Working April 2012

April saw the end of one type of work, and the beginning of another. A deadline charge for uni made up most of the month, while charity work at Barnardo’s filled up the cracks. I also got to see my first published short story in the university magazine, truly the month of significant moments. And now lies that large gap called the rest of my life. Let me take a break, I don’t want to step in there just yet. Woooaaah!

Hey! Who pushed me? What do you mean life takes no breaks for you? Its dark in here and I don’t know where to go. What the hell, I’ll just keep on fumbling. Mmm, so soft. Oh sorry, didn’t realise. I’ll stop now.

The end of April was much like this and continues to be so. Not had education hanging over my shoulders since I was about three. Hard to get accustomed once more. Since it all ended I’ve been seeing giants walking the streets and reading my own writing in a published mag, I think I’m high even though I feel so low.

One Piece Volume 58: The Name Of This Era Is “Whitebeard”

One Piece Volume 58: The Name Of This Era Is “Whitebeard”
Story and Art: Eiichiro Oda
Release Date: 4th June 2010
Covers Chapters 563-573
Shonen Jump/Viz Media

Deep into the war and Whtiebeard finally makes his move. The strongest pirate with the power to cause quakes, he means business after the marines trick a loyal follower into betraying him. Ace’s execution draws near and both sides are throwing their best techniques and plans out in hopes of winning the war. Luffy is like an ant among all these power houses, but one everyone is putting their bets on. 

One Piece Volume 57: Paramount War

One Piece Volume 57: Paramount War
Story and Art: Eiichiro Oda
Release Date: 4th March 2010
Covers Chapters 552-562
Shonen Jump/Viz Media

From one hell into another, Luffy jumps from the prison cells of Impel Down into the great war! The strongest pirate of the seas, Whitebeard, has come to claim Ace back before the marines execute him! Will justice prevail? As Donflamingo says, whoever wins becomes justice…

One Piece Volume 56: Thank You

One Piece Volume 56: Thank You
Story and Art: Eiichiro Oda
Release Date: 4th December 2009
Covers Chapters 542-551
Shonen Jump/Viz Media

Get to the top and escape! Luffy and his new prison friends are charging up the underwater prison fortress Impel Down to break out and free his brother Ace! As they move up each floor, the threats grow stronger and new problems keep popping up to make this the most insane breakout in history. Time slowly ticks away as Ace approaches the execution stand…

Photo 54: Story On Paper

My first published piece tucked within the pages of In The Red 10 magazine. Maybe my last, but I’ll try my best not for that outcome to be for certain. Nice little magazine full of short stories, poems and interviews. I particularly like the Henry Rollins interview. He’s the man.

I’m not sure how the magazine is being distributed, but I imagine it will be somewhere in Liverpool. Somewhere. I think we’ll get some confirmation in the comments section… maybe.

20th Century Ghosts

20th Century Ghosts
Author: Joe Hill
Release Date: 2005
Gollancz

I don’t typically venture in the horror genre in Waterstones, it just isn’t something I do. But after a recommendation I ended up searching the shelves for this short story collection by Joe Hill, 20th Century Ghosts. Horror in name, horror in the authors roots, but not completely a horror short story collection. This delves through creeps and love, the horrors hiding far away. 

South Park 3 The Complete Third Season

South Park 3 The Complete Third Season
Release Date: 1999-2000
Directors: Trey Parker and Matt Stone
Rating: 15
Comedy Central, Paramount

Season 3 was made the same time as the amazing musical film South Park The Movie, Bigger, Longer and Uncut and you can tell. South Park Season 3 is stuffed full of little songs to bring the stories forwards and it is the start of South Park transforming into what it is today. From the homely South Park all the way to space, Stan, Kyle, Eric and Kenny are on their wildest adventures yet. Shame Kenny never makes it to the end of any of them. 

Mass Effect 2 (With DLC)

Mass Effect 2
Format: Xbox 360
Players: 1
Genre: RPG
Release Date: 29th January 2010
EA, Bioware 

It seems everyone has been busy with Mass Effect 3, closing up the epic space trilogy and getting all mad at the ending. I’m always a little out of date with the world though, so I’ve been playing through the second in the series. I like to take my own pace through space. 

Photo 53: Giants

Two giant puppets have been wandering Liverpool for the past few days. A diver and little (but still big) girl and her dog caused havoc for traffic as they tried to reunite with one and other. It was a success story and seeing a giant diving suit stomp around the streets was pretty awe-inspiring. They should come back and do it with godzilla and mothra. Or Mecha-Streisand and Robert Smith.

Arrietty

Arrietty
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi 
Release Date: 27th July 2010
Rating: U
Studio Ghibli 

You are never more than eighteen feet away from a little person. At night they wander around your bedroom taking away your prized collection of Pogs and plectrums, and you never notice. So, they coin their thievery as borrowing that which is not missed. It would be a bigger problem if they started ‘borrowing’ chocolate bars and South Park DVDs. Arrietty is a Japanese take on the Borrowers and it shows that some humans do not take kindly to missing sugar cubes.