... drink...

In other news, I recently watched The Decoy Bride. While seemingly like any other romcom, it is immediately unique in one way: it stars as it's male lead one David Tennant (of Doctor Who fame). Intrigued by this and it's suitibly hilarious sounding plot blurb, I took it out when I could.

I was thoroughly pleased with it. It's a quirky little British romcom, so it's humour is somewhat different to the more typical American romcom, but if you prefer your couple-comedy to be quaint rather than outrageous then you will probably enjoy it. Also of note in it's cast are Dylan Moran (of insanely funny stand-up and Black Books fame) and Michael Urie (of Ugly Betty fame). Actually, on second thought, I wouldn't recommend it at all. Don't get it out. I want to get it out again myself.

I'm afraid I must cut it short here now. I think I have covered everything, and I am now on the edge of total insanity from thirst.

Exunt

At long last

And so I come to the end of my holiday, as does the rest of the world. And all over boys and girls of all ages clamour up and go to school to learn and suffer and go about their schooling lives.

Not me though. I'm free, FREEEEEE!!! Well until next month at least. Then I go to 'varsity instead.

Just a while ago there was the first happening of the year, on a Thursday. Just a normal Thursday. Nothing out of the ordinary about it at all. No siree, you could not find a more ordinary Thursday even if you tried. Absolutely nothing unsusal about that particular Thursday, the 14th of February at all. What? What are you looking at me like that for? It was an ordinary Thursday the 14th. And nothing ever happens on that day ever. Gosh, I thought everyone knew that.

Something that was unusual though was the new paradigrim set up for future ones. Apparently there will now be structure to them and more literary related things! Heresy I say. There's already the thing where we go around and mention what we've read lately, surely that's enough.

Speaking of which, I have passed the summer by burning through no less than Ian Fleeming's Bond, James Bond, the first book Casino Royale to be precise. It is in fact almost completely different to the movie, who'd have thunk it.

In respose to this radical new thinking, an unscheduled librarymabob is slated for Thursday of next week. Be sure to come along, as I am sure there will be food there.

Also, in other news, is 50 Shades of Green. This is a project being conducted by renowned internet reviewer Lindsay Ellis and her close friend Nella, to create a cheesey fantasy romance novel in the vein of Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey, and hopefully in the process learn about just how and why these things are so popular. You can see the introductory video here and the latest installment, discussing 'plot' gimmicks here.

That it about does it I reckons. Have a fun year (try not to get too depressed in school), and watch out for Faeres (seriously, they will mess you up)!

Exunt