(no subject)

I bought a 5 movie collection for $5, so you can what the films are like. The titles include: 30,000 Leagues under the Sea (no, that's not a typo); Army of the Dead; Transmorphers; Tyrannosauros Wrecks; and I am Omega. I decided to watch 30,000 Leagues under the Sea first.

OK, it stars Lorenzo Lamas (as the hero of course) and Sean Lawlor as the Bond like super-villain. It was laughably awful all way through, including a scene where Lamas makes an impassioned speech, and you can see the cameraman ireflected in the porthole behind him!

I can't help feeling that "free adaptations" of classics tend to suffer from an escalation of plot and effects. For instance, after one film of Around the Earth in 80 Days featured a hot air balloon (not in the original story) they all had to have one! Likewise if you watch this film, you'll see all the familiar tropes of this story, including ones that only exist in the films.

Can't wait to watch the other four films - if they're as bad as this they should be a lot of fun.

Fixed the back gate

The screws in the bottom hinge of the back gate had rooted out, so I had to fix the back gate.



I asked what to do at Bunnings and they suggested measuring the post and using bolts instead of new scews. I did that but it's 4" deep and believe it or not they only had 1/4" bolts up to 4", so there wouldn't be any way to put the nut on the end!  Instead I used hex screws and an electric drill (attached to 70 meters of extension cord) to secure it. Finishing touches with a screwdriver. that should last a while.

Later I fixed a side awning that had rotted away.


It covers the air grill and window from the toilet. I hadn't noticed the difference until the torrential rains this summer, when rain was coming in through that small gap! The new awning was one of three doors from a vanity unit that was being thrown out up the road. I decided to recycle it, and the four handles that that came with the three doors were re-used on a cabinet that went into the garden shed.

There's a good chance that this will rot as well, but I have two spares in the workshed!

NO-GO on overseas Con

A couple of months ago I got invited to go to a n SF Con in New Zealand by a good friend of mine. It was hard to say no, but I had to. Just not ready to go to another Science Fiction convention. When will I be ready? Dunno. When I think of cons I feel a wave of anxiety and tension rise in me. I still want to visit my friend, but not for the con.

I was going to phone her, but couldn't get through, so I e-mailed earlier today my intentions. Got a reply back. She understand, and I have an open invitation for later visit. :D