Monthly archives: December 2006


I'm Your Stalker

In a break from the normal apathy I uploaded the “I’m Your Stalker” design to Cafe Press and you can now buy it on black T-shirts for $20.99.

The design is also available on Long Sleeved Ts, Women’s Ts and Women’s long sleeved Ts. Don’t forget to check out the other products in the Spinneyhead store.

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Spinneyhead's Alley Backgrounds

Another product from Spinneyhead for use in the background of 3D backgrounds. The Alley Backgrounds set consists of 25 images, at 1600 by 1200 pixels, of back streets and alleyways around Manchester. Ideal for shortcuts, chases and secret meetings.

This, of course, has come out too early to be included in my vowed one product per month minimum target for 2007. However, I have a couple more of these sets planned for the New Year.

Amazon affiliate links-

The photos were taken with a Canon Powershot A620, a top quality camera.

The backgrounds are intended primarily for use in Poser from Creative Labs. Poser 6 for Windows. Poser 6 for Mac.

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Shut it!

The BBC had some piece of toss on last night going over the tired subject of Whatever happened to the Real Man? It was the usual stuff, blaming Germaine Greer, David Beckham and Metrosexuals for all of society’s ills whilst missing the point that real men still exist- we’re the ones doing what we want without worrying whether we tick all of Loaded’s boxes.

However, the programme was worth it for the footage from classic 70’s British cop shows. The Sweeney (wikipedia) were there, as were The Professionals (wikipedia), but it was an introduction, for me, to the likes of Special Branch and Target, and a reminder to watch Get Carter (imdb) again.

So you don’t have to suffer through the silliness of Beefcake: A Very British Sex Symbol, here’s a list of manly stuff from the period.

Special Branch, 1973 series, 1974 series.

The Sweeney, Series 1, Series 2, Series 3, Series 4, The Sweeney Movies, and Regan, the pilot episode.

The Professionals series 1 to 4 box set. (And Who Dares Wins, Lewis Collins’ awful SAS movie.)

Get Carter.

And let’s not forget Life On Mars, the contemporary attempt to spin the same type of tale with a 21st century outlook. (You can even pre-order the second series, even though it’s not been shown yet.)

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Making the roads safer for Christmas

It’s long been felt, amongst those of us who catch buses at least, that the UK North/GM Buses fleet in Manchester is unsafe. They’re not the only company to employ Eastern European drivers, but they never seemed to be as well trained as those with other operators. So it’s no real surprise to learn that they’ve been banned from the roads over Christmas.

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It's A Green Christmas In This Town

(Cross posted from Spinneyhead)

Manchester City Council have some statistics on waste this Christmas, plus some ideas on how to cut it down (mostly by carefully choosing what to buy, which might be a little late for most of you) and some guidance on what can be recycled.

If you live in Manchester, the link to the recycling centres around Manchester and what each one accepts is also useful.

(Title taken from Green Christmas by Barenaked Ladies)

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It's A Green Christmas In This Town

(for cross posting to HowToSaveTheWorldForFree)

Manchester City Council have some statistics on waste this Christmas, plus some ideas on how to cut it down (mostly by carefully choosing what to buy, which might be a little late for most of you) and some guidance on what can be recycled.

If you live in Manchester, the link to the recycling centres around Manchester and what each one accepts is also useful.

(Title taken from Green Christmas by Barenaked Ladies)


The home turbines aren't turning

Whilst large scale wind farms are quite efficient, especially the less controversial new breed of offshore ones, home turbines can produce little or no power because of wind turbulence. Perhaps it’s just the traditional windmills that have this problem and the next generation of home based wind power will involve Savonius or other vertical designs better suited to catching the breeze from constantly changing directions.

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Married with a kid when you should be having fun

The US government tells its citizens they shouldn’t be having sex until they’re in their thirties and married.

90% of Americans tell their government to get stuffed and let them get on with it.

In other sex news- Wild Pink Yam. Doctor Gillian McKeith, otherwise known as “the scary poo lady” has formulated Wild Pink Yam, for the ladies, and Horny Goat Weed, for the gentlemen, as Fast Formulas to help with sexual and general well being. I found out about Wild Pink Yam through listening to a conversation at work. Allegedly the in depth review of its effects, second hand from the one person in the building who admitted to using it, was “Oh my God!”

I receive a few dozen emails a day telling me about natural alternatives to Viagra, and I ignore them all, so I’m naturally sceptical about such claims. On the other hand, I’m nowhere near as snotty since I started taking Echinacea every day, so I can accept that some herbal cures really do do what they promise. I’ll believe in Wild Pink Yam if I can find a young lady to test it on and observe the results.

(The Specials, Too Much, Too Young)

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