The Author's Blog

The Leisure Cruise: this is the second cruise that I've been on. Co-incidentally, it's the same ship, too. But why write about it this time? Well, mainly because (I had nothing to do for several afternoons and) I thought I'd make a few observations this time round, now being an "seasoned" cruise passenger.

The cruise was "Escape to the East" and is run by Thomson. The cruise ship was The MV Thomson Celebration. I'll tell you about Jeno and Zoltan (the Hungarian maestros), The Bride of Frankenstein, Egyptian fighting and social classes. All in one blog!

My Doctor Who obsession - as you would expect - involves watching the old episodes (pre 2005) as well as the new. Inevitably, this also involves investing in DVD's of the "Classic" series (as it's now called) to watch them.

One of such investments is a box set called "Mannequin Mania" and that comprises of two Jon Pertwee (Third Doctor) episodes: "Spearhead From Space" and "Terror of the Autons" - both stories concerned with an alien entity called the Nestenes. [Incidentally, the Nestenes and Autons were the very first story of "New" Who in 2005.]

The protaganist's servants are called Autons - mannequins made of plastic - that are controlled by the Nestene conciousness. [Hence the title of the boxset!]

This story - when originally aired - led to my second only fright from Doctor Who...

Just over a year ago, I decided to forego my traditional phone (I used to buy almost exclusively SIM-free Motorola's) for one of those Apple iPhones. It wasn't an iPhone 4 (they weren't out at the time) but the 3GS model. I got talked into getting one by a colleague at work that had the 3G model (the preceding model) and let me have a look and a play with it. I have to say that at the time, I was impressed. So I then embarked on my first contract phone for a very long time. Not only that, as my phone network supplier that I'd used for years wasn't offering the iPhone at the time, I also had to change network supplier too. Oh what a big mistake *that* was!!

Or not ... as the case may be. I warn you ... this is a rant.

It's a rant about websites, noteably fan websites. Specifically fan websites "written" by fans about celebrities, actors, actresses or whathaveyou. I know a thing or two about fan websites. I've written one or two of them (actually seven to date) and have two offical (as in not-fan) sites and of course, this one. I've been writing, designing (creating, or whatever you want to call it) websites since around about 2005, and my very first actual fan website was for the actress Georgia Moffett (which I created in 2008).

Let me start by saying that this isn't a rant! Unlike my recent blog posts, this is merely an observation rather than a moan or a complaint (what do you mean, it makes a change?).

Celebrity Tweeters then - as far as I have observed, celebrity tweeters fall into two categories; "Those That Do" and "Those That Don't".

Let me explain: "Those that do" are those celebrities that sometimes interact with their followers, "Those that don't" are those that..er..don't! Interact with their followers, that is.

So in true Harry Hill (British TV Comedian) style, I like "Those That Do" and I like "Those That Don't", but which is better? There's only one way to find out.........

Let me just briefly explain what a Twitter Fake is, for those not in the know...

If you are a Twitter user, then you have a Twitter account (from which to post tweets, obviously). Anyone can have a Twitter account (some have many) - all you have to do is sign up, provide an email address (and a password) and you're away! You make up your twitter name when you create your account - which can be anything (within reason, there's a character limit etc).

A Twitter Fake then, is someone who creates a Twitter account in the name of another user (usually a celebrity) and then proceeds to post tweets as that celebrity or user.

Now some of us (me included) would call that fraud.

Comedy Roasting. This, I believe, is a predominantly US thing, (although there have been incidences in the UK where a Comedy Roast has been "performed") and I gather quite a few have been broadcast over the years.

The idea is quite simple. Pick on quite a famous celebrity and then get their "friends" to basically take the piss out of them - all in the name of idol worship. Eh? OK, so the idea works quite well sometimes - I've seen several other Comedy Roasts, including William Shatner and (a UK-made) one for Bruce Forsyth. Both of those were quite enjoyable and amusing affairs, with a bit of gentle piss-taking and ribbing, nothing too harsh. Naturally, the British-made Brucie one was funny, but as no-one wants to upset Brucie's sensitivities, so maybe not as harsh as some of the US made ones I've seen.

Gia Malinovitch has written quite a thought-provoking article in The Guardian today (28th August 2010) - the subject of said article is as per the title of this blog, with the added tagline "Invisible Wife Syndrome".

I thought it quite a thought-provoking and very well written piece - reflecting the the (bad) behaviour of today's media-connected public that have their fads and fashions together with their inherent rudeness.

Just for your information, Gia is American (born in Minnesota) and presented such shows as Channel 4's Demolition Day, Sky Sports, Nickleodeon and Radio 5 Live shows as well as providing the "geeky" IT support for the BBC Programme "Electric Dreams" in 2009. She's a photographer, mother and blogger, describing herself as "American ex-pat, a science groupie and professional dork." She produces websites and writes. So it isn't as if she's never done anything, eh?

How To Kill: Written From A Villain's Point Of View..and Valerie Leon is the full title of this blog post, however doesn't fit into the title line very well!

Just a bit of nonsense as I've not written for a while..

I've just watched the opening 20 mins of "The Spy Who Loved Me" - the (Sir) Roger Moore James Bond film from 1977.

I recall that I watched this at my local cinema at the time it was released - I would have been about 16 at the time - well into puberty. [Sadly the cinema I watched it at is now a bingo hall, but enough about that before I go off on a rant!]

Not blogged in a while. Three months almost - which is about the same time period between the last ones. How odd.

So - a new tag (TV - Film) mainly because I've just watched a film! This, not being a remarkable thing, as I watch many films, but this one was a bit of a different experience.

The film in question is the title of the blog - "Lesbian Vampire Killers". It's a UK-made film about...er...lesbian vampire killers! Killers of lesbian vampires, that is and not killers that are lesbian vampires. Well, it could be. Anyway.

I bought the film (on Blu-Ray, incidentally) for two reasons. 1) Amazon (Gawd luvvem) recommended it to me, 2) it was on offer and 3) It has a Doctor Who link.

Alright, that's three reasons, but a Doctor Who link? Eh?

So this - as the title suggests - is a blog entry about Twitter. Not really a rant as such, but more of a comment on the idiosynchrasies of the general public - of which I am a member.

I've been a "twitterer" for quite some time now - since around June 2009 and I have to say that I do enjoy using and reading tweets quite a lot!

Sometimes I am (probably) more than a little slow to pick things up. These aren't objects that I've dropped. No. These are things that people write or sometimes say. Takes me a little while to pick up the gist of things. This is not due to a bad education, either. I had a very good Grammar School education thank you, even involved some classics along the way (Latin was just awful).

However. Reviews, or what's probably more to the point, reviewers, is what I'm meant to be ranting about. Reviews have been around for many, many years of course. Ever since people started entertaining other people, there have been the Critics and therefore the written reviews.

I just knew it!!  The unfortunate and (probably sad) demise of one M. Jackson has completely overshadowed the (untimely) death of Farrah Fawcett.  Not even a mention on today's (or last night's) news and I gather that most media have pushed the news items back to their "second pages".

Yes it's a sad loss that MJ passed away (is it?) and it's a great loss to the music business etc etc, however that doesn't ratify the fact that another icon also passed away.  This icon had her troubles and her difficulties, but what must the poor family be feeling at this particular time to have all of her good points (and there were many) shoved to one side  in favour of a person who's latter life was filled with such controversy and madness.

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Two Celebrities in one day. Blimey.

Or is it blimey?  Farrah Fawcett (she'll always be Farrah Fawcett-Majors to me) the eighties sex Goddess that blessed our tellies on Charlie's Angels and that poster.

Many a teenage fantasy fuelled by those days and those images. Men "of a certain age" will know exactly what I mean. The poor girl has been quite poorly for some time, so I suppose it's no real shocker that she's now finally passed on.  Without wishing to sound callous, it might have been a blessing in disguise, as some forms of cancer are extremely painful.

Yes, it's sad to lose such an icon of one's youth, but not such a shocker.

You have to laugh (well, I did, anyway!)

I follow Jill Wagner on Twitter, you see.  She does quite a few Tweets and makes quite an interesting read (she's a very pleasant person). I was even lucky enought to get a reply from her once.  Quite by accident, as I didn't actually realise that people you follow (and don't follow you) could ready your replies!!  So I'd been idly replying now and again to different celebs that I follow, not realising that they could see it. (Much wiser now!!)

I'm a tad narked.  Mainly because one of what is, in my humble opinion, one of the better US Series has been cancelled!!

The series I'm waxing about here is Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The title probably explains what it's about, but what I don't understand is just why the series was axed after two seasons.

Is it purely based on viewing figures, ratings etc?  Or is there something else behind it, as I really couldn't see a great deal wrong with anything to do with it!

True Blood - in a nutshell - is an American series shown on the HBO channel.  It's currently just started it's second season run (one episode aired so far) having completed it's first season run of 12 episodes in about October/November last year (2008).

The series is about a girl - Sookie Stackhouse - who has the ability to read minds, or rather listen to people's thoughts and her relationship with a vampire and a shape-shifter!  The series is based on a series of book by author Charlaine Harris and is set in Louisiana, US.