I am your father, join me...

... and we will watch YouTube together!

My boy Tally and I do a lot of YouTube video watching. I wondered if it was actually a formative core memory for things we do together. Obviously the kind of things we watch revolve around children's films and TV that Tal is into but I have also subverted him along the way by opening his eyes to all sorts of wonders. He too has a habit of asking for a random idea, convinced it exists in singing/music form. He asked for Donkey Kong the other day. I dutifully found it and he was not impressed. Then he also has a habit of lunging at the screen with a pointing finger and shouts "That one!" - again a random way to see new things.



YouTube has also turned Tally on to My Chemical Romance's Danger Days album in a big way. I have commented previously on the vicarious joy of sharing a rock album with him, with me and my aging jaded, lost youth, perspective and he with his full on innocent abandon to the sounds and settings MCR created.

I include here a Playlist of tracks I thought had inspired the Danger Days album, for me it comes across as a Diamond Dogs for the new millennium.



I thought I liked MCR before but then I discovered some key facts that have blown me away. mainly that the lead singer Gerard Way has also worked for Vertigo comics and wrote The Umbrella Academy. Then I find that Korse, the villain in the Killjoy universe, is played by Grant MORRISON! Grant FRAKKIN MORRISON!



The album is very enjoyable for me, though I am still aware it may be beyond my ability to participate. Similarly, Tally is too young to join in.

Another request from Tal came in the form of "Let's watch Star Wars.", obviously I would love to show him Star Wars. I was aware though that it will never have the impact that it had on my generation. There is so much more around these days that will supplant it and you can never un-see things that have come along since. Even the Killjoys of MCR are probably having a greater impact on his future than Star Wars ever can.

His interest came about because Mr Lucas sold the last few dregs of soul and pimped his robo-biatches, Artoo and Threepeeo, to the advertising industry. Tal has seen the ads and wanted to see them in film. We got as far as Luke having a whine before he wanted to do something else, not that I mind, of course. He can have his own choices and discover things in his own time. I wonder if it is the equivalent of my Granddad showing me westerns or WW2 films with a similar enthusiasm? I hope I get to share a whole load of stuff with him before adolescence sets in.

MCR are live with the Killjoy tour in December of 2011 and I find myself wishing we could do stuff like that. I can't wait to show him so many wonderful things. Comics, films, animations, music, instruments, camping, gigs, museums, cinema, D&D, computer games, board games, coding, writing, reading, etc. In the meantime I look forward to YouTube, Toy Story and Wallace and Gromit... oh and tickling.

Zombie Madness

I have been watching Walking Dead and playing Left For Dead 2, both of which have given me some insight into the zombie apocalypse. This is not a new train of thought for me though and living a corporate consumer lifestyle often makes me think of how fragile it all is and how so many would be unprepared for the end of society.

I'm not suggesting that zombies are likely to take over the world. It is a metaphor, obviously. A view on how society would crumble so quickly in the face of major shifts of normality. However, I believe that thinking upon the zombie apocalypse and mentally preparing for it is a way of preparing for anything and reminding one's self of the key things that matter in life.

Who would you save?, where would you go?, how will you live?

If you Google the term 'zombie survival quiz' you get a lot of results. Clearly I am not the only one planning for this.

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I got %68.8073394495413 on the

Ultimate Zombie Apocalypse Survival Quiz!

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Now that 'Need for Speed Hot Pursuit' has turned up I may move on from my zombie-revelry but before I do, here are my top tips...


Zombie tip No.1: Zombies prefer the coast.
As most classic zombies will shuffle aimlessly about, it stands to reason they will shuffle in the easiest manner possible. If they come across some stairs they will shuffle down them but it is unlikely that they will climb the stairs. The same goes for a steep hill. This means that in a random shuffling about over time the dead will congregate in the low lands, drifting down toward the coast and valleys. Therefore, take the high ground. In the short term, I think that with the fresh smell of brains to spur them on they might get it together to climb a ladder or shamble uphill. Without any impetus from the living they would drift where the path is easier, so after a while they would all be down the beach and climbing up a mountain would ensure a quieter life.

Zombie tip No.2: Head shots are certain but not always required.
Though the only true zombie killer is a head shot or decapitation, sometimes you would just need to slow them down long enough to get by. If you are clearing an area in order to settle for a while, then best be sure. If you are foraging or just passing through, then all you need to do is stun them, disrupt the brain a little with a concussive hit.

Zombie tip No.3: Be ready for action.
When I see anyone in flip flops or poorly manufactured footwear I always think "What are you going to do in the Zombie Apocalypse?" - the answer is hobble ineffectively away only to be eaten moments later. Meanwhile those prepared for action will run full pelt across any terrain, occasionally kicking Z upside the head. Generally this translates as being prepared for any eventuality, so that may not need to dwell on what can go wrong.

Zombie tip No.4: Protection from bites and scratches.
Even if you can't get full ballistic protection, if you have a cover-all material that is impossible to bite through, then Z is not going to make much of an impact. In full preparation for going to a proper settlement from your over run urban dwelling place, you should have good clothing and, if needs be, armour. This could range from a set of riot security armour to simple bikers leather. I even heard suggestions of armour made from recycled milk carton plastic.

Zombie tip No.5: Don't fill the cupboards.
Some may think that a larder full of water and tins is going to keep them alive but this is a fatal error. You can't possibly have enough space to house all the food and water you will need for extended survival. Even the biggest mall or supermarket is not going to sustain you for long. You spend maybe a month feeling smug, maybe six if you ration and then the Z are back knocking on the door again asking to borrow a cup of braaains. The best chance of survival is a protected enclosure where you can sustain a farmstead. So, learn to milk animals, make cheese, bread, harvest crops, grow vegetables, keep livestock. Even the basic information will take you further than a living room full of soup.


Perhaps all of this advice is already in the bible of zombie survival.