This is my bit of the net where I publish articles relating to my passions. http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/raphanius Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:38:43 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.squidoo.com/wileecoyote In the stoney deserts of New Mexico two adversaries do battle in the age old struggle for survival. The hunter and the hunted. The hunter goes by the name of Wile E Coyote, his intented lunch - the Roadrunner. moviesandtv Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:24:26 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/goodnightsweetheart Meet Gary Sparrow, an ordinary bloke with an extraordinary life. Juggling his roles as devoted husband to Yvonne and dependable friend to Ron. In the East End of London lies a strange alley - Duckett's Passage - his discovery of the alley eads Gary back to war torn London, to another life with Phoebe and their son, Michael. Goodnight sweetheart was aired for 58 episodes from 1993 to 1999 and was created by Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran. moviesandtv Thu, 21 Jun 2007 05:37:24 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/tomandjerry Tom and Jerry were an animated cat (Tom) and mouse (Jerry) team who formed the basis of a massively successful series of cartoon shorts created, written, and directed by animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera (later of Hanna-Barbera fame) and produced by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer from 1940 to 1958. MGM later had more Tom & Jerry cartoons produced by outside studios in the 1960s (Gene Deitch's Rembrandt Films from 1961 to 1962, and Chuck Jones' Sib Tower 12 Productions from 1963 to 1967). Tom and Jerry later resurfaced in TV cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions (1975-1977; 1990-1993) and Filmation Studios (1980 - 1982). The original Hanna and Barbera shorts are notable for having won seven Academy Awards, more than any other character-based cartoon series. The plots of each short usually centre on Tom's frustrated attempts to catch Jerry, and the mayhem and destruction that ensues. Tom never succeeds in capturing Jerry, mainly because of Jerry's own craftiness and cunning. The shorts are famous for using some of the most destructive and violent gags ever devised for theatrical animation: Jerry slicing Tom in half, Tom using everything from axes, pistols, rifles, dynamite, and poison to try and murder Jerry, Jerry stuffing Tom's tail in a waffle iron, and so on. A recurring gag has Jerry causing some sort of an explosive to blow up in his adversary's face. moviesandtv Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:18:47 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/sylvesterandtweetypie Sylvester the cat was created by Fritz Freleng for the 1945 cartoon "Life With Feathers" in which a henpecked lovebird tries to commit suicide by having Sylvester eat him. The cat's very first words were "Thufferin' Thuccotash", uttered again and  again throughout the cat's career. Sylvester was designed to look like a clown, that's why he has a big red nose and jowels. He was voiced by Mel Blanc.   In 1947, Sylvester was paired with an infamous character created by Bob Clampett, named Tweety Bird. In a short called "Tweetie Pie" once again directed by Freleng, Sylvester plays the jealous housecat, trying to eat Tweety. This concept would continue for countless cartoons. The short won Warner Brothers Animation its first Academy Award, and the characters were an instant success. Later the series would introduce audiences to Granny, Tweety's owner, and Hector, Tweety's bulldog bodyguard. Producer of the studio at the time, Edward Selzer, had suggested that Fritz Freleng not use Tweety but instead start using the little woodpecker from the earlier Sylvester solo cartoon "Peck Up You Troubles" (1945) as Sylvester's chief nemesis. Selzer was notorious for having no sense of humor or funny ideas, so Freleng decided that Tweety had to be the right character. However, aside from the tweety series, Sylvester was one of the most versatile characters in Warner Bros. cartoons, starring in many other cartoons without Tweety. moviesandtv Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:17:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/frankspencer Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was a hugely popular British comedy series, broadcast by the BBC in the 1970s. It was considered unlikely to succeed but the series triumphed due to the outstanding performance of Michael Crawford as the hapless Frank Spencer and became one of the most popular comedy series of the decade, attracting a huge family audience. Frank Spencer was the ultimate "loser", unemployed and unemployable, unable to cope with even the simplest day-to-day tasks. Every well-meaning attempt he made ended in disaster. What saved him, and kept the story comic, was his innocence, his dogged persistence, and his outrage at the injustices he felt he suffered. Writer of the series Raymond Allen maintained he based the character on himself and quoted as his qualifications his outdated dress sense, complete lack of self-confidence and overwhelming inability to do anything right. As proof of the character's origins, Allen recalled how he had bought himself a full-length raincoat to wear to the first rehearsals of the series in London and was dismayed to see Michael Crawford acquire one virtually the same as the perfect costume to play the role. The mac, together with the beret and the ill-fitting tanktop jumper, quickly became Frank's visual trademarks. It was Michael Crawford who turned Frank Spencer into a legend of British television comedy, employing the whole battery of his considerable comic skills. Disaster prone but defiant, the little man at odds with society. Each episode of Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em was essentially a one-joke escapade. What kept the series engaging, however, was the pathos that Crawford engendered in the character, making him human and endearing. In this Crawford was ably abetted by Michelle Dotrice, who played Frank Spencer's long-suffering but loyal girlfriend, and later wife, Betty. Crawford insisted on performing many of the hair-raising and life-threatening stunts himself, teetering in a car over lofty cliffs, dangling underneath a helicopter, and risking destruction under the wheels of a moving articulated lorry. The skill that he displayed in pulling off these stunts impressed even those who baulked at the show's BBC humour and  sentimental approach. moviesandtv Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:29:29 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/finalfantasyx I started playing Final Fantasy when Cloud was blocky yet it had the most stunning cut schenes I had ever seen on the PS1. I battled with Squall and Vivi then I thought my Final Fantasy days were over. Then I bought a PS2, got out my trusty sword and went battling all over again. videogames Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:40:39 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/finalfantasy_x Final Fantasy has made its name by bringing to the gamer some of the finest fantasy creatures to enhance the battles. Only Yuna can summon thee magnificent creations and you may recognise some as reincarnated from previous Final Fantasy games. videogames Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:48:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/chalk First aired on the BBC in 1997 and written by Stephen Moffat, Chalk is a satirical comedy based in the fictional sink estate comprehensive - Galfast high. Eric Slatt - played by David Bamber is the schools dysfunctional deputy headmaster and has a unique method of dealing with pupils and staff. He meets his nemesis ('shes just him in a dress') in the form of english teacher Suzie Travis - played by Nicola Walker.   moviesandtv Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:17:54 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/finalfantasyx2 Yuna and Rikku reappear in this novel spin off from Final Fantasy X and are joined by a new character called Paine. This is the first game in the FF series to feature an all female cast. Revisit Spira and resolve its political conflicts once again. videogames Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:18:50 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/blackcurrantsweets This lens grew from an idea my son gave me when he was picking his way through a bag of sweets to find the blackcurrant candy. Its the only flavour he likes. food Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:24:55 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/realales Real ale is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for a type of beer defined as "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide". food Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:37:23 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/hypnotize You too can change your life by the power of hypnosis.  Stop smoking, lose weight, gain confidence.  It changed my life, now it's your turn. health Tue, 26 Jun 2007 18:32:36 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/realalerecipes This lens brings you some of my favourite ways to use Real Ale in cooking. From the hearty steak and ale pie to homemade mustards there is something to suit everyone. food Mon, 18 Jun 2007 10:21:42 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/20 Web 2.0 is a phrase coined by O'Reilly Media in 2003and popularized by the first Web 2.0 conference in 2004, refers to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which facilitate collaboration and sharing between users. O'Reilly Media titled a series of conferences around the phrase, and it has since become widely adopted . computers Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:14:10 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/qualitystreet Have you ever looked at a huge pile of Quality Street wrappers and wondered what they could be used for? Can they be recycled? Firstly you notice the wrapper has two components. 1. the foil inner and 2. the brightly colored cellophane outer. The cellophane can be used as a gel when combined with a light source. The foil even though nowadays it is printed with the words 'Quality Street' has many craft uses. Here are some ideas I have found on the net and some of my own. diy Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:16:02 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/playrockguitar Nothing beats the sound of rock. Whether it be the driving metal chords of Ted Nugent or the skillful harmonic licks of a Green Day acoustic track. Now you too can learn how to play like the masters. music Thu, 21 Jun 2007 17:43:31 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/ratchetclank Ratchet and Clank is a series of 3D platform shooter video games. The franchise has been developed primarily by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the PlayStation 3 video game systems. The game follows the exploits of Ratchet (a humanoid Lombax that is very handy with tools) and Clank (a diminutive sentient robot that befriends Ratchet) as they save the galaxy from various evil forces. The series is noted for the inclusion of many exotic and unique weapons and gadgets. videogames Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:12:00 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/pinkgarden Pink is one of nature's most varied and vibrant colors. From the bright fuschia pinks to the gentle blush on a lotus flower the color pink expresses the diversity of natural colors. All shades of pink look sophisticated when combined with black or gray - plant pink flowers near your black compost bin. Medium to darker shades of blue - combine with blue flowers. Medium to dark green with pink is also a sharp-looking combo - great with evergreens. The use of the word "pink" as a color first occurred in the 17th century to describe the light red flowers of pinks, flowering plants in the genus Dianthus. diy Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:15:16 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/home-ed Homeschooling – also called home education or home school – is the education of children at home, typically by parents or guardians, rather than in a public or private school. Unschooling is a form of education in which learning is based on the student's interests, needs, and goals. It may be alternatively referred to as natural learning, child-led learning, discovery learning, delight-led learning, or child-directed learning. Deschooling is a term used to describe the process through which a child goes when removed from school and is  re-acclimatised towards the new environment of home education. education Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:29:14 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/qualitystreetvsroses Quality Street Vs Roses Everyone gets a huge tin of them for Christmas, its the first choice for Mother's Day. We all love chocolates but which one will win. Is it Nestle Quality Street in their lovely cellophane wraps and vintage tins. Or is it Cadbury Roses with their mini Dairy Milk? food Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:37:49 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/spyro_the_dragon The first Spyro game - Spyro the Dragon, released in the USA on the September 10th 1998 for the Playstation 1. It was a platform game that placed the player as Spyro a small purple dragon set with the task of freeing his fellow dragons from crystal prisons scattered around their world. Each level was attained through portals accessed from a main home world. The game culminated with a fight between Spyro and Gnasty Gnorc the final boss and main antagonist of the first game. Although there were other boss levels guarding each home world many of these were optional and did not have to be beaten to progress in the game. Spyro's primary abilities were gliding, charging and fire-breathing which worked especially well for the Playstation controller. The game sold well and most critics gave it favorable reviews. It also received acclaim for its musical score by Stewart Copeland. videogames Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:05:55 -0600