Disabled Salmon ::: p/d/p ::: Lost Marbles ::: Other Nonsense ::: Sports Racers ::: Duckies ::: What-Not

June 2nd 2008
Some stuff about offensivness and other stuff that amuses me...
Howdys.

Issue wih the 'F' word(s).
I've always had this problem with swearing. You may have noticed, if you've ever watched that show I used to make, that I never swear on it. So maybe you're assuming my problem with swearing is that I don't agree with it? Not exactly. I know quite a few people who also don't swear and would think less of others if they did...yet they suppliment. 'F' words? Frick, frickin', friggin', freakin', flippin' etc. And they say it so fast it sounds just like f'n this or f'n that anyhow. Though this still isn't really my problem with swearing or even close really. In fact, I don't have a problem with it directly. It's that people who don't swear and who quite often think less of others for it, have worse issues that they think are fine. Like getting absolutely wrecked...now I like a drink and I love me some red wine but I mean the kind of drinking that gets you in to trouble. The stumbling around, having no self control or awareness and sometimes no memory of what you might be unaware of...if that makes any sense? I think a better example of what ticks me off (did I just suppliment the 'p' word?) about it is when people are offended by swearing and don't swear but will happily spread rumours, talk smack or lie about people...just harmful gossip. I ask you what's more offensive? People who purposely assassinate the character and/or credibility of others and lie to do so or people who 'cuss'? Personally, I don't swear...but if others around me do, I'm not shocked or offended. It's completely their choice...however, people who talk behind peoples backs and try to stir up a little hatred for the sake of boredom or lack of conversational skills are really starting to do my nut in. That was venting....I'm done now.

Stuff that's amused me... (and that you've most likely already seen/heard)
(You must wear a good pair of stereo earphones for this to work)

Battle at Kruger thingy...
A cool look at the animal kingdom and some unexpected behaviour...

Closing note: p/d/p is next Saturday! Don't forget! 'Dress up' is the theme.

May 30th 2008
A quick hello...and some random thoughts
Hi duckies! Sorry I've been invisible lately. I've been away and ill and away again and ill again.... I've lost my voice so I appologize if you can't hear this....

Random Thought by Jack Handy...well, by me actually. Who's Jack Handy?
I always thought that smoking marijuana was relatively harmless. A friend told me the other day that in her professional opinion it's extremely harmful in that it causes schizophrenia. As far as I know, smoking marijuana can induce psychosis in certain people (such as persons with schizophrenia), but other drugs (including alcohol) can do so as well. But there are also cases of marijuana helping to fight off dementia and being a source of benefitial treatments. I don't smoke it myself (or anything else for that matter) but it would appear that there's a lot of hyperbole surrounding 'grass'. If I'm correct, it's a class A drug...which seems a bit harsh, after all, it has some medicinal uses right? I don't know what got my attention on this subject but I looked a tad further and it would appear that one of the major supporters and financers of weed staying both illegal and a class A drug is Budweiser. A lot of tobacco companies support anti-marijuana movements too. Probably no coincidence that alcohol and tobacco companies would stand to lose the most if marijuana was made legal.

Pin me, Pay me!
Below is an edit reel of sorts that I made for a profile on a freelancer site.

I'm madly seeking work right now. Business has ground to a halt. I have a few leads and some things I've been working on so hopefully... If nothing works out I'll have to get a normal job. I'm so not used to 9-5'ers. I've become lazy and comfortable. Don't get me wrong I wanna work but I enjoy freedom. I've always thought that it's just so incredibly unnatural to work 5 days a week 9-5. It's too big of a chunk of time. I've worked the crazy long hours before and it just puts a strain on everything. Nothing gets done in the home and I end up living in a pile of garbage and dirty dishes and I have no time to enjoy existing with my wife. Society has slowly made it acceptable to live like this. I'm determined that if you simplify your life and avoid the pull of materialism, it's possible to be happy and financially stable...although, I'm not...but I'm working on it!

I made a mistake... I put a 2 seater sofa and an Xbox 360 in my office. I get less done these days...wonder why.

I better get back to work so...peace me lil' duckies!!!!

May 18th 2008
Dealing...
Got some stuff to deal with... See you guys some time in the near future...

May 12th 2008
I'm an old dude...
Dammit! I'm 30! Bye, bye twenties! Never to be had again! Fortunately, according to Imagine BGP, the thirties is the best decade...considering my situation, I choose to acknowledge this as being most likely true...an alternative is to follow the advice of a friend who swears he's 26, and to start counting backwards from 29, but judging by the way he wears his pants (pulled up just below his nipples) he's alot older than 26! He's probably never gunna read this so I'll say it, Jonny, you're almost 40! You're fooling no one! I have my own thing actually...I've decided that as long as I don't say thirty then I'm not. So what really happened on Sunday was I had the 1st anniversary of my 29th birthday!!!

I'm gunna approach this as a new start and try harder at just about everything. I figure that what makes getting older sucky is when you start to lose abilities right? Well, I'm a looooong way from anything like that and to make things better I can work at being more successful and healthier in my thirties than at any other point in my life. Judging from past experience, this new motivation should expire somewhere around Wednesday.

Had a good time over the weekend though. A BBQ in the forest with some crazy people...a wander in the wilderness and I helped build a huge rampway for a friend who's wife ended up semi-paralyzed...

Think I might dust off the camera tomorrow if I get some free time...

Peace!

April 23rd 2008
Stuff & Nonsense...
With Lost Marbles officially on the backburner, I've replaced the LM showplayer with one that will play host to blog vids and project stuff.

1 year of p/d/p...
It would seem fitting to push the May 08 p/d/p as it's the 1st one of year 2. So...I ask that anyone who can, to help me to promote it. Actually, more than that...it'd be kick-ass if we could get people from more parts of the globe to participate. Without the ORG this is quite difficult but I'm sure we'll think of something! I think it was the September 07 p/d/p which had photos from the USA, Canada, Japan, Italy, UK, Israel, Australia and others. Let's see if we can top that....I dares ya.

You could start by adding a bit of info on your blog or vlog...or you could download the video promo for Mays p/d/p and edit it in to your vids...or something.

April 12th 2008
New Lost Marbles!
Not all I wanted it to be. I had to cut a piece I only partly shot involving a Dragon from Ikea that was holding Transiit hostage. Longest proper show ever I think...

Creative Constipation
As touched on at the end of the show, I felt creatively constipated. I was stuck pushing out this one idea that demanded a chunk of time, over and over for 14 months. I've got relative freedom now to do other stuff. Starting with an animation. Not sure along what path that will lead?

One year old...
p/d/p passed the one year old mark.

Bagel!
As I type this, I'm eating a scrumptious onion & garlic seeded bagel.

April 11th 2008
Rebuilding
New focus, new site coming along, ORGanisms, p/d/p push, Bacon & other stuff.

April 10th 2008
The final Farewell?
(From the comments)
'Wow...I hadn't checked (the comments) for a while.

I was lying in the bath trying to figure out if I should bother with this as a creative platform and thinking that I have to let it go as it's too demanding a pass-time. I didn't figure it really appealed to anyone. Plus, I started to feel bad that I barely ever helped anyone in the pond, mostly I just asked for clips and stuff...this was due to time.

I'm gunna shoot some stuff this morning for the possibly last Lost Marbles (I gotta at least do this one, I have Munkee footage!).

I have a better view of it now. I wanna just do stuff as it occurs to me. At the moment I really wanna go back in to animation (I made two awful anims a few years ago-The Horrors and one that cannot be named). The beauty of animation is it's supposed to be gradual so I’ll work on it if and when I can till I have an episode.

Weird, it took over 14 months to get to the point that I liked an episode of Lost Marbles and then I call it a day.

Another thing I figured out is that I'm kinda disorganized and lazy. I worked out that I have a lot of time still to do stuff but I waste it and procrastinate. Humans eh?
Peace to all you duckies!

April 7th 2008
The final Farewell?
Right... I feel I've been putting this off...delaying the inevitable so to speak but...I think I'm kinda burying this whole Disabled Salmon thing...perhaps all of it. p/d/p, Lost Marbles and other bits and pieces. It's been 14 months. I had to push to get to the 1 year mark and now I'm just stretching it out too far. I simply do not have the time. I started making the April episode this morning and it's just crappy. I have to admit, I think last month's was my favourite LM by far and a little bit of me ponders where it all may have lead to but I just can't fit it in to my schedule. The tiny inkling of spare time I have should go in to spending time with my wife Jemimah...

Maybe I can make the odd episode here and there or post bits of videos that aren't as demanding as LM but...well, I have no idea right now.

With p/d/p, maybe I can work something out to lighten the load of it. It's mainly that I end up working or overworked when it comes around.

Regardless...whatever...peace duckies!

March 14th 2008
The Duckie Show!!!
or perhaps, the awesomes....whatever... A show made by all of us. One a month. 1 or 2 segments per duckie... I'll be honored to accept editing duties! All we need are ideas for content and production....I can manage just about anything post-production so let your imagination fly like an 'EEEEEEEEEEAGLE!' (Scrubs reference) I've wanted to do this for about 6 months or more...let's do this shiz!

March 13th 2008
The DS shop... New shiz!!!
Tees of all kinds... SRN, Lost Marbles, p/d/p, Captain Bacon Pants and other shtuff...

Check out the store!

March 11th 2008
Microboards
I recently did a job for a college near Durham... The order was for a pomo-video and required that I produce 1000 copies. So, I ordered a GX-2 Publisher that would handle 50 DVDs at a time and auto-print them afterwards.

1.) The incompetent bot-rot that is Microbords sent out a machine that would only print. After repeatedly asking if I'm sure and insisting that the label on it that says 'GX Autoprinter' might be actually be a typo (on a permanently branded logo?) they finally agreed to 'let me' return the item for the one I paid for. How nice of them.

2.) The rectal incontinent, turd consuming retards that are Microboards employ a courier called Citylink. Citylink pretend that they have called and don't bother to using the excuse that they forgot to post the card saying that they called and I wasn't in. I was. This happened twice until my wife caught one of the vans parked up near our street on a day they were due to collect the printer. She approached the driver who insisted that even though I'm on the list they wouldn't be able to pick it up as they didn't have time. They would however, drive through my street to go to a house less than 10 numbers along. Eventually they did pick it up about a week later.

3.) Insight, who I initially purchased it from and who insisted I spend my money with them as they are an official distributor of MB couldn't reach them via phone or email. Then they told me that the GX-2 was no longer produced so I would have to spend another £1000+ to get another model. I told them to get stuffed and give me my money back.

4.) Insight held my money for almost 2 weeks before giving it back so I could purchase one from elswhere. Gits!

5.) I found a company via eBay and a guy there spoke to Microboards and they said that they do still make the GX-2 and had never planeed on stopping doing so. Odd. This distributor, IslandCD UK, are very helpful and always on hand for support.

6.) I got the GX-2 (after customs held it for no reason at all) and after producing around 450 discs, it went kaput! Great...£1135 for that? Nah...send it back.

6.) Same problems with guess who? Citylink. Pretending to have picked it up. Lying about calling....blah. Eventually, it got collected and swapped for another....

7.) ...which also didn't flippin' work! Only I didn't even get 1 copy from this one!

8.) I'm having to deal with the moronic gimps that are Microboards to get it returned and a refund. So far the emailing back and forth have went like this...
A.) Once again, Citylink are telling them they've already collected the GX-2 when in fact, it's still in my office. This process has occurred at least 3 times this past week.
B.) I got asked 'Who is Stan' by the MB idiots. What?!?!?!
C.) I finally sent them an honest reply:
'Hi,

What with the 2 GX publishers not working, it costing me well over £500 in losses due to that fact (and an immense amount of time), Citylink not delivering it in the 1st place and now not picking it up and them consistently stating that they've collected it when it's still in my office, you could excuse me for perhaps feeling like banging my head repeatedly against my monitor (perhaps I would have but it's a very nice monitor).

As stated, I'm in today till noon. I'm in all day Thursday.

Please help me save my forehead from some bruising and my bank account from affording a new monitor.

Lee Hall
Lost Marble Digital Video'

I'm currently awaiting their reply. I honestly can't believe that some businesses do so well by operating like this.

February 22nd 2008
NEW LOST MARBLES!
So the new format is here...kind of. Well I guess it's a new format. Kind of a mix of old and new versions of my vlog. There'll be a new page for each episode...details of stuff like who the people in the clips are, what I used to edit & other info. I'll add that over the weekend. Let me know if you like the new format. Too silly? Just dumb? Too British maybe? ...or just right?

Peace & what-not.

February 12th 2008
Updates and NEW stuff...
Firstly...there's a forum. On this "forum" you can chat about anything but you can also post movies, add Flash content or other HTML or code/media based stuff... So although there are other forums, at least this is slightly different. Plus, it's a great way to keep in touch regarding p/d/p.

If you look left of this blog, you'll see an SRN video slideshow. Basically this self updates so you can flick through and watch the latest SRN duckie vids with the least possible effort.

I started a comic strip. Something I wanted to do forever! Woowoo named him 'Captain Bacon Pants'. He may also have an alter ego courtesy of Pereguine... He's evolving. I have already begun work on this so it'll happen unlike the last comic strip idea I had (which got cut short thanks to the demise of the ORG). I expect to have the first page done by sometime next week.

Also, watch out for a new Lost Marbles...I'm actually scripting a rough outline for once so my hopes are high!

Peace duckies!

February 7th 2008
Another cool-ass p/d/p...
Click here to visit the Flickr p/d/p Feb pool...or here to view the slide show. Vote on the March theme! Join the new group. p/d/p takes place on March 8th @ 10PM GMT.

Ps. Hoping to add a proper show this week!