Jimmy Sangster: The Man From Hammer

Cover of The Mummy

"Known the world over as 'The Studio that Dripped Blood', Hammer was the most successful British film production company ever, in terms of both output and box-office. Though their massive catalogue of films incorporated all manner of genres, it was for one particular type of film that they are best-remembered - horror."

Hammer Horror - h2g2 Edited Guide

In today's post, we have a look at one of those brilliant people who helped making Hammer so famous: Jimmy Sangster, Master of Horror.

If you're too young to remember the movies mentioned here, don't worry: you'll still be able to know what we're talking about as we've added the trailers for some of them at the end of the article.

If you are old enough to remember those movies then, hopefully, watching the trailers will be a nice trip down Memory Lane.

Enjoy...

Loup Dargent

Whitby's History - Stranger Than Fiction

"When asked where vampires can be found, most people usuallly answer Transilvania, London, Sunnydale or, even, Sunningdale..."

Well, that's probably because they haven't read today's post yet.

Alan Moore, our Guest Writer for the day, is taking us to Whitby, a Yorkshire town

that is rumoured to have been one of the lurking places of the Prince of Darkness,

Count Dracula, himself...

Now, that's a post with a bite.

Get the holy water and garlic ready and enjoy the visit...

Loup Dargent

We've also added a Youtube video that fits this post's topic perfectly. It's untitled "Whitby: Ghosts and Mysteries" and can be found right underneath Alan Moore's article... Great stuff!

St Hilda's Abbey (via THE WHITBY GOTHS )

The (Not So) Sweet Smell Of Revenge

image via fumier.com

There are times in our lives when we have a burning desire to get even with some rather annoying people...

It could be because of things they've said about us, or to us.

Or, they have been a pain at work (they might even be our boss).

Or, their moronic political views have irritated us on many occasions (like, for example, Nick Griffin and his BNP croonies).

2009 Was The Twitter's Year (Not in France Though)

Image via Wikipedia

According to Guerric Poncet, in his article"2009, l'année de Twitter" published in Le Point, while 2008 may have been Facebook's year, 2009 has been the year of Twitter...

At the beginning of this year, Guerric Poncet writes, the site had only a few million users, but now, Twitter claims forty million accounts.

He also mentions that Facebook is not a "has been" yet, as the social site's membership has now reached 350 million. Probably thanks to smartphones, those little marvels that allow us to surf anywhere, any time, and to share... anything.

Guerric Poncet also writes about how influential Twitter has become. He says the site's influence was confirmed in June, 2009 when the US State Department asked it to delay some scheduled maintenance work so that the Iranian opposition's members could carry on using Twitter to exchange information and stay updated on what was happening with the elections in Iran.

Of course, Twitter willingly accepted the request... That was the best publicity a social site could get after all.


Reading the article, and the first three comments posted there, I can't help but wonder if Twitter and its usefulness has properly been understood in France...

Only 9% of  French surfers are actually using it?! I could pretend that it's probably because we French do like to go on and on when we talk and write and the 140 characters limit can be a bit restrictive, but somehow I have a feeling that this is not the only reason.

Still, at least, 60% of the French surfers had heard of it in November 2009 compared to the tiny 4% of the previous year... It's a start, I suppose.

On this side of the English Channel, Twitter's influence is pretty big and widely acknowledged, in spite of outrage from  British users when some members of the American far-right dared to diss the UK's National Health Service . Then there were, the tweeted reactions to the European Elections' shameful results (two BNP members elected as MEPs, thanks to a very poor turn out on  election day) Election outrage tweets made the Top Twitter trends as did tweets about the BBC's Question Time's episode with the far right BNP leader, Nick Griffin,  as a guest...

(The fact that the BNP supporters still carry on spamming Twitter by tweeting ad nauseam their website's posts is, in a way, another proof that Twitter is seen as an influential social site... Even if, like in this case, it's by people who obviously haven't got a clue on how to behave on the Net in general, and Twitter in particular.)

Of course, Twitter is not just about voicing our views on political matters, TV Shows such as Torchwood and Doctor Who, X-Factor with Jedward, or movies like Star Trek and District 9. It is also, and probably mainly, about sharing.

What we choose to share with our fellow tweeps is up to us... if it's important to us, it's important enough to tweet about it. It might not always be deep or life changing stuff but, at the end of the day, so what? It's not like what the three commenters dissing Twitter's users said was that deep anyway.

Some of us have heard about important events on Twitter first (like I did with Michael Jackson' death), and, sometimes, we also hear about important events on Twitter before they even make the news! Obviously, something that  commenters on the article's page are not aware of... perhaps they should use the site before going all negative about it.

I could understand reservations about the length of the tweets, especially when it comes to reading tweets with news and links... but, even that has been sorted. TweetMixx, for example, automatically unpacks all those shortened URLs into headlines and descriptions, effectively turning Twitter into a content recommendation site.

I do realise that I'm probably preaching to the converted here regarding Twitter, so I'm not going to go on and on, but, instead, I'm going to ask you guys to share with us (and, hopefully, the English speaking French surfers who might stumble upon this post) some of your tweeting experiences. It can be about what you regularly tweet about, events/news you've heard first on Twitter, apps you use or, well... anything Twitter related, really.

Maybe, just maybe, together we might be able to help my fellow French surfers make proper use of that fantastic democratic and informative tool called Twitter.

Thanks in advance...

Loup Dargent

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Exclusive Interview With Santa Claus

Santa Claus 

Over the past two months I have been writing a Christmas story.

It is about Santa Claus and the remarkable sequence of events that befell a young girl living on the edge of the rainforest in Palawan, a tropical island where I live. 

Of course, for such an apparently far fetched story, it was important to check out the facts.

That was easy to do here in Palawan, but how could I interview somebody quite so famous as Santa Claus, who lived far away in a land where I would freeze to death as soon as I got off the airplane?

Well, it turned out to be more easy than I thought, and we met, believe it or not, close to a big firework display in Southern England on November 5th 2005.

How I got there and how he got there, I am not allowed to say. In fact, I cannot say, simply because I do not know for sure. I can only speculate. My passport shows I was here; my wife tells me I was here; I tell myself I was here. But I was there, and this is what I can report from the notes I took at the interview.

(There was much more, but I am sworn to secrecy, and Santa Claus has such amazing powers, I would not go against his wishes.)

These are the 3 questions, and answers, I am allowed to reveal.

Q1: There is much speculation amongst historians about your origins. Can you tell us, to put this straight once and for all?

(Roars of laughter from Santa) “The last people you should ask are historians. They can only look backwards. What a dumb life they lead; they can never find the truth like that. Life is multi dimensional; time is multi dimensional. What do historians and scientists know about all that? The truth is like a sun with all it’s planets rotating round. If you just look backwards, you miss the whole spectrum, and you miss the sun itself.

“What are my origins? My good man, you’re just a simple soul, like everyone else on the planet, so I know you mean ‘when and where do I come from’. I do have a birthday; in fact, I have many birthdays, and they are all true. But for your narrow little world, I was born in 701 AD."

“But,” I said, “all the historians…….” his glare told me to be quiet about historians. That seemed like a good idea, given that they got it all totally wrong.

Santa was a tolerant and gentle man despite his massive powers.

“And, young man” ( I had not been called that for a long time) he said. “You will not believe where I was born. It was not the North Pole, though I go there often. It was not Lapland, where I do now live. It was Central Africa."

I was dumbfounded; he just laughed at me. I moved on quickly.

Q2: I have to ask, Santa, how do you get around the whole world like that, every Christmas, delivering gifts to so many millions of children? In less than 2 days. It’s just not..

Before I could finish, he had put his hand firmly on my arm to stop me.

“Of course it’s possible. You think it’s not possible because your “scientists” say so, not because of the truth. Only the truth matters. And it is possible, because I do it every year.

You say “not possible” because of the way you all look at things; narrow and blinkered. Even my blinkered reindeer know more than your silly scientists; so forget it’s not possible. I do it, and young man”, (I was really beginning to like this guy), he went on, “I just love every moment of it.”

“But……?” I was about to ask, but he stopped me again with a firm hand.

“Ok,” he said gently. “Let me just tell you about something. In the 8th century I was exploring brainwaves; your scientists don’t have an inkling yet about the brain, how it works, the brainwaves and what they mean and how you can use them. I was able to discover great things, things all the scientists have been too narrow minded in the past to seek out, understand and utilize.”

I was in his spell, listening intently to every word. He was about to reveal….

“Have you heard of Quantum Chimney Descent Theory? No, of course not. By 820 AD I had it all worked out; a year later I had discovered Time Corridors. You know time corridors? No, of course not, but I tell you young man, that was what did it, that was what enabled me to deliver gifts at Christmas all over the world.

“I then developed the Time Corridor Interweaving Theory. For the next 30 years I started to put them both into practice, and then bring them together. That my dear friend is how I get around the whole world like that and deliver gifts: by exploiting the Quantum Chimney Descent Theory in unison with Time Corridor Interweaving.

“Do you understand now?” he asked.

Well, who was I to argue, I might sound like a historian or scientist? So, that was it, I had the answers to the greatest Santa Claus question of all. I did not have a clue what he was talking about, but I am sure he anticipated that.

We went on to the final question as the firework display reached its climax.

Q3: What happens to all the mince pies and glasses of sherry that millions of children leave out for you?

Santa roared with laughter again, “oh, all the things people leave out for me; they are so sweet those children. “But you know, their parents should tell them the truth; they should not deceive. It is their parents who drink the sherry and other alcoholic drinks. It’s just their excuse. I don’t drink the stuff, never did.

“But the mince pies, yes I do love a good mince pie. The children are so considerate leaving them for me, and I eat as many as I can in Australia. But over a million? I have to tell you, those mince pies get spread around all sorts of places. The creatures of the oceans and the forests are very much experts on mince pies now. But the year before last.....”

Santa saw my expression change.

“Aaah, we can’t say what happened that year, can we? It’s in your story. We mustn't spoil your story."

A moment later I awoke in my bed many thousands of miles away near the Sulu Sea. My wife was next to me; and funnily enough, I was next to her. When I went to my computer room a while later, I found my notebook. And what you have read above is what was written in it.

I really did like Santa Claus; “young man” indeed.

Santa Claus

About Today's Contributor:
This Christmas Santa Claus article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gifts For Xmas website.

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Some 'Easy Does It' Recipes For Christmas

Image via Wikipedia

"Because Christmas is not just about presents, you know..."

Okay, so you're almost done with the presents
buying and cards writing and sending activities,
and the decorations do look good... well done!

But, what about the food?
Will you have enough time to do that as well?

Christmas Trivia Questions Time: "Who Are You Mr. Claus?"

Sinterklaas AKA Santa Claus

Just about everyone in the world knows that jolly toy-bearing Christmas figure from the North Pole, but how much do we really know about him?

Here are a few quick trivia questions about our beloved Santa brought to you by Lewis Payton.

Q: Where does the name Santa Claus come from?
A: The name Santa Claus was derived from Sinterklaas, the Dutch term for the ancient Christian figure of Saint Nicholas who was famous for his generosity to the poor (more about him later).

The Dutch immigrants to America imported their gift-giving saint to New Amsterdam where he merged with his British counterpart, Father Christmas, to become America's own Santa Claus.

Q: Everyone knows that Santa lives in the North Pole, but where is the real St. Nicholas from? 

A: St. Nicholas who many consider to be the inspiration for modern Santa Claus was born in Patara around 275AD. 

Patara is located in present day Turkey, on the Southern Mediterranean coast in what is today an international tourist resort area where visitors spend hours basking in the warm Mediterranean sun. 

Certainly not a place you would want to be wearing fur coats in.

Q: If you really wanted to find St. Nicholas today, where would you go looking?
A: You may enjoy a trip to the North Pole, but if you really want to honor St. Nicholas, you would do better by heading towards Italy, where the remains of St. Nicholas are stored in the basilica of St. Nicola in the city of Bari. 

They have been there since the 11 century when they were, uh… borrowed… from their previous resting place in Myra in present day Turkey. 

Q: Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and his companions take Santa on his rounds completely airborne. How is it that reindeer can fly?
A: Many people believe that the tale of flying reindeers (as well as other parts of the Santa story), originates from Lapland in modern day Finland. Some say that in Lapland reindeer had a habit of seeking out the hallucinogenic amanita mushrooms which they ate and then would prance around while under their influence. 

As these mushrooms are quite toxic, it was regular practice for local shamans to drink the urine of tripping reindeer for a "safe high" and then "fly" together with them. 

This could also explain the general cheerful disposition (with the "ho ho ho" and all), and the flushed red cheeks of today's Santa. 

Q: Where did Santa get his unique outfit?
A: While it's no secret that the marketing people of Coca Cola have a lot to do with the modern image of Santa, some say the roots go way back. 

The same North European Shamans that liked to consume those red and white mushrooms with their reindeers used to wear quite a similar outfit when they went out to collect their pickings – red and white fur trimmed coats with long black boots. 

As implied above, it's quite certain that St. Nicholas was no inspiration for this outfit, as he lived in sunny south Turkey.

Q: Who was the first to create Santa's modern image?
A: Coca Cola still uses the iconic images of Santa which were hugely successful in the 30s, and created for it by the gifted artist Haddon Sundblom, an American of Swedish origin (does Northern Europe ring any bells here?). 

However the modern image of Santa was only finally standardized in his works, but had actually been developing for years before. Coca Cola wasn't even the first beverage company to make commercial use of every child's jolly toy bearing hero – a company called White Rock beverages used him to sell ginger ale and mineral water as early as 1915. 

However earlier versions wore a wide variety of colors. 

Coca Cola's Santa is the one the finally set the record straight, and since then Santa has been wearing nothing but Red and White.

About Today's Contributor:
Lewis Payton writes trivia questions for 247trivia.com

The Haunting Story of Alexandra Holzer

Cover of The Ghost Hunter

Now, that's the spirit! 

Okay, not really that kind of spirit, but we have good reasons to be cheerful as our favourite Ufo Guy is back with a very haunting story...

It's the story of Alexandra Holzer and, as she is the daughter of the famous ghost hunter Hanz Holzer, publishing it is definitely a great way to launch our "Paranormal" category.

Those of you who read the old version of 'Forward and Share' might remember some of Bill Knell's articles... They were great additions to our UFOs Related topic and were very popular among our readers (Good news: We have managed to salvage some of them and will definitely publish them again in a near future) so being able to publish more articles from him is like an early Christmas present for us.

But, enough of my rambling: Bill Knell and his haunting story of Alexandra Holzer is only a few mouse scrolls away...

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

Michael Moore's Open Letter to President Obama

Image via Wikipedia

It's been a while since we have shared some of Michael Moore's emails with you, hasn't it?... 

Well, the one we've posted today (with added links for good measure) will definitely make up for it.

Yep, It's the copy of the open letter to President Obama sent by The Man Himself.

Don't thank me, I'm only the messenger... 

But, we definitely can all give a big thanks to Michael Moore for sharing all that stuff with us on a regular basis.

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

 

An Open Letter 
to President Obama 
from Michael Moore

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Do you really want to be the new "war president"? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do -- destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they've always heard is true -- that all politicians are alike. I simply can't believe you're about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn't so. 

It is not your job to do what the generals tell you to do. We are a civilian-run government. WE tell the Joint Chiefs what to do, not the other way around. That's the way General Washington insisted it must be. That's what President Truman told General MacArthur when MacArthur wanted to invade China. "You're fired!," said Truman, and that was that. And you should have fired Gen. McChrystal when he went to the press to preempt you, telling the press what YOU had to do. Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we f*#&in' hate these generals, from Westmoreland in Vietnam to, yes, even Colin Powell for lying to the UN with his made-up drawings of WMD (he has since sought redemption). 

So now you feel backed into a corner. 30 years ago this past Thursday (Thanksgiving) the Soviet generals had a cool idea -- "Let's invade Afghanistan!" Well, that turned out to be the final nail in the USSR coffin. 

There's a reason they don't call Afghanistan the "Garden State" (though they probably should, seeing how the corrupt President Karzai, whom we back, has his brother in the heroin tradeGenghis Khan but I lost his number. I do have Gorbachev's number though. It's + 41 22 789 1662. I'm sure he could give you an earful about the historic blunder you're about to commit.  raising poppies). Afghanistan's nickname is the "Graveyard of Empires." If you don't believe it, give the British a call. I'd have you call

With our economic collapse still in full swing and our precious young men and women being sacrificed on the altar of arrogance and greed, the breakdown of this great civilization we call America will head, full throttle, into oblivion if you become the "war president." Empires never think the end is near, until the end is here. Empires think that more evil will force the heathens to toe the line -- and yet it never works. The heathens usually tear them to shreds. 

Choose carefully, President Obama. You of all people know that it doesn't have to be this way. You still have a few hours to listen to your heart, and your own clear thinking. You know that nothing good can come from sending more troops halfway around the world to a place neither you nor they understand, to achieve an objective that neither you nor they understand, in a country that does not want us there. You can feel it in your bones. 

I know you know that there are LESS than a hundred al-Qaeda left in Afghanistan! A hundred thousand troops trying to crush a hundred guys living in caves? Are you serious? Have you drunk Bush's Kool-Aid? I refuse to believe it. 

Your potential decision to expand the war (while saying that you're doing it so you can "end the war") will do more to set your legacy in stone than any of the great things you've said and done in your first year. One more throwing a bone from you to the Republicans and the coalition of the hopeful and the hopeless may be gone -- and this nation will be back in the hands of the haters quicker than you can shout "tea bag!" 

Choose carefully, Mr. President. Your corporate backers are going to abandon you as soon as it is clear you are a one-term president and that the nation will be safely back in the hands of the usual idiots who do their bidding. That could be Wednesday morning. 

We the people still love you. We the people still have a sliver of hope. But we the people can't take it anymore. We can't take your caving in, over and over, when we elected you by a big, wide margin of millions to get in there and get the job done. What part of "landslide victory" don't you understand? 

Don't be deceived into thinking that sending a few more troops into Afghanistan will make a difference, or earn you the respect of the haters. They will not stop until this country is torn asunder and every last dollar is extracted from the poor and soon-to-be poor. You could send a million troops over there and the crazy Right still wouldn't be happy. You would still be the victim of their incessant venom on hate radio and television because no matter what you do, you can't change the one thing about yourself that sends them over the edge. 

The haters were not the ones who elected you, and they can't be won over by abandoning the rest of us. 

President Obama, it's time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, "No, we don't need health care, we don't need jobs, we don't need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, 'cause we don't need them, either." 

What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that's what they'd do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines. 

All of us that voted and prayed for you and cried the night of your victory have endured an Orwellian hell of eight years of crimes committed in our name: torture, rendition, suspension of the bill of rights, invading nations who had not attacked us, blowing up neighborhoods that Saddam "might" be in (but never was), slaughtering wedding parties in Afghanistan. We watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of our brave young men and women were killed, maimed, or endured mental anguish -- the full terror of which we scarcely know. 

When we elected you we didn't expect miracles. We didn't even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn't even function as a nation and never, ever has. 

Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God's sake, stop. 

Tonight we still have hope. 

Tomorrow, we shall see. The ball is in your court. You DON'T have to do this. You can be a profile in courage. You can be your mother's son. 

We're counting on you. 

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
 

P.S. There's still time to have your voice heard. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 or email the President.

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Tags : Open Letter, Michael Moore, Obama

Samaritans: The One About Lisa’s Story

"Everyone knows Samaritans is there for people in distress and despair, whenever they need to talk."

Samaritans is the only charity offering this vital service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And, to provide this lifeline this charity relies almost entirely on voluntary funds from people just like you and I...

It takes a lot of courage to call Samaritans... The fundraising film ‘Lisa’s Story’ shows that when someone finally makes that call, somebody must be there to answer.

Yep, this post is another charity related one...

But, after reading more about "Lisa's Story" and watching the video, you'll understand why Samaritans is one of the Top Ten British charities in my books.

Don't worry, I'm not going to preach or go heavy on you guys...

I'll just include an extract from the Samaritans' website about "Lisa's Story" instead:

"Samaritans' new fundraising TV campaign features a character called Lisa, a young woman who has experienced a lifetime of abuse and is extremely distressed, but finds the strength to phone Samaritans. The advert closes with Lisa looking more positive, having made the call to Samaritans, emphasising that she has taken an important first step in rebuilding her life..."

Feel free to read more about it here

Even if you are not able to donate to this charity, do still read about it and watch the video...

One day, someone you know might need to make "the call".

Being able to let them know about Samaritans and how to contact them could save their life.

Many thanks in advance for your time.

Loup Dargent

PS: RSS Feed Readers: If the widget doesn't appear on the page shown by your RSS Feed Reader Facility, please click on this link...

Tags : Samaritans, Lisa’s Story, Charity

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Pssst! Wanna Play Oxfam Unwrapped’s Virtual Village?

With my birthday coming soon and Christmas around the corner, you might be worried about what to get me for those two very important times of the year...

Well, you could get me presents and help save the world at the same time...
That would be cool, wouldn't it?

But, what if there was something even cooler than that?!

Yep, there is something even cooler...

You can now play the game "Virtual Village" and help save the world

(but don't get too distracted and forget about buying my presents though)...

Intrigued? Don't be: it's quite simple, really.

"Oxfam Unwrapped’s Virtual Village is a brand new game that gives you the chance to see how your gifts make a big difference to poor communities worldwide." 

How To Create An Online Sock Puppet And Get Away With It

The Tardis

The Definition

'Sock puppet n. [Usenet: from the act of placing a sock over your hand and talking to it and pretending it's talking back] In Usenet parlance, a pseudo through which the puppeteer posts follow-ups to their own original message to give the appearance that a number of people support the views held in the original message ...'

From: The Internet Jargon Dictionary.

The Problem

Imagine for a moment that you are involved in a heated debate about an issue which is very important to you but, somehow, your opponents are increasingly, and at a very fast and alarming rate, gaining points. Even when their views are blatantly incorrect, you find yourself in an ever decreasing minority when it comes to challenging their so obviously flawed arguments.

To top it up, there is no hope at all that the proverbial cavalry will arrive, as there is no one on sight to come to your rescue.

Not something very pleasant to imagine but not something to be dismissed as improbable either, as, unfortunately, even the best of us can one day find themselves in a similar frustrating situation.

So, the use of a sock puppet, as an emergency measure, might be the only way possible to get out of it but, if you open a new account then, your attempt is bound to fail lamentably. The sock puppets hunters will without fail spot it, especially if it comes to your rescue straight after having registered.

The Solution

The solution is actually very simple and, unless you are psychic and have already predicted the tricky situation and taken the appropriate steps to remedy it, you will agree that the following suggestion is definitely the best and the most efficient of all possible ones.

All you need to do is:

• Time travel back to when the site has just opened.
• Register your alter ego.
• Build up a reputation of seriousness for it.

Once that's done, the rest is practically a piece of cake.

You should not worry about the fact that you might have to follow your alter ego's online life up to the point when you need its help as, even if it means spending years in the past, it will only take a few minutes of your time in the present.

There are still a few advices that need to be followed though:

• Make a point of registering your puppet before the date you've registered yourself.
• Do change the way you type while using that alternative persona. If not, you could be seen as your puppet's puppet when you register.
• Do not let your alter ego get involved in other discussions you are in.
• Do not be tempted to use your other account to settle scores with your own opponents before that crucial moment, as that would drastically reduce the effect needed when the time has come to make efficient use of your sock puppet.

There are some side effects that have been noticed as a result of intensive 'time travelling sock puppeteering' unfortunately. One of them being a high risk of identity crisis. So, it is advised that you try to take a break from your alternative persona as often as possible.

Of course, to time travel you need the proper equipment, but you should be able to get hold of a time machine by checking the local papers' classified adverts.

Failing that you have nothing to lose by:

• Asking around.
• Asking one of the scientists you have come into contact before.
• Asking your country's secret services for a spare one.
• Asking those guys dressed in black who are always hanging around the local ufologist's home.
• Asking the BBC to borrow the TARDIS used in the old Doctor Who's TV series.

The Loupster - (Alleged) time traveller

Just In Case

If your quest for a time machine has for some unexpected reasons failed, then the best option would be that you keep well away from that controversial discussion.
 

That will, at least, save you from some irritating but also very embarrassing moments.

Easier said than done, granted...

Some 'Tips on Anger Management' might come handy in some of those frustrating situations we are faced with at times.

'Often, when working with or coming into contact with someone who really annoys you, the best plan is just to walk away and leave them talking to themselves.You have no idea just how silly they look standing there raving away at, nothing!'

A very useful piece of advice that is not just relevant to Real Life somehow.

You might not have had a chance to make the points you wanted to make, but, at the end of the day, you will not be the one looking bad...

Of course, had you followed my advice on how to get hold of a time machine in the first place... etc... etc... etc...

Oh never mind...

Loup Dargent

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