Sunday, August 31, 2008

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 12

So... as well the large collection of Marvel comics I managed to get back from my parents (NOTE TO SELF: get them out of Jim's car), I also discovered my stash of old diaries(mainly from the year and a half leading up to the start of this blog).

I've always laboured under the false belief that I didn't really mind stupid people before I started working in customer service. Wow! My diaries were a revelation. Not only did they reveal a deep hatred of stupid people, there was also a lot of just plain hatred of humanity. I was a very angry teenager it would seem... but it was still nice to "catch up" with my old self. Pre blog Jason. He wasn't all bad.

So, although the nasty posts will be left out, In No Particular Order is to be resurrected to showcase those diary entries that made me laugh...

As far as my blogs go, I'm going to make an apology now. They are being monetized. Non intrusive adverts will appear in the sidebar and, on occasion, I will be making posts about products for which I will be paid or compensated in some way. I will make it clear that that is the case in the posts and I will not pretend it does not break my heart slightly to sully my beloved blogs in this way. But I do hope you, Dear Constant Reader, will not hold this against me and will understand that sometimes needs must.

Thankfully most of the adverts will be going on Walk This World With Me, as I'm less attached to it than I am to Dreaming of Chong Nonsi.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Interlude Two: Geek Out

Star Trek Online (a mmo) has begun publishing the "future" history of Star Trek set after the events of Star Trek Nemesis. Check it out here. Soooooooooooooooooo cool. I know. I'm sad.

I was so pissed off with Enterprise when they took us back to the 2100s (don't even get me started on the Ferengi or Borg...). I wanted to know what happened following the era of Picard, Sisko and Janeway. That's the Star Trek I grew up on, and I'm glad Star Trek Online is at least giving us a teaser of what stories might have been expanded in a future series. Obviously it's main aim is to set up the galaxy ready for the game. And I soooo want to play...

Upcoming Events

So what is Jae currently looking forward to in the world of entertainment and "culture" (this is me we're talking about it's hardly going to be high brow!).

Jurassic Park IV

I have not given up hope! Jurassic Park IV has been slated for production forever. I've been looking forward to it for years. Just get it made already! 2009... fingers crossed.

Hopefully they'll give it a new direction other than "Tour/expedition around dinosaur island goes wrong!". Jurassic Park III was entertaining but let's not have more of the same.

Check our JPLegacy for the in and outs of the last few years

Jeepers Creepers III: The Cathedral

Victor Salva, writer and director of the first two movies, has confirmed a third one is due for release next year. Set 23 years in the future (as per the timescales set out in the Creeper mythos) with an opening sequence set in the Wild West during another one of the Creepers feeding frenzies, this movie will see Gina Philips reprise her role from the first movie trying to stop her son suffering the same fate as her brother.

Basically Jeepers Creepers has always been good for cute guys, fun characters and quality scares and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Stephen King's The Stand (comics!)

There is no way I can express in words how much I love Stephen King, let alone The Stand. The Stand is the book I would class as being closest to "my perfect story". This is the story I spent years learning to read for. And now it's being adapted as a comic. I'm not going to second guess that decision, and just hope it provides a unique take on the story. I for one WILL BE BUYING THIS. Yes. I know... a Stephen King comic book... if it had a centrefold of Charles Dera naked it would complete my existence and I'd probably just disappear in a puff of smoke, perhaps leaving a slowly fading smile ala the Cheshire Cat.

Television

Only two series are on my "Must Not Miss" list: the second series of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and the third series of Dexter both look... mmm... awesome.

On my radar...

Terminator Salvation - Terminator = Good (in my mind...)
X - Men Origins: Wolverine - I HATE Wolverine and feel that X - Men should be rebooted by Marvel and done properly after the X-Men: Last Stand atrocity. But if you think I'm not going to go watch it, then you're very much mistaken...
Plus of course... Star Trek and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen...

Friday, August 29, 2008

The Incredible Hunk, Volume 1, Issue 3

Yoinked from World Asian Beauty

Richard Guttierez = Hot

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 11

We all know that I have issues with liking rubbish movies. I love Crocodile 2: Death Roll and I think nothing of watching movies that are... obscure (The Living End for instance). But I'm really not a big fan of chick flicks. But last night I actually found myself not only enjoying but fascinated by a not very good chick flick; She's The Man.

Now sure the large amount of male nudity, especially on behalf of the gorgeous Channing Tatum, helped greatly.


Great, bad movie.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

My Current Obsession, Volume One, Issue Two

A few weeks before she left Euroffice, Gretchen told me about this crazy American TV show called "Dog, the Bounty Hunter". As far as I was concerned bounty hunters were things seen only in Star Wars and I didn't think any more of it.

A few weeks later, whilst doing my usual, annoying flicking through the channels on Sky I found Dog the Bounty Hunter was on and decided to watch it. Basically it's a fly on the wall documentary about a bail bond office in Hawaii. It features Duane (Dog) Chapman, a reformed criminal, and his wife Beth plus an assortment of family members and friends who act as bail bondsmen and bounty hunters. Their job... lend cash/post bail to help people get out of jail and then hunt down those who fail to turn up at court as promised. Dog is a cross between an aging eighties rocker and a Christian preacher, and at first I thought "Oh God... I can't watch this."

But this show grows on you. The relationship between Dog and his family is endearingly messy. Beth spends most of the show feigning contempt at Dog and his school boy enthusiasm whilst secretly loving it. Leland (Dog's son) appears at first to be lovably stupid but is in fact sharp as a tack. Tim, Dog's "bra", is the wise old man of the group. Dog... Dog spends a quarter of his time praying, a quarter of it preaching about the evils of drugs to his prisoners (mainly "Ice" which is crystal meth) and half the time kicking criminals butts. He's awesome.

Plus it gives you an insight into a much ignored part of the USA, Hawaii and it's culture and inhabitants. Honestly... this show is deeper than it first appears.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Meme: Where was I when...?

Meme shamelessly yoinked from Bill's Comment Page

Attack on the twin towers - 11 September 2001
I used to suffer from teletext addiction. I couldn't go more than 5 minutes without quickly flicking on teletext to check the news. This is how I first became aware of what was going on. I was, proudly, watching Dolly Parton in 9 to 5 on one of the movie channels at home when I happened to flick on teletext and up came a one line, brand new news story "Plane hits World Trade Center tower". I quickly switched over to BBC News where the presenters were reporting this story as just another tragic novelty. Horrible but not irregular. That was when right there in front of us all the second plane came zooming in from the right hand side of the screen and smashed into the second tower. The presenters were speechless and that was when I knew that this was not just another news story...

As the afternoon moved on I was joined by a Matthew and an Elliot and we watched as the BBC News cameras showed smoking rising over Washington D.C. nervously laughing. We couldn't think of any other response. This was just too crazy. My Mum called, in tears, terrified about what the immediate consequences of this might be... she was worried that this was the opening salvo in some sort of Third World War, funny now but in those few hours anything seemed possible.

It was a crazy day... one I won't soon forget. Surfing through television channels to find most had gone off air replaced with either news, or a screen stating the stations sympathies for the victims. It was like that until well into the 12th. I remember later that evening on the 11th the BBC ran a TV special offering a blow by blow account of the days events and I remember watching that with my family, feeling that the world had changed forever.

Princess Diana's death - 31st August 1997
We were heading down to Cornwall for a weeks holiday so I was up out of bed sometime very early in the morning... 4 or 5 a.m, I think. That was when the news started reporting that Princess Diana was dead. I was sad to hear that, let my parents know and we all expressed sadness before getting in the car and heading off.

Little did I realise then the mass hysteria that was about to spread across our country. Even though I was only 14 I could tell just by listening to the radio on the way down that this was being treated quite differently to a normal tragic story. And watching the television and reading the papers the next day I became sickened by the level of grief expressed. Check out my previous post on my feelings on this at my other blog (which, since I rebooted this blog, has been reactivated).

Margaret Thatcher's Resignation - 22nd November 1990
I do not remember this at all. Not one bit. I was old enough to remember the Poll Tax riots and all the associated graffiti around saying "No Poll Tax" (I still get all nostalgic when I visited some run down town or city and see they still have some of this graffiti up...). But I don't remember the subsequent months nor her actual resignation.

England's World Cup Semi Final against Germany - 4 July 1990
Was this the one where that footballer cried? If so I have vague memories of hearing about it. But otherwise my enthusiasm for football was as low then as it is now.

President Kennedy's Assassination - 22 November 1963
This was three years before my Mum was born. 'Nuff said.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

The Incredible Hunk, Volume 1, Issue 2


Yoinked from Stunning Sexy Guys... and I have to share his sentiments.. .I want to know a lot more about this guy. Absolutely stunning. I think I've just found husband number 524.

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 10

Well that was a long weekend away! Friday Jim and I traveled down to Lympne to see my family. We did our usual stop at Ashford Tesco's, before driving down through Sellindge where Jim took great pleasure in mocking my oft repeated "I used to live there" as we drove part Richardson Court and Somer Barn Court.

We got to Lympne and settled in for a relaxing evening with the family, watching telly and eating take away. Sadly whilst Coronation Streets intro was playing (my Mum is a closet soap addict) Ollie phoned and I feel I shall now never live that moment down. I DO NOT WATCH SOAPS! ;)

Saturday: we headed on mass to Canterbury, with Tony driving at fiendishly high speed up Stone Street. The twins needed new school uniforms and Mum was insistent we paid a visit to the, recently moved, Whatever Comics so she could buy me some more comics to feed my addiction. Check out the first issue of Air. It's very good!

Sunday: Jim and I had an adventure to Herne Bay, for reasons I won't go into. Jim was a little remiss in not noticing Herne Bay is the opposite side of Kent from... Lympne. Fun! :D

Monday: Our last day down the parents. Auntie Jill and the girls turned up. Due to an acrimonious divorce I haven't seen Jill since the day Melly took a turn for a worse and the entire family turned up at the Royal Marsden Hospital. Nice to see her, even if she is a frightfully loud and positively ENGLISH person. Jim and I also took some time out to visit Folkestone and found the town centre continues to decay now that the new shopping centre is open. Honestly... they might as well just turn it into houses and make it a normal road. It'll look a lot nicer.

We headed home to make a grim discovery... a giant spider had taken up home in our front room. And, worse, after we briefly spotted it moving in the net curtain it disappeared. Jim was not at all happy at this development and slept uneasily that night.

Today.... not more than half an hour ago the giant spider returned, menacingly moving within a M&S bag on the floor, its long legs purposefully probing the plastic. Jim was up on the sofa and experiencing the first stages of severe shock even before I, as resident spider catcher, had made my move. Now I'm sure you, Dear Constant Reader, know my "NO KILLING" policy when it comes to spiders. But for this bruiser even I was not prepared to attempt a capture. It was the largest spider I've ever seen. I sadly had to put it out of Jim's misery with the use of a foot. I offer my apologies to the spiders next of kin.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

One Shot: It's The 7th Blogaversery!

*I'm in Folkestone for the weekend, supposedly to visit my parents but I'll be secretly perusing my old comic collection.. mwhahahahaha*

Yes, that's right! Dreaming of Chong Nonsi has, under various names and guises, been around since 2001.

As always I'd like to thank you, Dear Constant Reader, for sticking with me all this time. The days of thousands of readers and regular updates are over, and yet still you hang around. That means a lot more to me than you will ever realise

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Incredible Hunk, Volume 1, Issue 1


Yoinked from Bangkok of the Mind.

This blog has been missing something. Cute/hunky/darn right shirt rippingly sexy guys. So let us start with this masterpiece. Wow. That's all I can say. This is why I'm gay.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 9

The stoopid. It burns. That sums up much of my internet interaction of late. I'm becoming ever more forgiving of stupidity as the basic level of intelligence seems to be disturbingly low.

Anyhew... I've been drinking so much of late. It's very bad. Friday... drinking with Rod, Melissa (our neighbours) and their friend down the local. Saturday... drinking with Rod and Melissa in our garden whilst playing Shithead. At first we thought this was a joke game that would never end. Then we actually realised we were playing it wrong. D'oh!

Made a lot of money betting on the financial markets so yay!

My current comic book obsession is burning bright...

A major discovery was made this weekend: I cannot, for love nor money, play Guitar Hero 3. My hands and brain are obviously not up to the task.

I have a new job starting in September. Boo... and yay...

As you can see I'm struggling to think of things to write. I've lost my muse. If you see him please call 1-800-JAE-MUSE. He answers to the name of Matt Damon. :D

I leave you with some sites of interest...

Real Super Powers - Is it a joke? Is it serious? No... it's insane!

The Olympic Medals Table - Sadly most of the comments I've seen on the internet about Team GB have been along the lines of "Shame it's not an English team". Well you know my thoughts on people like that (they should present themselves for a good shooting immediately), go Team GB!!! Britain rocks.

My Wishlist - See into the very depths of my soul. On a shopping site. Who'd have thought it?? :D

Friday, August 15, 2008

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 8

Sunday: after a breakfast at Spoons and a few drinks at the local we headed down to the Greenwich Picturehouse to see Mamma Mia. After the awful experience I had seeing We Will Rock You, I was not holding out much for this movie. BUT... I loved it. Sure it wasn't intellectually challenging but it was so much fun I couldn't help but love it.

Jim's Mum left on Monday and I went to another interview, this one went well and I'll be going back on Tuesday for a second one.

Otherwise... life is quiet... perving at new bar man at local, chatting with Mark and Jo. Nothing exciting.

EDIT: Jim pointed out that Mamma Mia was not intellectually challenging, whereas blogging obviously is for me. ;)

My Current Obsession, Volume One, Issue One

As you, Dear Constant Reader, well know, I suffer from a bad case of POCD (Passing Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).

So here is my occasional series letting you in on the whats, whys and whens of Jae's current obsession.

My latest current obsession is: Comics and, more specifically, DC Comics.

Many moons ago, roughly 1995, my experience of comics went no further than the weekly deliveries of the Beano and the Dandy that my Nan ritually sent to me. But then my eyes were opened by my classmates at the Harvey... they introduced me to the X Men. Before long I was forcing my Mum to drive me on the 30 minute trip to Canterbury to visit "Whatever Comics" every week so I could spend hours searching through the boxes of comics there like a junkie searching for his next hit.

Let me take a minute here to just say... I have the best Mum in the whole world.

Soon I'd found my own direction with regards to comics when compared to my friends... I was addicted to the 2099 Universe. God I loved it, and soon enough I had every X Men 2099 issue, including the Gold Cover issue 1 (thanks to Martine and Nick, whose coolness only faded a few Christmas' later when they bought me a VHS copy of Batman and Robin.. yuck). Soon enough I moved back into the mainstream Marvel Universe (mainly because they cancelled 2099... bastards) and also started an obsession with 2000 AD. But ever since 2099 was cancelled my comic book obsession has been in remission. Sure I still buy the Judge Dredd Complete Case Files and I keep an eye on what is going on in the X Men stories even if I don't buy them... but for all intents and purposes I had given up.

Now I also had a major "Marvel Boy" kick... I "hated" DC Comics. I'd read a couple of Green Lanterns and one Superman in the Nineties and that was enough, so I thought, for me to write off DC as a lost cause.

Well my comic book obsession was kicked into gear after my visit to a shop in Catford. And then I saw Dark Knight. And I thought "Hmm... maybe it's time I looked up this DC rubbish and gave it a second chance". And so, having heard a little about it, I bought Volume One of the 52 series. And went... "Ooo... interesting". It had a few recognisable characters, Green Lanterns and Green Arrow. But it also had so many characters I'd never heard of... and off I went through Volumes 2 -4. And I am now hooked on DC. Not to say Marvel has gone down in my opinion (I bought the Venom origin book, and X Men #500) but DC is new to me, fresh... I want more!!

Nightwing really appeals to me... a buff young guy in tight clothes being a hero. Can't think what I see in that book. ;) Anyhew that's where I'm at... joy...

If you wish to help feed this obsession there is always my wish list... ;)

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 7

So I had my first interview for a new job this week.

Thursday I headed up town to purchase a new shirt, and on the way attempted not to kill anyone. It was a difficult task with fellow British numpties mixing with slow tourists on Oxford Street but eventually I made it to the Edgware Road High and Mighty and quickly purchased what I wanted including a £49.99 tie. I've been informed by Jim this was actually not a tie but a “rip off”. Nice to know. ;)

On the way home I just happened to pass by a comic book shop, Orbital Comics, and popped down the stairs to take a look. It was awesome, just like the comic books I remember from when I last suffered a comic book addiction... as the smell of old comic books wasted up my nose I rummaged around the new comics section and purchased a few... Wonderful.

Friday, interview day. I headed down to Queens Town Road station and discovered that Vauxhall has competition for grimmest south west London location. Found the place I needed to go easily (what did we ever do before Google Maps??) but I don't feel my interview went well. But hey, I've been out of the game for three years and it's only the first interview I've been too. I now have a few more lined up for next week.

After that I headed home and took over from Jim on “cleaning the house in readiness for the annual visit by Jim's Mum” duty. He headed off to Gatwick airport to pick her up as I discovered that there is indeed a floor in the bathroom. Who knew...

Jim's Mum arrived and we went down the local and had a bite to eat and few drinks out in the garden. New barman (for me anyway) at the local who is.... gorgeous. Sure he's just a baby but given he's working behind the bar I'm assuming he's more than legal.

Saturday: Jim and I went down the local to help move a pizza oven from the patio to the first floor kitchen. Mark was there, plus Gus to lend a hand. Now, as always when it comes to any sort of manual labour, I felt fairly useless but did help a little bit. There was much pulling on ropes and picking up of heavy ovens... but it was all done in the end.


After this we headed down to Lewisham. Other than when we go to visit the topless car wash (unofficial) I'm never so keen on visiting Lewisham. Everyone walks so slowly there and because it was raining they all carried my arch nemesis... the Umbrella. Oh how I wish I had some sort of acid spray which when used would burn away the plastic and leave me able to safely walk down a street once more..

Anyway, after finally getting home I settled down here to update you, my Dear Constant Reader, with a much delayed update.

P.S. If Jim and his mother don't stop arguing about who is paying for things then I may have to commit suicide....

Monday, August 04, 2008

Jae: Volume 3, Issue 6

Wow. What a busy 4 days! Thursday was bowling night!!! A huge group of Eurofficer's headed out to Elephant and Castle for the traditional bowling evening... we took over three lanes and bowled our hearts out. Pictures will follow shortly. After bowling, via a brief stop to watching topless dancers, we headed to the noodle bar and stuffed our slovenly faces full of noodley goodness.

I may have been a little drunk and I apologise to all Eurofficers, thanks for coming it was a blast!

I did something out of character and got a the 188 bus home with Peter W, which dropped me off just by the Naval Academy. This allowed me to see Greenwich after midnight... a scary place indeed. Drunks, sexy Asian barmen waiting on street corners, the homeless people sleeping in shop doorways and the strangely polite pedestrian traffic.

Friday: early start. Jim and I headed up to Hemel Hempstead for day out with Becca, Ian and Hannah. We hit the town centre, the Marlowes as it's called, and had Chinese buffet. Yeah... this was my third Chinese in a row!! After that we did some shopping and I feed my comic addiction picked up some graphic novels.

We dropped Becca and Hannah off and picked up an Emily before heading off for Birmingham.

We got there late afternoon, threw our stuff in the hotel and headed out to the Toby Carvery for dinner. We then retired to our room and watched The Spiderwick Chronicles (borrrrring) before falling a sleep.

The next morning and it was another early start... we headed off to Heaven Cadbury's World. Mmm... it was all I ever dreamed off, except for the awfully rude staff there. Oh well... none were to ruin my worship of the God of Chocolate (Dairy Milk...).

After that we headed down to Solihull to the local shopping centre "Touchwood". So close to being Torchwood, I hereby rename it. We went to the Cineworld there and watched The Dark Knight... again. Still fantastic. Picked up a few more graphic novels... darn... we all know what Jae's current obsession is...

We had dinner at the Toby Carvery again.

Sunday: another early start. This time we checked out of our hotel and headed north to RAF Cosford to visit the RAF museum there. Jim practically married the Vulcan on display there while I cooed and awwed over the more quirky exhibits. Pictures to follow...

Headed home via KFC and Hemel. A long but fun weekend was had by all. Except my wallet. My wallet is not a happy chappy.