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Apologies for my absence folks. I could make up some sort of plausable excuse regarding work, but anyone who read my 'Life & How Not To Live It' post a while back wouldn't be fooled for a moment. I could also give the usual 'family commitments' BS. No, instead I shall tell you the truth of the matter. I have been consumed by the desire to download as many old Commodore 64 computer games as possible. While my Playstation siezes up with rust and dust through lack of use, I'm merrily bashing away at games that were made between 15 and 25 years ago for a now obselete system. Early mid-life crisis? Possibly, but fuck it! I'm having fun............ A few things I've observed;

1. The music!! It's amazing............It's something I never really thought about as a spotty young Herbert, but considering what they were operating with, the soundtracks for some games are astounding. All hail SID
2. The one hassle with downloading these old games is that they've had 'intro's' tacked onto the front of them by various gangs of 'code crackers'. Boring!
3. You have to re-think how you relate to the games. Some of them wouldn't look out of place today, but others have dated very badly and whilst still fun to play, you can't help but sneer at their quaintness. Racing games are worst for this. The cars sound like dying wasps and often the sense of movement is dreadful, like driving a tractor on the M8.
4. My suspicions have been confirmed. The Spectrum really was a hopeless pile of shite! Monochrome hell and laughable attribute clash. You'd have more fun with a pencil and a piece of paper.
5. I don't miss tape multi-loads. Can you imagine that nowadays? Load a game, then load the first level, play it, get killed, then have to rewind the tape, re-load the intro screen, then start the whole fandango again. All told, about half an hour of 'fun'. I used to do it, usually through gritted teeth, mainly because I'd just shelled out a tenner for the bloody game. I was gonna get my money's worth, even if it meant I had to play all night to get as far as level 2.

I have heard that Nintendo intend to allow emulation of old C64 games on the Wii. Mind you, they're charging about £4 quid per download, which is more than many old Commodore games ever sold for in the first place. Theres money to be made from old rope, don't you know..........

Songs of the summer No4: Say Yes - Elliot Smith

Bleh!

Well, that was a weekend to forget. I got smashed out of my tiny little mind on Friday night and have been feeling like an old man ever since.

Speedway season starts this coming weekend, though I'm not 100% sure what the weather will bring us. As an atheist, I don't really think theres any point in praying, but feel free to offer one up to the weather Gods if you want. Theres a 'Press & Practice' day on the 5th, so I've taken Wednesday off to go to that, then the rest of the week off to get myself back out in the fresh air after what seems like an eternity hiding from the horizontal rain and sleet.

What I have been doing, walled up as I am in my dark little garret, is downloading.................

..........old computer games from the internet. I discovered a couple of C64 and Spectrum emulators and it's been one long orgy of dewy eyed nostalgia ever since. Home video games sort of left me behind when they started getting all flashy and looking like the games you got in the arcades, not to mention costing an arm and a leg. Sit me down in front of Thrust, Galaga or Tetris and I'm a happy lad.

I always wondered what happened to my old, grimy, sticky-keyed Commodore 64. It seems someone put in on yon internets.........

The Days Run Away Like Wild Horses Over The Hills

It's not often I indulge in personal time travel. In these days of media supplied, 'on tap nostalgia', it's all too easy to lose yourself in someone elses past. This is mine, or at least a piece of it.

Like most kids, I used to get farmed out to various 'Aunties and Uncles' when my folks wanted some time to themselves. As I got older, I got more obnoxious and less easy to leave behind, but in the picture above I must have been about three years old and as I remember it, quite happy to stay with my Aunt Margaret in Kings Park. I seem to remember Margaret and Bob Sweeting in little bits and pieces, I remember Margaret as a very open and friendly woman, Bob as being avuncular and there every so often. I also remember them having a daughter who was a bit younger than me. My mother tells me I was left at Margarets hairdressing salon,though I have trouble remembering this, all I remember was the Kings Park residence. What isn't disputed was the fact that I was spoilt rancid and was the centre of attention for various young and middle aged women. Jesus! What did I have then that I don't have now? (apart from the looks, charm and what looks like a custard cream in my mit.) ;)

That's Morag with me. She looked after me sometimes when Aunt Margaret had to go to work. Going by my placid demeanour and what memories I have of the time, I got on just fine with her. I remember her taking me swimming for the first time, along with some of her pals. Again, the memories are sketchy, but all I remember was being surrounded by people trying to get me to go under water, very much against my wishes. I think I might have been a little older and less charming by that point. It explains their half hearted attempts to drown me.......

The pictures only re-appeared again a few days ago during the spring clean currently afflicting my house. Theres one of me being held up at the camera by Morag and yet another has me in a shopping trolley. I might post that up if anyone requires an overload of cuteness.....

Alas, Bob died some time ago, but Margaret, as far as I know is still about. I'd have to check on that one.....

As for Morag......She was probably about fifteen in that picture so I'm assuming she's out there in the world somewhere.............Ducking kids in swimming pools....... :D

Ok, Let's go YouTubin'....


Joan Jett's old band The Runaways. Love this song.