Four Days At Dragon*Con - A Documentary

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Dragon*Con is the largest fan-run sci-fi convention in America. Held every year on Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia it has been rocking our space socks off for over two decades.

This year will be my fourth year attending and other DOOM staffers such as JJ Hawkins and Jason Wood will be partying through the 2011 event with me. We have lots of good stuff we plan to share with you for the event and theres just 35 days to go (not that we’re counting, but we’re TOTALLY counting).

To get both you and ourselves in the mood, I’m glad that the award-winning documentary “Four Days At Dragon*Con” is now available online over at PBA.org. Directed and edited by Jack Walsh it manages to show you the kind of things you can expect from the craziest place on Earth. And thanks to the beauty of embedding, it’s also available at DOOM too! Click the yawning lizard to watch!

Ginger Spam Salad

Because Gmail took all the information from my email account and decided this is what they should try and sell to me.

I think it's now my favourite three word grouping ever.

My Favourite Things: July 2011

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This is going live slightly earlier than normal (I usually wait until the last day of the month). However, with a wedding this weekend (don't worry thousands of screaming fans, not my own) and a crazy work schedule at the moment, it was the best chance I had of getting it online at all.

Besides, with Dragon*Con next month I'll have to post it early again so it will all work out in the end. Kinda.

So to read my list of cool things online for July click the rather courageous and pixelated Captain America!

Tease Me, Baby! - The Amazing Spider-Man

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I find I start a lot of these by telling you how much I love the subject matter of the film. It’s sad to say, but once again I have to do it. I love Spider-Man. Period. Love him. I’d let him take me if he wanted to. With Spider-Man, all bets are off!

But I hated… and I’m not doing the usual geek thing of being over the top about this, I genuinely feel acid in my mouth when the subject is brought up… hated Spider-Man 3. It was an insulting piece of cinema. Don’t even try and defend it in the comments to me because I won’t respond. I’ll just add you to “the list”.

Am I happy that the franchise has been rebooted? Yes. Am I nervous this could also suck? You bet! But I like all the cast involved (and what a cast!) and who knows? Maybe they could surprise me. Maybe I’ll actually like it. Maybe I’ll die before it’s released. It’s a crazy world out there.

Click the picture of the pouty Peter Parker to watch the trailer and read my thoughts!

Tease Me, Baby! - The Dark Knight Rises

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Comic Con results in a lot of teasers for comic book movies making the rounds via bad camera-phone footage. Warner Brothers seems to have taken some initiative and officially released theirs before the Con starts. I’m sure there will be something exclusive to the Con that we’ll get our grubby mitts on soon but for now, this is the first footage ever released for Christopher Nolan’s final foray into Batman’s life.

The Batman movie franchise is bigger than anyone could have hoped for after Schumacher killed it. So big in fact it doesn’t really require much introduction from me. Let’s just have a look shall we?

To view the trailer and my thoughts on it, click Bane!

Weekend Justice #122 - Juicebox on ice

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  Some days I feel like writing an introduction of my own, other days I think the agenda list for the cast speaks for itself

This week's Weekend Justice features me, Rox, Scott, Leigh, Widge, Jon and Rob. It also features:

• Sex on ice skates
• From Google Plus to half-nakedness
• Rox gets 27 inches
• Safewords...or not
• Sausage and Tang
• Live action Fairly OddParents
• Rox and The Illuminati
• A Dance With Dildos
• Leigh vs. Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream
• The birth of WEJipedia
• Nudity vs. bondage and underwear
• That's not how espresso should be used
• Aaron finds an inflatable friend

And much, much more. We are sick freaks and I hope you enjoy it. Click the Billy Beer to listen.

Tease Me, Baby! - The Adventures of Tintin

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I have never read the Tintin comics. The adventures of a young boy and his dog don’t really appeal to me all that much. Call me crazy. However, despite my scepticism it is a beloved comic and has run for decades. Even with that haircut.

Motion capture animated films are not the most popular in the entertainment industry. Films like The Polar Express haven’t done terribly but have yielded a mixed reaction from critics and the movie going public. I can understand the feeling. It’s not quite live action, not quite animation and completely strange to watch sometimes.

So when it was announced that they were making a Tintin motion capture animated film you can imagine my apathy. But when I found out who “they” were, it piqued my interest. Written by Steven Moffat (Dr. Who), Edgar Wright (Shaun of The Dead, Hot Fuzz) and Joe Cornish (Attach the Block) and starring Daniel Craig, Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis and a long list of other cool actors. It got my attention.

To read the rest of my review, and to see the trailer itself, click on Tintin's big shiny head!

A Day At The Seaside (AKA. WTF Is That?!)

Today myself and the girlfriend decided to take a trip to Bray and frolic (or the closest approximation to frolicking) for the day. I have taken some pictures of said frivolity and have decided to share them with you because they go from the mundane to the fucking insane.

First of all, lets just show off both the, ahem, beautiful weather and packed beach...

Click To Enlarge

Although, beware, stone thieves are not appreciated...

There were many amusement rides but my girlfriend was insistent about us getting on this Ferris Wheel.

Little known fact about me: Ferris Wheels scare the shit out of me. I don't expect them to chase me down the street or anything, but if you want to see fear in my eyes then put me on a Ferris Wheel. Roller-coasters are cool, I feel safe because of inertia and safety bars. Ferris Wheels are rickety, slow, rocky and death traps! So for the duration of the ride I clung to the middle of the seat while my girlfriend slowly lost respect for me.

However, this was not the scariest thing of the day. Oh no...

Click To Enlarge, If You Dare!

This was one of those animatronic stage show things that I had only ever seen on TV. Unfortunately/Luckily it had shut for the day (the kids weren't exactly clamoring around this thing begging for it to be turned on) but it allowed me to get some close-ups.

Those planning to sleep tonight may want to look away now... For those of you remaining; from left to right:

This... thing has extremely sad eyes. It just looks like it hates his job and got dumped by his girlfriend all at once. He's also strangely hiding behind the amp. Maybe it's an attempt to hide his tears.

I... I... It's... Ummm... Yeah.

I'm sorry. I know we all could have lived out our lives without seeing this thing. Somebody, somewhere thought this was cute. That person is a serial killer and needs to be found.

Hawaiian underwear and nothing else? Sure, he'll match our ape in a gold tuxedo. Sure, why not? But don't forget to have something explode behind them to tie the whole scene together.

Ringo looks as sad to be here as the bear. Maybe Ringo is the one who broke up with him. Stage relationships can be tough on the road.

And to complete the band, what every pop outfit needs; a wolf ventriloquist. Oddly, the dummy is probably the least creepy thing on this stage.

So thank you Bray, for making clowns less scary.

Weekend Justice #121: Those Little Slices of Friction

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Three weeks in a row? You betcha! Ain't no stopping me now, I'm on the move! Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough to keep me from podcasting with you! Etc.

This week is a crazy one from the get-go. Even I thought this week was a crazy one and I'm the second weirdest member of the cast.

Hi Scott.

To listen click the bananaphone or to download this episode directly, Your Weekend Justice #121: Those Little Slices of Friction, then do that thing.

Unique Geek Special Edition: Doctor Who – Mid-Series 6

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 While I've worked with Jon Boutelle from The Unique Geek for a few years now with various NeedCoffee projects, I've had very little interaction with the rest of the guys there. However, recently I was asked to sit in on their Doctor Who podcast special.

I'm a rather new fan of the series. It wasn't until Steven Moffat took over as the show's head writer that I really got hooked (having dabbled with previous episodes and thinking they were rather naff).

So join me, Shag, Leigh, Ron, and Patrick as we chat all things Whovian. To listen click the UG logo or you can download it directly by click this thing here.

A Work Of Art

I'm not a particularly arty person. I like to draw but recognise I'm not very good at it. I like photography but I'm only learning. I like making videos but no-one has ever paid me to do so. I'm pretty much an amateur at all levels.

During Red Nose Net last year, I devised a rather child-like picture made out of paper and glue. You can see it on the wall in this video.

I used the skills I've kept from pre-school to create a masterpiece that looked much more impressive (and way bigger) in my mind than in reality.

Doc Hammer is on record as telling me it's "horrible".

However, during the 24 hour cast, a viewer suggested we let people bid on my artwork as part of the fundraising. I thought it a good idea but expected to get very little for it because... well, it's a piece of crap (don't get me wrong, I'm sadly very proud of it, but I know enough to understand the quality level).

Amazingly, it actually raised quite a lot and is now my most successful (financially) artistic endeavor... ever. Trust me, I have trouble dealing with that fact too.

The now current owner Jasmine (who you can find writing video game news for DOOM) has posted a picture of it hanging on her wall. It's framed and everything! All of us involved in Red Nose Net made sure to sign the clouds before we sent it to her so I love that it is being showcased in someone's house.

For the record, it took me hours to make that sucker and being sent this picture this morning has made my day.

Thank you Jasmine for not only blowing some of your disposable cash on our charity efforts but also for keeping your resulting prize. You rule. But I feel like I've probably told you that enough over the years.

Happy 4th of July!

To all my American friends, I hope you have a great day and celebrate it like the rebels that you are. As a token of gratitude for all the good times I've had in the states I have collected some great Captain America cosplay pictures over at The Website of DOOM.

Because that's how you celebrate these things... right?

To see the collection click our American friends below.

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LEGO Album Covers

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Sometimes people have too much free time. But sometimes these people find amazing ways to spend this free time. I am very grateful for those few people.

I'm a big fan of some of the more inventive Flickr groups. Yesterday the Flickr blog highlighted one particularly brilliant one called LEGO Album Covers and it does exactly what you think it does. There are some fantastically re-created covers done with our favourite brick toys and I can only applaud the dedication it takes to bring these pictures to plastic.

To see ten of my favourites from the 221 pictures (and rising) in the group click the lego brick!

Poole's Poll - July 2011

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 A new month means a new question. Last month was a heated two horse race to see who would be your favourite Doctor Who actor. This time around I thought to change things up instead of pitting people/things/philosophical metaphor's against each other, maybe I would just ask a simple question.

My question? Well, to find out you'll have to click the picture but I think that picture might be giving the game away as to the subject matter.

I never said I was a man of mystery.

Weekend Justice #120: The Ballad of the Sad Boners

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 Yes, for the second week in a row I take part in the audio train wreck that is the Weekend Justice podcast. This time with Widge, Jon, Rox, Scott and Rob.

We discuss a myriad of subjects but once again I feel my presence has probably tainted proceedings and a lot of dirty jokes occur. I'd apologize but at this point you should know better than to expect anything else from me.

You have been warned!

To have a listen, click the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots that I want so bad!

Spank You Very Much

My blog received it's 10,000th hit last night at approximately 30 minutes past midnight (I wasn't constantly refreshing the stats, I swear). I'm quite proud that I've reached this number in the 9 months my blog has been up and running.

I'd like to thank everyone who has visited this place, but more so if you actually came back a second time. And of course I'd like to thank you, Google image search, for providing a good chunk of that number. The amount of people who google Earthworm Jim is mind boggling.

To express my feelings of warm fuzzyness, here is the internet's mascot... a cat.