Boot-sale update

 For some reason this week we found 2 R4 flashcards thrown out at the boot sale this time. At the same time my New 3DS has given up the ghost as the CFW I added has seemingly failed. 

Will try and see if it can be resurrected but knowing my skills and that everything I touch seems to fall to pieces, I don't hold out much hope. 

Anyway I have enough bits to pair up 2 R4 cards and 2 SD card to USB stick readers, and more importantly my DSi is still operational (seriously its still got juice and I haven't powered it on in months) means I can add firmware and test these two guys out.   

EDIT. New 3DS is back up and running with updated CFW and a new SD card in it. I guess the old one gave up the ghost which is what caused the failure. Only one R4 works but what is there does a job. 

New video

 Not much to add this week, that we have a new VCR. It's a Hitachi with all the bells and whistles from the latter end of the 1990's. Think videoplus and NTSC playback, which is nice.

In related news some boring tape of mid 80's home movies has turned out to be quite the gold mine as when the shots of Devon cut we have a bit of Price is Right and the show Hokey Cokey which is clearly the inspiration for Don't You Start.

 

Edit further into that tape we have a nice episode of BBC Watch, an old schools program with puppetry from the Trumpton people.

Marty Baines is my spirit animal.

 Or why Unforgotten gets autism sort of right. Spoilers ahead for the current season of Unforgotten, if you're watching along, be warned. 

So Unforgotten finished last Monday. A deeply unsatisfying end where the lecturer's daughter killed off her dad because he was a *wifebeater, the gaylord illegal stayed and the Irish bird resigned. Incidentally there is no way in the world the ungrateful SJW kids in her class would have accepted her apology IRL, I know how the left operate, and she would be persona non grata online and a pariah off, look at Graham Lineham and his stance on trans issues for massive bridge burning, psychopathic left wing rage. 

No what I'm really going to say here is that Marty Baines played by Maximilian Fairley is my quintessential good portrayal of Autism, I believe he, like me is a fellow Autist, Checks, yes he is and it's  a hell of a good debut, too. If he doesn't win awards for this I'll be sad.

We see him part of a right leaning Incel forum and  try to deal with social services ,who either don't care of massively overstretched. He gradually loses the plot, not helped by fact he has to care for his mum (Betty from Some Mothers do have 'em). Most shows seem to see us as savants or non verbal, so to see us as we truly are, broken, barely functional but still human. It's a rarity. I know how much I hate chipper sods like the guy from Big Bang theory. Or quirky, childlike personalities as in some movies. Here is someone who speaks for me.

He has unconventional ways, likes to break and enter, is scruffy and is very much isolated. He also has a love of planes and right wing politics. Including believing in absolute bollocks such as the WEF, and other conspiraloon theories. But I've never seen someone approach autism like this. The total no future, no guts no girl, no glory that this disability is. Also the awkwardness of it all, the amount of times I've screwed up in life is unreal, thanks to not being able to read a person. In the end to retreat and family are often your only friends. 

In the end, with his mum in hospital (wouldn't this be Bucklands as its set in Deal / Dover I had an aunty live and work for Bucklands.) and there is the brief carrot of some help on the horizon, social workers and perhaps a way off the pills he's prescribed. 

* I've never actually seen a show where its the woman who's the violent one for once or a mix of the two like my old neighbours were. Especially if alcohol is a major player in the relationship.  Kicking and yelling and beating lumps out of each other. I tell a lie Father Ted for the last one and they put on a front where Ted shows up and resume when he's out of shot. 

A Den of Demons

 So we're up to book 79 and The Demon's Den is quite a nice little read for you. And yes its going to get a little strange, as it covers an Apocalypse cult (red herring this) Paul Bunyan and Genetic Engineering. 

Or as someone who's clearly not read past the first few chapters in this says, 

"Pretty weird. Over the top. You know who doesn't need to be in a Hardy Boys book? Satan."

The doomsday cult in this gets the blame for the kidnapping of an athlete's son, the boys travel to Canada on the advice of their dad to see if someone was carrying a genetically modified virus from a secret group and find that its actually a programme to breed a race of super-athletes instead. 

This came out in 1984 and 40 years on with all the advances in genetics made,  (cough CRISPR and Genetic Engineering) we're still no nearer of doing what the guys are supposed to do in this. It's not completely whacked out (the Original Disappearing Floor is still the one to beat for this) but it's still not the best for science. Oh and there is no Satan in this, its actually Paul Bunyan's camp in Canada, named by the cult, instead. 

Anyway its a late era book, so no changes in between versions.  Choose either UK or US original.

A boring update.

This seems to have fixed all the posts that have been wrecked by it switching to HTML View. I know it isn't much, but I pride myself on having posts that at least have proper paragraphs and basic grammar.

In an unrelated note, I've been fact checked on X, a post on what is clearly Plumstead high street got a sure (OP had it as Lewisham). Now you're probably not local but it's just plain misinformation, to say a vid is from one area when to a local whose lived here all their life, it plainly isn't is taking the piss.  

Bus route.

We never got a direct bus route from Thamesmead to Eltham & I don't know why its ever been attempted, either? So of course in spare moments, I've been thinking how the route would actually work out as well. 

Those with long memories and lived in the area will remember the old 272 route which went to Thamesmead and was superseded by the 472 route. I think it would go something like this. 

You would have to start off at Morrisons / the Local pool in Thamesmead and would either have to follow its own route and maybe go along Alsike Road to reach Abbey wood or just take most of the 177 route through Abbey Wood. I'm pretty sure this would need a stop at Abbey Wood Station and from then on you would either cut along McCleod Road or my guess go up Knee Hill and cut down Bostall Hill. 

I don't want it to serve Plumstead High Street, so we'll have it cut up Wickham Lane and pretty much follow the 96 route up to Welling where we'll chuck a right, along Bellegrove Road.  We can then turn at Welling Station and follow the 51 Route* along the back roads before coming out at the Common. From then on its right all the way down Burrage Road to Woolwich and then round the corner to Tescos.

Our final leg is up the hill to the QE Hospital before cutting back to Well Hall and splitting left down and ending up at Eltham Bus Station. 

 Edit. * Been thinking a bit more about this you could have it double back along Wickham St. and either head towards Falconwood or Blackfen and come in to Eltham that way cutting out Woolwich altogether, true you'd miss out on the QE but you'll gain a few more stops and towns along the way.  

Snake Year

Went up  town yesterday for Chinese New Year. Always go every year. No fan of fireworks or noise but with the bustle there and drums it's OK. 

Managed to win my money back on slots but got Jewed out of 50p by the machine so all I got back was a fiver, and had a meltdown in Sounds of The Universe. A mix of Caffeine and various things, not good. But managed to hold it together enough to get out, shame really as they were playing classic dub reggae. 

Finally have been taking a look at old posts I've done and revising them so that they now have proper paragraphs and shit. I'll leave you with a nice shot of the dragon lion.