thrill power overload by David Bishop

I read this history of 30 years of the 2000AD comic a couple of weeks ago. I've just been inspired to write about it by the Judge Dredd film that I'm watching on DVD as I type. 2000AD, the self-styled 'galaxys greatest comic' is a British institution, as is it's most famous character, Judge Dredd. Most vaguely nerdy guys of around my age or slightly older are aware of it. Pop-culture has been infiltrated by several of it's strips.

I grew up reading comics becuase my dad used me as an excuse to but war comics and Asterix books when I was a kid. Some of the older boys that lived up the street from me used to give me there piles of old 2000ADs when I was 7 or 8 and I managed to read most of the big stories. I bought the reprint editions myself years later.

The interesting thing about this book is the revelation that 2000AD was nearly cancelled several times. It is also sad to hear about how badly some of the creative staff were treated and amusing to hear early artists dismissed as 'just shit'. Pat Mills sounds like an aggressive nightmare but he is still an excellent writer.

I loved this book and I recommend it to all the nerds out there

zarjazz

drphunk

Bose stereos kick ass

I am lucky enough to be the proud owner of a Bose acoustic wave II stereo system which is the best CD player that I have ever owned. It seems to make CDs sound better than they have in the past. My personal highlight so far has been 'the great destroyer' by Low which sounded like a new album.

Get one if you can. Just don't try to steal mine as I would be forced to hurt you.

The Simpsons movie - film review

I went to see this film with my dad yesterday. I had been looking forward to it for a while because I like the Simpsons. It was good but I'm not sure that it was much better than normal episodes of the TV series. The creators of the Simpsons had promised that this would be a special story but I didn't really think it was.

I don't want to sound like I didn't like the film. I thought it was great and I'm glad that I saw it in the cinema. It was funny and the animation was good. I look forward to seeing it again (and again) on DVD. It just wasn't the best Simpsons story ever.

No free lunch

Been at work. Many sick people. Tired. Few words but important.

Many things that drug companies do are bad (in my opinion). They do a lot to influence doctors into using their products.

http://www.nofreelunch-uk.org

No free lunch is a website about the evils of the drug companies. It is sad that we whore ourselves for free pens and sandwiches. I like nice sandwiches but I am in moral turmoil.

Doctors as terrorists

It would appear that the fuckwits that tried to blow up Glasgow Airport and kill lots of innocent children were doctors. Pretty sad.

I'm a doctor. I decided to become a doctor when I was 21 which is a bit older than most people. I never wanted to be a doctor when I was a child. I decided that I wanted to be doctor because I wanted to help people and relieve suffering. I expect that most doctors have similar motivations.

So what the hell happened with these assholes? Eight people have been arrested. All have medical connections according to the BBC website. Two of these people are terrorists - driving a car filled with explosive material into an airport in front of hundreds of people means you are a terrorist. The other six could be innocent. Time will tell.

What would turn a doctor into a terrorist? Is it due to extreme religious views? Was the stress of the competitive job market the final straw? Was it the feeling of being lost in a foreign culture? Hopefully we will find out.

Doctors are just people. Doctors are weak, stupid and petty. Doctors make mistakes. Doctors fuck up. Most of us try hard to help people but it just takes a few bad apples to spoil things for everyone.

One of my colleagues said to me today that she did not want to talk about the Glasgow Airport incident because it made doctors sound bad. At the end of the day, when I walked down Great Western Road today, nobody could tell that I am a doctor just by looking at me. Life is probably more difficult for people of middle-eastern/south asian origin at the moment. Idiots will always pick on people who look different.

These terrorist fuckwits have made the world a bit worse. I am sad that they were doctors but I think that their betrayal of humanity is greater than their betrayal of medicine.

"me and other folk were just tryin tae get the boot in and some other guy banjoed him''

Glasgow has found a new folk hero - John Smeaton

http://johnsmeaton.com/

This guy helped the police during the terrorist attack on Glasgow airport. I do not think I would have the guts to do what he did. He also has quite a way with words.

'This is Glasgow - we'll set about you'

Film review - Shrek the third

I liked this film. I liked the first two. I was pissing myself at bits of it. Worth seeing.

Classic bit when the ginger bread man is really scared. Smarties will never be the same....

8 outta 10

funky

Fopp - RIP

I was a bit sad when I heard that Fopp had gone bust. All 105 shops shut on Friday due to financial problems. Fopp was one of the best record shops ever and the store in Leamington Spa kept me sane for 5 years. I bought my Screamadelica LP and my Loveless LP in Fopp on Byres Road a long time ago. I wasted thousands of pounds in Fopp over the past 15 years.

I hope they re-open.

I'm gonna make an effort to spend more money in Avalanche and Mono in Glasgow. They are the last two great record shops left.

Terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport is a core part of my psychic geography. I grew up flying in and out of Glasgow airport for holidays in spain with my parents. We used to pick my dad up at the airport when he had been abroad for work stuff. My parents are meant to be flying out to Spain from Glasgow next weekend,

You may understand that I am pissed off and upset that some crazy fuckers tried to kill hundreds of people there today. Two lunatics drove a car full of explosives into the front of the airport. Luckily nobody died. Luckily the nutjobs were caught. The public and the police were very brave.

One of these assholes is currently being interogated by the police. The other is in hospital covered in burns. He is probably in a lot of pain. He will probably die unless he is very lucky.

These men will not find paradise in death. No just god would reward them for trying to murder innocent children (many young families would be flying out on holiday today as this is the first weekend of the Scottish school holidays). If there is such a thing as hell these idiots will burn.

The attack appears to be linked to the attempted bombing in London last night. More crazy murderers are on the streets of Britain right now. I expect that some innocent people will be murdered before they are caught.

These attacks have more of an impact than the isolated physical assault. They create divisions between groups of people. They push us apart when we should be trying to come together. They make humanity worse and they make peace more difficult. It must be difficult to be a muslim in Glasgow tonight. The muslim community will be blamed for the actions of a few weirdos. It's a shame.

I was in Glasgow city centre shopping at 3:15pm today totally oblivious to events at the airport. I recorded some more music with my mate before I got home and saw the news.

I was saddened but I was not surprised.

I love Glasgow. It is my city. I love Scotland. It is my country. I understand why these nutjobs want to attack us but that does not give them a free pass. We need to catch these criminals but we also need to work against the warped ideas that lead to these attacks. We also need to work hard to stabilise the middle east and try and remove the motivation for these attacks.

Rant over.