Rob's Random 5

This is the start of a new weekly blog section in which I highlight the five things I’ve been thinking about most recently. It’s a nice chance to clear my head and it sort of ties into the whole cartoon theme of the blog because sometimes some of this stuff ends up influencing me in my cartoon creations. (Plus it means I can have a rant about something if need be).


1. Exploding Lamps: My lamp exploded the other night. I turned it on, there was a loud bang, a ton of big sparks, and the bulb rocketed about two feet in the air (no exaggeration). Also the metal screw-cap part of the bulb is fused to the inside of the lamp. I don’t know what caused this all to happen but it gave me the shock of my life and means I now have to get a new lamp. It also makes me wonder if I should alert Q-branch. I could just imagine James Bond using a killer lamp. Of course, such a thing would be useless if his enemies were wearing bulb-proof jackets...

2. Stars: All the lovely spring weather has made for clear but not too cool nights, meaning plenty of opportunity for stargazing at Smedley Towers. Because there aren’t many streetlights out in the countryside you don’t get that awful orange-brown haze in the sky, so your view is excellent. I love, love, love to look at stars and this past week I’ve spent hours doing nothing but staring into the night sky rather than go to sleep. It’s seriously, soul-bendingly beautiful and a great way to relax and forget about everything else. Not enough people look up at the stars.

3. Oatibix with Chocolate and Raisins: I eat cereal straight out of the box, so for me its merits rely on several factors: whether you can pick it up without half of it careering out of your hand and onto the floor, whether it tastes good without milk, and whether or not it’s any good for me. Chocolate and Raisin Oatibix ticks all those boxes. Honestly it’s freaking delicious! And wholegrain! And did I mention how delicious it was? I cannot get enough of the stuff right now. I particularly like to eat it while reading No.4 on the list...

4. Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes never says, in any of the 60-something stories he appears in, “Elementary my dear Watson”. That’s one of the many facts I’ve learned while reading his adventures. Really, I am currently addicted to the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Ordinarily I don’t like crime fiction, and I still wouldn’t read any other crime novels, but Sherlock Holmes is the original and best. Surprisingly, a large proportion of Holmes stories feature fairly small and unusual – but always intriguing - crimes, such as ‘The Redheaded League’, ‘The Man with the Twisted Lip’ and ‘The Blue Carbuncle’, and it’s only occasionally you’ll get a murder, which is refreshing for a detective story. They are all extremely readable and entertaining and I’d recommend them to anyone who hasn’t yet picked one up (although, if you have an aversion to the word ‘singular’ you should probably stay away as it crops up at least once in every story). The fact that ITV 3 are currently showing the Sherlock Holmes television series starring the fantastic Jeremy Brett is an added bonus. That man was born to play the great detective, and the stories are really well served in translation to the screen.

5. Doctor Who – Planet of the Dead: I’m a big Doctor Who fan. I started watching it when I was little and it was only Sunday morning repeats of John Pertwee fighting rubber dinosaurs and Roger Delgado (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoT65yRCiaw). But whatever era it’s from I love the show, and it’s always good news when a new episode comes along. The trailer for the Doctor Who Easter Special, ‘Planet of the Dead’ (fantastic title) was released yesterday and wow it looks amazing. A London double-decker bus stranded in an alien desert, a giant fly in a boiler-suit, flying manta-ray/piranha-esque creatures, weird sand, David Tennant (my 2nd favouritest Doctor) on fine form...it looks like it’s going to be another great adventure in the lead up to the 10th Doctor’s regeneration later this year. And the Doctor’s little ‘That planet is nothing’ speech sent a chill down my spine. Cannot wait, especially as Lee Evans is also part of the cast. I must admit, after seeing the trailer I’m now looking forward to this slightly more than the also brilliant Skellig as part of my Easter Holiday viewing. Sorry Mister Almond!
Here's the trailer for it: