I've not had much time over the last couple of days to write, so here is some cheapskate cutting, pasting and ripping off of other people's emails instead...

Potter Totter

Is what the internet bookie Blue Square calls its latest special betting opportunity. JK Rowling (author of the Harry Potter books) is apparently pregnant and due to pop in the Spring. You can gamble on what you think she will name her bonny new arrival. All the names you'd expect are there including:

Harry, at a generous 33-1

and

Voldemort, at 200-1


Larry's Good News - Update

Background Info: See my last post. Larry is 40 going on 22. He looks like an East End villian, but is a big softie. I emailed him to get the news straight from the horses mouth. His response (slightly edited) was as follows:

"Gonna get married in Scotland next September/October. There has been no great announcement and the news is just getting round. As for the proposal - top brownie points for me! I am now viewed in a completely new - and thus, favourable - light by all the women on the planet, or the ones that have spoken to Carole in the last week or so at least. The long version of events is ..... [and it is really long before I get to the point] .... Carole was away on a pampering week in a Scottish castle and I was at home on my Todd. For a couple of weeks I had a really annoying bunged up nose and I was sniffing, snorting and clearing my throat all the time and as a consequence I got only a couple of hours sleep for two nights running. So, I went to the doctor and he gave me some goo to settle me down and some penicillin to clear up the throat problem. Unfortunately by about 7pm I was climbing the walls. I've never had anything like this before but I was sweating, had a dry throat, my arms were flapping, I wanted to run out into the street, basically I was having a panic attack. I had enough wherewithal to phone for a doctor who spoke to me and told me what was happening and to blow into a bag, etc, etc. Anyway, a couple of days later Carole comes home and I'm still not sleeping properly (in fact I'm still not and am on double tamazipan, but I hope it's all clearing up), I wake up at 4:30am and decide to make the most of being up at that hour. I had planned how to propose for some time and it involved being up at that time of day so, I thought that there really was no time like the present - and the lack of sleep was clearly interfering with my reasoning processes. I woke Carole, told her not to argue and to just trust me this once, bundled her into the car, wrapped her in a blanket and drove into central London. She was well behaved considering the unreasonable nature of my actions and just thought that we were going for a walk down the Thames as I couldn't sleep. So, when we got to the middle of the Millennium (wobbly) Bridge and the dawn was rising behind Tower Bridge, I asked her. No audience, just me, her and the dawn over London. Romantic, huh?"

As I said, a big softie.
Congratulations Lazza.


Halloween Update

It's my mum and dad's wedding anniversary.
I bought a pumpkin to make a lantern - I haven't sculpted one since I was about six.
Vic has banned me from wearing my hobgoblin mask in case it scares the crap out of my 3 year old nephew (who we're seeing tonight). She reminded me that he freaked out in a farm shop when his dad tried on an innocent plastic sheep mask. My life-like goblin visage could permanently scar him.

James sent me an email earlier today relating a Halloween-themed story that seems very close to my own kid-scaring fantasties (related a few postings ago):

Read a funny interview with George Romero (director of night of the Living
Dead, etc) recently. He said he was preparing for his annual halloween party which he invites all his industry friends to. He says none of them dress up except for Tom Savini, who is a special effects wizard working primarily in the horror industry.

Have you seen from Dusk Till Dawn?

That film was developed as a showcase for Tom's company's work - he also
played Sex Machine in the film.

Apparently every year Tom goes all out to put himself in the scariest
costume he can create and spends all evening terrorising the children in
George Romero's neighbourhood!

How cool is that!"

If I was a special FX wizard, that's exactly what I would do too.