Starting Monday my blog will be updated on the usual three days a week; I just decided to take a little festive break from blog writing (I did make several plans for future entries though!). But that's all for today's post, I hope 2012 is very good for you :)
Starting Monday my blog will be updated on the usual three days a week; I just decided to take a little festive break from blog writing (I did make several plans for future entries though!). But that's all for today's post, I hope 2012 is very good for you :)
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_So Christmas day has arrived and I'm very excited indeed (I've yet to open my presents). If I have any readers who are so loyal that they're even checking this blog on Christmas day, then I am very thankful! It's very kind of you to take the time to read my blog and I hope you will continue to always do so, plus I would also like to say that I want you to have a wonderful Christmas :)
Well, actually, I suppose that sounds very slightly rude (implying I'm only wishing a happy Christmas to those who're reading my blog today) so, just to clarify, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, even if you're reading this a few days later I hope you did have a wonderful Christmas... And even if you never read this, nor ever know about it, this still applies to you! :D _ Unfortunately, I've already written this entry once before, but then there was a computer error and it was gone forever :( usually in these cases I'd explain what had happened and leave the entry unwritten, but since this is part of my Trusty Water Advent Calendar, I feel I kind of have to. I mean, with a real advent calendar, it would be quite annoying to open number twenty-four only to find that there was no chocolate in it!
Anywho, its Christmas Eve today! That's quite exciting isn't it? It seems like I've been writing the Trusty Water Advent Calendar for ages now. It was actually getting a little hard to think of a Christmas related post every day, so in a way I'm quite glad to be finished with it... But that's not to say I haven't enjoyed it! So, anyway, who really, actually is excited? I've heard quite a few people complain this year that it 'doesn't feel like Christmas' and I have a few little theories as to why this may be. Now, while this may be due to a large change to the status quo of the lives of many people I know (i.e. leaving school and moving onto university/college/work/nothing) and so it maybe doesn't 'feel like' Christmas because their lives are so much different to how they were in every other Christmas they've had. But I don't think so. Personally, I think all the people claiming that this year doesn't 'feel like' Christmas, are saying it due to the lack of snow. For the past two (or possibly three, but I'm pretty confident that it's two) Christmases, there has been a significant amount of snowfall around the time. Now, I am of the opinion that snow is something that is inherently linked with Christmas in people's minds (this is at least true of me). So when there's lots of snow in November, people start thinking more about Christmas, and get a little extra 'buzz' of yuletide excitement. But this year (apart from a few falls which have been wiped away by rain) there hasn't been very much snow, and people haven't been getting that little extra 'buzz' that they'd gotten used to over the last two years. So while waiting for the snow caused buzz of the last few years, they've not gotten as excited as previous years, which is what they now associate with Christmas. Of course, this may well be entirely wrong; this is just my view on things. I do know, that this is at least true of me, snow did enhance my appreciation of Christmas (that's not to say that I'm not currently as excited as a five year old :D). _Just the other day I watched The Muppet Christmas Carol. I'd seen the film before, but it's very good so I was watching it again. Also, I realised that my 'Film Reviews' section is currently quite empty, so I've decided to write a review of The Muppet Christmas Carol today.
I'm sure you're all familiar with story of A Christmas Carol, (a story which, as I've said in an earlier post, I don't think can be adapted enough times) and this film, story wise, pretty much follows it exactly... Or, I suppose, you could say that the story is that the Muppets are doing their own version of A Christmas Carol and you're watching it. Anyway, the film also happens to be a musical. Each and every one of the songs in this film (although, there are only a few) is very nice and enjoyable; they're all catchy and perfectly festive. I'd quite happily have them on my iTunes actually, I wonder if a soundtrack is available? Anywho, moving on, another high point of the film is that it has really beautiful scenery. Due to the extensive use of puppets in the film, it all (I think) is filmed inside a studio. But this isn't just one of those "Oh dear, it's all in a studio and looks awful' films, it's one where they were really creative and, as such, it looks amazing. The Victorian London they've created looks awesome. I guess the fact that I do have quite a soft spot for the 19th century might be part of what makes me enjoy this film so much. Furthermore, this film is very funny at times. There're lots of references to the regular Muppet Show and, the banter between Gonzo and Rizzo is really quite amusing. But, of course, the film is still able to be serious when it needs to be. On the whole, this is an enjoyable romp; the only thing that will put some people off is the fact that it's partly aimed at children. But who cares? People of all ages can enjoy! The vast array of puppets is really amazing frankly, and the sense of humour will appeal to all. A solid 8/10 for this film. (buy it here) Here's the very last of my 'old' Christmas writings. By this point, I was no longer eleven, I was either thirteen or fourteen, so it isn't quite as laughably bad. Hopefully though, you'll still enjoy reading this. So here's the story 'Back for Christmas' (unedited):
“Oh my God what the hell is that?” said Santa while delivering presents on Christmas Eve as something crashed into his sleigh knocking him out of it. “You stupid door you’re supposed to open when I put this key in you.” shouted Bobby “That’s a microwave Bobby.” said Charley when suddenly Santa crashed through the ceiling of the doughnut factory and landed in front of Bobby. “Who am I and what am I doing here,” said Santa “oh wait I’m Santa Claus and I need to deliver all the presents to the children.” “No you're just confused Santa’s not real he’s just a character like Jesus.” said Bobby. “They do have proof he was a real man Bobby.” said Charley. “Yep that’s right just like Jesus.” said Bobby. “So I guess that means I’m just some average guy. I'd better find a place to stay it’s cold this winter.” said Santa and he left the building. “Who was that Bobby?” asked Anne. “A guy who thought he was Santa. Crazy eh?” said Bobby. “But Santa is real.” “No he is not!” “You’ve met him twice before Bobby remember with the giant evil Christmas trees and the time all of Fox City were his slaves!” “Oh right.” Bobby and Anne went out into the night looking for him to explain that he really was Santa. “We’ll never find him.” said Anne. “Yes we can all we need to do is check the mayor’s security cameras and see if we can spot him.” said Bobby. “What and the mayor has cameras all over the town does she?” “Yes in hope that Tom Cruise will walk past naked.” “Oh right.” When they got to the town hall they saw that there was a sleigh crashed into the roof. Bobby and Anne entered the mayors office. “We need to see the security tapes or I’ll show the whole world the last remaining video that shows you clearly as a prostitute!” said Bobby. “My God! You can if you let me have that video.” “Deal.” Mrs. Mayor grabbed the video pushed a button and the floor opened up to reveal a pit of fire. She threw the video in. “What’s that for?” “Encase I get unwanted visitors I press this button the floor opens up and they fall in the hole. I got the idea off The Simpsons.” “Ok let’s see what we’ve got here. So some police box appearing out of nowhere outside the church, some guy is getting murdered outside this building right now, the orphanage is on fire, Elvis Presley is in disguise and secretly still alive and walking down a street in our town. Oh here’s Santa, he’s headed for the school.” said Bobby “We must get there!” said Anne. Bobby and Anne rushed the school. “I remember when I went to this school they still even have the same computer.” said Bobby as he walked through the school corridors. They went into Miss. Woods office. “Have you seen a fat guy wearing red with a beard around here?” Bobby asked. “It’s really important.” added Anne. “Yes I have and I hired him as a janitor and...” “Can I have a chair? The floor is cold and hurty.” said a small boy. “GET OUT BEFORE I KILL YOU!” Bellowed Miss Woods and the little boy ran out crying. “I’m done now Ogelda. Can I please go?” asked Santa as he came in the room. “Yes,” said Miss Woods “but don’t ever use my real name again!” “Hay wait I told you, you weren't Santa but you are and you need to deliver all the presents to the little kiddies before it’s to late!” said Bobby. “You’re right” said Santa. Bobby, Anne and Santa left the room. When outside they could hear a strange humming sound. A Unowatien army squad landed. The Unowatien army leader stepped out “Oh no! the one they call San-ta is still alive. We cannot invade the Earth because he will defeat us again. RETREAT!” All the ships flew away. “Oh that was when there were all those evil trees.” said Anne. “I'd better get moving.” said Santa and he snapped his fingers and some reindeers flew up to him pulling his sleigh and he flew away in it. “Oh look It’s midnight.” said Anne “Happy Christmas Bobby.” “And a happy Christmas to you to Anne and incidentally a happy Christmas to anyone whose reading this.” “Who are you talking to Bobby?” “How should I know?” And that was the last Christmas Fox City would ever see. Two stories later everybody (literally everybody) died :D Today was a very happy day for me. I met up with my friends Sam Dodd, Elliot Egan, Davey Hamlen, Chris Hunter, Dalfino Madrigal Keyte, Rory MacLellan, George Moore, Christian Watkins and Ben Wood for the first time since we all headed off for universities. We all went down to that nice restaurant The Hungry Horse. When I arrived, there was the happy surprise of free Christmas fezzes for everybody! Plus, there were party poppers and crackers and other nice festive items.
Anywho, we wrote down all of the food we wanted on the back of a Christmas card envelope. Unfortunately, we discovered that the yuletide paraphernalia on the table meant that we couldn't see what our table number was. I decided the best thing to do was the draw out a little map of the restaurant and point out which table was ours. Of course, after I'd finished Chris suggested I just say "the table with all the lads" but I'd already drawn the map now, so I decided I'd use it. But I guess the waiter and Chris were rather likeminded, because when I showed him the diagram he said "you could have just said the table with all the lads." After a little mix up with the food we were all eating our delicious meals. I couldn't help but hope people would want desert, if they didn't have any, it would mean I wouldn't be able to have any without looking greedy. But quite luckily, several of my friends have large enough appetites for deserts too... I even beat Chris Hunter in a perfectly legitimate eating race that he didn't take part in! We then went down to a pub in Corsham and stayed there for the rest of the night. On the whole, this was an awesome day, and I was very happy to see all of these cool people again :D _ I imagine that, by this point, the majority of my readers (who, I'm guessing, are either secondary school students or university students) will have finished for Christmas and will be left with a lot of time on their hands. As such, today's blog entry is my suggestion for the best five Christmas specials out there. So if you find yourself with a free hour or so, why not watch one of these excellent television episodes?
5. Blackadder: 'Blackadder's Christmas Carol' If you're unfamiliar with Blackadder I'll give you a brief description of the series (as it is, very slightly, obscure): Basically, every series is set in a different period of history but also featuring the same characters (Edmund Blackadder and his underling Baldrick) though (with the explanation being that they are either ancestors or descendants of the characters from the earlier series. This episode, as the title probably gives away, is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (a story which, in my opinion, can't be adapted enough times). However, this version of the classic Christmas tale puts quite a spin on the well-known story, I won't ruin it, but I imagine you'll be quite amused by its ending. Plus, another nice touch of this Christmas special is that we get to see the incarnations of the characters from the previous series and how it was that they spent their Christmases, which I very much enjoy. You can't go very far with this festive romp; you even get to see the Blackadder of the future, which is pretty funny. 4. Futurama: 'Xmas Story' I'm guessing everyone knows the story of Futurama? I won't bother explaining its premise then. 'Xmas Story' is about Fry's first Christmas day in the future. For obvious reasons (that all of his old friends are dead, just in case it wasn't so obvious to you) Fry begins to feel a little sad about this. Around the same time, Leela begins to feel a little sad too, mainly due to the fact that she doesn't know anything about her origins. Fry goes out to buy a present for Leela (a parrot), but he doesn't really know about the evil robot Father Christmas of the future who goes around killing people on Christmas Eve because everyone is his naughty list (except Zoidberg). The episode has a nice Christmassy feeling about it, we see the characters putting up Christmas decorations and everything, and it's also quite a sweet story really. I like the whole unrequited love story that Futurama has between Fry and Leela, and this episode has them being rather close with each other, which is nice. 3. The Simpsons: 'Miracle on Evergreen Terrace' Another cartoon series by Matt Groening! Since The Simpsons has been going for a fair few years now, it has quite a large number of Christmas specials (I'm pretty confident that I haven't even seen them all) but, so far, this is my favourite one. It's a very bittersweet episode really; I was very shocked when I first saw it. If you haven't seen this episode, and don't want to have it spoiled for you, I suggest that you stop reading this now! Basically, Bart burns down the family's Christmas tree and presents, then he tells the family that what actually happened was that a burglar came along and stole them. The whole town feels sorry for them, gives them money out of Christmas generosity, but then they find out what really happened (after the family has already bought a new car which Homer accidentally destroyed) and so to get even with the family they steal all of their stuff, leaving them with an empty house. They literally have nothing at all apart from one washcloth, but then they start jokingly fighting over whose it is. I was much younger when I first this episode, and I wondered what would happen in the series after they'd lost everything. Obviously, at the time, I didn't know that they had it all back and did a crazy musical episode the next week... But still, as a standalone, this is a very good episode and, as I said, very bittersweet throughout. Probably one of the darkest episodes of The Simpsons. 2. The Waltons: 'The Homecoming' / 'The Best Christmas' For my favourite programme, I really couldn't decide which of these two episodes were the best. As such, they have to share second place in this countdown. First, I'll talk about The Homecoming. Not long ago, I reviewed the book which The Homecoming is adapted from (here's a link to that entry: ) so I won't bother to explain the story again to you. While it may not feature the regular actors for John, Olivia, Zebulon, Ike or the Baldwins, a lot of the regular cast is still there, so this doesn't distract from the enjoyment. What it does perfectly is capture the climax there is on Christmas Eve, how everything, on that day especially, is building up towards Christmas. Though this story, of course, has the added suspense of whether or not the children's father will make it home for Christmas alive or not! Now, onto The Best Christmas! This is actually the first, and last, time that the whole regular cast is together for a Christmas special, which gives it added meaning. Before this there was only The Homecoming which, as I said before, was before the roles had been properly cast, and afterwards, cast members would leave due to fear of typecasting/a stroke/death/over exhaustion, so it is nice to see them all together for this one Christmas special. Also, this one seems somehow more Christmassy to me too, with lovely Christmas decorations, snow storms etc. But, on the downside, this story is half as long as The Homecoming, which means you can't sit back and watch it as if it were a Christmas film. But, like I say, I can't decide between these two, hence why both of them are here! Though I will say that it's The Homecoming that I try and watch every Christmas Eve. 1. Doctor Who: 'The Christmas Invasion' So The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) had just died and turned into The Tenth Doctor (David Tennant) before crash landing in London on Christmas Eve 2006. The Doctor actually spends most of the story asleep in bed, so the story mainly focuses on Rose and how she reacts to the regeneration. But, with no Doctor to do crazy and exciting things, Rose basically does regular exciting Christmas build-up things with her (ex?)boy-friend Mickey. To me, it seems like such a realistic representation of the time before Christmas, without being boring. Later on, aliens show up and invade the Earth and The Doctor has to save the day, which, you'd think would ruin the Christmas spirit of the story, but it actually makes it even better. This is just a very well done episode, and hence why I rate it as the number one TV Christmas special. Here's another more unheard of Christmas classic. While it may be a song that not many people will have heard of, it's definitely a band that everyone will know: The Beatles. They used to give out free Christmas albums to their fanclub back in the 60s, and, on these Christmas albums, were exclusive songs. I recently bought the 'Free as a Bird' single from the 90s, and the CD just happens to have their Christmas song 'Christmas Time (Is Here Again)' so here it is for you all to hear! I hope you'll like it. Much like the last Christmas song I recommended, I couldn't find the song officially uploaded on YouTube. As such, if you're reading this some time in the future, I'm sorry but the video is probably gone. You may have to search for it yourself.
It's the third of my Fox City Christmas stories! One more to go after this one. Here's 'The Man Who Santa Forgot' (again, unedited).
One cold Christmas Eve almost the whole town was in the shopping centre getting the last minute presents. Mrs. Johnnannis was buying her husband some lead trousers so that they wouldn’t tear when he farted, Mr. Opposite was buying a birthday cake for Fox 1 and Fox 2 (Opposite duh), Mrs. Mayor was buying herself a solid gold plane with the orphanage charity money and Bobby was just about to grab the earrings he was going to buy for Anne when James Blond grabbed them “Hey they’re Anne’s earrings!” said Bobby “No they’re Mary’s!” said James Blond and ran off and Bobby chased him. James Blond ran into a pet shop and came out riding away on a horse Bobby also went into the pet shop and was chasing after him on an elephant! Bobby chased James blond through the fancy dress and when they came out Bobby was dressed as a ballet dancer and James Blond as a ghost, they chased even more when they broke through the wall of a theatre and onto the stage and then the horse and the elephant ran away and Bobby stood up “Oh have you seen James Blond?” asked Bobby to the audience as James Blond got up behind him “He’s behind you!” cried the audience so Bobby turned around and chased James Blond out of the hole in the wall they made. Bobby chased James Blond to the air port were they got on a plane when on the plane James Blond pulled out a Bomb and said “Hay Bobby who is smarter now?” “But if that blows up you will die.” Said Bobby just before the bomb blew up. Bobby went flying out of the sky from the explosion and landed on the roof of his house slid down the tiles knocking off the chimney and landing on his back with arms spread out and his hands open when out of the sky fell the earring and they landed in his hand and he clenched it into a fist. The next morning Bobby woke up all exited and ran downstairs only to see that there where no presents under his Christmas tree. So he went outside with his head hung low and stood in the middle of a snowy neighbourhood when suddenly a miracle happened everyone came out with a gift for him; Michael Jackson, Bubbles, Cannabis Monkey, Fox 1, Fox 2, Billy, his Mum, his Dad, his two pet foxes, Johnnannis, Scwannannis, Anne, Jill, Mr. Opposite absolutely everyone even the ghosts of Professor Nerb and Mr. Suttonman “God bless us everyone.” Said Bobby. (I'm thinking now, that I should have posted this entry on an earlier day in my Trusty Water Advent Calendar, but oh well, I can't change it now.)
When it's cold, snowing, icy or hailing, you'll undoubtedly want some way to keep warm over this festive season, so I have for you here a brief tip showing you a good way to warm yourself up on cold days. The first step is to drink a lot of water. Now, while water may be cold, and so not immediately warm you up, it still leads to warmth. What happens when you drink a lot of water is pretty obvious, especially when it's a cold day: Sooner or later you're going to have to answer the call of nature. Once the call's over and nature won't be bothering you for another few hours, it's time to wash your hands. Now, when you're out and about, what do public toilets have for when you've finished cleaning your hands? Hand-dryers. When most people use hand-dryers, they don't really use them properly, they just hold their hand under it for a second, get bored, and then leave (a complete waste of time), but if you give them a chance, hand-dryers are really good for keeping you warm in winter. The air that comes out ends up being extra warm if you hold your hands under it for long enough, and then the hot air even blows over your body too! It feels very nice, and is an excellent way to feel all warm and nice during winter. |
About the AuthorAdam Randall is the author of the blog. Is he a good or bad writer? Who knows? Why not read a few entries and make a decision! New to this Site?
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