Tuesday 30 March 2010

Animal Cross Stitching

Ooh, have just signed up for a great new swap on the ole Swap-Bot. This time it's a computer game ATC. Have already decided that I'm going to do Resident Evil 4 - so excited! In the meantime, whilst the brain is ticking, here's a couple I did earlier in the month for another swap - Animal Crossing was the theme so thought I'd get out my box of threads and get stitching. Each figure is 10 stitches x 20 stitches and took a total of 8 hours to complete both - great to do whilst Columbo is on! Watch this space for more computer cross stitched creations - I've got the stitching bug.

PS talking of Columbo, Dirk Benedict (Face from The A-Team) is playing the great lieutenant on stage in July at the Lighthouse, Poole. It's like all my birthdays come at once - 80s kicks for t!!!

Monday 29 March 2010

Games Reviews Agogo

We're heading into our original love - the world of video game reviewing, courtesy of sci-fi-london.com. Of course there's a little twist, you'll get a male and female review, one from both of us in our own inimitable style.

Here's a snippet of our first:
The XY Review by Ian Abbott
A flimsy interpretation of a classic literary masterpiece? Check.
Mr Dante has a slight disagreement with Death and decides to steal his almighty scythe. Now Mr Dante (let’s call him Big D from now on) has a good-looking lady, Beatrice, back at home and lo and behold - she gets caught up in a Lucifer love triangle who steals her away into the nine circles of hell and guess where Big D has to go to get her back? Big D has a lot of choices to make on his quest to save his lady. Should he a) punish the damned souls who get in his way and pump up his unholy-ometer? Or b) absolve the poor wretches of their sins and get on the good side of the man upstairs? I’m not one for historical accuracy, but you’d fail your GCSE History of Literature if EA were providing the revision guides.

The XX Review by Tracey McGarrigan
Pay attention at the back. Now as I’m sure you all know, Dante’s Divine Comedy (written between 1308 and 1321) is an epic poem split into 3 parts; Inferno (hell), Purgatorio (purgatory) and Paradiso (paradise) and it’s the best bit - hell - which EA have concentrated their efforts...The hellish minions and beasts are varied and tough little blighters, there are some inventive and impressive moves, dozens of different button combinations for fighting and the game play is fast paced yet balanced (there are puzzles and climbing obstacles to give your thumbs a rest whilst the animated cut scenes are short enough to reveal the story and provide some context without being dull or breaking the momentum).

Head to the website to find out what we really think of Dante's Inferno.
Until the next time...
Ian

PS Due to recent adverse weather conditions our international guests were not able to follow in the great footsteps of our current champ Mr Tyler Myers. All footraces will be put on hold till further notice.

Friday 5 March 2010

Foot Race 1 - Winner!

Tracey and I were proud to host the Inaugural Bournemouth Foot Race which took place between groynes 20 and 21 on Bournemouth beach on Wednesday 3rd March 2010.

The first competitors were Tyler Myers and Stephen Fiehn (Chicago performance duo Cupola Bobber who've just finished a short English tour of their 4th work Way Out West The Sea Whispered Me in cities ending in -er).
It was a tight and physically punishing race and Stephen lost by about 2 lengths at the end. From his beaming smile, I think we can all tell that Tyler was very happy to receive his plaque from Tracey.

We're hosting a few other international competitors over the next few weeks from Germany, Lancashire and Wales so I hope to post further updates on here soon.

Enduringly yours

Ian