Marianna Reviews Her New Wario Plush

I like to spoil my child and lately she seems to have been getting into the Super Mario world (mainly owing to my purchasing a Nintendo Wii and 3ds, and soon I’ll be getting a Nintendo Switch) this was bolstered by Youtube hosting a compliment of uploads of the Super Mario Bros Supershow (featuring the Legend of Zelda) and  Sonic X.

This week as Marianna was a brave girl following an injury needing stitches, I got her a Wario for bearing it so well. Here is what she thought of her new Wario plush

What I like about him is his dungarees hes got purple straps behind him and I like them. And I like his shoes cuz they got green and brown on it. He’s nice and cwtchy, I like his hat, Its got a big W on it, he Cwtches me. He plays well with the other Mario teddys and he even kisses princess peach, Mario doesn’t mind, my mummy will be surprised to see that now I got Wario too. (NB Marianna currently has 13 video game related plushies from The Mario, Zelda and Sonic Games) But I want lots more plushes. 

I only hope my wallet can afford it.

 

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Careers That I Might Just Pack It All In And Pursue

I have to be honest over the last few weeks I’ve been feeling a little bit flat and the thought of running off to some tropical island paradise and opening a rum shack on some beach sounds awesome. So here is a look at some back up options for my life at the moment.

Bartender In The Caribbean 

This would be the ideal goal, just pack up and head to somewhere coastal on the equator, and build a little wooden shack on the beach with cold beer, endless rum and a fantastic wine list, and best of all whatever I want to put on the Jukebox.

Gigolo 

I’d probably have better luck being paid not to turn up on dates with women, but as long as my wife got her cut I’m sure she wouldn’t mind excessively.

Curator at an Art Gallery 

I don’t really know a lot about art other than what I like to look at, but I can adopt the sort of snooty demeanour that goes with the territory, I don’t see why I couldn’t pressure people to buy third rate reproductionist crap just by giving them a withering glance.

Party Planner  

In spite of the stress that goes with them, I actually enjoy throwing parties, attending them less so, but the actual planning and throwing of them is something that I enjoy in a somewhat masochistic sort of way.

Wine Snob 

I could probably work in a wine and speciality spirits shop. I know a lot about booze, and and can really put on a sort of snooty I’m better than you will ever be kind of attitude.

Fashion Designer

I cant draw, and I really can’t sew (it took me about 2 hours to sew six buttons on various waistcoats and jackets the other day), but I wouldn’t let that stop me from designing men’s clothes and accessories, (see the cufflinks I designed here, and the council tie I designed here).

Drunken Writer

If you’ve read this blog more than once you would probably think that this is the best career choice I could possibly have to fall back on. Most of my best stories and blog posts come from drinking. Whether that’s from a great story to tell, a startling hungover realisation, or some witty bon mot filled piece about some spectacularly sumptuous tipple that I’ve dared to drain in the past day or so.  I’d probably strive more towards Hemingway than Bukowski but I’d need to get a few more things published, if only as I would need an income to fund the drinking.

I’ll probably never give up on local government and politics but its nice to know that there are a few professions that I could fall back on if I’m hit with an early scandal.

New Toys: Marianna Reviews Her New Bowser Plush

Since I got a nintendo Wii (mainly to play Gamecube games, since to buy a second hand wii was £9, but a second hand Gamecube is over £50) Marianna has been obsessed by The Legend of Zelda, Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario games. This has since been fuelled by introducing her to the Legend of Zelda, Sonic X and Super Mario Brothers cartoons, courtesy of Youtube.

So with that in mind I’ve slowly been getting her some plush toys from all of the above. (See her Zelda review here) So without further adieu, here is what Marianna thinks of her latest acquisition.

I don’t like his sharp teeth, I don’t like his sharp fingernails, they scram people, he eats people with his sharp teeth, When we play he captures the princesses, hes very soft and very cwthcy, his back is good, because his back spikes aren’t sharp. He’s a good toy, his white bit is good (on his shell) he’s fun to play with, I make his jump soooooo high, thats all. 

Marianna seems to like him as a toy, but can’t get over the fact that he’s meant to be a bad guy, that really doesn’t endear him to her. However as Bad Guys go in her little games, Bowser is definitely someone that she loves to hate.

Book Review: The Black Magician Trilogy

This is one of those series that I’ve wanted to read for the last decade and a half and when I finally picked it up after my massive fantasy buying spree early this year, I was a little wary, thinking that this wouldn’t live up to my expectations. To be fair I was doing that cardinal of literary sins and judging the books by their covers. I was so glad that I picked them up.

They follow the Sonea a slum dweller who discovers that she possesses magical talents. And the trilogy really highlights class systems and how private educational establishments are really just full of snotty little rich brats with massive senses of entitlement. The Story first deals with how Sonea tries to avoid being taken into the Magicians Guild, owing to the slum dwellers regularly being purged by the cities magicians, and then after joining the guild in the struggles of the poor kid being bullied at school. The story then progresses onto the uses of black magic and the avoidance of a war.

Whilst you could draw parallels with the Harry Potter series and even such things as the Worst Witch, the book puts it own unique spin on the “magic school” genre with lots of little side plots and other interesting tit-bits throughout.

Trudi Canavan’s work is both engrossing and easy to follow, I find the main criticism that I have of Ms Canavan’s work is that when you pick up the book the next time you look up it’ll be five or six hours later and you wont have noticed the time go by. I’m thoroughly looking forward to picking up the sequel trilogy over the next few weeks. Its nice to be getting through all the fiction that I wanted to read this year.

What Fiction I’m Reading in 2019

I actually have a plan, in which I’m going to read a different fictional book every other week. So here are the finalists for what I’m going to read this year.

Fire and Blood: A History of Targaryen Kings- George R R Martin

Neverwhere- Neil Gaiman

The Adventures of Tom Bombidil- J.R.R Tolkien 

The Day of the Triffids- John Wyndham 

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents- Terry Pratchett 

Dirk Gently’s Hollistic Detective Agency- Douglas Adams

Unfinished Tales- J.R.R Tolkien

Starship Troopers- Robert A. Heinlein

The Magician’s Apprentice- Trudi Canavan

The Silmarillion- J.R.R Tolkien

The Tales of Beedle the Bard- JK Rowling 

Anansi Boys- Neil Gaiman 

Mistborn Trilogy- Brandon Sanderson 

The Black Magician Trilogy- Trudi Canavan

Dodger- Terry Pratchett

The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul- Douglas Adams

Beren and Luthien- J.R.R Tolkien 

The Chronicles of Narnia- C.S Lewis

American Gods- Neil Gaiman 

The Traitor Spy Trilogy- Trudi Canavan 

Orcs: Tales of Maras Dantia- Stan Nicholls 

Sideways 3: Chile- Rex Pickett 

The Fall of Gondolin- J.R.R Tolkien 

Doctor Who The Krikkitmen- Douglas Adams 

The Riftwar Saga- Raymond E Fiest

How The Marquis Got His Coat Back

I wonder how many of them I’ll actually manage to make it through by the end of the year?

My New Years Resolutions

This year I decided to make a resolution to do more cultural things which could include any of the following

• Visit A Museum
• Visit an Art Gallery
• See A Play
• Go to a concert
• Go to the opera
• take in a ballet

I actually enjoy all of these things and over the last year or two (or maybe since I became a parent) I’ve felt rather culturally starved. So to that end I’ve already got tickets to a play and a musical. I’m aiming to do at least one “cultural” thing a month, but will hopefully do more as the year goes on.

I’ve also made the usual eat more, drink more, smoke more and exercise less resolution that I often make, just because if I happen to break this resolution I can live with it.

My 2019 Horoscope

Apparently this is my horoscope for 2019.

“This is your year to own it, Cancer. If you feel like you haven’t been in control of your own destiny, it’s time to take back your power and show the world what you’re capable of!

You may have retreated into your comfortable shell at the end of 2018, thanks to some bad experiences, unexpected news, or various other disappointments, so you aren’t really interested in exposing your raw emotions to the world right now. Maybe you already put yourself out there on social media and got burned, or perhaps you’ve always been afraid to show how you really feel. You do feel things deeply, but right now you’d much rather keep your thoughts to yourself than put them out there for everyone to see (and critique).

The full moon in January aims to shine a light on your soft spots, though, and the fact that it’s a supermoon means there will be few places to hide. What kind of hand are you capable of playing when your cards are unexpectedly exposed? You’re about to find out.

You feel much less exposed and more confident when the sun spends time in your sign between the end of June and the end of July, especially since you enjoy the summer months and all they entail. You love getting together with friends and family for some sun and fun, and this could be the summer you have some very interesting romantic developments to look forward to.

Moody Pluto (in strict Capricorn) heads direct in autumn, hopefully putting to rest some of the suspicions you’ve had for the past several months. The year 2019 is all about taking control of your life, Cancer, and this is a great time to start.”

I’m not sure I believe any of it, but its so vague it probably it could be interpreted to be anything.