mystery rocks and minerals vintage book

I had a book as a kid about minerals and rocks in the Sixties.

I adored that geology book and I imagine its a vintage collectable now.

For the life of me I can't recall the proper name or publisher. Probably Collins or Hamlyn.

The book was pocket sized.

Ring any bells readers?

SUPERSIZE TAG THUNDERBIRD 1 FROM VIVID

The iRMG site is reporting that Vivid are releasing a Supersize Thunderbird 1 this year, or at least showing off a prototype which is apparently 35 cm long. I hope it's true, considering the fun I've had with the Supersize Thunderbird 2&4, and the massive Thunderbird 3 - watch this space, eh! 

the ghosts of christmas past: bethnel green museum of childhood

This is one of several short videos I made of the displays of toys from Christmasses past at the the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, London.

See anything you recognise?

Here's another:

A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH A BATMOBILE

Continuing on the theme of the sixties Batmobile here's a few photos I took of a replica one that was briefly on display a couple of years ago at Perch Rock in  New Brighton, Merseyside.

Even though it's a replica, it's still impressive.

'Turbines to power..'

I wonder if anyone will notice if I take her for a drive

the fauna of prometheus

The alien fauna of the brilliant movie Prometheus has been bugging me. 

I don't think there's any flora so I'll stick to the critters.

The alien fauna is as follows as far as I saw:

1. Engineers
2. Engineers Earth gloop
3. Black vase gloop
4. Writhing ground worms
5. Hammerhead snake thing
6. Xenomorphs

This is my take on how these guys connect together to form some kind of chain, a xeno-system perhaps:

The Engineers have fabricated a type of life-giving gloop, with which they bio-form a young Earth. This same fluid is stockpiled in huge vase vaults in planets scattered across the Universe.

Some fluid leaks out of these vases onto the ground over time giving rise to worms writhing in the stuff. These worms grow into Hammerhead snake aliens.

These hammerheads, on entering the human body, are one way in which a Human can be morphed into a Xenomorph alien. 

Direct ingestion of the black vase gloop can also give rise to humanoid Xenomorphs, the apex of the chain.

This is just my own take on the unnatural history of Ridley Scott's Prometheus.

What do you think?

darth vader the lion king

Over the festive period I caught the Lion King on TV.

Done in the classic Disney animation style before they went all Anime [why oh why?], I really enjoyed it.

Matthew Broderick gave voice to the adult Simba, an actor I've always liked since he did the brilliant War Games as a kid.

I enjoyed it even more when I realised that Mufasa's voice was provided by none other than the voice of Darth Vader himself, James Earl Jones!

The constellated Mufasa says to Simba 'You are my son' but why oh why couldn't he have said to him "I am your Father" and bring everything full circle!

The line 'you're our only hope' does feature though and reminds me of the great late Carrie Fisher when she spoke that iconic line in 1977 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Do you or your kids like Lion King? Are the toys popular?

Build it and they will come

Every now and then, I see something random on ebay and boom, i'm 7 again. Saw these lovely Rosebud building sets, still in the packet for 3 quid. Back in the day, I remember getting these, while out shopping in Wavertree. Theres an A, B and C set with C being moulded in red. Really simple, but I had to rely on my dads help to build the bigger models, so I must have been young. Amazing that they've survived unopened. Rosebud would later merge with Mattel.

chocolate tools and pipes

I've just remembered chocolate tools.

I used to love them!

You know, chocolate saws, hammers and screwdrivers. Drills even!

I think they came wrapped in foil or even in boxed sets. Do you remember them readers?

And what about chocolate pipes and cigarettes! They were delicious. You could even eat the cigarette paper!

I'm pretty sure I had a chocolate cigarette lighter too and some cigars wrapped in foil.

I reckon I got the lot as a box set as well one Christmas. Not politically correct anymore but damn tasty.

Ring any chocolate bells with you?