Well…I’ve found something new to occupy my time - and it may well turn into another hobby (I’ll try not to make it an obsession too soon), Armed with just a Logitech webcam, a Canon EOS Rebel (for stop motion stuff), a green screen (on it’s way), a copy of Microsoft Moviemaker (with a couple of add-ons) and a whole heap of imagination I have entered into the world of film-making and Vlogging…as evidenced by my last post.

So, as you can imagine - I have been playing around with editing and perfecting my greenscreen approach all weekend in between band rehersal, brass lesson and getting my haircut!

My latest entry into the ‘Youtube’ verse is something called an AMV - Anime Music Video; the idea being you take an anime film (I chose Final Fantasy the Spirit Within) and you use footage edited against your chosen favourite track (I chose ‘Hide and Seek’ by Imogen Heap) I chose these two because they seemed a good match but you can be the judge…my thanks go to the original artists without whom this sort of thing would have been impossible.

If you feel the need to comment you can either comment here, or on my Youtube page

…ouch!!!

…cringe…?!!

……well, it’s only about 3 weeks till the BIG CONTEST in Australia. So, I have locked myself indoors - and I am literally doing little else than practice test pieces this weekend. The real nasty one being - Diversions on a Bass Theme by George Lloyd! I have never really played a contest at this level before, so I don’t want to let my fellow players down…

So, this morning I had my usual lesson, some good bits came out of it, but also some bad! I’ve just finished another hours worth of playing, and some of the more tricky triplets near the beginning are coming together, I’m giving myself a break then I will have another blow later on about 6-7pm and see how I get on. I may only play half an hour, because I don’t want to demolish my lip completely.

oh…AND it’s raining outside today…so I guess that makes me feel a little better about staying in - I have also come to the conclusion that my ‘trusty’ Sovereign cornet isn’t up to the mark for the contest, so I’ve gone back to the band’s B&S ‘Challenger II’ which gives a much better sound. I’m sure I can still find a use for my Sovereign?? Plant pot maybe? hmm…

Popped into work this morning, to get on-call gear for New-Year…sigh and plan for this afternoon was to hit the laundrette! Guess what! No laundrette…. So, I am now faced with the problem of a lack of clothes until at least Thursday!

in other news:-

My big Christmas in Hong Kong update is coming soon….just need to wittle down the 200+ photo’s should be online before 2008! =P

I am getting this real sense of Christmas being literally just round the corner, and I have got to get my toosh in gear and get some pressies sorted out and posted, as it’ll take about 10-15 days for them to get to the UK. Hmmm….just dunno what to get for people yet, I reckon I have another 2 days before it becomes a problem for me.

In other news? Not much to report really, I am continuing to lose weight (yippeeee) but at a slightly slower rate which is to be expected, as the increased exercise balances the increased muscle mass against lost blubber…..or something like that?!?! o.O The weather is definatley here though for plenty of outdoorsy stuff, and it’s been mighty fine weather all week, in fact as I type this the bright (UV-unprotected) sunlight is streaming through my window, increasing my chances of getting sunburn or sunstroke - Meh! Don’t worry I’ve got my factor 30+, I bought some the other day, hehe it looks like they don’t do anything less than 30 out here and it’s just as well with the Solar energy bombarding us at the moment.

I’ll be starting on-call at work just into December, so I guess that will be “fun” - so far all I really know is to answer the phone. It’ll all fall into place once I actually do it I suppose though. Meanwhile I am brushing up on Check Point NGX stuff - it’s ALL FUN FUN FUN!!!