1967 Mercury Cougar

Posted on March 20, 2014 by platinumal

As promised at the start of the year, I wanted to add a few new sections to my blog. As I don’t have enough hobbies and interests to cover on here already, you see. The next new arrival is this – my Motors section. I should call it Me and Motors actually (for all you people who’ve had Sky a long time…)

You won’t find anything too technical here, as to be honest, I have no idea what horsepower is. Nor am I impressed with Audi or BMW – so don’t expect any posts relating to cars like that.

What I am interested in is Classic Cars. In particular, American Classic Cars. Even more specifically, classic American muscle cars from the late 60’s and early 70’s. The type of cars that I saw on television shows like Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes of Hazzard when I was a kid. The type of cars I had Matchbox and Corgi toy versions of.

Cars like this 1967 Mercury Cougar.

I saw this car in the local area recently and tailed it (just like a 70’s cop show). When it stopped I had a quick chat with the owner, and got this photo.

A fine looking car. Bright yellow, with a black top. Hidden headlights. The sort of car that makes me glad I’ve got Vanishing Point on DVD.

I did actually have a Matchbox toy of a Mercury Cougar, though it was orange if I remember. Still got it somewhere.

Stay tuned to Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub for more exciting pics like this!

Classic Albums

Posted on March 16, 2014 by platinumal

I was aiming to do one of these Classic Album posts every month. This is February’s… These posts are dedicated to the timeless, irreplaceable classics of my music collection.

2. Sex Pistols – “Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols”

By 1988 I was looking for something new, music wise. I had trawled through loads of heavy metal, thrash metal and hardcore, and a lot of it was getting somewhat stale. The next step to explore was looking like Motley Crue and WASP. Luckily, something else came along instead.

I’d heard a Sex Pistols song on a late night rock show on the radio. I’ve never been one to listen to the radio much. However, when I heard “Anarchy in the UK”, I thought – that sounds great! Guitars right up front screaming in your face and tons of energy. The song stayed in my head and I considered saving up a few quid and making the Sex Pistols album my next purchase. It would be quite a departure from a great deal of my other music; but with punk rock all over Thrasher magazine and skateboarding generally, it seemed the obvious choice.

So I went into Penny Lane Records in Chester a couple of weeks later, and I bought the cassette. The cassette! Unbelievable. One advantage was I had my Sony Walkman with me and could listen to it straight away. What should I expect though? My research had yielded a huge amount of scorn for the group – they couldn’t play, couldn’t sing, they were offensive. Would the tape just be a horrid cacophony of unlistenable noise? I pressed play.

I heard the jackboot march intro of first track “Holidays in the Sun” and then the music began. Far from the despicable noise I’d been warned about, I found (much like “Anarchy…”) a sound that was thrilling, exciting, new. It was rock music, but it was fast and intense and I knew this was what I had been looking for.

“Bodies” followed, and that song is even more exhilarating than the first. A few rude words though, so don’t play this without headphones. “God Save the Queen” was a total revelation – anti-establishment hatred wrapped up in the greatest rock riff ever. Pure genius. I’d never heard sentiments like that expressed in any form of popular culture before, and I loved it. “Pretty Vacant” was actually very catchy, not in the least bit talentless noise. And “Submission” was a change of pace – showing again that the Pistols were not one trick conmen.

Not all of “Never Mind the Bollocks…” is perfect. I’ve never been a huge fan of “Seventeen”, for example. Still that song is better than most bands manage in an entire career.

The music doesn’t sound shocking in this day and age, but lyrically we’re dealing with some raw stuff. What a joy to behold in a Simon Cowell possessed world.

I ended up getting rid of the cassette and buying the album on vinyl later on. I’ve still got it. Of course, I then had the CD also. I listened to it recently on my iPod and it still sounds fantastic. Quite simply, every home should have a copy of this record. “Never Mind the Bollocks…” is still, quite possibly, my favourite album of all time. It opened my eyes (as well as ears) to something different. It taught me that exploring music, even music that you might be concerned isn’t for you, will provide great results.

Don’t be afraid, try something new. And listen to the Sex Pistols with the sound cranked up. Because we still need to think differently, develop our own opinions, and be open minded. That, ladies and gentlemen, is punk rock.

Sex Pistols – Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols

Holidays in the Sun
Bodies
No Feelings
Liar
God Save the Queen
Problems
Seventeen
Anarchy in the UK
Submission
Pretty Vacant
New York
EMI

Best tracks: God Save the Queen, Pretty Vacant, Holidays in the Sun, Bodies, Submission, Anarchy in the UK

Other cool points: one of the most iconic album covers of all time.

Buy this classic album here.

The Return of the Random Bike Ride Playlist

Posted on March 10, 2014 by platinumal

It’s back! Yesterday I went for a bike ride, the first of the year. The weather was good and I was ready to roll. For old times sake, I decided to hit “shuffle” and let Ipodicus decide what the soundtrack to the morning’s adventure would be.

Just over ten miles. Not bad.

Smashing Pumpkins – “Real Love”
Jello Biafra & The Melvins – “Those Dumb Punk Kids (Will Buy Anything)”
Queens of the Stone Age – “Quick & to the Pointless”
Sleigh Bells – “Comeback Kid”
Bob Marley – “You Can’t Do That to Me”
Blondie – “Contact on Red Square”
David Bowie – “Little Wonder”
Lieutenant Pigeon – “Mouldy Old Dough”
Hector Martignon – “Colombaiao”
Therapy? – “Stay Happy”
Viking Skull – “Double or Quits”
Samantha Fox – “I Only Wanna Be With You”
A Tribe Called Quest – “If The Papes Come”
The Melvins – “In the Army Now”
Bad Brains – “Jam”
Orange Goblin – “Lothlorian”
Muddy Waters – “I Want to Be Loved”
2Pac ft. Anthony Hamilton – “Thugz Mansion”
The Who – “Please, Please, Please”
Jello Biafra & The Melvins – “Enchanted Thoughtfist (Enchanted Al Remix)”
Neil Young & Pearl Jam – “Downtown”
Roni Size – “Trust Me”
Tiny Masters of Today – “Hologram World”

This particular playlist reminded me just how great the Jello Biafra and The Melvins collaborations are. I haven’t listened to them for a while, so cranked ’em today.

Sci-Fi Action Figures

Posted on March 6, 2014 by platinumal

Science fiction action figures are the basis for any good toy collection. My collection of Star Wars toys goes right back to the late 1970’s, and I’ll get round to posting some pictures of those in the future. Oh yes, it shall happen. Any requests, let me know.

In the meantime, I thought I’d showcase some alternative items that have been lurking around for over thirty years. These figures aren’t always mint condition, and rarely have all the accessories they came boxed with. And there are certainly no boxes (or cards) now, as they were all actually played with…

Battlestar Galatica figures

These 3 3/4″ action figures were produced by Mattel in the late 1970’s, to coincide with the release of the television show. They were obviously aiming to emulate the phenomenal success of Kenner’s Star Wars figures.

Battlestar Galactica figures

On the left of the photo is the Imperious Leader figure, all in good condition – but then other than the cloak, he didn’t have any accessories. In the middle is Commander Adama, who bears a slight resemblance to Lorne Greene. Unfortunately Adama’s cloak and gun are long gone. The Cylon Centurion is the coolest figure here, though mine has lost a lot of his silver finish. The laser gun is around however, though I didn’t use it for the picture. The Cylon was my first Battlestar Galactica toy, a present from my Dad.

There were some other cool figures produced in this line, in particular the Ovion and Daggit were great. Unfortunately I never owned either. I would’ve also loved a Lt. Starbuck, but I never saw one. Ever.

Great show, Battlestar Galactica – I love the original and the rebooted, recent version.

The Black Hole figures

Disney’s The Black Hole, however, was not that great a movie. At least not when I saw it on TV as a kid. Maybe I should try it again, to see if I was just too young to dig it.

The Black Hole figures

The action figures for this film, again 3 3/4″ like Star Wars figures – were multi jointed. As a result, the human figures were rather frail. I had a few of them, now reduced to limbless torsos.

No matter – the stars of the show were the robots, and here we have two of the best. The Sentry Robot (left) was particularly cool, with a holster to hold his pistol. I have the gun safe, so this one’s probably worth a load on ebay. Note the joints which are clearly visible.

Also, we have V.I.N.CENT – a cool design for a robot. Laser guns and big, cute eyes.

Blake’s 7 Liberator

Blake’s 7

Not an action figure – this is a Corgi toy of the Liberator spaceship from BBC sci-fi serial, Blake’s 7. You can see the Corgi stamp on the photo. Quite a cool design for a TV spaceship. I quite liked Blake’s 7 when I was a kid, and remember being surprised at the end…

I have lots of fond memories of finding and playing with these toys when I was young. They’re great souvenirs of old films, and fun times – and imagination.

St. David’s Day Playlist

Posted on March 1, 2014 by platinumal

Happy St. David’s Day!

To celebrate, here’s my Wales themed playlist, featuring some of the great Welsh artists from over the years.

Tom Jones – “Green, Green Grass of Home”
Manic Street Preachers – “A Design for Life”
Catatonia – “International Velvet”
Feeder – “Buck Rogers”
Goldie Lookin Chain – “Guns Don’t Kill People, Rappers Do”
Budgie – “Breadfan”
Duffy – “Mercy”
Super Furry Animals – “Ice Hockey Hair”
Stereophonics – “Local Boy in the Photograph”
Charlotte Church – “Call My Name”
The Alarm – “68 Guns”
The Joy Formidable – “Whirring”
Bullet For My Valentine – “Fever”
Shakin’ Stevens & Bonnie Tyler – “A Rockin’ Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)”
Propellerheads ft. Miss Shirley Bassey – “History Repeating”
Bryn Terfel – “Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau”

A mix of genres there, with some absolute legends in attendance. Shakey and Bonnie on one song, together? Awesome. I chose a less obvious Shirley Bassey number also. From classic pop, to metal, to indie pop to rap; Wales has it covered.

Can you think of any more Welsh artists to add to this list? Leave a comment and let me know.

Happy Birthday Johnny Cash

Posted on February 26, 2014 by platinumal

Today I’m commemorating the birth of Johnny Cash, born 26th February 1932.

Below is a picture of some of my Cash memorabilia. This includes vinyl albums, CDs, books and t-shirts. That’s quite a few pieces I’ve collected over the years. The music is timeless and will last longer than the items shown, however.

One more point: the black record sleeve you can make out at the bottom right of the photo is my first Cash album. It was my grandmother’s originally, and became mine when she passed away – so it has a special place in my vinyl collection. It’s a great record and introduced me to Johnny Cash’s music.

Check out: JohnnyCash.com

Santa Cruz Snowskate

Posted on February 25, 2014 by platinumal

Well we’ve not had any snow round these parts (so far). And the Winter Olympics are over. So my timing with this post is pretty off. Never the less, I thought I’d share this item from my board collection with you.

This here board is a Santa Cruz snowskate. Slightly bigger than a typical double kick skateboard, the snowskate is made of solid, tough plastic. It’s designed to be ridden in the snow like you would a skateboard – ideally on the sort of urban obstacles (rails, walls etc) that you would ordinarily skate in the summer.

Where there would be grip tape on the top of a wooden skate deck, this board has a rubber surface. It’s slightly spongy to provide grip, and nicely waterproof. You wouldn’t want your grip tape getting all messy now, would you? This makes much more sense. Underneath the plastic is ridged, to help provide some control and a better riding surface.

Control is certainly crucial here – remember, unlike a snowboard, there are no bindings to keep your feet strapped in and attached. Instead, you ride the snowskate exactly like a skateboard. This requires balance, self confidence and fair old bit of craziness. The result is a fun board that can easily be carted around the hills or local spots when the snow falls.

I’ve had some cool times riding this snowskate – the best thing about it is that it feels slightly different from both skateboarding and snowboarding – so you’re learning a new skill. That said, the snowskate is similar enough to both disciplines to mean that fans of either will appreciate it. Personally I’ve not mastered any tricks on this board, though I can ride it pretty well. The problem is the snow usually disappears too quick around here…

A snowskate is worth picking up for those days when you’re snowed in and the local park is calling. It makes a nice change from a sledge. All I need now is some snow.

Snowskate: bottom view

Snowskate: top view

Admittedly, this isn’t a skateboard as such – though I’m publishing this in the skateboard section of the Virtual Hot tub anyway. There’s enough common ground here for me to get away with that. Don’t like it? Write your own blog.

Technical Specifications:

Length: 35.5″
Width (widest): 92
Width (slimmest): 8.5″

Soundtrack: some frozen Scandinavian metal, like Kvelertak.

Check out Santa Cruz snowskates here. Nowadays they’re being made with some cool graphics, if that helps convince you. I like the sugar skull best!

Lunch at Taco Bell

Posted on February 21, 2014 by platinumal

Buenos dias, compañeros amantes de la comida!

I went to Manchester yesterday, for a general look around and to spend some money on tat. My plan, while I was there, was to have lunch at Taco Bell. There is now a Taco Bell in the Arndale Centre food court, and it’s one of the few such restaurants in this country.

Back in 2000, I visited the USA and was able to persuade my travelling companions at the time to try Taco Bell one lunch time, rather than the Golden Arches. As a fan of Mexican food, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. So the opportunity to eat there again was one that I could not pass up.

Lunch time at the Arndale Centre food court was fairly chaotic, with hundreds of people bustling about and queueing for their fast food of choice. Chairs were scarce and the vibe was more seething ghetto than high class eating. However, most punters were opting for the obvious Mac or KFC, so the Taco Bell area was slightly less busy.

I opted for a meal deal consisting of two soft tacos, served with fries and a drink. As I was as hungry as a mountain bandido recovering from a heavy night on the tequila, I also decided to add an extra “Craver” to my tray. There followed an anxious adventure to find a seat.

The Craver was first, as I treated it as a starter. Cravers are smaller, appetite beating choices, like the 99p menu at other restaurants. The option I chose was a soft tortilla wrap, containing chilli beef and cheese. Not overly spicy, it was still a good start to my culinary trip south of the border.

I’d chosen Pepsi as my drink, and after the Craver started on the Mexican fries. Though they were more chip than fry, I have to say that they were the best fries I have ever had from a fast food joint. Basic chips coated in spicy seasoning, they were simply fantastic. Highly recommended.

Along with the fries, my meal deal consisted of two tacos. I chose chicken, in a soft tortilla (rather than crispy); with cheese, sour cream and diced tomatoes. Very messy, but very tasty. Other options are available, including beef – plus you could go for burritos, quesadilla, or numerous other options.

If you are a fan of Mexican food, or have been to a good Mexican restaurant, then don’t expect Taco Bell to live up to those standards. But as an alternative to the standard burger and fries fast food choice, this was an enjoyable – and fun – replacement. I just hope that the British public can forget it’s reluctance to try “spicy” food (it’s not spicy!) and try this out. I’d love to see Taco Bell everywhere in the UK.

Good points:

A new, different option for lunchtime
Traditionally boring British palates mean that most punters are too unadventurous to try this – so the queues are smaller
It’s Mexican food – good or bad, that beats everything else in my book!

Could do better points:

It’s messy – clean up towels (like KFC) would be a good idea
The food could be spicier, and who knows how traditionally Mexican this is?!
Better seating arrangements would be better at this particular venue – I was there on a Thursday, so why was it so busy?

¿Dónde está la taqueria?

Check out the Taco Bell UK website here.

Go straight to the menu here.

New Year – New Playlist: Part 2

Posted on February 17, 2014 by platinumal

Remember the alphabetical musical playlist game? Part One was posted a few weeks back, here’s Part Two.

The idea was to take turns playing a song from my iTunes collection, in alphabetical order by artist. You can read the first instalment here.

Below is the next session, N to U. The final few are still to be chosen…

Al: Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “Straight to You”
Ness: Nirvana – “Heart Shaped Box”
Al: Ozzy Osbourne – “No More Tears”
Ness: The Offspring – “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”
Al: Public Enemy – “Harder Than You Think”
Ness: Pearl Jam – “Alive”
Al: Queens of the Stone Age – “Make It Wit Chu”
Ness: Queen – “Who Wants to Live Forever”
Al: Ramones – “I Believe in Miracles”
Ness: R.E.M. – “Nightswimming”
Al: Senseless Things – “Homophobic Asshole”
Ness: System of a Down – “Chop Suey!”
Al: Turbonegro – “The Age of Pamparius”
Ness: Tenacious D – “Tribute”
Al: Urge Overkill – “Jaywalkin'”
Ness: U2 – “One”

So I know it’s not New Year any more, but this list needs finishing off. Final part soon…

Questions #9: On Toast

Posted on February 10, 2014 by platinumal

What’s your favourite thing to eat on toast? A simple question, yet this one offered a lot of interest and whole load of suggestions.

Toasted bread is a very simple idea (even I can cook that) – but it’s appeal is massive, judging by the response to this question. Some of the suggestions I received are obvious, some sound delicious – others are a matter of taste.

Q: What’s your favourite thing to eat on toast?

Nathan: coleslaw

Matt R: bacon

Sian: bacon & sausage

Terry: Bacon

Jamie: butter and tomato sauce

Iain: peanut butter and jam

Sam: marmalade

Jayne: bacon

Mike R: salmon & scrambled egg

Mike Stone: mushy peas

Nick Jones: melted cheese

Mark “Hungry” Harper: peanut butter (smooth)

Lindsey Over: butter

Dan Graham: sardines

Irene Thomas: peanut butter, honey & banana

Annette Evans: spaghetti hoops

Steph Cottam: tomato puree, sliced tomatoes, sliced bratwurst, cheese (grilled)

Sarah Docherty: Branston pickle and cheese

Colin Pugh: sausage, fried egg and tomato sauce

Greeny: apple sauce

Adam Halliday: black pudding and cheese

Andrew Redman: strawberry jam & butter (on white bread)

Lisa Lord: Tomato puree, mature cheddar, Henderson’s relish and black pepper

Sarah Fickling: Dairylea and cucumber with a little black pepper

Claire Bujeaud: beans

Jayne H: sardines

Snips: Runny poached egg, fresh ground black pepper and Anglesey sea salt

Ade Cappadona: cold chilli con carne

Neil Calloway: poached egg and lashings of marmite

Cheryl Jones: pot noodle

Mark Dutton: crispy bacon and marmalade

Adam Butler: butter

Brian Hall: HP sauce

Matt Barnes: lard

Michaela Jjones: peanut butter and raspberry jam

Laura Jones: Marmite with a poached egg and cheese on top, sprinkle of salt and pepper

Vanessa: cheese and beans

Belinda Spry: Vegemite (+ cheese)

Peter Higginson: thinly sliced haloumi with sliced green olives, dash of black pepper

Zoe Cullen: beans and cheese

Corrine Bufton-Sales: peppered mackerel

Mandy H: cheese and tomato

Donna: cold caviar on piping hot toast with Dom Perignon

Bryn: bacon lardons, red onion and cheese

Mike W: bacon and cheese

Richard Pearson: roast dinner

Me: peanut butter (crunchy) and chocolate spread

There you have it: some excellent ideas. Some very simple suggestions – like good old butter – we often forget how good that tastes. Then there’s the Full English options, right the way through to some that sound like they could be on a menu. I’m also partial to sardines on toast, so nice to see that crop up a couple of times. One or two of these “favourites” may well be jokes, but I’m not sure…

Sweet or savoury, there are some great ideas here that I would like to try. I’ve not picked a winner, I hope this fun exercise has given you some “food for thought”. But – roast dinner on toast? Regular readers will be able to guess what I think of that…

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