MAIL ME

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A whole week since the last post and it almost feels like that is playing somewhere as well. The drizzle is coming down, and we are making the long trek to Stoke tomorrow and I have an uneasy feeling that we will return empty handed. The last time I visited Stoke's Britannia Stadium was a mere three years ago to watch Luton get a creditable 0-0 draw in The Championship. How times have changed! Then we have a quiz to look forward tomorrow night at Harlington Village Hall, where I personally will spend most of the evening ignoring a certain Kay Ratcliffe, a newly aquired hobby.
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Following the cinema visit on Friday last we were again at The Lane with Nick and Mike to watch a fairly comfortable if not inspiring 3-1 win against Blackburn. In the evening we to be found at The Jitlada Thai restuarant to celebrate Jill's 60th. birthday. It was a really super evening, especially as I was able to meet up with my old mate Dave Panther who I really don't see as much as I would like over the years.
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OK so what's with the picture at the top of the page? This weekend also sees the release of a new compilation from Pilgrim Studio. This time it's mail order only and by that I mean e-mail order only. It features music from The Walter Trout Powerhose Trio, Acoustic Ladyland, Nada Surf, The Doves and Steve Stills to name just a few.
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If you want a copy then it's up to you to let me know by sending an email to request one. The reason for this is to prevent me sending discs off into oblivion. At Christmas I posted at least 15 Christmas CD's around the globe almost without reply. Tod, Goran and Rustan have sent their own CD's back but I think that is a small return. Years ago in the age of cassette I used to receive perhaps two or three a month and it was always great to get them. Goran was the chief contributor, this time last year when I transferred the cassettes to my hard drive I realised just how many he, chief among others sent out. It's not difficult folks. I can still play cassettes too!
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It would be great to start this up again with my good friends. So if you want one let me know mailto:j.scales@ntlworld.com

3D OR NOT 3 D THAT IS THE QUESTION

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The latest movie hysteria surrounds the James Cameron film 'Avatar'. As many of you know science fiction is my thing and I don't mind a bit of science fantasy either. So following rave reports from friends Iddon and Dawson, I decided that I would go and see what all the fuss was about. I must confess, during my last visit to the cinema, I saw a trailer of said movie and was not convinced it looked anything more than a computer generated children's fantasy. I am a bit fussy when it comes to sci-fi. Time travel is my favourite and of course Star Trek is the best. Movies have been few and far between in their appeal. 'Alien' is my all time favourite, a series that went rapidly downhill with every sequel. The original, on first viewing, will always take some beating.

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Trish and I turned up at The Galaxy in Luton on Friday anticipating a cinematic treat. We were to be disappointed. In true Lotonian fashion they had decided to only show the 2-D version. The ensuing two and a half hours were thus pretty boring. Trish actually fell asleep as our hero woke up from hyper sleep upon arrival at Pandora. There was still two hours and 25 minutes to go at that point! Allegorically it was a familiar and depressing tale of conquest for treasure. A hot topic here on Earth as far back as you care to mention. This time it was in 2-D on a breathtaking world first conjured up by Roger Dean on various album covers in the 70's and 80's! There was the usual bad guy who wanted to destroy anything that lived and would do anything to achieve this in true Jarhead Marine-Like Gung-Ho cigar chewing fashion. Of course he was to meet his demise in a one -on-one showdown with our hero and his eight foot piece of alien sex-on-legs.

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Roger Dean's Floating Islands. Look familiar?
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I could not get away from the fact all the way through the film that I was watching computer generated characters and although it was superbly done, I left the cinema thinking 'so what?' But as Dawson and Iddon have since pointed out, it would be crap in 2-D and only 3-D viewing would bring it to life as a spectacle. This led me to consider an interesting question. Those ancient Egyptians must have had a pretty boring life. All that 2-D living!