Ian Thomson (1947-2015)

At 9:30pm Tuesday 21st April 2015 a dear relative of mine finally passed away. For the past few years the grim reaper had been trying to bash down his front door, but shim finally succeeded smashing through it and began hier work claiming him on Saturday. His final moments were in the care of the nurses in the care home in Meigle (I'm sure its the only one in that village. And I'm sure his spirit will have lingered for a while at the Sculptured Stone Museum, home of one of the finest collections of Pictish carvings in Europe. He would have liked that.).

Ian Thomson (or "Papa Oyibo", as he was called by the Yoruba people in Nigeria) was a senior engineer who's intellect and charm led him to have many adventures in Africa, Asia and the Middle East while at work there. He was a well-travelled man, exploiting his knowledge, skills of storytelling and Scottish charm all over the place. They are many, which I have trouble remembering in exact detail as they were so many. He did write them down in black book, which I have seen him read from (and I hope, is saved from obliteration (more on that later)).

Of all the stories I have heard, one story that I just got reminded of by my mother recently (which, I think, is very relevant now) is how he became "The Man Who Sang." One day in an Islamic country (I don't know which one exactly, but for the sake of the search-bots invisibly crawling over this text let's keep it vague shall we.), Ian sang out loudly from the roof of his hotel the song "The Lord is My Shepard" (I think, I'm not 100% on this (keeping it vague).). Non-surprisingly, he was soon arrested for it. However, while most people would just accept the punishment, Ian argued that he technically didn't break the law on the grounds that the the scripture in question can be found in the Koran, therefore singing it was not an act of blasphemy. He was free in a hour. That night, at one in the morning, he received an alarmed knock at his door. It was from a Christian. He had heard of the story of "The Man Who Sang" and asked him to become their minister (as their previous ministers kept been getting arrested). He turned down the offer been a minister (he was not that religious), but he did meet with the other Christians and taught them (basically) how they can get away with expressing their faith without going to jail by exploiting the fact that the Koran contains many scriptures that originate from the Bible. (It's a history thing not many people realize. DISCLAIMER - I am not a religious scholar, just a casual amateur historian.)

And that's just the tip of a huge iceberg...

By 2000 he had enough life experience and intellect to have talking match against Brian Blessed. I can confirm this as it was by this time that I actually started to know him. By then, he began to write down many stories fictional and biographical.

He did manage to get one story published as a children's book in 2000, which I have a copy of...

Big Brother, Little Sister by Papa Oyibo (2000)

I checked and its on sale on Amazon.

This is one many many short stories he has told and written over the years. However, he hasn't been able to publish them in the traditional money-making sense because...

1. His ill-health in his later years prevent him from almost all physical work.
2. Because of this ill-health he was highly dependant of welfare.
3. If he did try to make any money from publishing his work, he'll lose such welfare.

That is a horrible situation for anyone creative. And that is just the tip of an iceberg of bureaucratic nightmares he had faced in the final decade in his life due to his health and the fact he married an American and nearly routinely crossed the Atlantic. Love knows no boundaries.

But now that he is no longer with us, I am personally worried about the amounts of written material he has left behind (on paper and on digital media). What is going to happen to them? Is some heartless philistinal house clearer going to destroy this material? I would be absolutely angry if someone did this to my collection of drawings and writings. And if this did happen when I died, I will (if it is possible in the afterlife) haunt this guy's house as a poltergeist and  destroy everything he had worked hard to earn or assemble, making him feel what this angry spirit is feeling. I imagine Ian would feel the same way. And I would imagine he would have read what I have just said (though the ether of our Wi-Fi signals and on an iPad (as Steve Jobs has improved the infrastructure) and is thinking of doing just that, now that he has no sick physical body and the law to hold him back (as far as I know the law doesn't apply to ghosts). So if you hear news of a house clearer in Scotland (or anyone working in the DWP) experiencing destructive paranormal activity recently, its a good chance its my Uncle Ian.

To any of his and my family reading this, I can safely assume that Ian would be in fits of laughter reading that last bit. He needed it, after all that bureaucratic headaches he suffered in life.

But I still worry about his creative work. However, I know that a small bit of it is safe, because I have a few bits of it on my hard drive. A few years ago he proposed an idea to make a children's eBook, featuring illustrations by me. I did a few sketches for it, and he gave me a lot of material to work form, including the original text. However, things got in the way (mostly due to his health) and little progress was done. But, I still got all the material, and it should be enough that (if I have the will and time) finish this book (plus a few sequels, if its a success).

My uncle Ian was an inspiration, and I am very saddened that he is gone.

This picture was taken in 2010.

Later images don't do him justice due to his ill health.

Is This Probably The Best Beer Ad in the World?

Mock-up of Carlsberg Free Beer Dispensing Billboard (2015)

On 8th April 2015, near to the Old Truman Bewery in Shoreditch, London, Carlsberg (the beer that claims to be "probably the best beer in the world") set up what is probably the best beer poster in the world - a poster that gives out FREE BEER!

Yes, Carlsberg made a billborad that gives out free beer. 

I know. It sounds like something from the 20th century (maybe 1970s America?), but this has happened. A brewer has done a publicity campaign giving out free beer. Carlsberg must have a lot of balls, doing this in a time when the very idea sounds like (to a notable percentage of the population) the anti-smoking ad giving away free cigarettes I made last year. But, so far, I have heard no news of  large drunken riots in London.

Carlsberg do plan to roll this out across the UK. Is this a good idea? I don't know, considering the British's reputation when it comes to drink. I bet the usual people (The Salvation Army, the AA (and the other AA as well), etc) will protest this in the usual reactionary way, but I don't think it'll do anything. In fact (judging from the history books), it will make more people drink from the billboard.

So, people who are appalled by the idea who want to protest - don't protest. It'll make things worse! One of the lessons from history people repeatably fail to learn is that as soon as someone makes a fuzz about something (a book, a film, an ad campaign, etc) others will wonder why that person is making a fuzz and be curious enough to do the very thing you didn't want them to do!

Think of when many Romans became Christians when it was a persecuted cult in Rome.

Think of the many people in 1979 who travelled vast distances to see Monty Python's Life of Brian, because their council or country had banned that film, because the powers at be thought it was blasphemous.

And think of the many things that happened in recent years that have resulted from injunctions or someone trying to act their "right to be forgotten"....

The "Right to be Forgotten" discussion on Last Week Tonight (May 2014)

My call to not protest can apply to all forms of cultural protest. That's movies, books, video games with questionable content, or crazes that don't do physical harm (crazes that do should be protested against).

I know, my definition can sound ambiguous, like a tax law with an unintended loophole, but.... 

I think its better if I explain in another blog. 

But for now, I say it applies to questionable ad campaigns, like this one.

And maybe, it will become (probably) the best ad campaign ever - for not causing a drunken brawl.

Would that be great?

Fictional Book #4 The Ash Connection by I am Lu

A while ago, back in the transition from January to February, a fit of desire for distraction made me do something for the first time - explore the rolls of Pokémon fan-fiction on fanfiction.net.

On this internet adventure I discovered this story - The Ash Connection by I am Lu.

It's a well-researched conspiracy thriller involving Team Rocket's recapture of Mewtwo and Giovanni's plot for world domination, through the control of the Earth's climate controls. It only makes a lot of sense if you have (like me) been an avid viewer of the Pokémon TV series (which is still going on today). The writer knows this, and wrote this dedication...

Dedicated to the fans
Who have stuck with the series
From 1997 to 2013
This is for those
Who still believe in Ash

It's a cracking read. 33 chapters and 340,693 words. A story worth reading for any Pokémon fan. The writer has even written a sequel (which is still in writing by the time of this writing) - The Ash Connection II; The Rising. It's involves a bio-terror plot in Unova by Team Plasma (only those who were watching since 2010 will know what those nouns are).

What I really like about this story is its plausibility. The writer has done the research. I can emphasize with that. Really, I can. Don't believe me? If you have read the Act of Cultural Vandalism I made in April 2013 entitled An observation about a boy who like cake! I mentioned that for "research purposes" I read all 14 volumes of the Manga and watched all 150-odd episodes of the first era of the franchise Beyblade. The reason I wrote then was to find out whether the character Max Tate was ever depicted consuming anything sweet (despite his many depictions of been a sugar junkie in the fan fiction). The REAL reason I did this research was for something more ambitious.

Yes, among my many ideas in my projects folder is a piece of fiction involving Beyblade. That is how I can emphasize with I am Lu and that is how I knew with confidence that Max Tate hasn't really got an exaggerated sweet tooth. 

Back to the reason for this post. I have liked this story so much that I decided that it'll be the subject of my next fictional book cover....

I admit I could have done the "photographs" better. I wanted to have this done before April, so I was a bit rushed.

If I am Lu is seeing this, if you like to use this image, go ahead and use it.

Mini Act of Cultural Vandalism - The Rise of James Corden and why bullies will loss in the end

A few days ago I was very surprised to discover that Craig Ferguson had ceased been the host of his American talk show at the end of 2014 and this week had his role been filled in by someone I never thought the Americans actually heard of. For those who have not heard of this, I guess you.... wait! Just read the title of this post. The person who has replaced Craig Ferguson as host of the The Late Late Show on CBS is .......

James Corden

Yes, Smithy from Gavin & Stacey is now the host of a late-night talk-show on CBS. Not bad for someone who was once a very public victim of bullying...

Tango ad 2000 starring James Cordon

Later banned because it encouraged bullying

(Which isn't a surprise for Tango)

Looking at his career (in the form of his Wikipedia page) its incredible how high he has reached in a decade since that public humiliation during the ad breaks for TFI Friday (or any other TV show on commercial TV when this ad was on air). In the ironically-titled Fat Friends James played another victim of bullying who was almost pushed to suicide. After moving school in 2004, he became a star pupil in Alan Bennett's The History Boys. After graduating he did a few bit parts in a few movies, until meeting up again with former Fat Friend Ruth Jones. In 2007 this meeting resulted in the hit sitcom Gavin & Stacey - the show that truly made James a star. After that James has enjoyed amazing success.... well except for his brief folly with Gavin (Mathew Horne) that led to a TV sketch show and a movie (which I have both seen in their entirety and liked, despite what the critics (plus the majority of people) say about them). Even stuff that is dismissed by most have merit. 

But even with his huge success in the UK, I was very genuinely surprised when I found out that James had become a talk-show host in America. I never knew that he won a Tony Award for the Broadway production of the successful One Man, Two Guvnors. I knew he was in a Disney movie recently, but still - Smithy on CBS chatting with Tom Hanks and Mila Kunis? Wow!

I only learnt of this fact thanks to someone posting this clip to my Facebook page.

Tom Hanks and James Corden do every Tome Hanks movie in 7 minutes 

From The Late Late Show With James Corden (2015)

I am more glad that I have started using Facebook now since I started back in October. 

But there is something significant that can be learned from James Corden's story, and its something I have noticed for years. A noticeable number of celebrities have said in interviews that in the past they have been victims of bullying (I can't say that this is really true for James Corden, as I was just playing around with his early performance in a TV ad). And form this fact I can safely conclude that if a child is a victim of bullying that child's chances of future success increases. And this idea has backing. Derren Brown (a former victim himself) talks about this in his live shows. 

Its down to the fact that the bully is usually a kid who has the most natural strength (physically and in attracting "friends") and could go through school without much friction. Such kids never really "try hard" at school. As a result, most bullies have "dull" adulthoods. 

Meanwhile, the victims, because they experience friction at school (due to bullying or factors that usually lead to a child been bullied, or both) do try harder ... and reap the rewards in adulthood (unless the bullying leads to something that'll cut down that person's life before that happens). 

Reading this, I can imagine that some kids will try to get themselves bullied on purpose to try to guarantee future success. 

For those kids (or parents pushing their kids to do so), it won't work. 

Engineered bullying is not the same as natural bullying. 

Don't believe me? Just watch this episode of American Dad!

A Change in Profile Picture

Since I started to upload material online back in 2012 I have used this drawing as my profile picture.

I had made a mock test card graphic, based on the iconic Test Card F used by the BBC. 

You will have seen it on this blog when that Scottish Parliament strip was under construction. I have also used it as the banner on my Facebook page and YouTube Channel 

(I do apologise for not uploading anything to it since 2013. I have been busy with other things, but I do plan to put up some animations on it, so don't despair).

Went it came to making a profile picture, I had this ready-made image, so I used it.

But a few days ago, I visited GOMA with a group. They were holding an exhibition about Alasdair Gray and the main gallery was a large scale public appreciation event where visitors could draw or make things. It had a wall where visitors could hang up self-portraits. I made one. And this is it...

For now on, this will be my profile image.

A strip about the Scottish Parliament Building for NAS Times newsletter (Feburary 2015)

The branch of NAS I've been volunteering in has a workshop that does political stuff (such as how to write to MPs, organize protest groups and so on (I may have made that stuff up)). I'm not part of it, but the group had arranged a tour of the Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh in December and I joined them (just to see the building). As a result of my visit, I made this....

I plan to do a second strip about inside this building, but you have to wait for that one, 

as I want to do other things now.

If you are wondering how I was able to draw the main illustration, its a mix of photographs from books and the internet (I didn't take any when I was there (security restrictions and I didn't want to risk it)) and aerial and 3D model screen grabs from Google Earth.

A sketch I did for the newsletter to illustrate an article about the visit (no photos (remember))

A small survey I made about Nintendo

A few days ago, a high school friend said this on Facebook. It was a response to the news that Netflix plans to make a live action series based on The Legend of Zelda game series....

"Here's the thing, I've always seen Nintendo as a "character company" than a games company. So having their characters venture out into other mediums wouldn't be such a terrible idea."

I responded with this...

"You are on to something there. When anyone think's of any movies or TV shows that feature video game characters, I can imagine that most people would think of an Nintendo character first."

Now, usually the average person would stop there and continue their twittering way. But, I had an attack of curiosity.  Was I right? Do most people think of a Nintendo game first when asked "name a video game that has been adapted to film or TV?"

I had to find an answer. I could have done a Google search for a survey about this, but I doubted it existed or if it did, it'll take forever to find. So, instead I decided to do my own small survey.

I E-mailed nearly everyone in my e-mail contacts the question and waited for responses. By the time of writing only nine responded. Of those nine, one-third of them said when asked name a video game that has been adapted to film or TV, the first one they thought of was .........

Tomb Raider

I was wrong. When asked to think of a video game that has been adapted into film or TV, the first thing most people think of is an well-portioned, aristocratic "archaeologist" who was played by Angelina Jolie. A PlayStation game! I imagine this result would anger the people in Nintendo. I can easily imagine Mario crashing his kart into a verge upon hearing this news. I imagine Donkey Kong dropping a barrel on his foot upon hearing this news.  And I don't need to imagine that Pikachu will be pissed by the result (that same friend once said to me that while on a trip in America he was able to have a go of the early voice recognition game Hey You, Pikachu! and when he said "PlayStation" to the cute, yellow critter Pikachu turned Hulk on taser mode).

But, I'm not truly 100% convinced by the result. The sample size was small (nine people). Maybe if I asked more people, maybe the result would be more in my favor. But I am willing to admit I am wrong in this initial result. 

This survey was a spur of the moment thing. And it shows an important factor about how I think. I don't take words at face value. I check up on facts (including my own, such as this one). I inspect the references in Wikipedia and I look up info in fan-generated wikis when it came to stuff that has fandoms (such as bulbapedia) as I find them more informative than regular Wikipedia (fans tend to know more about the subject than even the subject's creators do, an interesting fact worth knowing if you want to research things, like cartoon world and real world comparisons). 

I got stuff to do now, so please GO AWAY.....