Think of the story ideas you could write about him, sort of like a Chinese version of the British novel by H.G. WELLS "The First Men in the Moon."
Thursday, 31 August 2023
THE FIRST CHINESE MAN IN SPACE
This is awesome!
Think of the story ideas you could write about him, sort of like a Chinese version of the British novel by H.G. WELLS "The First Men in the Moon."
Think of the story ideas you could write about him, sort of like a Chinese version of the British novel by H.G. WELLS "The First Men in the Moon."
REAL STARGATE PORTALS
"Lithuania and Poland built a ‘portal’ connecting two of their cities Vilnius and Lublin. It allows people to see each other in real-time."
Ultimate "Doorbell Camera" Very Cool!
Ultimate "Doorbell Camera" Very Cool!
FIERY MASK
Name: Fiery Mask
Alter Ego: Jack Castle
Origin: Jack was born in New York City in 1912. Growing up, he earned a Ph. D and became a licensed physician who often consulted with the NYPD. One night, sometime in the 1930s, Jack was driving home when he witnessed a crashed and burning car on the side of the road. Upon further examination to check for someone in need, Jack noticed two dead notorious gangsters and one was still alive yet with a serious gunshot wound. Closer to his house than the hospital, Jack brought the survivor home to see what he could do. Coming back to consciousness, the wounded stranger revealed he had magical powers as a result of being the host of a force called the Mystic Flame. The man informed Jack that, lest he transfer the power to someone else, the power would be lost when he died. Jack went to call an ambulance but then decided not to, coveting the Mystic Flame for himself. Disregarding his oath to “do no harm”, Jack lied and said that there were no ambulances close by to make it in time. Accepting his fate, the stranger touched Jack’s hand and transferred his powers into Jack, then passed away. Though initially happy to become a superhuman, Jack later became plagued by horrible guilt as well as paranoia that someone would find out about his misdeed. He concocted an elaborate fake origin story: he’d been kidnapped (by zombies) while helping the NYPD investigate mysterious kidnappings, experimented on by a giant villain called the Zombie Master, and gained super powers as a result. Taking up a costumed identity as the Fiery Mask, Jack earned quite a reputation as a masked vigilante by 1939. When the US entered World War 2 in 1941, Fiery Mask enlisted in the war effort becoming one of a large number of wartime vigilantes fighting the Nazis.
Powers/Abilities: The Mystic Flame granted Fiery Mask a number of superhuman attributes, the most obvious being the generation and manipulation of fire and heat. He could use his powers to create a protective force field of heat energy or project devastating bursts of flames. Fiery Mask was invulnerable to heat and any type of fire. He also exhibited an undefined amount of superhuman strength (able to at least lift 2 tons as he was seen holding a car over his head), hurricane force breath, leaping great distances (similar to the Hulk), and flight. Jack Castle was a formidable hand to hand combatant with a Ph. D in medicine. He often carried a mace into battle.
Random Trivia: On Wednesday April 25th, 1945 the Fiery Mask participated in a massive Allied super hero assault on Berlin. He and eleven others were ambushed, captured by German forces, and placed in suspended animation for decades. Wednesday August 2nd, 2008 the twelve heroes were discovered and revived by the US government. One of the Twelve, Dynamic Man, went rogue and committed several murders (including using Twelve member Electro the Robot to slay their ally Blue Blade). It was Fiery Mask who helped expose Dynamic Man’s true nature to the rest of the team. During the final battle with Dynamic Man, Fiery Mask was fatally wounded when the fallen hero crushed his windpipe. Jack died but not before transferring his powers to the Phantom Reporter who unleashed the full might of the Mystic Flame to destroy Dynamic Man. The Reporter afterwards attended Fiery Mask’s funeral and decides to continue using the power of the Mystic Flame to fight crime. Fellow Twelve member the Black Widow confirmed that (despite the shady way in which he’d gained his powers) Jack Castle ended up going to Heaven due to his heroism and sacrifice earning redemption for his past sins. Though Jack perpetuated a false origin to everyone and few people knew the real truth, it’s possible he did in fact have a battle with the Zombie Master.
Alter Ego: Jack Castle
Origin: Jack was born in New York City in 1912. Growing up, he earned a Ph. D and became a licensed physician who often consulted with the NYPD. One night, sometime in the 1930s, Jack was driving home when he witnessed a crashed and burning car on the side of the road. Upon further examination to check for someone in need, Jack noticed two dead notorious gangsters and one was still alive yet with a serious gunshot wound. Closer to his house than the hospital, Jack brought the survivor home to see what he could do. Coming back to consciousness, the wounded stranger revealed he had magical powers as a result of being the host of a force called the Mystic Flame. The man informed Jack that, lest he transfer the power to someone else, the power would be lost when he died. Jack went to call an ambulance but then decided not to, coveting the Mystic Flame for himself. Disregarding his oath to “do no harm”, Jack lied and said that there were no ambulances close by to make it in time. Accepting his fate, the stranger touched Jack’s hand and transferred his powers into Jack, then passed away. Though initially happy to become a superhuman, Jack later became plagued by horrible guilt as well as paranoia that someone would find out about his misdeed. He concocted an elaborate fake origin story: he’d been kidnapped (by zombies) while helping the NYPD investigate mysterious kidnappings, experimented on by a giant villain called the Zombie Master, and gained super powers as a result. Taking up a costumed identity as the Fiery Mask, Jack earned quite a reputation as a masked vigilante by 1939. When the US entered World War 2 in 1941, Fiery Mask enlisted in the war effort becoming one of a large number of wartime vigilantes fighting the Nazis.
Powers/Abilities: The Mystic Flame granted Fiery Mask a number of superhuman attributes, the most obvious being the generation and manipulation of fire and heat. He could use his powers to create a protective force field of heat energy or project devastating bursts of flames. Fiery Mask was invulnerable to heat and any type of fire. He also exhibited an undefined amount of superhuman strength (able to at least lift 2 tons as he was seen holding a car over his head), hurricane force breath, leaping great distances (similar to the Hulk), and flight. Jack Castle was a formidable hand to hand combatant with a Ph. D in medicine. He often carried a mace into battle.
Random Trivia: On Wednesday April 25th, 1945 the Fiery Mask participated in a massive Allied super hero assault on Berlin. He and eleven others were ambushed, captured by German forces, and placed in suspended animation for decades. Wednesday August 2nd, 2008 the twelve heroes were discovered and revived by the US government. One of the Twelve, Dynamic Man, went rogue and committed several murders (including using Twelve member Electro the Robot to slay their ally Blue Blade). It was Fiery Mask who helped expose Dynamic Man’s true nature to the rest of the team. During the final battle with Dynamic Man, Fiery Mask was fatally wounded when the fallen hero crushed his windpipe. Jack died but not before transferring his powers to the Phantom Reporter who unleashed the full might of the Mystic Flame to destroy Dynamic Man. The Reporter afterwards attended Fiery Mask’s funeral and decides to continue using the power of the Mystic Flame to fight crime. Fellow Twelve member the Black Widow confirmed that (despite the shady way in which he’d gained his powers) Jack Castle ended up going to Heaven due to his heroism and sacrifice earning redemption for his past sins. Though Jack perpetuated a false origin to everyone and few people knew the real truth, it’s possible he did in fact have a battle with the Zombie Master.
SHAMBLES MOON
Last night, The Deserted Shambles Market, York.
Blue Supermoon peaking over the rooftops.
Blue Supermoon peaking over the rooftops.
BLUE MOON
My phone camera trying to focus last night on the Blue Moon.
It was too bright but beautiful.
It was too bright but beautiful.
ROMAN LIGHTHOUSE
This Roman lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse in England and one of the oldest in the world. It is located on the south-eastern side of Dover, Kent.
It dates from around 46–50 AD, during the reign of Emperor Claudius. In comparison to modern lighthouses, its height of just 25.4 metres is quite short, but in its day, it was a towering landmark.
It was built using flint local to the area and mortar. It was an important feature of the Roman trade routes and military operations; its flickering light was critical in guiding ships safely to shore.
After nearly 2,000 years, the original Roman stonework on the seaward side is weather-worn, and today it stands at just 19 metres high.
It dates from around 46–50 AD, during the reign of Emperor Claudius. In comparison to modern lighthouses, its height of just 25.4 metres is quite short, but in its day, it was a towering landmark.
It was built using flint local to the area and mortar. It was an important feature of the Roman trade routes and military operations; its flickering light was critical in guiding ships safely to shore.
After nearly 2,000 years, the original Roman stonework on the seaward side is weather-worn, and today it stands at just 19 metres high.
CHANGE THE WORLD
Open your eyes to the real truth around you, Don't be a sheep, and Question everything that is reported on the news channels and newspapers.
Wednesday, 30 August 2023
ESCAPE ROOM AND ESCAPE ROOM 2: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Last night, I watched both Escape Room 1 & 2 on Netflix.
Both films are psychological horrors (2019 & 2021)
The first film stars Taylor Russell (Lost in Space), Logan Miller (Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), and Tyler Labine (Reaper).
The movie follows a group of strangers who are sent to navigate a series of deadly escape rooms, and try and find a way to escape with their lives.
The film was very clever with it's traps and it was not very gory but the story was great and the film leads right into the sequel "Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions" that stars the survivors from the first film and a new batch of "contestants."
This time, the stakes are a lot higher and the traps are a lot more hellish as this new and old group of strangers find themselves in a vast immersive escape room, where they must find a way out again and find a way to bring down the evil organisation behind these escape rooms, but do they truly escape their fate?
Both movies are pretty awesome and i hope they make a third film as this one does end on a cliff hanger.
I shall rate both flicks a score of 8/10.
Well worth a watch!
Both films are psychological horrors (2019 & 2021)
The first film stars Taylor Russell (Lost in Space), Logan Miller (Scout's Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse), Deborah Ann Woll (True Blood), and Tyler Labine (Reaper).
The movie follows a group of strangers who are sent to navigate a series of deadly escape rooms, and try and find a way to escape with their lives.
The film was very clever with it's traps and it was not very gory but the story was great and the film leads right into the sequel "Escape Room 2: Tournament of Champions" that stars the survivors from the first film and a new batch of "contestants."
This time, the stakes are a lot higher and the traps are a lot more hellish as this new and old group of strangers find themselves in a vast immersive escape room, where they must find a way out again and find a way to bring down the evil organisation behind these escape rooms, but do they truly escape their fate?
Both movies are pretty awesome and i hope they make a third film as this one does end on a cliff hanger.
I shall rate both flicks a score of 8/10.
Well worth a watch!
VACATION FRIENDS 2
Yesterday afternoon, we watched this funny buddy comedy on Disney+
The film reunites the main cast from last year's first movie as they go on vacation together to the Caribbean (Filmed in Hawaii)
Things go wrong when one of the character's dad turns up after leaving prison and get's the gang involved in a smuggling gang.
The father is played by the normally great Steve Buscemi, but to be honest, he ruined the whole film for me.
Not very funny and the action scenes were out of place for this comedy. The film started off really good but it turned into a mess in the second half of the movie with the gunplay between the smugglers and the threats to their lives.
The first movie was brilliant and we could not stop laughing, but this sequel was naff.
I hope they don't make a third film in the series.
I shall rate this flick a score of 6/10.
The film reunites the main cast from last year's first movie as they go on vacation together to the Caribbean (Filmed in Hawaii)
Things go wrong when one of the character's dad turns up after leaving prison and get's the gang involved in a smuggling gang.
The father is played by the normally great Steve Buscemi, but to be honest, he ruined the whole film for me.
Not very funny and the action scenes were out of place for this comedy. The film started off really good but it turned into a mess in the second half of the movie with the gunplay between the smugglers and the threats to their lives.
The first movie was brilliant and we could not stop laughing, but this sequel was naff.
I hope they don't make a third film in the series.
I shall rate this flick a score of 6/10.
Tuesday, 29 August 2023
FIGHTING FANTASY GAMEBOOK 1
41 years ago, the first book in the Fighting Fantasy Gamebook series was released "The Warlock of Firetop Mountain." on the 27th August in 1982.
BAD WRITING!
My writing is really bad now due to the pain and stiffness in my hands. I have trouble holding a pen.
Admittedly the nerve damage I suffered in my left arm and hand from my time in hospital and the stroke I had the other year that I lost all use of my right hand and arm has not made things easily for me. I am right handed as well, so I still need to exercise my motor control in my hands to hold on to objects when I pick things up including a pen, that's why I prefer to use a keyboard in my writing.
Admittedly the nerve damage I suffered in my left arm and hand from my time in hospital and the stroke I had the other year that I lost all use of my right hand and arm has not made things easily for me. I am right handed as well, so I still need to exercise my motor control in my hands to hold on to objects when I pick things up including a pen, that's why I prefer to use a keyboard in my writing.
SUN & MOON
In Norse mythology, Sköll is a wolf that chases the Sun and Hati is the wolf that chases the Moon...
HARLEY AND BATMAN
Reunited in the Great Beyond!
Tribute to the late Arleen Sorkin (1955-2023) and Kevin Conroy (1955-2022) aka the Harley Quinn and Batman of the Animated DC World.
Tribute to the late Arleen Sorkin (1955-2023) and Kevin Conroy (1955-2022) aka the Harley Quinn and Batman of the Animated DC World.
VERIN THE FLORIST
Verin is known in Port Khan for his amazing flower arranging skills. He seeks perfection in his creations and often goes beyond the wall in search of the most exotic and beautiful wild flowers. He has developed a sense for battle and done some training as a town guard in order to keep himself protected.
His knowledge of flora is unrivalled in the region and many rangers take their apprenticeships with him to learn that aspect of their craft. He not only knows which flowers are the most aesthetically pleasing at each time of year, but also their medicinal worth. He does not use the plants for alchemy but in order to appraise their value he must be aware of these things.
His knowledge of flora is unrivalled in the region and many rangers take their apprenticeships with him to learn that aspect of their craft. He not only knows which flowers are the most aesthetically pleasing at each time of year, but also their medicinal worth. He does not use the plants for alchemy but in order to appraise their value he must be aware of these things.
Monday, 28 August 2023
WHEN LES MET SOPHIE
When Sophie Aldred (Ace from Doctor Who) met Les Dennis in 1989.
Those in the know, know!
Naughty Les!
Those in the know, know!
Naughty Les!
Sunday, 27 August 2023
WILD NIGHT TOGETHER
They were surrounded by a beautifully magical light show before finding a place to sleep.
INDIANS VS. GIANTS
Many Native American tribes from the Northeast and Southwest still relate the legends of the red-haired giants and how their ancestors fought terrible, protracted wars against the giants when they first encountered them in North America. Others, like the Aztecs and Mayans recorded their encounters with a race of giants to the north when they ventured out on exploratory expeditions.
Saturday, 26 August 2023
BYE NADINE!
MP Nadine Dorries has resigned.
This is part of her letter to the PM, whatever you think about her, she is not wrong in what she has said. Rishi Sunak is fucking useless as our PM and he is corrupt to the core, like all of the other PM's we have had in recent years. Since 2010, we have had Tory leadership and each one of the 5 PM's has been greedy, corrupt, and evil.
It's about time we got a leader where the public actually votes in as our PM, as the last 4, nobody voted in except for the party members.
This is part of her letter to the PM, whatever you think about her, she is not wrong in what she has said. Rishi Sunak is fucking useless as our PM and he is corrupt to the core, like all of the other PM's we have had in recent years. Since 2010, we have had Tory leadership and each one of the 5 PM's has been greedy, corrupt, and evil.
It's about time we got a leader where the public actually votes in as our PM, as the last 4, nobody voted in except for the party members.
THE FOLLOWING SEASON 1
Last night, I finished watching the first season of the crime thriller "The Following" from 2013.
All three seasons are on Freevee and it took me a week to watch it, about 2-3 episodes per night.
The series stars Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent who is brought back out of retirement as a serial killer played by James Purefoy escapes from prison after been arrested by Bacon's character years before and he starts to form his own cult of serial killers, his followers! So Bacon and his team of FBI agents must hunt down the cult members and save the life of the woman he loves.
It's a very good series and quite graphic in part which I loved. More gore is good in things!
I am looking forward to watching season 2, which I might start tonight.
I shall rate season one a score of 8/10.
All three seasons are on Freevee and it took me a week to watch it, about 2-3 episodes per night.
The series stars Kevin Bacon as a former FBI agent who is brought back out of retirement as a serial killer played by James Purefoy escapes from prison after been arrested by Bacon's character years before and he starts to form his own cult of serial killers, his followers! So Bacon and his team of FBI agents must hunt down the cult members and save the life of the woman he loves.
It's a very good series and quite graphic in part which I loved. More gore is good in things!
I am looking forward to watching season 2, which I might start tonight.
I shall rate season one a score of 8/10.
Friday, 25 August 2023
ALTERNATE EARTH
This is the Earth world building from my League of Extraordinary Gentlemen style comic.
Arctic:
Hyperborea both that of the myth and the tales of Clark Ashton Smith.
Elisee Reclus Island, Crystallopolis (French Colony), Maurel City (American Colony), from Une Ville de Verre by Alphonse Brown.
Vichenbolk Land, island kingdom discovered by Lemuel Gulliver, from Pickles ou récits à la mode anglaise by André Lichtenberger.
North Pole Kingdom, a land populated by civilized dinosaurs living under the polar ice cap, from Le Peuple du Pôle by Carles Derennes.
Polar Bear Kingdom, inhabited by intelligent polar bears from 20,000 Lieues Sous Les Glaces (or 20,000 Leagues Under the Ice) by Mór Jóka
The Real North Pole, from The Purple Cloud by M. P. Shiel.
Peacepool, from The Water Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby by Charles Kingsley.
Santa Workshop and Snow Castle based on the play Santa Claus' Daughter and the movies Santa Claus [vs. The Devil], Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Gaster Island from The Fourth Book of the Deeds and Sayings of the Good Pantagruel by François Rabelais.
The Sea of Frozen Words from The Fourth Book of the Deeds and Sayings of the Good Pantagruel by François Rabelais.
Queen Island from Les Aventures du capitaine Hatteras, or (The Adventures of Captain Hatteras) by Jules Verne, also known as Rupes Nigra ("Black Rock"), Gerardus Mercator's map of the Arctic.
The Island of Thule, from The Bibliotheca historia (Library of History) by Diodorus Siculus, Geographika (Geography) by Strabo, and The Gothic War by Procopius.
The Back of the North Wind, a warm region of the Arctic, from At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald.
The Iron Mountains and the opening towards the center of the Earth from Anonymous, Voyage au center de 14 terre, ou aventures de quelques naufragés dans des pays inconnus. Traduit de Panglais de Sn Hormidas Peath.
The Portal to the Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish, The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World
The City of Centaurs from Speed Centaur.
The citadel where Amazona The Mighty Woman lives.
The underground kingdom of Arctica, a land of dense forests, strange creatures, and medieval civilization from King Anthony.
The underwater kingdom Polaris ruled by Prince Eon from the Neptina comics.
Europe:
UK:
Camelot from the Arturian Legend
Cleopolis from The Faerie Queene (1590 - 1596) by Edmund Spenser.
Abaton, a mythical Scottish phantom town that can only be glimpsed, from the work of Sir Thomas Bulfinch.
Yalding Towers, from E. Nesbit's The Enchanted Castle, which contains dinosaur statues that magically come to life.
Ravenal's Tower, where the remains of Richard Ravenal from E. Nesbit's The Wouldbegoods reside.
The White House, the residence of the Psammead from Five Children and It.
The Wish House from Rudyard Kipling's "The Wish House" (1926).
Exham Priory, from Lovecraft's The Rats in the Walls.
The floating island from The Floating Island by Richard Head (under the pseudonym "Frank Careless") (1673).
The village of Nutwood from the stories of Rupert Bear.
Nightmare Abbey, from Thomas Love Peacock's novel of the same name.
Diana's Grove from Bram Stoker's The Lair of the White Worm.
Toad Hall from Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows.
The subterranean realm of the Vril-ya from The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
The underground Coal City from Jules Verne's The Black Indies.
The underground "Roman State" from Joseph O'Neill's Land Under England.
The Welsh village of Llyddwdd from The Chronic Argonauts by H.G. Wells.
Airfowlness, the meeting place of the crows from The Water Babies.
The Glittering Plain, from William Morris' The Story of the Glittering Plain, a valley that grants enters immortality, but making them unable to leave the valley.
The Isle of Ransom, also from The Story of the Glittering Plain.
Toyland from Babes in Toyland by Victor Herbert & Glen MacDonough
Manor Farm from Orwell's Animal Farm.
The City of Dreadful Night, from James Thomson's City of Dreadful Night.
Baskerville Hall from Conan Doyle's The Hound Of The Baskervilles.
Puddleby-on-the-Marsh from The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting.
In London is the Diogenes Club from the Sherlock Holmes stories, The Grand Babylon Hotel from the novel of the same name by Arnold Bennett, the Reform Club from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days and in Kensington Gardens is the passage to Neverland from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.
The Hundred Acre Wood from Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne.
The setting of Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant.
Ireland:
The leprechaun realm of Gort Na Cloca Mora from Crock of Gold, by James Stephens.
Leixlip Castle, from Charles Robert Maturin's novel of the same name.
The setting of The House on the Borderland, by William Hope Hodgson, which is also a portal to a demonic world.
Italy:
The Castle of Otranto, from Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto.
Meloria Canal, from Emilio Salgari's The Navigators of the Meloria.
The Castle of Udolpho, from Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho.
The city of Acchiappacitrulli, Land of Toys from Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.
The Palace of Prince Prospero, from Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death.
Scylla and Charybdis from Homer's Odyssey.
Switzerland:
Silling Castle, from the Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom.
The Little Kingdom of Swisslakia from Boy King & his Giant.
Austria:
The realm of King Astralgus, from Ferdinand Raimund's Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind.
The village of Eseldorf from Mark Twain's The Mysterious Stranger.
France:
The subterranean Grande Euscarie, inhabited by intelligent woolly mammoths from Luc Alberny's Le Mammouth Bleu.
The underground kingdoms of the Fattypuffs and Thinifers, the creation of André Maurois.
The Kingdom of Poictesme, from James Branch Cabell's satirical Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice.
Calejava, the republic from Claude Gilbert's Histoire de Calejava ou de l'Ilse des Hommes Raisonnables, avec le Paralelle de leur Morale et du Christianisme (1700).
Maleperduis, hiding place of Reynard the Fox from Le Roman de Renart written by Pierre de Saint-Cloud
Averoigne, from a series of short stories by Clark Ashton Smith.
The Nameless Castle from Denis Diderot's Jacques le fataliste et son maître.
Auk, from Daniel Defoe's The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1724) and Anatole France's Penguin Island (1908) which refers back to Auk from Defoe's sequel.
The Abbey of Thélème, from Gargantua and Pantagruel.
The Hollow Needle is a naturally formed cave which Arsène Lupine used in Maurice Leblanc's The Aiguille Creuse.
Expiation City, from Pierre-Simon Ballanche's La Ville des Expiations.
Belgium:
Quiquendone, from Jules Verne's Une Fantaisie du Docteur Ox.
Germany:
Metropolis from the film by Fritz Lang.
Mummelsee and Centrum Terrae, from Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen's Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch.
The state of Meccania, from Meccania, the Super-State, by Owen Gregory
Horselberg, also known as Venusberg, from the legend of Tannhäuser.
Cockaigne, from medieval legend.
The Netherlands:
Vondervotteimittis, from Edgar Allan Poe's The Devil in the Belfry.
The island of Laiquihire, from Voyage Curieux d'un Philadelphe dans des Pays nouvellement Découverts.
Scandinavia:
Daland's Village, the only port where The Flying Dutchman is allowed to land.
Snæfellsjökull, from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Nazar, from Ludvig Holberg's Niels Klim's Underground Travels.
The Snow Queen's Castle, from Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.The Falun Fault, from E.T.A. Hoffmann's Die Bergwerke zu Falun.
Serbia:
Selene, the city of vampires from Paul Féval's La Ville-Vampire.
Poland:
The Wausau Swamp where the monster known as the Heap is found.
Ubu's kingdom, from Alfred Jarry's Ubu plays.
Arctic:
Hyperborea both that of the myth and the tales of Clark Ashton Smith.
Elisee Reclus Island, Crystallopolis (French Colony), Maurel City (American Colony), from Une Ville de Verre by Alphonse Brown.
Vichenbolk Land, island kingdom discovered by Lemuel Gulliver, from Pickles ou récits à la mode anglaise by André Lichtenberger.
North Pole Kingdom, a land populated by civilized dinosaurs living under the polar ice cap, from Le Peuple du Pôle by Carles Derennes.
Polar Bear Kingdom, inhabited by intelligent polar bears from 20,000 Lieues Sous Les Glaces (or 20,000 Leagues Under the Ice) by Mór Jóka
The Real North Pole, from The Purple Cloud by M. P. Shiel.
Peacepool, from The Water Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby by Charles Kingsley.
Santa Workshop and Snow Castle based on the play Santa Claus' Daughter and the movies Santa Claus [vs. The Devil], Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Gaster Island from The Fourth Book of the Deeds and Sayings of the Good Pantagruel by François Rabelais.
The Sea of Frozen Words from The Fourth Book of the Deeds and Sayings of the Good Pantagruel by François Rabelais.
Queen Island from Les Aventures du capitaine Hatteras, or (The Adventures of Captain Hatteras) by Jules Verne, also known as Rupes Nigra ("Black Rock"), Gerardus Mercator's map of the Arctic.
The Island of Thule, from The Bibliotheca historia (Library of History) by Diodorus Siculus, Geographika (Geography) by Strabo, and The Gothic War by Procopius.
The Back of the North Wind, a warm region of the Arctic, from At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald.
The Iron Mountains and the opening towards the center of the Earth from Anonymous, Voyage au center de 14 terre, ou aventures de quelques naufragés dans des pays inconnus. Traduit de Panglais de Sn Hormidas Peath.
The Portal to the Blazing World by Margaret Cavendish, The Description of a New World, Called the Blazing World
The City of Centaurs from Speed Centaur.
The citadel where Amazona The Mighty Woman lives.
The underground kingdom of Arctica, a land of dense forests, strange creatures, and medieval civilization from King Anthony.
The underwater kingdom Polaris ruled by Prince Eon from the Neptina comics.
Europe:
UK:
Camelot from the Arturian Legend
Cleopolis from The Faerie Queene (1590 - 1596) by Edmund Spenser.
Abaton, a mythical Scottish phantom town that can only be glimpsed, from the work of Sir Thomas Bulfinch.
Yalding Towers, from E. Nesbit's The Enchanted Castle, which contains dinosaur statues that magically come to life.
Ravenal's Tower, where the remains of Richard Ravenal from E. Nesbit's The Wouldbegoods reside.
The White House, the residence of the Psammead from Five Children and It.
The Wish House from Rudyard Kipling's "The Wish House" (1926).
Exham Priory, from Lovecraft's The Rats in the Walls.
The floating island from The Floating Island by Richard Head (under the pseudonym "Frank Careless") (1673).
The village of Nutwood from the stories of Rupert Bear.
Nightmare Abbey, from Thomas Love Peacock's novel of the same name.
Diana's Grove from Bram Stoker's The Lair of the White Worm.
Toad Hall from Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows.
The subterranean realm of the Vril-ya from The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
The underground Coal City from Jules Verne's The Black Indies.
The underground "Roman State" from Joseph O'Neill's Land Under England.
The Welsh village of Llyddwdd from The Chronic Argonauts by H.G. Wells.
Airfowlness, the meeting place of the crows from The Water Babies.
The Glittering Plain, from William Morris' The Story of the Glittering Plain, a valley that grants enters immortality, but making them unable to leave the valley.
The Isle of Ransom, also from The Story of the Glittering Plain.
Toyland from Babes in Toyland by Victor Herbert & Glen MacDonough
Manor Farm from Orwell's Animal Farm.
The City of Dreadful Night, from James Thomson's City of Dreadful Night.
Baskerville Hall from Conan Doyle's The Hound Of The Baskervilles.
Puddleby-on-the-Marsh from The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting.
In London is the Diogenes Club from the Sherlock Holmes stories, The Grand Babylon Hotel from the novel of the same name by Arnold Bennett, the Reform Club from Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days and in Kensington Gardens is the passage to Neverland from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.
The Hundred Acre Wood from Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne.
The setting of Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant.
Ireland:
The leprechaun realm of Gort Na Cloca Mora from Crock of Gold, by James Stephens.
Leixlip Castle, from Charles Robert Maturin's novel of the same name.
The setting of The House on the Borderland, by William Hope Hodgson, which is also a portal to a demonic world.
Italy:
The Castle of Otranto, from Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto.
Meloria Canal, from Emilio Salgari's The Navigators of the Meloria.
The Castle of Udolpho, from Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho.
The city of Acchiappacitrulli, Land of Toys from Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.
The Palace of Prince Prospero, from Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death.
Scylla and Charybdis from Homer's Odyssey.
Switzerland:
Silling Castle, from the Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom.
The Little Kingdom of Swisslakia from Boy King & his Giant.
Austria:
The realm of King Astralgus, from Ferdinand Raimund's Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind.
The village of Eseldorf from Mark Twain's The Mysterious Stranger.
France:
The subterranean Grande Euscarie, inhabited by intelligent woolly mammoths from Luc Alberny's Le Mammouth Bleu.
The underground kingdoms of the Fattypuffs and Thinifers, the creation of André Maurois.
The Kingdom of Poictesme, from James Branch Cabell's satirical Jurgen, A Comedy of Justice.
Calejava, the republic from Claude Gilbert's Histoire de Calejava ou de l'Ilse des Hommes Raisonnables, avec le Paralelle de leur Morale et du Christianisme (1700).
Maleperduis, hiding place of Reynard the Fox from Le Roman de Renart written by Pierre de Saint-Cloud
Averoigne, from a series of short stories by Clark Ashton Smith.
The Nameless Castle from Denis Diderot's Jacques le fataliste et son maître.
Auk, from Daniel Defoe's The Further Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1724) and Anatole France's Penguin Island (1908) which refers back to Auk from Defoe's sequel.
The Abbey of Thélème, from Gargantua and Pantagruel.
The Hollow Needle is a naturally formed cave which Arsène Lupine used in Maurice Leblanc's The Aiguille Creuse.
Expiation City, from Pierre-Simon Ballanche's La Ville des Expiations.
Belgium:
Quiquendone, from Jules Verne's Une Fantaisie du Docteur Ox.
Germany:
Metropolis from the film by Fritz Lang.
Mummelsee and Centrum Terrae, from Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen's Der abenteuerliche Simplicissimus Teutsch.
The state of Meccania, from Meccania, the Super-State, by Owen Gregory
Horselberg, also known as Venusberg, from the legend of Tannhäuser.
Cockaigne, from medieval legend.
The Netherlands:
Vondervotteimittis, from Edgar Allan Poe's The Devil in the Belfry.
The island of Laiquihire, from Voyage Curieux d'un Philadelphe dans des Pays nouvellement Découverts.
Scandinavia:
Daland's Village, the only port where The Flying Dutchman is allowed to land.
Snæfellsjökull, from Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Nazar, from Ludvig Holberg's Niels Klim's Underground Travels.
The Snow Queen's Castle, from Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.The Falun Fault, from E.T.A. Hoffmann's Die Bergwerke zu Falun.
Serbia:
Selene, the city of vampires from Paul Féval's La Ville-Vampire.
Poland:
The Wausau Swamp where the monster known as the Heap is found.
Ubu's kingdom, from Alfred Jarry's Ubu plays.
ULLR
In Nordic and Germanic Polytheism Ullr or Ull (Old Germanic Languages: Wulþuz) is the god of snowshoes, hunting, the bow, and the shield; he is a handsome stepson of the thunder god Thor. Ull possesses warrior-like attributes and is called upon for aid in individual combat. He resides at Ydalir (Yew Dales). In Skáldskaparmál, the second part of the Prose Edda, Snorri mentions Ullr again in a discussion of kennings. Snorri informs his readers that Ullr can be called ski-god, bow-god, hunting-god and shield-god. In turn a shield can be called Ullr's ship. During an excavation in 2007, of a Vendel era shrine for Ullr north of Stockholm, many symbolic rings were discovered, which are considered to represent Ullr's ring.
ODIN
Once upon a time and long ago, Odin was walking under the branches of Yggdrasil when two ravens swooped down and settled upon his shoulders. The raven on his left was white as the mists of Niflheim (for back then, all ravens were white), and his eyes mirrored the clouds. The raven on his right glistened in the sun like the snows of Jotunheim, and looked at him with bright clear eyes. And Odin called the raven to his right Hugin, which is Thought, and the other one he named Munin, which means Memory.
As the days passed, Hugin and Munin matched the Allfather’s curiosity for everything in the Nine Worlds, flying around and watching and listening to whatever they could, and in the evenings, they returned to him to tell him all they had seen and heard in the long hours of the day. They told him about the slow thoughts of the mountains, the colorful and ever-changing memories of men, and the sound of the song in the heart of everything that lives. And though Odin delighted in the knowledge they brought, he always felt they had missed something, and he said, “That was much, but not yet enough. Tomorrow you must fly again. Try to rest now.” And the ravens slept uneasily, not knowing what they had missed, and every morning, they flew out again.
There came one of many evenings after another long day when they had once again seen all that Sunna’s shine could show, had listened to all men’s bright thoughts in Midgard, and read their waking memories, when Hugin said to Munin, “We cannot return yet. It is not enough. We must go farther.” And they flew on into the night.
And Hugin flew through the dark dreams of mankind and heard their thoughts which they dared not think during the daytime, not even before themselves. He winged through the black void between the stars where there was nothing at all, and on to the twilight world of the future, where there is equally nothing and everything at once. And when he returned, his feathers, from tip to tip, were black as the night.
And Munin flew through the minds of men into the shady corners and cellars where they had hidden all the things they did not like, and locked them away, saying “I do not remember.” He soared through the sightless void of Ginnungagap, and on and on until he arrived at the ashes of Ragnarok which obscured this age from the next. And when he returned, his feathers, from beak to tail, were as black as soot.
The ravens returned to Odin just before the break of morning, when the night is at its darkest, and when they settled back on his shoulders, he knew all that they had seen, and they did not need to tell. And he understood what had been missing, and nodded, and said, “It is much, and it is enough. For tonight. You may rest.” And the ravens blinked drowsily into the first rays of the rising sun which glinted on their now black feathers, tucked their beaks under their wings, and slept very well.
Since that time, all ravens have been seen to be as black as a shadow on a starless night. Very rarely it happens that somebody catches a glimpse of a white raven, and should you ever be lucky enough to see one, you’ll know that you have wandered far off and back into the land of memory, before ravens came to be black.
As the days passed, Hugin and Munin matched the Allfather’s curiosity for everything in the Nine Worlds, flying around and watching and listening to whatever they could, and in the evenings, they returned to him to tell him all they had seen and heard in the long hours of the day. They told him about the slow thoughts of the mountains, the colorful and ever-changing memories of men, and the sound of the song in the heart of everything that lives. And though Odin delighted in the knowledge they brought, he always felt they had missed something, and he said, “That was much, but not yet enough. Tomorrow you must fly again. Try to rest now.” And the ravens slept uneasily, not knowing what they had missed, and every morning, they flew out again.
There came one of many evenings after another long day when they had once again seen all that Sunna’s shine could show, had listened to all men’s bright thoughts in Midgard, and read their waking memories, when Hugin said to Munin, “We cannot return yet. It is not enough. We must go farther.” And they flew on into the night.
And Hugin flew through the dark dreams of mankind and heard their thoughts which they dared not think during the daytime, not even before themselves. He winged through the black void between the stars where there was nothing at all, and on to the twilight world of the future, where there is equally nothing and everything at once. And when he returned, his feathers, from tip to tip, were black as the night.
And Munin flew through the minds of men into the shady corners and cellars where they had hidden all the things they did not like, and locked them away, saying “I do not remember.” He soared through the sightless void of Ginnungagap, and on and on until he arrived at the ashes of Ragnarok which obscured this age from the next. And when he returned, his feathers, from beak to tail, were as black as soot.
The ravens returned to Odin just before the break of morning, when the night is at its darkest, and when they settled back on his shoulders, he knew all that they had seen, and they did not need to tell. And he understood what had been missing, and nodded, and said, “It is much, and it is enough. For tonight. You may rest.” And the ravens blinked drowsily into the first rays of the rising sun which glinted on their now black feathers, tucked their beaks under their wings, and slept very well.
Since that time, all ravens have been seen to be as black as a shadow on a starless night. Very rarely it happens that somebody catches a glimpse of a white raven, and should you ever be lucky enough to see one, you’ll know that you have wandered far off and back into the land of memory, before ravens came to be black.
Thursday, 24 August 2023
MAKE IT HAPPY!
Mr & Mrs. Sir Patrick Stewart (83) and Sunny Ozell (44) make a lovely couple.
Lucky Bugger!
Lucky Bugger!
RED DAWN
Last night, I watched "Red Dawn," a classic (1984) war drama movie on Amazon Prime.
For some strange reason, I have never ever seen this film before, but I have seen the remake film from 2012, which I thought was rubbish.
So if you know the storyline, I won't bore you with the details, but basically, Soviet and Cuban forces invade America and WWIII starts.
And a group of teenage guerrillas, known as the Wolverines fight back in Soviet-occupied Colorado.
It has got a good cast list of young actors including Powers Booth, Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey.
The film is violent and the first film to receive a PG-13 rating in America. I think that is our 18 cert over here.
There is no CGI or miniatures involved, and it's all real explosions and real tanks, planes, soldiers, paratroopers, etc which made the film more believable.
A lot of the main characters get killed off as it would in war films and you could play a drinking game with this and work out who kicks the bucket next?
Also, as an American war film, it's very Ultra-Patriotic, and only America can save the world, etc, etc, bullshit, etc!
Apart from that niggle, this is actually a very good film and it shows a neat war plan when the United States will get invaded and what their targets will be.
And it's also a dystopian futuristic science fiction movie as it is set in their future of 1989.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10.
For some strange reason, I have never ever seen this film before, but I have seen the remake film from 2012, which I thought was rubbish.
So if you know the storyline, I won't bore you with the details, but basically, Soviet and Cuban forces invade America and WWIII starts.
And a group of teenage guerrillas, known as the Wolverines fight back in Soviet-occupied Colorado.
It has got a good cast list of young actors including Powers Booth, Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, and Jennifer Grey.
The film is violent and the first film to receive a PG-13 rating in America. I think that is our 18 cert over here.
There is no CGI or miniatures involved, and it's all real explosions and real tanks, planes, soldiers, paratroopers, etc which made the film more believable.
A lot of the main characters get killed off as it would in war films and you could play a drinking game with this and work out who kicks the bucket next?
Also, as an American war film, it's very Ultra-Patriotic, and only America can save the world, etc, etc, bullshit, etc!
Apart from that niggle, this is actually a very good film and it shows a neat war plan when the United States will get invaded and what their targets will be.
And it's also a dystopian futuristic science fiction movie as it is set in their future of 1989.
I shall rate this film a score of 8/10.
PIED PIPER
The oldest picture of the Pied Piper copied from the glass window of the Market Church in Hameln/Hamelin Germany (c.1300-1633).
Wednesday, 23 August 2023
TIGER EYES
"Tiger eyes" instead of lanterns
In ancient Rome, the so-called "Tiger Eyes" (small white stones) were placed between the stones on the road so that they could be seen at night.
In ancient Rome, the so-called "Tiger Eyes" (small white stones) were placed between the stones on the road so that they could be seen at night.
INDIAN MOON
Well Done India and the ISRO for the successful landing on the mountainous south pole on the Luna service by the Chandrayaan-3.
Never been achieved before by any other nation of the Earth!
Never been achieved before by any other nation of the Earth!
ALPHA FLIGHT #1
I purchased my copy of Alpha Flight #1 yesterday from Forbidden Planet International in Middlesbrough, UK.
This is the first Marvel comic book that I have bought in years, so there is a lot of background story that I have no idea about.
Mutants on Mars? Orchis? What the eh?
Anyway, my personal views and thoughts are -
1/ The new head of Department H cannot be trusted, but can any leader of that organisation be trusted?
2/ Roger Bochs Jr. seems dodgy to me, No sentinel can be relied upon to not go haywire and cause chaos for Humanity.
3/ Who is Nemesis? well whomever it is, has to be a Mutant.
4/ I do like the mini Department H reports, it helped me with who Feedback is.
5/ Where is Sasquatch, Talisman, and Heather?
6/ The artwork was alright, but Puck seemed to be a tad bit taller then before.
7/ So Alpha Flight is working with the (CLASSIFIED), what will that mean to their future with Canada if the citizens find out? (Mutants)
Anywhoo, good issue and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this mini series, but I won't be reading the rest of the Fall of X storyline.
This is the first Marvel comic book that I have bought in years, so there is a lot of background story that I have no idea about.
Mutants on Mars? Orchis? What the eh?
Anyway, my personal views and thoughts are -
1/ The new head of Department H cannot be trusted, but can any leader of that organisation be trusted?
2/ Roger Bochs Jr. seems dodgy to me, No sentinel can be relied upon to not go haywire and cause chaos for Humanity.
3/ Who is Nemesis? well whomever it is, has to be a Mutant.
4/ I do like the mini Department H reports, it helped me with who Feedback is.
5/ Where is Sasquatch, Talisman, and Heather?
6/ The artwork was alright, but Puck seemed to be a tad bit taller then before.
7/ So Alpha Flight is working with the (CLASSIFIED), what will that mean to their future with Canada if the citizens find out? (Mutants)
Anywhoo, good issue and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this mini series, but I won't be reading the rest of the Fall of X storyline.
THE LOCH NESS SAINT
In the year of 565, St Columba encountered, and reportedly drove away, the Loch Ness Monster. It's considered the earliest report of a monster in the Loch.
THE LEAPING TERROR
In 1838, Victorian imagination was fired up by the exploits of a daring troublemaker, dubbed “Spring-Heeled Jack” for his tendency to escape by jumping hedges and vanishing into the countryside. On January 8, the Lord Mayor publicly read a letter that he received, which warned of a person dressing up and scaring people in the villages to the east of London. The Lord Mayor then announced flatly that this person should not try their tricks in London proper, or the police would have them.On the evening of February 20, young Jane Alsop answered a furiously ringing bell to see a policeman down by the gate, who called for a candle. He claimed to have caught Spring-Heeled Jack! Jane ran the candle out to the officer, who held it up to reveal a hideous countenance as he vomited blue flames at her and then assaulted her with iron claws. With the help of her sisters, Jane was pulled back into the house. When a call went out for the police, Jack turned and bounded off.As police scrambled to find suspects, Jack struck again. On February 28, two young women, sisters, were walking home and turned down an alley. Lucy Scales, the younger sister, was a bit ahead of her sibling when a figure stepped from a dark corner and spurted blue flame right into her face. As Lucy’s sister tried to help her, this unknown person simply walked away from the scene. In both cases, police arrested and questioned many people, but nothing came of these efforts. The true identity of Spring-Heeled Jack is still unknown.'
THE LITTLE SERVANT BOY AND THE BARM
An old woman known as Nancy of Pen Gwndwn, kept a little boy servant, whom she sent one evening to the neighbouring village with a bottle to get some barm for her, and as he had to pass through a field which was frequented by the Fairies, he was told by the old woman to keep away from their circles or rings.
The boy reached the village, got the barm, and in due time proceeded on his homeward journey, but did not reach home.
Search was made for him in all directions, and people were able to trace his steps as far as the Fairies’ field, but no further, so it was evident that the Fairies had seized him.
At the end of a year and a day, however, to the great surprise of everybody, the boy came home, entered the house, with the bottle of barm in hand, and handed it to the old woman as if nothing unusual had happened.
The boy was greatly surprised when he was told that he had been away for twelve months and a day. Then he related how he fell in with the Fairies, whom he found such nice little men, and whose society was so agreeable that he lingered among them, as he thought, for a few minutes.
The boy reached the village, got the barm, and in due time proceeded on his homeward journey, but did not reach home.
Search was made for him in all directions, and people were able to trace his steps as far as the Fairies’ field, but no further, so it was evident that the Fairies had seized him.
At the end of a year and a day, however, to the great surprise of everybody, the boy came home, entered the house, with the bottle of barm in hand, and handed it to the old woman as if nothing unusual had happened.
The boy was greatly surprised when he was told that he had been away for twelve months and a day. Then he related how he fell in with the Fairies, whom he found such nice little men, and whose society was so agreeable that he lingered among them, as he thought, for a few minutes.
FUTURE POLICE
“The Police of the Future," published on February 27, 1886 in Punch, showing policemen armed with wicker shields, quarterstaff, armour, and other oddities.
Tuesday, 22 August 2023
MIGRANT UK
The state of the UK in the last several years..
To be honest, the scumbag jackbooted police thug would rough up the homeless person first, rip up and destroy his sleeping bag, tent, and other belongings the person would have. And then arrest them for being a vagrant.
Whilst the illegal migrants get's a motel room, free food, mobile phone, clothes, and money.
To be honest, the scumbag jackbooted police thug would rough up the homeless person first, rip up and destroy his sleeping bag, tent, and other belongings the person would have. And then arrest them for being a vagrant.
Whilst the illegal migrants get's a motel room, free food, mobile phone, clothes, and money.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)