St. George's Day, England (viewed from Thailand)

Today is St. George's Day in England, which (because St. George is the patron saint of England) is an annual day of English national celebration that has risen in popularity in recent years after decades of being somewhat ignored. See this article in today's Daily Telegraph newspaper regarding the growing interest in, and importance of, the day in England.

(Note: For those of you not entirely clear on the subject, the country of England is part of the island of Great Britain (Britain for short) which also consists of the countries of Wales and Scotland. Great Britain together with the country of Northern Ireland (which is geographically joined to, but politically completely separate from, the nation of the Republic of Ireland) forms the nation of the United Kingdom (U.K. for short). So, to be English is also to be British, along with the Welsh and Scottish peoples, and together with the people of Northern Ireland to be British is also to be a U.K. Citizen. I hope that clears all that up for you! :-)

Although I currently live in Thailand, it seems a good thing to me that England celebrates itself more these days - for far too long English people (myself included) have been rather reluctant to rejoice in our national identity. Since almost every other nation on earth seems to properly celebrate itself at least once per year, so should England, surely? After all, we have given the world so many modern-era benefits, such as the English language, parliamentary democracy (first established in 1707), the Industrial Revolution (which started in the late 18th century and which continues today as Industrialisation), Portland cement (which helps build the world we live in), modern railway systems, the electric motor and the jet engine to name some of the most important. Oh, and William Shakespeare, Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin - three of the most famous men in history, surely - were all English. :-)

I didn't realize until I carried out a search on the subject that other countries also have St. George as their patron saint and celebrate the day too, though sometimes on a different date than April 23rd. Amongst these are Bulgaria, Georgia (which makes sense!), Greece and Portugal. See the Wikipedia entry on Saint George here for more details.

Happy St. George's Day!

Thierry Henry wants to leave Barcelona! (Allegedly)

My all-time favourite football player, and one of the greatest former Arsenal players ever, Thierry Henry, reportedly wants to leave Barcelona (for whom he left Arsenal last year - see my previous post about that here) and come back to play in the English Premier League, preferably based in London.

See this article in today's News of the World tabloid Sunday newspaper for full details of the story.

If Thierry really is going to leave Barcelona, it's clearly going to be too much to hope that he will return to Arsenal given the views of the club manager (Arsene Wenger) on the subject, which just makes me even sadder now after the initial sadness of seeing him leave the club in the first place. I have been an Arsenal fan virtually all my life, and a fan of Arsene Wenger since his arrival 11 and a half years ago, but since last year I have become increasingly of the opinion that Wenger should quit!

A controversial opinion perhaps, but I feel that despite his previous great success at the club he has seriously lost the plot now. He has failed to win any trophies for the past three seasons (including the current almost complete season - Arsenal are, realistically speaking, out of the race for the Premier League title now despite winning yesterday), he increasingly blames poor refereeing decisions for causing defeats (see here for a recent example) rather than accepting that his own tactical errors are actually to blame, he has an apparent almost pathological non-English player bias (see here for details) which is quite embarassing to me at least (being, as I am, English, and with Arsenal being an English club), he still insists on selecting Philip Senderos who is without doubt the worst defender ever to play for the Arsenal first team (although he was only a substitute yesterday, thank goodness), and he let Thierry Henry leave only to possibly now let him return to a rival Premier League club. Good grief!

Note: I will of course fully retract the above satatement if Thierry does return to Arsenal and/or Wenger wins at least the "Double" next season if, as I suspect will be the case, he doesn't quit. Lol! :-)

Some of the most popular games in my websites for you to try

Here, for you to try for yourself when you have time, and based on visitor stats from last month, is a list of 10 of the most popular online games in my group of fun and games websites which include MarioSonicGames.com and FreeFun.Dan-Dare.org:

(Note: Many of the game recommendations below also appear in other posts in this blog - they are collected together here to make it easier to find them all.)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Ultimate Flash Sonic
One of the most popular Flash games on the web, and it's easy to see why - this incredible fan-produced effort is as close to a perfect game as you will find anywhere. With fast-paced, flawless Sonic platforming fun all the way, this game incorporates the best elements of all the classic 8-bit and 16-bit Sonic games, and includes unlockable extra characters, levels and other fun bonuses too.

And just in case you want it, here is a lovely little cheat password for the Ultimate Flash Sonic game that allows you to level-select the Ice Paradise zone when you play the main game as Tails, and also allows you to have Tails follow you if you want when you play the game as any other character (just like in the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive/Genesis "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" game if you have Tails follow Sonic): 115013101010101

(Additional note: If you use the above cheat password and have Tails follow Cream, he replaces Cheese the Chao who normally follows Cream.)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog Flash
An excellent official Flash mini-version of Sega's 2005 "Shadow the Hedgehog" game for the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox, complete with the gunplay that is now synonymous with Shadow.

Super Mario Bros.: New Super Mario Flash
Play as either Mario or Luigi in this brilliant fan-produced Flash remake of the classic 8-bit and 16-bit Super Mario Bros. platform games. As well as including its own excellent ready-made series of levels for you to play, the game also features a programmable level editor for you to create and play your very own levels (and some example level codes are included for you to try too). This is rapidly becoming one of the most popular Flash games on the web - play it for yourself to see why.

Here is an additional level code for you to use in the New Super Mario Flash game's level editor, just in case you want it. It is called "Bowser Dual" (the name says it all) and was submitted to me by Caleb Burton. To use it just click on the text box below, right-click and select Copy, then click on the game link above to open the game page and follow the instructions in there for how to insert the code into the level editor and play it:

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Super Mario Bros.: Super Mario Sunshine 64
A superb fan-produced 2D version of the 2002 Nintendo GameCube game "Super Mario Sunshine", complete with a fully-functioning FLUDD.

Super Smash Bros.: Super Smash Flash
The name (almost) says it all - this is an awesome fan-produced version of Nintendo's brand new game for the Wii console, "Super Smash Bros. Brawl", with the ability to play as (or against if you prefer) Sega characters such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow in addition to all the standard Nintendo characters such as Mario, Luigi, Link, Zelda, Kirby, Megaman, Zero, Samus Aran, Fox McCloud, Naruto, Pikachu, Mewtwo and more. The game features a host of unlockable extra levels and characters in single-player mode, plus there is a 2-player mode for some serious "VS." brawling action.

Megaman vs. Metroid
A challenging and fun fan-game where you must guide Megaman through a variety of levels featuring "Samus Aran" and other classic "Metroid" game characters.

Star Trek: Flash Trek V2.0
A truly amazing fan-produced Star Trek game where your mission is to try to free the galaxy from the tyrannical rule of the Dominion and their Cardassian allies.

Ratatouille: Grab the Grub
An official game based on last year's smash-hit Disney/Pixar movie "Ratatouille" where you must guide Remy the Rat through a series of mazes grabbing food while avoiding the chefs trying to stop you.

Cars: Lightning McQueen's Desert Dash
An official game based on the 1996 mega-hit Disney/Pixar movie "Cars" where you get to race as Lightning McQueen against The King, Chick Hicks, Boost and Snot Rod.

Trivia: Did you know that "Cars 2", the sequel movie, has just been officially announced for release in 2012? See here for more details.

Buzz Lightyear: Operation Alien Rescue
An official Toy Story-related game based on the Disney cartoon series "Buzz Lightyear of Star Command" - help Buzz Lightyear rescue all the Little Green Men who have been captured by the Evil Emperor Zurg.

Trivia: Did you know that a third movie in the Toy Story series, "Toy Story 3", is scheduled for release in 2010? See here for details.

I hope you enjoy all these games!

Virgin's Dan Dare digital comic has moved...

...to a new URL (with reference to my previous post about it, which you can read here).

You can now read the new adventures of Dan Dare from Virgin Comics online here.

Nothing much to report at the moment...

...except that currently I'm right in the middle of a bit of a major life-change (moving home to a completely different part of Thailand, that sort of thing) and that is why I haven't posted anything to this blog for a while. I'll get back into proper blogging mode again once my life has settled down a bit. :-) That said however, I have posted a few entries over on my MarioSonicGames.com blog this month that you may like to read...

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 7

If you'd like to try out some more Mario and Sonic online games, Part 7 in my ongoing series of recommendations is now available to read over on my MarioSonicGames.com blog. (And there are now over 130 Mario and Sonic games for you to play in the main MarioSonicGames.com site.)

Yahoo! and the UK property market

This was on the front page of Yahoo! UK yesterday:



It made me laugh, although I'm sure Yahoo! weren't really offering to help people take advantage of the misfortune of others whose homes are repossessed by panicky banks and then put up for sale, it just looked that way through coincidence, right? I mean, I know Yahoo! is in a spot of bother at the moment having recently posted disappointing financial results and consequently being the subject of a takeover bid by Microsoft, but surely they're not that desperate to make more money..... :-)

Human Spaceflight Remembrance Day

Today is the 22nd Anniversary of the Space Shuttle "Challenger" disaster. Yesterday was the 41st Anniversary of the "Apollo 1" tragedy. February 1st marks the 5th Anniversary of the Space Shuttle "Columbia" disaster. It is a sad time of year for everyone who, like me, advocates human spaceflight and exploration for the ongoing betterment of the human race.

On January 27th, 1967, a fire broke out in the "Apollo 1" Command Module capsule as it was undergoing a supposedly routine ground test, killing all three astronauts inside: Virgil "Gus" Grisson, Ed White and Roger Chaffee.

On January 28th, 1986, following an initially successful launch the Space Shuttle "Challenger" exploded 73 seconds into its flight, killing all 7 crew onboard: astronauts Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ron McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik and Greg Jarvis, and civilian teacher Christa McAuliffe.

On February 1st, 2003, following a successful 16-day spaceflight the Space Shuttle "Columbia" broke up on re-entry, killing the crew of 7: U.S. astronauts Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.
_________

Here are a few memorable quotes from some those who died:

Gus Grissom (who was the second ever American, and the third ever human, into space following the successful July 1961 "Mercury-Redstone 4" mission):
"If we die, we want people to accept it. We are in a risky business and we hope that if anything happens to us it will not delay the program. The conquest of space is worth the risk of life."
-- after his and John Young's successful "Gemini 3" mission, March 1965

Ed White:
"I think you have to understand the feeling that a pilot has, that a test pilot has, that I look forward a great deal to making the first flight. There's a great deal of pride involved in making a first flight."

Christa McAuliffe (who would have been the first ever civilian, and teacher, into space):
"I cannot join the space program and restart my life as an astronaut, but this opportunity to connect my abilities as an educator with my interests in history and space is a unique opportunity to fulfill my early fantasies."

Dr. Ron McNair:
"Whether or not you reach your goals in life depends entirely on how well you prepare for them and how badly you want them. You're eagles! Stretch your wings and fly to the sky."

Willie McCool:
"From our orbital vantage point, we observe an earth without borders, full of peace, beauty and magnificence, and we pray that humanity as a whole can imagine a borderless world as we see it and strive to live as one in peace."
_________

These tragic losses all occurred in NASA spacecraft as part of the U.S. space program. The following people also sadly died during spaceflights as part of the former U.S.S.R.'s (now Russia's) space program:

Vladimir Komarov, who died when his "Soyuz 1" capsule crashed after re-entry, April 24th, 1967.

Vladislav Volkov, Georgi Dobrovolski and Viktor Patsayev, who died when their "Soyuz 11" capsule depressurized prior to re-entry, June 30th, 1971.
_________

I vividly remember watching the April 1972 "Apollo 16" and December 1972 "Apollo 17" manned moon-landings on TV with my father when I was quite young (my 5th Birthday was in October of that year), and I was awe-inspired by the experiences. I have been fascinated by, and a supporter of, human spaceflight ever since. I hope we never stop trying to conquer space. In part to continually honour the memory of those who have died trying, but chiefly to continue to advance ourselves as a species - a prime motive, surely, of all those who have ever attempted to travel into space - I think we must never stop, no matter how difficult and dangerous it is.

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 6

I have just posted Part 6 in my ongoing series of Mario and Sonic online game recommendations over in my new MarioSonicGames.com Blog. It's a bit different to my previous posts in the series, with a distinctly 1980s "old skool gaming" theme to it, so if you fancy a change to your normal online gaming routine, please take a look.

Places to visit and things to do in Thailand - Part 2

Er, this is extremely overdue, given that I posted Part 1 way back in May 2006 when I first started this blog - oops! I'll do my best now to make this into a proper series of (hopefully) interesting and useful posts based on my various travels around Thailand during the intervening period since that first post.

So... another of my favourite places that I've visited in Thailand, and that I also thoroughly recommend you to visit if you are ever over here, is the beautiful Phimai Historical Park, situated 60 km north of the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, or approximately 320 km north-east of Bangkok. This is the site of some spectacular partially-restored 900 year-old Khmer Empire temple ruins that are very closely related to (and also slightly predate) the world-famous Angkor Wat, which is located about 250 km south of Phimai in Cambodia. As with Angkor Wat, which was the capital of the long-lost empire and which in its heyday was linked directly to Phimai by road, the temple at Phimai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See the Wikipedia.org page and the Art and Archaeology.com mini-site for some more detailed information plus some photos. There is also an excellent Computer Reconstruction of the whole Phimai temple site that can be viewed online.

I'll post another of my favourite Thai places to visit soon...

Blasts from the past - playable, then sabotaged

In case you didn't know, I absolutely love video games, be they console games, computer games or arcade games. Being a member of "Generation X" (i.e. I was born in the 1960s and grew up during the 1970s and early 80s) I got to play some of the very first arcade video games ever made, including: Breakout (released by Atari in 1976), Space Invaders (Taito/Midway, 1978), Asteroids (Atari, 1979), Galaxian (Namco/Midway, 1979), Lunar Lander (Atari, 1979), Battlezone (Atari, 1980), Missile Command (Atari, 1980), Defender (Williams Electronics, 1980), Centipede (Atari, 1980), Pac-Man (Namco/Midway, 1980), Donkey Kong (Nintendo, 1981) and Frogger (Konami & Sega/Gremlin, 1981). All-time classics, all of them.

Here are some online versions of some of those games for you to play:

Breakout (JavaScript)
Breakout (Flash)

Space Invaders (Flash)

Asteroids (Java)

Lunar Lander (Java)

Missile Command (Java)
Missile Command (Flash)

Centipede (Flash)

Pac-Man (Flash)

Donkey Kong (Flash)

Frogger (Flash)


I actually mention all of the above because (aside from the fact that the games are still great fun to play even today) it has recently been brought to my attention that there is a new website that - if, like me, you are a fan of classic video games - I recommend you to visit:

www.RetroSabotage.com

I think it's great fun, and it might well become a bit of a classic in its own right as it continues to grow. Check it out for yourself and see what you think.

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 5

In keeping with what I wrote in my previous post in this blog, I have just posted Part 5 of my ongoing series of Mario and Sonic online game recommendations over in my new MarioSonicGames.com Blog, along with a summary of Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

So, please hop on over there if you would like to try out the latest games I've recommended and also catch up on my latest posts relating to Mario and Sonic gaming.

My new MarioSonicGames.com blog

I have decided that too much of this blog is now being taken up with Mario and Sonic related posts. Since I have recently created a new Mario and Sonic games site, www.MarioSonicGames.com, I thought it would be much better if I created a blog specifically for that site into which I can put all future Mario and Sonic posts. So, here it is... the brand new MarioSonicGames.com Blog

From now on if I post anything in this blog relating to Mario and Sonic, it will only be a headline entry with a link to the related full article over in the other blog, to keep the content of each one more focussed. As a result, hopefully this blog can return to a more varied view of "England, Thailand and Other Things", as was my original intention.

Zelda & Megaman Online Game Recommendations

As an addition to my ongoing series of Mario and Sonic online game recommendations (see Part 4 for the most recent of those), here are a few excellent Flash games for you to try that are based on some other iconic video games series:

The Legend of Zelda: The Seeds of Darkness
Take control of Link and lead him on a quest through this beautifully made fan-game that combines lovely graphics and music with classic "Legend of Zelda" RPG-style exploration, strategy and combat gameplay.

Megaman vs. Metroid
In this superb homage to the eponymous Capcom and Nintendo games, you get to guide Megaman through a variety of levels featuring Samus Aran and other classic "Metroid" game characters.

Megaman vs. Ghosts 'n Goblins
A semi-sequel to the game above, this time you must help Megaman take on and defeat zombies, demons and other horrors from the classic "Ghosts 'n Goblins" game.

You can find these games together with hundreds more quality Flash and Java online games in my www.Dan-Dare.org/FreeFun/ website. Enjoy!

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 4

Here are the next four Mario and Sonic online game recommendations in my ongoing series based on the 100+ free Flash and Java games in my new site at www.MarioSonicGames.com (see also Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3):

Super Mario Brothers: Mario Remix
This clever fan-produced game is actually three different games in one great package - grab hold of Mario and go and play some "Super Mario World" with him, and when you're done with that, go and play some "Megaman" and then some "Gradius" with him too!

Super Mario Brothers: Bullet Bill (and its sequel
Super Mario Brothers: Bullet Bill 2)
Play a version of the classic original "Super Mario Bros." game, but with a quite literally smashing twist - you get to play as a Bullet Bill! Smash blocks, bash Mario, avoid scenery!

Sonic the Hedgehog: Ultimate Robotnik Duels
Take over the controls of one of Dr. Robotnik's (a.k.a. Eggman's) amazingly destructive flying machines for a head-to-head "death match" battle. You can play as any of the main characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog games, or even as Super Mario - so you can have your very own "Mario vs. Sonic" fight if you wish! Features brilliantly entertaining single-player and 2-player modes, and also a neat spectator mode where you can watch your computer play against itself.

(Just in case you want some more "Mario vs. Sonic" action, and just in case you haven't played it yet and haven't found out, you can also have a Mario vs. Sonic fight in the Super Smash Flash game I recommended in Part 3 of this series... plus you might also want to check this out: Mario vs. Sonic Interactive Flash Movie)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Boom
Shoot Sonic from a giant cannon and try to get him as far as you can. Hit the bonus items to increase Sonic's flight distance, but avoid the traps and bombs that will slow him down and stop him. Features unlockable extra characters and bunuses.

Enjoy! More recommendations in the near future...

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 3

Here is the third part in my ongoing series of Mario and Sonic online game recommendations (see my blog post yesterday for Part 2). You can find these games plus over 100 more at my new site: www.MarioSonicGames.com

Here are my next game recommendations - there are five for you to try this time:

Super Mario Brothers: Luigi Gunman
Also known as "Mario World Overrun", this truly unique Mario game offers an exciting and challenging combination of first-person-shooter action and tower-defence strategy, all based in a Super Mario World setting.

Super Mario Brothers: Super Mafia Bros.
The classic original Super Mario Bros. game gets "The Godfather" treatment in this brilliant single-level homage.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Shadow the Hedgehog Flash
An excellent official Flash mini-version of Sega's 2005 "Shadow the Hedgehog" game for the Nintendo GameCube, Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox, complete with the gunplay that is now synonymous with Shadow.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Scene Creator
One of a series of three slightly differing Sonic Scene Creators (click here and here for the other two), this is great fun for Sonic fans who have an artistic side in addition to their gaming side.

Super Smash Flash
The name (almost) says it all - this is an awesome fan-produced version of Nintendo's 2001 GameCube game "Super Smash Bros. Melee", but with the added bonus of being able to play as (or against if you prefer) Sega characters such as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Shadow in addition to the standard Nintendo characters. The game features a host of unlockable extra levels and characters in single-player mode, plus there is a 2-player mode for some serious "VS." brawling action.

Enjoy! I'll post some more recommendations soon....

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 2

Here is part 2 in my ongoing series of personal recommendations for the pick of the Mario and Sonic Flash and Java online games in my sites (see my blog post yesterday for Part 1). All these games can now be found together in one place as part of an ever-expanding collection of over 100 at my new site: www.MarioSonicGames.com

Here are my next four game recommendations for you to try:

Super Mario Brothers: Super Mario Sunshine 64
A superb fan-produced 2D version of the 2002 Nintendo GameCube game "Super Mario Sunshine", complete with a fully-functioning FLUDD.

Super Mario Brothers: Mario Bros. in Pipe Panic
Play as either Mario or Luigi in this lovely Super Mario Bros. themed homage to the all-time classic "Pac-Man" arcade game.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Ultimate Flash Sonic
One of the most popular Flash games on the web, and it's easy to see why - this incredible fan-produced effort is as close to a perfect game as you will find anywhere. With fast-paced, flawless Sonic platforming fun all the way, this game incorporates the best elements of all the classic 8-bit and 16-bit Sonic games, and includes unlockable extra characters, levels and other fun bonuses too.

And just in case you want it, here is a lovely little cheat password for the Ultimate Flash Sonic game that allows you to level-select the Ice Paradise zone when you play the main game as Tails, and also allows you to have Tails follow you if you want when you play the game as any other character (just like in the 16-bit Sega Mega Drive/Genesis "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" game if you have Tails follow Sonic): 115013101010101

(Additional note: If you use the above cheat password and have Tails follow Cream, he replaces Cheese the Chao who normally follows Cream.)

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Rivals Dash
An official Flash mini-version of Sega's excellent 2006 "Sonic Rivals" game for the Sony PlayStation Portable, this has a 2-player option in addition to the single-player game for some real "Rivals" fun.

Enjoy! More recommendations tomorrow....

Mario & Sonic Online Game Recommendations - Part 1

I thought I'd start an ongoing series of personal recommendations for the pick of the Mario and Sonic games that can be found in all my sites, because there are now so many games to choose from (well over 100) that it can often be a bit daunting figuring out just which games to start playing initially. I hope that these recommendations will help resolve that. And whilst I'm on the subject, you can now find all of the Mario and Sonic free Flash and Java online games together in one easy-to-find place in a new easy-to-remember site:

www.MarioSonicGames.com


So, here are my first four game recommendations for you to try:

Super Mario Brothers: New Super Mario Flash
Play as either Mario or Luigi in this brilliant fan-produced Flash remake of the classic 8-bit and 16-bit Super Mario Bros. platform games. As well as including its own excellent ready-made series of levels for you to play, the game also features a programmable level editor for you to create and play your very own levels (and some example level codes are included for you to try too). This is rapidly becoming one of the most popular Flash games on the web - play it for yourself to see why.

Super Mario Brothers: Super Mario X
An entertaining Super Mario platform game with lovely original Flash graphics and a unique twist in gameplay.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Xtreme
A fast-paced and challenging Sonic platformer with Super Mario "Wigglers" to defeat in addition to classic Sonic Badniks.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Amy's Whack-A-Nik
Go on, you know you want to - Use your mouse to control Amy Rose's "Piko Piko Hammer" and whack as many SWATBot Badniks as you can in the time limit!


Enjoy! More to come soon....

More online goodies from Virgin Comics

I took a much more in-depth look around the Virgin Comics website today, and I was amazed to discover the brilliant range of comics that they are producing - I'm an instant fan of the brand! And it feels like Christmas all over again, because it turns out that two more of their titles are available as online digital comics in addition to the lovely new Dan Dare comic I highlighted in my blog post yesterday.

They are both brilliant, and they are "Voodoo Child" by Nicolas Cage and his son Weston, and "Devi" by Shekhar Kapur.

Check them out now - I feel sure you will be as impressed with them both as I am. Seriously well done Virgin Comics! :-) Acquiring the real "hard copy" comics to read in their true format will be a leisure-time priority for me on my next trip back to the UK.

A special Dan Dare mention

While I'm in full-on "Dan Dare" mode at the moment, I feel that a special mention should be made of Colin Frewin, someone to whom us Dan Dare fans owe a great deal of thanks. Colin runs the Dan Dare Corporation, the company that owns the global media rights to all that is Dan Dare. Without Colin's massive personal investment in Dan Dare since 2001 we would never have had the highly entertaining 2002 Dan Dare CGI cartoon series, and without Colin's active involvement we wouldn't currently have the new Virgin Comics series and the Titan Books 1950's story reprint series to enjoy. Cheers Colin! How about a Dan Dare movie next? :-)

Virgin's Dan Dare comic on the web, and other Dan Dare publications

Well, it's a very welcome surprise for me to see that Virgin Comics are posting episodes from their new monthly Dan Dare comic on their website - see the Official Dan Dare Digital Comic. Given that currently I'm in central rural Thailand thousands of miles from anywhere that I'm likely to be able to actually buy the real comic, being able to catch up with it online is a real treat! My thanks to Sir Richard Branson - "you're a right proper gentleman and no mistake, Sir Richard!" :-)

I have to confess that I quite like this latest and newest version of Dan Dare, so far anyway... However, I still think that Frank Hampson's original 1950 creation is the only version that really "cuts the mustard" in terms of the quality of artwork and storytelling. And please bear in mind that I grew up with the late-1970's 2000AD comic's "punk" version of Dan Dare, I didn't become fully familiar with the original version until the late 1980's, so I'm not biased towards the original through a nostalgic longing for it! :-) See these extensive Dan Dare Picture Galleries and Artwork Showcases to get an idea of what I mean - you can view imagery from all the different versions of Dan Dare through the years. I reckon anyone with a real eye for artistic quality will favour the Frank Hampson original over any subsequent version.

Lamentably forgotten by the popular press (plus myself in this very blog - doh!) during the August/September 2007 fanfare over the Virgin Comics announcement that they were bringing Dan Dare back into print in new comic-strip stories, was the fact that Dan Dare was actually already appearing in new comic-strip stories at the time. We all overlooked the fact that "Spaceship Away", a superb officially endorsed fan magazine, had been running (and indeed still is running) new "classic style" Dan Dare stories since its first issue back in 2003. Some of these new stories are lovingly illustrated by original 1950's and 60's era Dan Dare artists, so they really are true to the original Frank Hampson vision. So, if like me you have a desire to read as much Dan Dare as possible, visit their website over at SpaceshipAway.org.uk to find out how to subscribe to this unique thrice-yearly magazine.

There is also a Dan Dare (and Eagle - the comic that originally featured the Dan Dare stories) fan club if you are interested in finding out more about the classic original 1950's and 60's era. Take a look at their very informative weblog over at the Eagle Times Blog, which also includes details of how to subscribe to the fan club and receive their excellent quarterly magazine.

Happy New Year!

Wishing you all the very best for 2008 from here in Thailand, wherever you are! :-)

Desktop Wallpapers in my main website

In addition to all the free fun and games in my main site (Dan-Dare.org), there are also loads of free desktop wallpaper images to choose from for use as the background picture on your computer. Categories include video games, cartoons, movies and TV. Here are some of the most popular ones (almost all of which also have at least one related Flash game too):

Star Wars
Harry Potter
Sonic the Hedgehog
Super Mario Brothers
Super Smash Bros.
Donkey Kong
Futurama
Scooby-Doo
Wacky Races
Tom and Jerry
The Simpsons
The Simpsons Movie
Megaman
Thunderbirds
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
D.C. and Marvel
The Matrix
Star Trek
Shrek
Pirates of the Caribbean
Disney/Pixar
Looney Tunes
Pokemon
SpongeBob Squarepants
Avatar
Garfield
The Muppets
Transformers
Power Rangers
South Park
Astroboy
Betty Boop

Updated "Special Fun Pages" in my main website

I have made some updates to many of the "Special Fun Pages" - i.e. pages that contain images, animated GIFs / sprites, music, movie clips and more - in my main website (Dan-Dare.org), plus I've also added a new page (Wacky Races) to the list:

Star Wars Movie Series, Star Wars Animated GIF Movie Clips

Harry Potter Movie Series, Harry Potter Book Series

Sonic the Hedgehog

Super Mario Brothers, Super Mario Bros. Movie

Sonic and Mario Bonuses, More Sonic and Mario Bonuses,
Extra Sonic and Mario Bonuses, Even More Mario Bonuses

Futurama, Red Dwarf

Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, Wacky Races, etc.), The Banana Splits

Tom and Jerry

The Simpsons, The Simpsons Movie

Megaman

More Games-Related Images and Music, Even More Games-Related Images

Thunderbirds

I hope you enjoy them. As always, I will be adding to them as time goes by.

Back in wonderful Thailand once more

Hooray! I am back in the lovely "land of smiles" after the unplanned trip to England last month. Lucky me! :->

Two new Flash games: Sonic Rush Adventure and Super Mario World

Here are two brilliant new Flash games for you to enjoy - one Sonic the Hedgehog (based on Sonic's latest game for the Nintendo DS - "Sonic Rush Adventure") and one Super Mario Brothers (based on the classic "Super Mario World"):

  Sonic Rush Adventure Flash

  New Super Mario Flash

You can play these games plus 100's more in my fun and games website.

A Flash online game that's like Grand Theft Auto...

...well, like GTA2 anyway, with it's top-down viewpoint rather than a full 3D eye-level view. But it's still great fun and free to play...

You can find it in my fun and games website, or you can play it directly via this link: Gangster Life (GTA2)

Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille is finally released in England!

We don't half get mucked about and ripped off here in England. Not only do we have to put up with being one of the most expensive countries in the world to live in and go shopping in (whilst also being a cold and wet place for most of the year), we also have to put up with getting many top American movies much later than seems fair or reasonable - we do speak almost exactly the same language after all, so there's no dubbing or subtitle issues.

Disney/Pixar's "Ratatouille" is the latest example of this. It was officially released in cinemas here today. And yet it was released in cinemas (sorry, movie theatres) in the US on June 29th. That's almost 4 months later! Good grief.

Anyway, better late than never I suppose. Being a huge Disney/Pixar fan, I'm off to see it ASAP...

Here are three Ratatouille Flash games (which also include desktop wallpapers) from my fun and games website to celebrate:

Ratatouille: Grab the Grub

Ratatouille: Match the Batch

Ratatouille: Marionette Madness

Unplanned return to England

Had to come back to England suddenly because my dear old Nan died on the 3rd of this month. Joyce Millicent Inns (nee Tarrant) was 86. She played a large and very positive part in my upbringing, and I am forever grateful to her for that. Miss you Nan.

She was taken ill a few weeks before her passing, and the earliest I could sort out flying back from Thailand was, as it sadly turned out, 3 days too late. Sorry Nan.

I no longer have any surviving grandparents. It feels very weird. All my life I have had grandparents, including great-grandparents when I was very young, and they imparted much valuable wisdom to me with their knowledge of so many "old ways" (and usually totally correct ways) of doing things.

Priceless treasured memories.

Dan Dare returns!

It appears to be true then, going by all the news appearing on the web (e.g. The Times Online, August 29, 2007) - Dan Dare is finally set to return in new comic-strip adventures for the first time in a great many years! Hoorah!! Dan Dare is my favourite of favourites.

Apparently, Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Comics company is to publish a new Dan Dare comic-book starting this November. I hope it sticks as closely as possible to the spirit of Frank Hampson's original 1950 creation rather than re-invents the character as other newer versions have done. It seems very likely it will be of a high standard anyway, what with Sir Richard having been a boyhood fan of the original Dan Dare, and with renowned comic-book author Garth Ennis writing the new series. Happy days indeed for this Dan Dare fan, that's for sure!

See my Dan Dare websites for more information about the original version of the character: Dan-Dare.org, Dan-Dare.net and DanDare.org.uk.

Back in Thailand again...

...staying in Bangkok, where it is raining every day, just as it was in England for the whole 2 months I was there. It is of course a lot warmer here than it was in the UK.

I am lucky enough to have had a few days free of my ongoing website work recently, and I did the "tourist" thing, exlporing Bangkok properly for the first time despite having been coming here for over 4 years now - I never had enough spare time before. I have to say that I think it is one of the loveliest cities in the whole world - the royal palaces, the Buddhist monasteries and the floating markets are wonderful to see, cruising around the river and the canals is really relaxing and fun, and there are so many excellent shopping areas that even I (pretty much a confirmed "non-shopper") enjoyed browsing around.

Here is a really informative website to visit if you want to know more: www.bangkok.com

Movies to watch and games to play

In addition to the Ratatouille and other Disney/Pixar games I mentioned in my blog last month (see "Ratatouille, and other Disney/Pixar movies"), here are some more of my favourite games related to 4 other recent, current and upcoming movies:

  Shrek: Concentration

  Harry Potter: Staircase Game

  The Simpsons Home Interactive

  Transformers: The Energon Within

As always, you can play these games and 100's more in my fun and games website.

Thierry Henry is leaving Arsenal Football Club!

Having been a fan of Arsenal for over 30 years, it came as a great surprise to me to learn yesterday of the sudden decision to allow the club's captain and greatest ever goal-scorer, Thierry Henry, to leave so that he can join arch-European rivals Barcelona. The main reason this news surprised me was that only last year Thierry pledged the rest of his career to Arsenal. An interesting new definition of the word "pledge", that's for sure.

It's particularly sad news for me (and all other Arsenal fans I'm sure), because Thierry has truly graced the sport here in England with his amazing footballing skills and gentlemanly conduct for eight seasons now. He has been a joy to watch, and is one of the greatest players ever, of that there can be no doubt. I am so sorry to see him go. I would just like to say a huge thank you to Thierry for all the wonderful memories he has left me with. I wish him and his family all the very best with the new venture.

I hope the Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, knows what he is doing. It seems to me to be a very risky decision to let Thierry leave. But I'll keep faith with the boss, for now anyway...

Ratatouille, and other Disney/Pixar movies

The pending release of Disney/Pixar's newest movie, "Ratatouille (rat-a-too-ee)" is something I am really looking forward to. Like a great many people all over the world, I love all the Pixar movies to date - "Toy Story" (1995), "A Bug's Life" (1998), "Toy Story 2" (1999), "Monsters Inc." (2001), "Finding Nemo" (2003), "The Incredibles" (2004) and "Cars" (2006) - but from what I have seen of the official trailers, this latest offering looks to be their best one yet.

I have included some Flash games in my fun and games website based on Ratatouille and all the other Pixar movies:

Ratatouille: Grab the Grub

Ratatouille: Match the Batch

Cars: Lightning McQueen's Desert Dash

Cars: Luigi's Casa Della Tires

The Incredibles: Thin Ice

Finding Nemo: Cruisin' with Crush

Monsters, Inc.: Mike's Memory Game

A Bug's Life: A Bug's Land

Toy Story: Catch That Moving Van

Buzz Lightyear: Operation Alien Rescue

A great little Scooby-Doo web-browser game...

...that you can play right here (in a 0.56MB Flash file):

(Or you can play it by clicking on the following link if the Flash file above doesn't load for some reason: Scooby-Doo web-browser game)

Fun and games related to cartoons, movies and TV

My new mini-site of games related to cartoons, movies and TV is now live. You can find it at the Dan-Dare.org and .net FreeFun website.

Some of the highlights include: Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Simpsons, D.C. and Marvel Superheroes, Disney/Pixar, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob Squarepants and Garfield. There are many more games in addition to all those - check out the site index page to see them all.

Free online comic books - a recommendation

There are so many free online comics, many of which are true modern classics, that it's often difficult to know where to start when you're a fan of the genre like I am. Searching the Open Directory Project (see dmoz.org) is often a good start-point. Helpfully, I was sent the following link yesterday by the author of a new sci-fi/horror one, and I have to say it is now one of my favourites. It's well worth a visit at DatWilliams.com

Back in England now...

...for a few months at least, and it's really cold and miserable weather, even for England. It's the middle of May, late spring. It's supposed to be nice weather! I thought the Earth was warming up? :-)

Anyway, here's some more Super Mario Bros. fun I recently added to my Dan-Dare.org website - perfect for a cold and rainy afternoon's entertainment:

Even More Mario Bonuses

I will be adding a whole new mini-website soon concentrating on Flash and Java games related to all manner of cartoons, movies and TV - such as Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Harry Potter, The Simpsons, Futurama, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, Disney/Pixar, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, The Flintstones, Thunderbirds, Garfield, SpongeBob Squarepants, Casper, The Muppets, Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, Hulk, etc., etc. Check back soon for the new link!

Online fun based on things I like

In addition to all the free online games that I have added into my two main websites (Dan-Dare.org and Dan-Dare.info) over the past four years, I have also created the following "Special Fun Pages" - containing images, animated GIFs / sprites, music, movie clips and much more - related to many of those games:

Star Wars Movie Series, Star Wars Animated GIF Movie Clips

Harry Potter Movie Series, Harry Potter Book Series

Sonic the Hedgehog

Super Mario Brothers, Super Mario Bros. Movie

Sonic and Mario Bonuses, More Sonic and Mario Bonuses, Extra Sonic and Mario Bonuses

Futurama, Red Dwarf

Hanna-Barbera (The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, etc.), The Banana Splits

Tom and Jerry

The Simpsons, The Simpsons Movie

Megaman

More Games-Related Images and Music, Even More Games-Related Images

Thunderbirds

I hope you like them. I will be improving them, and adding brand new pages about other things I like, as time goes by.

Pattaya, Thailand

In one of my previous posts I included a link to what at the time was a useful website all about Pattaya in Thailand, which is where I am currently staying. That website no longer works, so here is a link to another useful site that does work: www.pattaya.com. If you are ever in South-East Asia, it is worth coming here for a few days at least, if you like life a bit on the crazy side... :-)

Further Sonic and Mario Java-based fun

Check out these two links for some more Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Bros. Java-based fun I created using ready-made templates:

  Sonic and Mario Interactive Cube

  Sonic and Mario Interactive Cube 2

Valentine's Day in Thailand

Very many people here in Thailand celebrate St. Valentine's Day in the same way as we do in England, even though the majority of Thai people are Buddhist and therefore don't really celebrate other Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas. Shops all over the place have Valentine's cards and red roses for sale. Nice. Who says that romance is dead?

Play Super Smash Bros. Melee with Sonic!

Yes, it's true - you can now play a version of the Super Smash Bros. Melee game with Sonic the Hedgehog as your character. You can also play as Knuckles and Tails, plus you can unlock Shadow! And of course, Mario, Luigi, Link, Pikachu, Kirby and the rest of the Nintendo cast of characters are in there too... Play it online by clicking on the link below:

  Super Smash Flash

Christmas and New Year in Thailand

Lucky, lucky me! Although Christmas is not generally celebrated in Thailand, I am currently in the tourist city of Pattaya (see www.pattayacity.com/pattaya/), and there is plenty of Christmas to be seen here. Plus a whole lot more too... what fun!

This is my last post for this year, so all the very best to you wherever you are, have a great time over the holidays, and have a Happy 2007!

HTML code for the two Sonic Java games I made

Lots of people have been asking me for HTML code to link to the two Sonic the Hedgehog Java games I made (see this post), so I thought I'd put it here for anyone else that might want it:

Link to the Sonic Matchit game from your website, MySpace, etc., by copying and pasting the code below:

<p><b><a href="http://www.dan-dare.net/SonicMario/Dan%20Sonic%205.htm" target="new_win">Sonic Matchit Game</a></b></p>

Link to the Dr. Robotnik Abalis game from your website, MySpace, etc., by copying and pasting the code below:

<p><b><a href="http://www.dan-dare.info/Games/DrRobotnikAbalis/DrRobotnikAbalis.htm" target="new_win">Dr. Robotnik Abalis Game</a></b></p>

Two Sonic the Hedgehog Java games I made

Just for the fun of it, I created the following two Sonic the Hedgehog Java online games using a couple of ready-made templates:

  Sonic Matchit

  Dr. Robotnik Abalis

Of course, they're not a patch on the Ultimate Flash Sonic game, but not much that's freely available on the web is. You can see all of these games, and loads more, at www.dan-dare.info.

Retro time - Nintendo Game & Watch

Do you remember those neat little Nintendo handheld LCD computer games called "Game & Watch"? They were most popular in the 80's, or at least they were with me as I collected around a dozen of them back then. They featured great mini-versions of classic games such as Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Balloon Fight, and so on. Check out this site for loads more information about them: www.gameandwatch.com

And here is an excellent thing - there are Flash online game versions of four of the best Mario ones, which you can play now by clicking on these links:

  Mario Bros.

  Donkey Kong II

  Donkey Kong Jr.

  Mario's Bombs Away

Coup blimey, what a week it's been in Thailand!

My timing's as impeccable as ever - I came back home to the farm (which is right in the middle of Thailand) from Bangkok three days before the military coup which (as of today) still sees tanks and soldiers on the streets in parts of Bangkok.
(I say my timing's as impeccable as ever because I left Patong Beach in Phuket exactly one week before the tsunami struck at the end of 2004. Lucky or what?!)

However (and unlike the terrible events of 2004), this has so far been a very peaceful coup, with no fighting and no loss of life, and with apparent support for it right across the country. Certainly where I live in rural Thailand people have accepted it and see it as having been necessary after all the political turmoil and resultant social problems of this year. It's certainly a uniquely Thai way of sorting a serious national mess out, and my hat off to them for having the guts to do it in this way.

The Thai peoples' (justified in my opinion) complete loyalty to their King helps ensure that whatever happens with their governmental system, Thailand never really changes at heart - and that is an extremely good thing. Although they are Westernizing here at an amazing rate, clearly they are in no imminent danger of losing that essential "Thainess" that is treasured the world over.

Updates to my Sonic and Mario games website

Sitting around on my farm in the middle of Thailand has its charms and appeals for me - clean fresh air, abundant fresh produce to hand, relative peace and quiet, well away from the Rat Race. But I still work on my websites when I'm there, from time to time, just for fun. To that end I have made some very big changes to my Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario Brothers games site, with the additon of loads of new Flash games (taking the total to over 50 games now). Here is the link for the site: www.dan-dare.info. I hope you take a look and have some fun...

Back in Thailand

Finally made it back "home" after having spent too long in England due to delays in selling my house. It's really good to be back, it's a crazy but wonderful place as always. I just drove most of the way around Bangkok using the outer ring-road motorway. It isn't quite finished, as they are just now building an absolutely massive new bridge over the Chao Phraya river to link up and complete what will then be an "orbital" road. The bridge construction work is awesome, a staggering piece of civil engineering on a par with anything I've ever seen.

But it also provides a prime example of the crazy contrasts in Thailand between ultra-modern and old-fashioned approaches to things: The existing route through Bangkok which the new bridge will eventually replace is currently also under construction, with large sections of it either dug right up, or surface-planed, or just left as single-lane mud tracks full of pot-holes, causing utter traffic chaos such as I have never before witnessed, not even in Bangkok.

What an inspired piece of traffic planning, lol!!

I thought we were a bit screwy in England for doing similar things, but this is screwy on an epic scale. Still, it makes life much more interesting I suppose. Imagine how boring it would be if you could just drive everywhere you wanted to go with no massive hold-ups!! ;-)

I love Thailand, it's the best country on earth! I'm heading off for a beach holiday in the Koh Chang island chain for a while now, no doubt discovering more bonkers contrasts along the way.