Disqus - Latest Comments for Andy

Re: Managing Identities: Part One

Andy — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:55:15 -0000

I've used a number of different nicks over the years for a number of different forums, social networking sites, and the like. Recently the rest have fallen away, leaving only the apparent victor, andyvglnt. It's a tag I should perhaps be more careful with.

What I think is perhaps more interesting than the privacy issues thrown up by this, is the way in which facebook and the like allow you to control the privacy settings on your own page, and your own uploaded content, yet only offer limited control over your name and likeness in content uploaded by others. Users who search for my name on facebook would, ideally, only find my picture, my network, and a link to message me. As it is, they are offered links to profiles of other users who have chosen to include quotes, from conversations online or off, attributed to me, in their profiles. There is no way for me to tell, short of asking them outright, what their privacy settings are, because they're my friends so I can see their pages anyway. This offers obvious questions about the much reported practise of prospective employers scoping out the online presence of job applicants before offering them a position. I can protect myself, but it takes a group effort to offer real privacy in the connected world.

Re: Flake, and the day my faith in Cadbury’s died.

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:43:18 -0000

I saw this last week when I made my regular mistake of watching television in its traditional manner as opposed to streaming it from megavideo or something. Diabolical stuff, even worse than that bloody gorilla. I still don't know why people buzzed for that. Maybe their childhoods weren't marred by Phil Collins as mine was.

Re: Logan

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:47:46 -0000

I am looking forward to the trade a great deal. Wartime Logan stories are always fun. For evidence check out the team-up story with Cap and Black Widow from something in excess of a decade ago. I have no idea of issue numbers, as it was a reprint in Panini's Wolverine Unleashed, but it had art by Jim Lee if I recall correctly, and it was fucking immense. Brian K. Vaughan is the official of well-researched mainstream comics, and I look forward to seeing what obscure facts about wartime Japan he's managed to slip in here.

Re: Marvel 1602

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:51:45 -0000

Gaiman and Kubert working with classic superheroes AND Elizabethan history was always going to be a match made in heaven. Kubert's work is well-suited to period pieces, as he showed on Origin a couple of years prior to this.

Like you, I've avoided the sequels, for much the same reasons as you gave.

Re: I love Yorick

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:55:41 -0000

I await the final trade with baited breath. I've been carefully avoiding spoilers for months because of the delay between the final issue and the trade paperback release, one of the pitfalls of switching from single issues (or 'Thursday crack') to trade paperback format. Kudos on reading Runaways too. It is, without doubt, the tits.

Re: Runaways

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:57:48 -0000

I don't know if you've read much of Vaughan's other work but I can recommend Ex Machina. He shows the same social and political awareness evident in Y: The Last Man, but applies it to a story about the Mayor of New York, a man who was once a superhero. Its truly excellent stuff.

Re: Lost Boys 2!

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:01:33 -0000

If Tim Cappello is making love to his saxaphone, topless, in horrendous skintight purple leggings at some point in this film, I will quell my rage, and spare the lives of those responsible.

I also require giant backcombed hair, and much dry ice.

Re: Pledge of Allegiance

Andy — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 21:08:39 -0000

The National Anthem is a torrent of overtly religious imperialist bile in its full version.

" God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and Glorious,
Long to reign over us;
God save the Queen!
O Lord our God arise,
Scatter her enemies
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks,
On Thee our hopes we fix,
Oh, save us all!
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour;
Long may she reign;
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen!
Not in this land alone,
But be God's mercies known,
From shore to shore!
Lord make the nations see,
That men should brothers be,
And form one family,
The wide world over
From every latent foe,
From the assassins blow,
God save the Queen!
O'er her thine arm extend,
For Britain's sake defend,
Our mother, prince, and friend,
God save the Queen!"

Now, people are free to sing religious imperialist songs all they like, but I object strongly to children being obligated to join in, much less pledge allegiance to an unelected Head of State.

Re: Logan

Andy — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:49:10 -0000

I miss Maggot. He was badass.

Re: Miss Bimbo

Andy — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 20:12:05 -0000

Its fairly obvious that the entire endeavour is grounded in satire, surely?

Re: Smallville

Andy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:49:19 -0000

I hate this programme with passion unbridled.

Me: So whats it about?

Smallville fan: Well its about Clark Kent, who came from the dead planet Krypton to live in Smallville, and over time realises he has super powers.

Me: So its the first couple of pages of Action Comics 1 stretched over several years?!?!? Motherfucker!

Smallville fan: Where did you get that knife? Wait, I have young childr-

Re: Doctor Who- The Fires of Pompeii

Andy — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:27:24 -0000

Without doubt the best Doctor Who episode I've seen. Its too inconsistent for me to watch regularly, but my best mate recommended this ep, and it ruled.

Re: Why we need Pride

Andy — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:02:15 -0000

Its important in the same way Black History Month is important. Every day is straight day. Every month is White History Month. Same deal with International Women's Day. Every other day is International Patriarchy Day. For some reason, other straight white men struggle to see this sometimes, but its glaringly obvious to me.

Re: Iron Man (updated)

Andy — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:27:21 -0000

I actually buzzed for this. When asked by non-Iron Man fans my recommendation has been lukewarm, but if you like Tony Stark and his peculiar combination of super-genius, alcoholism and flying fighting robots it's fucking amazing!

Re: Iron Man (updated)

Andy — Sun, 11 May 2008 09:51:36 -0000

"Ok, Mr B the film wasnâ€™t the most amazing, but then again comic book films never are, and lets be honest even the television programmes arenâ€™t that great; animated or not. Instead, you have to appreciate it as a film that is trying to open up the wonderful world of marvel Comics to those that arenâ€™t familiar and therefore getting them to read the original source material"

There are a couple comics films that, for my money at least, are actually amazing:

Ghost World
Batman Begins

And there are a lot more good ones that don't quite hit the amazing mark. Road To Perdition anyone?

Incidentally Marvel movies have exactly nothing to do with trying to get kids to read comics. The comics arm only continues to exist as a property development wing of the business. The real purpose of Marvel's business is using characters developed in the comics for films, cartoons, action figures and other goods. They say it outright in their corporate literature.

Re: the GAYERgamer

Andy — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:51:38 -0000

I play a lot of Halo and the only word that pops up more as an insult is 'nigger'. There are a LOT of racist, homophobic little shits on there. Anonymity lets people express themselves more freely, and apparently a large number of people are more racist and homophobic that they'd otherwise admit.

Re: Guitar Hero on tour

Andy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:44:42 -0000

Just looks like a crappy rip-off of Jam Sessions, except you only get to play the songs they want you to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7k1mhz-Ld4&...

Re: Guitar Hero on tour

Andy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:45:56 -0000

This just looks like a crappy rip off of Jam Sessions for the DS. Except you can't play your own songs on this.

Re: Sex And The City: The Movie. Review.

Andy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:57:25 -0000

I agree about the exposition at the start. It was like those Chris Claremont X-men comics where they all start in the Danger Room describing eachother's origins and powers at the top of their lungs.

Good film though. 4 stars. It wasn't amazing but it acted as a nice filler between Iron Man and Dark Knight.

Re: Guitar Hero on tour

Andy — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:31:17 -0000

It seems to me that they're just trying to maintain some momentum in the face of the Rock Band phenomenon.

Re: Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story

Andy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:27:20 -0000

I really enjoyed this, though I didn't change my view that Whitehouse was an interfering old bint trying to impose a very specific and restrictive moral culture on an unwilling society. Better off rid of her.

Re: Guitar Hero on tour

Andy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:32:32 -0000

Basically Harmonix, the developers behind the first two Guitar Hero games, left the franchise to crack on with Rock Band. The idea is that since Guitar Hero was such a social game, Rock Band can be a social and more co-operative game. You don't need to buy all the peripherals to play either, just the ones you want, so you might just be after the mic, then your mate can get the drums, or whatever. It's no more expensive than Guitar Hero really.

Re: Sex And The City: The Movie. Review.

Andy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:37:18 -0000

I blame my absence on Dead Rising for the X-box 360. It basically concerns running around a mall, shoplifting clothes, and killing zombies. With katanas.

I find it difficult to focus my attention on anything that doesn't allow me to leap onto a crowd of zombies in an ill-fitting summer dress and fiercely vent the pressure from their brains with a well placed metal shower head to the cranium.

Re: the GAYERgamer

Andy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:42:32 -0000

On a side note, I'm frequently mistaken for an Australian, and verbally abused as such. Very peculiar.

I find the best way to deal with the homophobic crap (it gets heaped onto straight gamers too - I have no idea why) is to ask the little shits, or big shits as they may be, if they do that thing their Dad does with his tongue. Silence invariably ensues.

Re: Sex And The City: The Movie. Review.

Andy — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:53:13 -0000

It's all about the sickle. A quick tap of the X button and off pop their heads.

Re: Doctor Who - Silence In The Library

Andy — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:11:11 -0000

For the ultimate in cool archaeology, Warren Ellis's Planetary.

Re: Buffy season 8- Wolves At The Gate conclusion

Andy — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:58:16 -0000

Spoilers two sentences in. :(

Re: Buffy season 8- Wolves At The Gate conclusion

Andy — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:31:42 -0000

I used to be a moderator on Comixtreme and part of my job was slapping spoiler tags (code that meant the spoiler was only revealed when grey band across it was highlighted) on errant posts. It was horrible. Wednesday nights spent seeing exactly what happened in the comics I was buying the next day. Gutted.

Re: Super Sweet 16

Andy — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 12:22:20 -0000

If you want to get psyched up for a workout watch this first. Nothing short of genocide makes me angrier.

Re: Big Brother 2008, Live Blog! The Launch Show

Andy — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:30:41 -0000

I watched a bit at my mate's last night. Mario irritated me by patronising that sightless chap. The blind are quite capable of functioning like sighted adults. They don't need their hands held if someone is arguing with them.

Re: Death of the DS

Andy — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:00:35 -0000

The iphone will mean exactly fuck all to gamers. Anyone remember the N-Gage? Unless Apple are planning on fitting a D-pad and a few extra buttons on their kit it's severely limited.

Re: Cyndi Lauper: Girls still wanna have fun

Andy — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:04:09 -0000

It's nothing on Time After Time or True Colours. There's a bit too much pazazz (sp?) and not enough substance for my tastes. I like my music stripped down, with the exception of Bowie. She's not Bowie.

Re: I think I like it

Andy — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:10:36 -0000

I don't have a problem with being reminded of poverty, war, or oppression on a regular basis, even with graphic imagery. I think we should all remember, daily, that we live in extraordinary freedom and wealth compared to the majority of other people on this planet, and that we have more power to change things for the better than we care to admit most of the time.

It's a damned good advert though. Nice to see a bit of a feminist slant on things.

Re: The Incredible Hulk

Andy — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:30:45 -0000

I'm going to pack a lot into the next paragraph so hold tight. No gamma bomb. No Rick Jones. No element of heroism in origin story. Another slapped together Marvel movie romance. Why should we give a shit about Betty and Bruce if the film-makers clearly don't. Ed Norton, a man who is adept at playing a man on the edge, made even a hulking out Banner almost docile. Too many fights. Not enough character moments. Roth's character was an absolute nonsense. The MoD are always letting US Generals use their best men as guinea pigs aren't they?

SPOILERS AHEAD!
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bruce Banner would NEVER let anyone induce a Hulk episode in the middle of New York, or any other densely populated area. What a joke!

I'd give it a three out of five, at best. The script was pretty dire. Another disappointing Marvel movie, to rank alongside X2, X3, Punisher, Spiderman 3, Daredevil (theatre release - the Director's Cut was brilliant), Elektra, FF, FF2, Hulk... Meanwhile DC takes it's time putting together occasional outings that are, at least so far this century, truly brilliant.

Marvel Comics is the marketing arm of a toy company. Rarely is it so evident.

Re: Doctor Who - Midnight

Andy — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:33:31 -0000

Russell T. Davies wrote this? Hats off to him. I usually despise the nonsense he cobbles together but this was brilliant.

Re: Retro Goodness

Andy — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:45:52 -0000

It was all about the following...

Pirates of Dark Water
Potsworth and Co.
Knightmare
Reboot
The Tribe

Re: A long overdue comic rundown

Andy — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:47:09 -0000

So Secret Invasion sucks, Astonishing is coming to an end, and Runaways is late? Looks like I won't be reading any Marvel for a year or two...

Re: Wii60….again…sort of…..I hate Microsoft

Andy — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:49:27 -0000

If I wanted to have skateboard themed fun with an expensive piece of equipment and real exercise I'd use my skateboard.

Re: The Incredible Hulk

Andy — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 19:59:20 -0000

X2, for me, will always be coloured by the obvious set-up to Dark Phoenix, which was met with the ultimate disgusting cop-out when Cyclops bit the bullet early in X3. I like Cyclops, and was fucked off when he was pushed out of the third flick because Halle Berry got in a strop about not getting enough screen time.

I enjoy my rants, but I wish I didn't have to vent like this. It's not THAT difficult to stay true to the source material. Even Frank Miller can do it, and he's a disgusting little man.

Re: Planet Unicorn… Heyyyy

Andy — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:40:57 -0000

Planet Unicorn! Unicorn Plllaaaaaneeeettttt!

Ahem... My friend Ellie linked me to this over Easter. It's fucking nuts.

Re: Loose Women/stupid whores + Joan Rivers (not a stupid whore)

Andy — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:46:24 -0000

My old housemate sometimes rings me to sing the theme tune, such as it is, then hangs up.

Re: Loose Women/stupid whores + Joan Rivers (not a stupid whore)

Andy — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:48:10 -0000

Basically a fuckhead sits on stage, says something stupid, and usually right wing, and then they ask the audience, who being middle-aged/elderly women with nothing better to do than watch TV and moan about the young, cheer along with whatever tripe they're offered.

Re: The power of Digg

Andy — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:14:19 -0000

I like Kanye West. His Dad was a Black Panther and he made a point of saying what everyone else was thinking after Hurricane Katrina. That and he's one of very few big names in Hip Hop to speak out against the homophobia within the culture, so I can forgive him the odd diva moment.

Re: Daily Youtube Vid: Yo! Gabba Gabba Party In My Tummy

Andy — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:33:11 -0000

The Aquabats rule!

Re: Daily(ish) Youtube Video: I’m Voting Republican

Andy — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:19:33 -0000

This is why I love the internet!

Re: Wanted: The Comic

Andy — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:31:18 -0000

It's not the best ending Millar has come out with. That title belongs to Superman: Red Son.

Re: Wanted: The Comic

Andy — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:33:47 -0000

Yes, at least once a year until you die.

Re: Oh So Geeky, Darth Vader March as played by Floppy Disk

Andy — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:35:10 -0000

I love this!

Re: Disarming Britain

Andy — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:05:03 -0000

I'm certainly not of the opinion that the current situation with regard to armed youth crime is constant with recent history but it's worth remembering that it has been much, much worse in the past, particularly in the 19th century. It's also noteworthy that the vast majority of these incidents are in areas of the country with a number of social problems, not least of which is poverty and frustrated aspirations of youth. When a generation is surrounded by unprecedented personal wealth and consumerism, but their efforts to achieve even a small proportion of this are frustrated, they feel powerless, and much of the feedback from the young people who have been interviewed about carrying weapons talk about how they feel powerful. It's more complicated than simply being an issue of class, but class manifests itself chiefly in dynamics of power, and when you add the powerlessness that comes with lower economic class to the powerlessness felt when an individual is failed by an education system geared toward the white middle classes, you're left with a pretty potent mix. If you're poor, have been failed by the education system, and feel powerless to change your circumstances, you're far more likely to become involved in crime than other social actors. This is a far broader issue than dealing with a 'knife culture. It's about dealing with social inequality, dealing with the frankly disgusting rates of social mobility in this country, and overhauling the education system so those with what Bourdieu called 'cultural capital' (in this case the middle classes) are no longer afforded an unfair advantage from reception up.

Oh, and there's definitely an issue with conceptions of masculinity in our culture. Traditional masculinities used to be directed into manual jobs. That's no longer the case for a lot of young men, so either we need to look at channeling those traditional masculinities elsewhere, or developing a new masculinity for an economy no longer focused on manual labour.

Re: Disarming Britain

Andy — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:11:13 -0000

Frank Turner makes some interesting points too:

http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=35308...

Re: Disarming Britain

Andy — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 20:30:19 -0000

If the media is at fault what haven't these problems manifested themselves before? For most of the late twentieth century Westerns and gritty cops loomed large over the film and television world, solving problems large and small with a bullet. That and it was much easier to get hold of knives, and handguns have only really been difficult to get since the post-Dunblane reforms of 1997.

I'm reminded here of Robert K. Merton's concept of the self-fulfilling prophecy. Social actors don't respond to reality, but rather their perception of reality, and this can lead to peculiar outcomes. If social actors feel vulnerable, and perceive that their peers are carrying weapons, the actual numbers don't matter as much as the perception. The actor may then react to the perceived threat by arming himself, adding to the real numbers of armed youth and perpetuating the cycle. In this respect lurid focus from the media could be argued to be a stimulus for further knife crime rather than a step toward a solution. It's the same way runs on banks, or panic buying at petrol stations works, only it doesn't mess with economies so much as it kills kids.

What I think we're seeing here is a textbook example of Cohen's Deviancy Amplification Spiral: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cohen_(soc...

Claire made the point earlier that nobody smiles at eachother anymore, and I think that's a particularly important point. I would argue that what other generations perceive as a lack of respect from the young is the result of a sustained media attack on young people which has only increased in breadth and venom over time. There are certain aspects of youth behaviour, like knife crime, that need to be reported and tackled, but certain groups within politics and the media, notably the Conservative Party and the right-wing tabloids, have created a social climate in which the young feel scapegoated and victimised.

Now there are a great many other factors which have contributed to the breakdown of what politicians call social cohesion. People move about a lot more, so have less chance to know their neighbours, and the increased affluence the past two generations have enjoyed means they no longer need to. It's worth remembering that community solidarity for our grandparents' generation, and those prior to it, was as much about mutual aid and survival as it was about being nice to one another.

Personally I blame individualism. Not the kind of individualism that allows us to express ourselves through creation, consumption, clothing, music, etc. but the kind that says "I'm all right, so who cares how the other guy is?". What we used to call being a selfish bastard before everyone bought into the anti-solidarity competitive culture the Tories peddled in the 80s.

Re: Disarming Britain

Andy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:47:50 -0000

Mark Easton is the man! The entry from the 7th of July is the relevant one.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeas...

Re: Maus

Andy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 02:39:08 -0000

Anyone who reads this, understands it, and doesn't shed a tear, is a scary person indeed. I still remember where I was when I read a particular part of it years ago. Maus will stick with you for a very, very long time, as it should.

Re: Macbook Touch

Andy — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:41:15 -0000

Scratches ahoy! Bugger this. I'm saving for a new iMac, not something I'll be wiping clean every five minutes.

Re: Can’t Read, Can’t Write - Channel 4

Andy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:55:41 -0000

I was going to make some points but it seems Eben has made them all already. I've worked with illiterate people before, in shitty jobs I was doing for a few weeks but they were stuck with till they retire. It's a horrible handicap to every aspect of life.

Re: The Dark Knight

Andy — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 19:39:07 -0000

Rachel was definitely written with a lot more spirit and resolve in Batman Begins. It was a shame to see that character fade into the background somewhat.

I think the reason for Dent being such a focus wasn't about telling a story with Batman playing less of a role, but more about telling a Batman story by proxy. Dent's character is defined in contrast to Bruce's. His actions are defined in constrast to Bruce's. Every moment with Harvey Dent brings the character of Bruce Wayne and the Bat-man into starker relief.

I quite liked the chunkier costume as time went on. It grated in the first hour or so, but the size of the thing gave Bats a more feral appearance, which fit well with certain scenes, notably the one in the interrogation room.

Re: The Dark Knight

Andy — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:03:42 -0000

Definitely, but Batman stories are usually better when they're ensemble tales anyway. Bruce Wayne: Fugitive sticks out as one of my favourite Batman stories, but it was about the sidekicks more than anything else.

I wasn't sure if Maggie genuinely looked to be ageing or if it was a conscious decision to exaggerate her natural lines to show how tired her character was.

Re: Labrats: the Tragic Comedy

Andy — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:06:55 -0000

As long as the Beeb is still making a full series of Being Human in the Autumn I don't care what they do in the meantime.

Re: The Dark Knight

Andy — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 16:32:49 -0000

As far as I'm concerned, these are the best Batman stories ever. Batman isn't the focus of Identity Crisis, but he is pivotal in the story, and it defines the modern version of the character, especially his bond with the current Robin, Tim Drake.

http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=...

http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=...

http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=...

Arkham Asylum is absolutely essential.

Re: Iris Robinson part 2

Andy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:52:32 -0000

I think Peter Tatchell's approach (as outlined in yesterday's Guardian p.9) of pointing out that Unionist icon William of Orange is widely thought to have taken male lovers is the best so far.

Re: You Decide: Is The Metro Homophobic Or Not…

Andy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:03:55 -0000

I like musicals. I also like bosoms and other lady-parts. Case closed.

Re: You Decide: Is The Metro Homophobic Or Not…

Andy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:06:49 -0000

Just in case that lacked clarification, this is lazy comedy with a lazy, and offensive stereotype. It's not quite as venomous (and demonstrably false) as classics like 'white working class people are bigoted racists' or 'Jews are greedy' but it's on a sliding scale with those sorts of ideas.

Re: Iris Robinson part 2

Andy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 19:09:23 -0000

I just did a bit of light research into the two main Unionist parties. One allows this mad woman a platform for hate speech, and the other is explicitly allied with the Tories. I'm glad I'm not a Unionist in NI. I'd never vote again.

Re: Iris Robinson (final part…for now)

Andy — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 15:38:51 -0000

As far as I can tell the only difference between the likes of Iris Robinson MP and 'religious moderates' is that the former ignores vast swathes of the Bible, and the latter ignores just a bit more. In a way we should think ourselves lucky she isn't espousing the myriad other forms of bigotry the 'Good Book' justifies and encourages.

Re: You Decide: Is The Metro Homophobic Or Not…

Andy — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:13:28 -0000

I agree with Matt. We have the right to free speech. We don't have the right not to be offended.

Re: 4 Minutes of Buffy The Animated Series

Andy — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:52:26 -0000

Whoa! :D

Re: Virgin Media, Why do they get it so wrong?

Andy — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:56:12 -0000

Awful animation, poor voice work, and jokes only Simply Red fans or long suffering family members of Simply Red fans would get. Dire stuff.

Re: Virgin Media, Why do they get it so wrong?

Andy — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:21:04 -0000

Branson's xenophobic stereotype nurse uses the names of various Simply Red songs in her lines.

Re: Virgin Media, Why do they get it so wrong?

Andy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:47:40 -0000

You should think yourself lucky. When I was little my favourite musician was Phil Collins, because of the three tapes in my Mum's car (Phil, Kylie, and Simply Red) his was the least painful.

Re: HIV Pill

Andy — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:58:13 -0000

Looking at the bigger picture for a second, a 'pill' to fend off infection is useless to those that can't afford it, and I'd assume that'd be most of the world's population. Plus, if infection becomes less of a pressing issue in the developed nations I'd expect the research budgets these nations set aside to find a cure to be cut drastically.

Re: Wall-e

Andy — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:02:12 -0000

It sounds like her main cause for complaint is that her kids are thick. I'm actually looking forward to seeing this, which is surprising because I actively dislike CGI animations and HATED The Incredibles.

Re: HIV Pill

Andy — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 12:13:41 -0000

Poverty is a relative term anyway, hence why what we consider poverty here is living like a king for most of the world's population. I see your point though.

Re: Music This Week

Andy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:26:38 -0000

I don't rate that new version of Hide and Seek. I liked the weird organ-like vocals on the original. This just sounds unfinished.

Re: Tina Chen - My Hero

Andy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:16:56 -0000

She CANNOT be holding a full deck of cards, surely?

Re: Music This Week

Andy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 17:19:31 -0000

I quite like that I Kissed A Girl song too, despite it being the musical equivalent of random straight girls necking on the dancefloor in first year to try and get some male attention. The same applied to random straight blokes too.

Re: How do you do I….see you’ve met my….Rocky Horror Remake

Andy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:47:09 -0000

Every day, in every way, the world gets a little bit more like Gremlins 2...

'Tonight on the Clamp Movie Network: Casablanca, now in full colour, with a happier ending!'

Re: Batman: Hush

Andy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:21:50 -0000

I liked Hush a lot, even though Jim Lee's art is a little bit crispy for my liking. Jeph Loen writes Bats like nobody else. His run on Batman/Superman was great too.

Hush is a little over-rated, but it's still great stuff, and absolutely amazing in places.

My favourite moments:

'Clayface'
Bruce's back in the cave.
The chat with Nigma.

Re: Tina Chen - My Hero

Andy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 16:27:58 -0000

I had to sleep in a chastity belt with a knuckle duster under my pillow and a cricket bat by my side. Under armed guard.

Re: Tina Chen - My Hero

Andy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:21:49 -0000

It does indeed. It adds a bit of a puzzle element to the action. Like Tomb Raider!

Re: Bone by Jeff Smith

Andy — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:24:21 -0000

Spot on.

Re: Gary Oldman - ITV football advert

Andy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:23:57 -0000

I like Gary Oldman. I like football. I HATE ITV sports coverage with a passion unbound.

Incidentally, when I think Oldman and football together I think of this...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Firm_(1988_film)

Re: Gary Oldman - ITV football advert

Andy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:38:11 -0000

He made Jim Gordon a respectable character in the eye of non-comics fans. He could be picking up babies with a pitchfork and I'd still love him!

Re: Summer Sundae

Andy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:46:40 -0000

I got a veritable torrent of texts last weekend during Henry Rollins' spoken word/stand-up set. Most were raving about how great he was, except a few from my sister which went along the lines of 'He's so angry! This explains so much!'

Re: Origami Vagina

Andy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:55:11 -0000

If you come across any of those educational materials, let me know.

Re: Origami Vagina

Andy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:56:15 -0000

I'm also relieved to learn that I'm not the only person who uses the term 'front bum'.

Re: Origami Vagina

Andy — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:40:04 -0000

I make no apologies. I was very pleased indeed when I learnt, somewhere in primary school, that the front bottom didn't expel faeces. Two such outlets seemed unnecessary, even to my young sugar-addled mind.

Re: Gary Oldman - ITV football advert

Andy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:51:31 -0000

'was also in The Firm which is, er, about football.'

Barely though, if we're honest.

Re: Gary Oldman - ITV football advert

Andy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:43:04 -0000

That's debatable. While I'm not an authority on Oldman's work by any means, I have seen him in a few things, and his portrayal of Bexy in The Firm is by far the most captivating of those films I've seen him in. Just because it was made for television doesn't mean it wasn't an important film. We'd do well to remember that one of Alan Clarke's other television works, Scum, remains Ray Winstone's most iconic role even after thirty years. Both actors are now better known for roles in blockbusters, but their respective roles in Clarke's television plays still loom large over British film.

Re: Libby Kennedy: Neighbours

Andy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:50:12 -0000

Martin in Eastenders.

Jack's wife in Emmerdale. Later both his children.

Re: Libby Kennedy: Neighbours

Andy — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:41:59 -0000

'That man who acts as prime minister? He’s suddenly all fat and “wibbley wobbley I’m a Scottish Charisma vacuum”. I didn’t like the last guy either…but this?'

The only other bloke who wanted the job was Michael Meecher. I've have the dubious honour of having met Michael Meecher, and I have to say I'm very, very glad he's not Prime Minister.

Re: Metro Hates Gay: FACT……well they don’t but I made you look

Andy — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:30:55 -0000

This is more confusing than funny.

Re: Batman: Hush

Andy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:39:38 -0000

The best 'Bat-family' story in my view is Bruce Wayne: Murderer?/Fugitive. It's spread across four trades but it's well worth picking up.

As far as Batman as harsh bastard detective stuff goes, I remember City Of Crime being pretty good in that regard. Chunky too.

Re: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Andy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 12:05:44 -0000

Hellboy: Rubbish comics, worse films!

Re: How Orangina stole my innocence

Andy — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:08:19 -0000

I think sex between two species of non-human still counts as bestiality too.

Re: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Andy — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:09:46 -0000

There's no such thing as too many strikes. Blame the bosses, not the unions.

Re: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Andy — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:10:36 -0000

Heroes Season 3 will be on the BBC within a week of the US timetable.

Re: Watchmen

Andy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:42:48 -0000

'Do you think that in 50 years time people will talk about the comic/fantasy/adventure genre in the same way we talk about westerns today? Of course I’ll watch this but could someone please come up with something new, eventually they’ll run out of comics and have to start remaking the adapted comic book films of the last 10 years.'

Comic isn't a genre, it's a medium. Fantasy has thrived for centuries, and adventure likewise is going absolutely nowhere. Also, there are plenty of novels, comics, and films still produced under the western genre.

You haven't read Watchmen, so I can understand your assuming that this is in any way comparable to other works involving big men in spandex swinging punches. It isn't. It's as far removed from the likes of Batman and Superman as Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls is from Apocalypse Now.

Although the visual style seems to match up, and many shots are straight copies of the defining panels in the source material, I remember reading that the Cold War themes have been changed because modern audiences can't relate. On what planet does that make sense?

Re: Brian K Batman

Andy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:45:04 -0000

Vaughan has written the Jervis Tetch before, to good effect. He used to work with the mentally ill, so perhaps that gave him a fresh perspective on the Hatter's delirium.

Re: Watchmen

Andy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:21:04 -0000

Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness and Apocalypse Now

Re: Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog

Andy — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:42:34 -0000

My sister has recently gotten into Supernatural. It's complete crap as far as I can tell. Basically a recruitment video for humourless Christian fundamentalists.

Re: Hello from our Faces

Andy — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 02:30:42 -0000

Anyone who references Dorian Gray has my firm approval.

Re: Stand up 2 Cancer

Andy — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:24:52 -0000

If that advert had been any stupider I'd be siding with cancer right now.

Re: Brian K Batman

Andy — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:35:39 -0000

I picked this up today. I was gonna read it this evening but then I remembered that I haven't read Mark Millar's run on The Authority in a while, and that it's better than pretty much anything, apart from maybe nymphomaniacs who support Leicester, vote Labour, and lactate Marmite.

Re: Wii Music: What do you think?

Andy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:55:49 -0000

I'm not convinced. I am under no illusions about my proficiency as an Italian plumber, a super-fast blue hedgehog, or a gun-toting large-breasted archaeologist, so why should music games be any different?

Re: Oo la la Trouble in Vogue

Andy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:05:09 -0000

That's fucking disgusting. Fashion is contemptible and corrupt by it's very nature, but this is something else. I'm genuinely shocked that anyone thought juxtaposing obscenely expensive and utterly trivial items with people who are struggling just to survive was in any way worthy of merit, and anything but utterly distasteful.

You'd all do well to remember that most of the people on this planet don't have shoes. Think about that next time you're counting your pairs.

If you'll excuse me I'm off out to wave large sums of money at homeless people.

Re: Your Music Taste and You

Andy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:42:52 -0000

That rap track isn't that exotic. It's not what moves millions of units (but apart from Lil Wayne and Kanye what is anymore?) but it's nothing out of the ordinary either.

I read about this research earlier on. Although it obviously deals in huge generalisations it seems sensible enough. Certain youth sub-cultures formed around music attract proportionally larger groups of certain types of people. www.yourscenesucks.com sums up the punk ones pretty well.

Re: Your Music Taste and You

Andy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:27:56 -0000

Well you'll note that many of the personality trends identified (they're identifying broad tendencies and trends, not maintaining that everyone fits snugly into a particular box) are similar to others.

'Is it that confident people are attracted to rap music or does rap music breed confidence? So many questions with no answers.'

It's unreasonable to expect an answer to those questions when they've only just discovered a possible link in the first place.

As for the purpose of the research, it's not easy to find funding for work like this without selling a commercial angle to the people with the cash.

Re: Your Music Taste and You

Andy — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:22:14 -0000

I'm not suggesting you haven't won it, and yeah, the research is extremely limited. I'd like to have a look at the raw data but for some reason it's rarely offered up.

I personally think that Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and the album The Simpsons Sing The Blues had more influence over my fledgling tastes than anything else. :)

Re: Oo la la Trouble in Vogue

Andy — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:55:06 -0000

Fashion IS pedestrian and dull. The fashion industry, such as it is, jumps on ideas that originate outside it, and then desperately tries to convince the rest of us they came up with them first. Vivienne Westwood's early career is a perfect example of this process. It is a shadow play, a watered down parade based on real, dynamic styles.

I'm all for courting controversy to make a point, but this isn't about making a point about the gulf between the rich and the world's poor. It was about making more money for the rich at the expense of the world's poor. It is ethically bankrupt, in my view, to spend thousands of pounds on an unnecessary garment or accessory when people who aren't as fortunate are dying needlessly. You can try and rationalise greed all you like, but when you strip away the bullshit all that's left is guilt, or nothingness.

Re: Rowan Atkinson is funny, NEWSFLASH

Andy — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 18:00:49 -0000

My personal favourite is the Conservative Party Conference sketch from Not The Nine O'Clock News.

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

Re: Big Bang Day

Andy — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:57:10 -0000

I'm really excited by this. It may tell us more about the nature and origins of our universe, which would bring me a step closer to seeing the death of the God concept before I die. Woot!

Re: Stuff Knitted By Nanas - I want Diamond Shreddies

Andy — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:14:36 -0000

That advert is amazing. I really miss Frosted Shreddies, but I've been boycotting Nestle for years now, thanks to their shady business practises around the world. I also long for a Milkybar...

Re: New ipods have landed

Andy — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:05:40 -0000

I need at least 40gb at present or I have to pick and choose what I'm carrying round with me, which isn't ideal, especially as I sometimes use my 80gb Classic for the odd request while DJing. For my needs, the Classic is the only ipod that comes close to being adequate. And it's black, so it goes with everything, and I can legitimately name it in tribute to it's predecessor. Long live Son of Bat-Pod!

Re: New ipods have landed

Andy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:49:39 -0000

I'm a punk DJ, which basically involves cueing up tracks and pressing play every few minutes. No skills necessary!

Re: Mark’s Mucho Media Montage

Andy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:52:14 -0000

You won't be getting an opposing view out of me...

Re: Torchwood: Lost Souls

Andy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:42:05 -0000

That Brian Cox factoid blew my mind! :D

Re: My Thoughts on the Recession

Andy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:28:12 -0000

Very well said. I am absolutely sick of seeing people who live very comfortably indeed blather about how they're going to cope if they have to sell one of their homes. Meanwhile, the working people of this country, the ones who will really feel the bite if the wealthy retreat into their luxurious caves to hide from monsters of their own imagining, are going about their business as usual, and the economy is better for it. Newsflash for those of you who don't think. Saving money is not a way of surviving recession. It is a way of causing one.

Re: Breast Milk and Dairy Milk

Andy — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:30:48 -0000

All my mates who were breast fed are tit men. I find this rather disturbing, for obvious reasons.

Re: I Kissed a Squirrel - Veruca Salt

Andy — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:43:45 -0000

Re: Lesbian Love is in the air!

Andy — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:37:32 -0000

That statement has nothing to do with lesbianism, much less any 'militant' thread therein. It's a feminist statement, challenging the long-standing inequality between the sexes, particularly the low expectations men have of women and women often have of themselves. I read it as a direct challenge to the patriarchy.

To address one of your other points, I agree that weddings should be apolitical, but they're not. I was discussing current marriage legislation with Mark the other night, as it happens. As it stands, the only people who can marry, in most nations on this planet, are couples composed of one man, and one woman. Marriage is, fundamentally, a legal institution, and restricting marriage on grounds of sexuality is a restriction of legal equality on said grounds. If I might borrow from Orwell, 'All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others'. The act of a straight couple exercising legal rights not extended to gay couples is as much a political act as a white person entering a pub with 'whites only' above the door, in the 1950s.

The two young women whom we are discussing are treated as second class citizens under the law of the United States of America. They would be treated as second class citizens if they lived here too. Their challenging this treatment by declaring their love publicly and their wish to enjoy the rights their straight neighbours enjoy is a political act, and a righteous one. They should be applauded.

Ronson looks like a young woman who has been up all night working. I don't see the effects of crack. I see the effects of working in smoky environment in the middle of the night. She looks fine too. She just isn't wearing much make up. Not an offence last time I checked.

Re: Lesbian Love is in the air!

Andy — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 07:49:17 -0000

'When a lesbian couple gets married and then says ““Tonight shows the power of a woman – to underestimate that is to underestimate the world it cant be ignored” - there is clearly a message about lesbian rights in there as well as as a challenge to patriachy.'

Unless we know the immediate context, we can't say that for sure. All we have been told is that they spoke of marriage that evening.

We have very little idea about what Ms. Lohan has shown an interest in. Our perception of her is heavily mediated after all. In the case of Ms. Ronson, it's worth remembering that fame is not a requisite for making valid statements about gender equality.

Re: Dead Set - Zombie Big Brother

Andy — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 07:49:52 -0000

This is going to be amazing!

Re: Lesbian Love is in the air!

Andy — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:32:57 -0000

She's been DJing for over eight years. In 2000, she DJed on MTV. That's not a sudden rise to fame off her brother's recent high profile, although his DJ work through the 90s probably helped her get her foot in the door. She was signed to Roc-a-fella five years ago. Her family are independently wealthy, and her step-dad played guitar for Foreigner. If anything undermines the integrity of her 'power of woman' statement, it's the power of wealth and influence there in the background.

Re: Lesbian Love is in the air!

Andy — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:07:45 -0000

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bl...

Re: I Love Fandom

Andy — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:20:49 -0000

I love fandom. I've made two Robin costumes (Tim Drake, not Dick Grayson or Jason Todd) since I was 13, and I'm planning another.

Re: I Love Fandom

Andy — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:12:47 -0000

Extra nerdy fact: My second still fits fine, but the Tim's costume has since changed, and I refuse to commit the ultimate nerd sin of being 'inaccurate'.

Re: Can you change a Queen Bee?

Andy — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:10:20 -0000

I'm confused. Are they trying to make them nicer, or snivelling doormats?

Re: I love Sarah Silverman as much as she hates cancer.

Andy — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:09:27 -0000

Yeah, definitely. It's not like she wrote and performed that segment for a campaign to fight cancer.

Oh, wait...

Get a sense of humour, and, for the love of fuck, get a decent grasp of punctuation. Commas are not the enemy!

Re: Music to make you Smile

Andy — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:10:35 -0000

'inoffensive Disney'

I spy an oxymoron!

Re: Dictation of Play? The best video games…apparently

Andy — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:57:37 -0000

2. Braid(?? seriously what the fu…is this??)

Incredibly inventive platform game available on x-box live arcade. Probably the most original game so far this century. Excellent.

3. Halo 3

Word.

6. Burnout paradise (not about marijuana…my mistake)

Shit. Takedown was better. EA ruined it.

8. Gears of War

Too short.

13. Bioshock

Close to perfect.

15. Guitar hero III legends of Rock

Horrendous tracklisting. Death rattle of a franchise abandoned by it's creators.

21. Forza Motorsport 2

Trainspotting without sandwiches. Lame.

32. Command and Conquer 3: Tiberian wars

Worst game in the franchise.

43. Soul Calibur IV

Not as good as III. Yoda is broken.

47. Puzzle Quest

Should be higher. Most addictive game ever.

48. Resident Evil 4 Wii edition

PS2 version was amazing.

Re: Dictation of Play? The best video games…apparently

Andy — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:01:13 -0000

http://braid-game.com/

Magnificent. The plot, such as it is, is both thought-provoking and utterly heartbreaking in equal measure.

Re: Dictation of Play? The best video games…apparently

Andy — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:38:26 -0000

Puzzle Quest is to Bejewelled what crack is to cocaine. It's the same sort of thing, but one is a LOT better, and very, very addictive.

Re: Britannia High: Fame 2.0 with extra Arlene Strictly

Andy — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:18:54 -0000

To use the parlance of punknews.org, Gary Barlow fans and am-dram types are stoked!

Re: Breast Milk and Dairy Milk

Andy — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:52:14 -0000

'How sick is that?! A grown man/woman suckling on the teat of a cow!'

Why is drinking cow's milk sick? Because it's not as instinctive as drinking breast milk as an infant? That's a bizarre argument at best.

Re: Breast Milk and Dairy Milk

Andy — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:55:33 -0000

Incidentally, if we're going to talk about some behaviours being 'natural' and others being 'sick' we can perhaps consider the fact that we have front-facing eyes, sharp teeth, and the capacity to digest flesh. Does that mean eating meat is ok purely by virtue of our bodies being well suited to it? Justifying or condemning actions based on what is and isn't 'natural' is very shaky ground.

Re: Diesel Safe For Work Porn

Andy — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 07:11:16 -0000

That's awesome.

Re: Amy Winehouse

Andy — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:46:45 -0000

'I won’t blame the journalists because they write what they’re told to and they’re under a lot of pressure but the editors and the public who are interested in this are probably the kinds of people who pulled the wings off flies when they were kids.'

There has to be a point where the 'only following orders' argument runs out of steam though, surely?

Re: Metro Uses The Word Poof and not in reference to the magic dragon (updated)

Andy — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:53:12 -0000

It's bad, but I don't think it's as bad as the 'n' word. There aren't centuries of ownership and slavery tied to it, after all. There are centuries of electric shock therapy, oppression, dehumanisation, etc. but it's not on the same scale as slavery.

They could have easily made the same joke with the word 'gay' in it's place too. I've made the same crack to mates before. You get turned down, and when your mates ask what happened you say 'Lesbians are everywhere these days,' or something similar. It's not clever, and it's not particularly funny, and everybody's heard it.

Re: Metro Uses The Word Poof and not in reference to the magic dragon (updated)

Andy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:52:02 -0000

'He turns her down and her rebuff is calling him a puff.'

That's the gag. She's suggesting that he turned her down because he's not attracted to women.

Re: The Truth Behind the Powdered Face

Andy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:57:08 -0000

This is a peculiarly middle class malady if ever there was one. If you've got the time and the money for it, more power to you, but the vast majority of people haven't, and would raise an eyebrow to the behaviour described above.

Re: Shortbus (warning, I mention willies more than once!)

Andy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:04:10 -0000

I knew this sounded familiar, then I got to the end and saw John Cameron Mitchell's name and thought 'that's the flick by the Hedwig dude!'

Re: YouTube - Awesome Water Fountain in Japan

Andy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:12:33 -0000

Re: The Video for ‘Another Way To Die’

Andy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 02:25:47 -0000

Brilliant.

Re: Metro Uses The Word Poof and not in reference to the magic dragon (updated)

Andy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:55:47 -0000

'No one cares about comic strips.'

That must be why they were a key propaganda tool in World War II...

Re: Metro Uses The Word Poof and not in reference to the magic dragon (updated)

Andy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:57:31 -0000

'My question is … what should be your reaction if a gay mag published that ?'

This is irrelevant. It's like claiming there's no difference between Ice Cube spitting 'nigga' and the head of the KKK calling someone 'nigger'. There is an enormous difference.

Re: The Ting Tings live at The Venue Leicester

Andy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:02:26 -0000

Shit band. Check out Johnny Foreigner. Saw 'em in Northampton last week and they were incredible. Insanely energetic indie three-piece. They got a load of thirteen and fourteen year old fans on stage to do some backing vocals for a laugh, and decreed 'If a band gets upset when you get on stage with them stop buying their records because they only care about your money!' I fell in love.

Re: Wow, Americans, watch the BBC for news about your election if this is the sate of your ‘NEWS’

Andy — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:35:57 -0000

This is pretty tame for FOX...

http://www.outfoxed.org/

Re: Now to apologise to that little dutch idiot that I shat on yesterday

Andy — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:07:54 -0000

Me and my old house mate love Sharpe for the history, the writing, and, most importantly, the fighting!

Re: The Games Column: By Morgan…

Andy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:55:44 -0000

Microsoft has gone from a nothing player a decade ago to an absolute gaming leviathan. These adverts are a little bit too peculiar to hook kids in, but they might work on their parents, who could well be in the market for a family console for the festive season.

Rock Band 2 will be the greatest music game of all time for the following reasons:

* 10. Bikini Kill “Rebel Girl” 1990’s
* 11. Billy Idol “White Wedding Pt. I” 1980’s
* 16. Devo “Uncontrollable Urge” 1980’s
* 27. Jethro Tull “Aqualung” 1970’s
* 28. Jimmy Eat World “The Middle” 2000’s
* 29. Joan Jett “Bad Reputation” 1980’s
* 30. Journey “Anyway You Want It” 1970’s
* 36. Lit “My Own Worst Enemy” 1990’s
* 41. Mighty Mighty Bosstones “Where’d You Go” 1990’s
* 42. Modest Mouse “Float On” 2000’s
* 45. Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” 1960’s
* 50. Rage Against the Machine “Testify” 1990’s
* 52. Red Hot Chili Peppers “Give it Away” 1990’s
* 53. Rise Against “Give it All” 2000’s
* 57. Social Distortion “I Was Wrong” 1990’s
* 65. Talking Heads “Psycho Killer” 1970’s
* 71. The Guess Who “American Woman” 1970’s
* 72. The Muffs “Kids in America” 1990’s
* 75. The Who “Pinball Wizard” 1960’s

Re: Mark’s Media Monstrosity 7/10/08

Andy — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:31:13 -0000

Wearing a dress doesn't say a damn thing about sexual orientation. Nor does wearing a suit, incidentally.

Re: Mark’s Media Monstrosity 7/10/08

Andy — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 12:29:45 -0000

Christian Bale is easily the best Bruce Wayne/Batman of all time. Keaton was a better Wayne, but a shit Batman. Kilmer played the parts the wrong way round. Clooney and West can fuck off. Bale owns them all!

Re: Mark’s Media Monstrosity 7/10/08

Andy — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:54:21 -0000

True. It was a coarse curly hair in an otherwise succulent meal.

Re: Hilary Duff fights homophobia one girl at a time…

Andy — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:05:38 -0000

Amen. I've been calling my friends out on this for ages. There's not a homophobe among them, but they have adopted the common parlance and often need reminding that it's messed up.

By the way, the word 'nigger' hasn't been reclaimed by the black community as a term of endearment. Certain sections of the black community, tending to be younger, have claimed the term 'nigga' in certain contexts. Many older people don't accept this subtle change in spelling and pronunciation for obvious reasons, and plenty of black people from all age groups and walks of life still find both deeply offensive.

Re: Superfly Friday 17th October

Andy — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:07:40 -0000

Looks cool but I'm DJing a lingerie show (and consequently getting chucked out of feminism).

Re: Merlin : The Poisoned Chalice

Andy — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:07:39 -0000

Epic spoilers!

Re: Merlin : The Poisoned Chalice

Andy — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:53:12 -0000

It's cool. I don't even watch Merlin. I just get antsy about spoilers. It's a a hump I'm stuck with from a year or two as a moderator on Comixtreme.com.

Re: Harvey Milk: The Movie

Andy — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 05:00:43 -0000

I've been looking forward to this for a little while. Gus Van Sant is the man.

Re: Why Oh Why Sega

Andy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:36:12 -0000

'Thank you Sega, for putting in a useless, talking tutorial creature in Nights, and making it unskippable to boot.'

My friend Lee was similarly incensed by this aspect of the game.

I don't understand Sega any more. All they need to do is release a slightly spiffier looking, lightly tweaked, 2-fucking-D, Sonic game and the gaming world would be eating out their hands. We'd be happy. they'd be rich, especially since the development costs would be pathetic in modern terms.

Re: Zombie Pin-ups

Andy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:42:51 -0000

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while.

Re: Why Don’t the other girls in the playground like me?

Andy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:01:00 -0000

There are frequent features in the music press that involve men bitching about eachother. They're either classed as a feud, or beef, depending on the genre of music concerned. There's the classic Jay-Z/Nas beef, the Jack White/Von Bondies ruck, etc. Usually it is just coverage of a fight, although a certain Oasis member manages to get in bitching wars every few years without any punches at all.

Women musicians do get stuck in on occasion too, like when Courtney Love punched Kathleen Hanna from Bikini Kill in 1995.

Anyway, you might want to read Ariel Levy's Female Chauvinist Pigs. It's about how some women, of their own accord, perpetuate patriarchy, and therefore their own oppression. I should think bitching for no reason fits squarely under that remit.

Re: Why Don’t the other girls in the playground like me?

Andy — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:53:42 -0000

You have every right to stay at home and bake. The difference now is that you have the choice to do other things with you life, should you prefer it.

Re: Jeffrey and Cole speak out about proposition 8

Andy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:44:47 -0000

That was awesome. Nice Hello Dolly reference too.

Re: Lego Batman

Andy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:48:35 -0000

'yes but blackett they’re not meant for you they are meant for children!!!! if they were too long children would get really really upset and bored. They need to keep them short and sweet!!'

It's hardly necessary that they complete the game in one sitting. Children are quite capable of making use of autosave functions. Just ask Mario fans of a certain age.

Re: Lego Batman

Andy — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:14:44 -0000

Fair point. From an adult perspective though, the Lego games were clearly lazily hashed together, by a development team safe in the knowledge that the brands involved would carry them to best-seller status. They play like shit. Traveller's Tales were doing better work over a decade ago, on machines a fraction of the power, for a fraction of the budget. See Sonic 3D for the Mega Drive.

Re: Literal Music Video: Take on Me

Andy — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 13:07:59 -0000

This is amazing. Struggling to think of other videos it could work for.

Re: Top 5 Computer Games that became Televsion Programmes

Andy — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:54:26 -0000

Earthworm Jim casts a very large shadow over my childhood. Magnificent!

Re: Creeping into the male wardrobe

Andy — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 18:29:15 -0000

Real men make their own clothes...

Re: Is Kerry Katona a Genius?

Andy — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:10:59 -0000

Don't forget the morons who read Heat. As far as I know Zoo readers aren't chiefly engaged in stalking by proxy, whereas Heat readers certainly are.

Re: New Teaser Poster For Watchmen

Andy — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:02:43 -0000

Beautiful.

Re: Look at me I’m linking to the Daily Mail… FUCK

Andy — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:36:19 -0000

I love so called 'swear words', and see them as an extra bit of flavour in a language which offers itself to an unfathomable number of uses. Viva la fuck!

Re: Feature Tour Of The Nintendo DSi

Andy — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:37:34 -0000

I shuddered when I read that Blakeborough. 'Special sock' is what my old housemate calls condoms. You can imagine the peculiar mental image you conjured up for me.

Re: Look at me I’m linking to the Daily Mail… FUCK

Andy — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 05:58:26 -0000

That's was part of Germaine Greer's point when she appeared on the BBC defending use of 'See You Next Tuesday'.

Re: New Teaser Poster For Watchmen

Andy — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:10:03 -0000

It looks like Watchmen. That's really all I'm after.

Re: Gaming This Christmas

Andy — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 15:12:49 -0000

Fable 2 came out last Friday too. I'm addicted!

Re: Ofcom probing Brand and Ross

Andy — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 16:34:22 -0000

I will generally back any and all references to consensual sex and the F word, post-watershed, but telling a man you fucked his grand-daughter is fucked up. Seriously. Sachs should find them, and give them a good kicking.

Re: Ofcom probing Brand and Ross

Andy — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:44:40 -0000

This should have been picked up by the editorial team. Comics on pre-recorded programmes are always saying things that shouldn't be broadcast, and the vast majority of the time those things aren't broadcast. Brand and Ross shouldn't have made the calls, but the editorial team shouldn't have broadcast them either.

Re: Johnny Rotten in a Butter advert. He is sooooo Punk.

Andy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:45:37 -0000

Rotten was never punk. Dude was in a manufactured band, and told what to wear, do and say. Then that band split up, and one of it's members killed his wife. Somehow they achieved notoriety by swearing on the telly and saying 'naughty' things about the Queen.

Re: Johnny Rotten in a Butter advert. He is sooooo Punk.

Andy — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:46:52 -0000

McLaren told them what to say, what to do, what to wear... Most of this ideas he'd nicked from his travels to New York to see Richard Hell and the rest.

Proper punks who got famous (relatively) and old but didn't become ridiculous charicatures of themselves at 20.

Henry Rollins (publisher, TV presenter, actor, musician, comedian, political activist)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=W9S5-EB8dR8

Joe Strummer (was in a manufactured band too, except he was in a good one)
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zq9fEV6uSa4&f...

Sorry, but I've hated the Sex Pistols for years. They are, to my mind, the reason the mainstream media so regularly declares that punk started in 76 and ended in 78, and their album was crap. Complete crap. Anyone can name check a much maligned political perspective to a few chords to con daft middle class kids out of their money. The Clash, X-Ray Spex and The Damned, and many other bands from that era deserve more respect, and more recognition, because they didn't treat their fans like idiots, but rather inspired them to look more closely at themselves and the world around them.

Incidentally, this is what 'proper' punk is...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FvbRoN1IDSQ

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ZnFT2qAJU

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=c1kgZLgWpb8

Re: Mark’s Media Matriculation 28/10/08

Andy — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:08:13 -0000

He's a lifelong Republican. That's all there is to it. Obama is the lesser of two evils.

Re: I Was Ill…

Andy — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:53:49 -0000

David Mitchell should read this to the nation in the place of the Queen's Christmas Message.

Re: Podcast: Number One

Andy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:43:03 -0000

I tend to fall behind on podcasts that update more regularly than once a week. Interviews would work nicely if you can muster up any notables who wouldn't mind being lightly interrogated.

Re: Claire’s Affairs mark:1

Andy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:19:35 -0000

Tall people are actually most likely to die first. Zombies have to lean forward to chew on the less lanky among us, risking a tumble. They've never been the most graceful of monsters after all. The likes of Blackett and myself are thus most at risk.

Re: Claire’s Affairs mark:1

Andy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:21:21 -0000

I like Winslet better when I can see more of her. Not like more skin, just a shape. That photo looks like the front of her has been planed off and her rear 30% cast onto a dead bear.

Re: Claire’s Affairs mark:1

Andy — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:39:54 -0000

I hate Clarkson, and the joke was ropey, but bugger complaining about it.

Re: Science takes one step closer to pure evil

Andy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:50:20 -0000

Love it! We're the closest thing this universe has to 'God'. It's past time we started acting like it.

Re: OMG Black President FTW!

Andy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:48:07 -0000

Good day, except for California passing Proposition 8. Bye bye gay marriage! :(

Re: California says no to Gay Marriage

Andy — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 12:43:45 -0000

The first settlers were religious fundamentalists. Many of the founding fathers were actually deists, who rejected the idea of a personal and involved god.

Incidentally, gay marriage isn't legal here either, so we can't just shout down the yanks on this one. The UK is at fault too.

Re: Nintendo Cereal System. Crereal isn’t cool any more…

Andy — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:40:36 -0000

I wonder if Jamie Oliver was bullied at school. I can't think of any reason why he hates kids so much.

Re: Homosexuality awareness taught to children. Yay? Or Nay?

Andy — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 13:26:36 -0000

Anything that tries to mellow homophobic kids has got to be a good thing. I was talking to a workmate about the way gay kids were treating at our old schools, and it was agreed that 1. We were evil little bastards, and 2. the kids who were gay or thought to be went through Hell, because kids like us, enduring the awkwardness and uncertainty our youth provided, were after easy scapegoats. The vast majority of homophobic kids chill out very quickly when presented with arguments against homophobia, but we weren't presented with any till we were GCSE age, and as such we were terrible to the kids who didn't fit our expectations.

Re: SHS - Teenage Clothing - Cool Images

Andy — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:34:42 -0000

Yeah, I'm not enjoying the imperialist bent.

Re: New Star Trek Trailer (well till Youtube pulls it)

Andy — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:05:56 -0000

Without the intonation is just doesn't feel like Spock.

Re: Same Difference, I shouldn’t. But I love them.

Andy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:42:20 -0000

That was one of the creepiest things I've ever seen. 'Welcome to Stepford'.

Re: Same Difference, I shouldn’t. But I love them.

Andy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:45:15 -0000

This is what I danced around my living room to when I was seven... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fm9W4Ts-tw0

Re: Coraline! Fantastic New Trailer.

Andy — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:16:09 -0000

3-fuckin'-D! I'm buzzing!

Re: Christmas Time, mistletoe and misguided councils.

Andy — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:34:38 -0000

It's an important point though. A lot of people watching that advert would be thinking 'That'd be nice, but we can't afford to help', until they're told it's a job that pays.

Re: Real Life Gremlin Found. No but actually!

Andy — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:35:45 -0000

Mogwai! :)

Re: Real Life Gremlin Found. No but actually!

Andy — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:08:29 -0000

*cuddles tattered Gizmo toy* I'm a fan. :)

Re: Christmas Time, mistletoe and misguided councils.

Andy — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 07:10:10 -0000

I agree about the wording of the advert, and the ridiculousness of the smoker ban.

Re: I have found my new bride, Mrs. Betty Bowers

Andy — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:43:36 -0000

I miss Betty's tongue!

Re: All I want for Christmas is an Xbox 360

Andy — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:58:57 -0000

Oh shit! I forget Left 4 Dead is out soon! Amazing!

Gears 2 is great, but the plot is bloody awful, and the dialogue is school panto dodgy. Gameplay is top notch, and nobody's buying Live-enabled FPSs for the campaign more anyway.

Re: Buffy Film? Or just wild speculation?

Andy — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:19:30 -0000

I hope not.

Re: Just For Men Hair Colour

Andy — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:23:11 -0000

When kids are hooking you up with women, you got some problems.

Re: No More Panel Shows, it’s killing comedy…

Andy — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:55:02 -0000

Frankie Boyle is a very funny man. I'm a definite fan of scathing 'offensive' humour. That said, you're right about the format being ill-suited to showcasing a lot of comics. Imagine Eddie Izzard's stream of consciousness style being butchered to fit between one-liners on NMtB.

Re: No More Panel Shows, it’s killing comedy…

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 04:58:56 -0000

It's a political satire programme. It's not supposed to be nice. Satirists exist to hold those in power to account, among other things.

Re: No More Panel Shows, it’s killing comedy…

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 06:44:07 -0000

If you're looking for Mock The Week with added intelligence just watch Have I Got News For You. :)

Re: Terry Moore’s Runaways

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:32:13 -0000

Terry Moore has built a career on portraying realistic characters, particularly women, in a medium bogged down with one-dimensional dirge. I'm looking forward to the trade.

Re: Its a Britney affair…

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:36:07 -0000

She spent years brazenly selling her sexuality while babbling about waiting for marriage. Puppet fucking hypocrite.

Re: My Top 5 list of why on earth are they on T.V.

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:37:20 -0000

Charlie Brooker is one of the five or so reasons I still bother to watch television.

Re: Terry Moore’s Runaways

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:03:41 -0000

Now why couldn't you have written that up there? ;)

Re: My Top 5 list of why on earth are they on T.V.

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 15:04:52 -0000

It's a comic persona!

Re: My Top 5 list of why on earth are they on T.V.

Andy — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 17:07:12 -0000

I like him either way. He's me, but older, successful, and funny.

Re: Changeling

Andy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:00:36 -0000

Loosely based on a true story. The Times took it's claims to factual accuracy apart the other weekend.

Re: Ariel is evil: Proof

Andy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:01:50 -0000

The number of the Beast is actually supposed to be 616.

Re: First image of real life Gambit = meh

Andy — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:28:02 -0000

God, I hate Gambit.

Re: Changeling

Andy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:20:04 -0000

True, but it shouldn't be billed as such.

Re: The 8th Commandment: Thou shalt discriminate against thy fellow man!

Andy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:04:25 -0000

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/pro...

Re: The 8th Commandment: Thou shalt discriminate against thy fellow man!

Andy — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:17:42 -0000

Me too. 'Obama-nation!' :)

Re: Wii Fit

Andy — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 19:01:27 -0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOCsI_DHBGQ&...

:)

Re: Pablo the drug mule dog

Andy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 16:03:20 -0000

Dead dogs are the darker side of coke? I'm amazed at how naive many people are about the white stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Escobar

Re: Pablo the drug mule dog

Andy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:21:35 -0000

They should just show a bullet riddled corpse, and a few corrupt politicians looking the other way. That's a pretty good indicator of the level of evil we're talking about here.

Re: Lilly Allen’s New Song

Andy — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:29:50 -0000

This should be huge, but it won't be, because this nation is populating by exactly the kinds of morons she's trying to wake up.

Re: Merry Christmas

Andy — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:04:29 -0000

Yuletide greetings.

Re: Simply Cinderella

Andy — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:52:57 -0000

I'm still amazed by how crap the building is. Considering rising fuel costs and environmental concerns, is it really sensible to build with so much glass, and incorporate such enormous spaces and high ceilings?

Re: BBC Lesbian Gaff

Andy — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 06:28:46 -0000

And he definitely wasn't being ironic? Fuck.

Re: The many faces of John Barrowman

Andy — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:24:59 -0000

I don't mind the bloke. He was pretty funny on Buzzcocks. If he's turning his hand to comics, I wish him the best of luck.

Re: X Men Origins: Wolverine….The Game

Andy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:17:27 -0000

I'll wait for the reviews I think. I've been burned by comics games before. About 15 of them.

Re: Dead Rising 2

Andy — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:40:07 -0000

This is going to be amazing!

Re: 13 year old boy fathers a baby.

Andy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:02:21 -0000

This reminds me of my old computer. If something went wrong you could choose to press R, for retry, or A, for... well, you can work that one out for yourselves. Should have pressed A young lady.

Re: No More Panel Shows, it’s killing comedy…

Andy — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:21:58 -0000

Try addressing the article itself instead of attacking the author, Pete.

Re: Jade Goody

Andy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 12:23:10 -0000

What's wrong with being common?

Re: Old Spice advert, Centaurs are hot - (yet another academic post)

Andy — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:51:52 -0000

Is the implication that he's got two peckers?

Re: Harry Potter: The Redesign

Andy — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:53:10 -0000

They look like the kind of covers that might appeal to adults who are embarrassed to buy a kid's book, and read said kid's book on the train.

Re: The Truth about Cheating: Why Men stray and what you can do to prevent it?

Andy — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:38:16 -0000

@zman If you start your post with a reference to Men Are From Mars I've already discounted everything that follows.

Note: You've called Coffield-Brown an idiot, but I count several basic grammar mistakes in your post. Glass houses. Stones. You know the rest. http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2003/7/7/the-...

Re: The End Of Harold

Andy — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:08:27 -0000

Dot Cotton day? Count me in!

Re: Romeo and Julian

Andy — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:46:11 -0000

Stoked. When I was in school I read a version of Macbeth about youth football. Toying with existing works is exactly what Shakespeare did when he wrote the thing, so what's the problem? Proud of Hazza for putting the prat in his place. If Cameron wants people to buy into his New Conservatism he'd better tell his backbenchers to play along til after the next election.

Re: Horne & Corden - The Emperor Has No Clothes

Andy — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:42:11 -0000

Shit.

Re: Bryan McFadden saying stupid things

Andy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:23:14 -0000

Incidentally, pink was considered a masculine colour until only a few decades ago.

Re: Heineken For Both Sexes

Andy — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 23:04:50 -0000

A disappointing advert for a disappointing beer. Deeply sexist claptrap.

Re: Small does not like Alex Rowley

Andy — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:18:00 -0000

I reeled this off to the Merc an hour or so ago:

In Wednesday's First Person Alex Rowley argues that our universities are full of lazy students studying apparently useless subjects for worthless degrees. His argument relies on the following assumptions:

1. That his experience of university life, as a first year Drama and Performing Arts undergraduate, is a reliable indicator of the state of higher education as a whole.

2. The worth of knowledge is to be measured entirely in terms of whether it is economically beneficial, either to the student, or to society at large.

Alex seeks to undermine a particular degree course, offered by the Welsh College of Horticulture, in Equestrian Psychology. The College's own website states that graduates are expected to be pursue a career in the equine industries, which surely has parallels with other courses and industries, like, for example, Drama and the Performing Arts.

The worth of knowledge in and of itself is a matter of individual opinion, and if young people are willing to incur large amounts of debt in the study of subjects which may not advance their position economically, surely it is their choice to do so.

I would argue that future progress, both economic, and cultural, is to be found in a robust and varied education system which arms young people with, not only knowledge, but also the skills of research, analysis, and communication which a solid degree education already provides. I think judging education purely in terms of it's ability to prepare young people for the work force will result in generations unable to think for themselves, and unworthy of their inheritance, a civilisation built on centuries of respect for the pursuit of knowledge as an end in itself.

I would agree with Alex that there are flaws in our higher education system, but I don't think singling out hungover rugby players (surely not a recent addition to university life), or specialist courses with clear links to existing industries is the way forward.

This is coming from a Sociology graduate earning minimum wage, by the way, although I have absolutely no cause for complaint in the current climate. I wish Alex the best of luck with his academic endeavours.

Re: Small does not like Alex Rowley

Andy — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:27:45 -0000

There are definitely courses that shouldn't be degree courses. So called 'complementary' medicine is definitely on my hit list too.

Re: Small does not like Alex Rowley

Andy — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:25:36 -0000

Published in today's Merc. Win.

Re: WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER

Andy — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:50:14 -0000

http://www.punknews.org/article/33197

Re: Impressive Snickers Advert, no really.

Andy — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:05:33 -0000

Mr. T is a pop-cultural icon, and this is coming from someone who is a few years shy of 25 yet. T has always been positive, and made an effort to help kids value their education and learn self-respect. I'll take him taking the piss out of himself over some expensive looking, over long, and oddly violent rubbish any day of the week.

Re: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Andy — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:08:35 -0000

I've heard exactly nothing good about this film. It's got Gambit in it, for fuck's sake. What has Gambit ever had to do with Logan's origins? Same question for Emma Frost, Deadpool, Cyclops, Blob...

Re: X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Andy — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:12:12 -0000

They should have adapted this (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Origin-Wolverine-Mass-P...), scene for scene. Fanboys would be stoked, fans of good cinema would be stoked, and they'd have made a lot of money. As it is, they just managed the latter, but may have killed a franchise.