matbro1984

3 hours ago, The Maestro said:

Looking back that's a lock. As much as I love that event, a reshuffle would have upgraded it from being another Mania to being considered one of the all time greats. 

This reshuffle would also allow for Savage v Jake in the Wrestlemania match that feud deserved.

Something To Wrestle With would be so much more bearable without the shit catchphrases. "Rumour and innuendo" is not going to happen. Pritchard has a lot of good stories to tell, but the format is hard work to listen through.

And who is buying Conrad T shirts? https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/bruceprichard

A photo I got of the International Space Station crossing the moon a few weeks back. Probably the most technically challenging shot I've attempted, and only a matter of seconds to get it. It's a composite of 22 frames stacked on top of each other. 

Full write up on how to do it here: http://www.mathewbrowne.co.uk/how-to-photograph-an-iss-transit-of-the-moon/

Watched King of the Ring 94 last night. Some observations

1. Owen Hart v 123 Kid tells a fantastic story in just a few minutes. The baseball slide to kick off the match was sold like a gunshot. 

2. Art Donovan was risibly bad on commentary. Asks who Shawn Michaels is during the world title match. Only one of the top stars in the company. What was the reason behind hiring him, and indeed, not pulling him from comms about 2 matches in. Savage frequently ignores him as time goes on. Super awkward.

3. Diesel should never have been in a main event at this point. Just a big guy with a good look. Thankfully Vince learned his lesson and never made this mistake again.

16 hours ago, PunkStep said:

It looks like she's hissing through her teeth, like a demented cat.

This buckled me. Bang on the money. 

Cover her lower face and look at the eyes. Those are not smiling eyes. Those are the eyes of someone whose parking space you just nicked.

I happened to be working late last night so though 'fuck it, I'll put Raw on in the background. see what I've missed the last few weeks'

Shane v Undertaker. At Mania. In the Cell.

Vince saying 'fuck' in the opener of his PG rated show.

Triple H bloodying Reigns to close the show. ...

This is proper e-fed stuff. I love it. Desperate, backs-against-the-wall WWE is the best WWE.

Since meeting my partner a couple of years back I have had a fair few great holidays, I'd always recommend Stalis in Crete - great food, great weather, amazing people and very little trouble. Next year we're off there again in July and to Cape Verde in January. If all goes to plan in 2017 we're off to the Maldives so we can hopefully see the sea of stars.

Have you looked at resorts in the Maldives yet? If not, I cannot recommend Kuredu strongly enough.

I'm planning on a long weekend with the missus in Europe in March. I want somewhere warm, near a river/sea and historic. I'm leaning towards Bologna or Venice. Anyone got any gems I could lool into?

Even if you had not offered it as an option, Venice would be my suggestion. I have been there twice, what a stunning city. Especially in the evening when a lot of the day trippers / cruise ship passengers have buggered off for the day. It's not much of a place for nightlife though, if that's something you're after. 

I think I might be done with Facebook. Just had an argument, first in years on there, with a guy who I respect. He posted an image of an Asian man with the lines "I want you to change all your customs to accommodate my sensitivities. If you don't then you are a racist" he's claiming sarcasm despite the fact the photo was posted by an American group whose website constantly posts anti-Muslim political propoganda. Others have weighed in and have said I'm the racist because I called this group Right Wing.

Saw that very post this morning, from someone I've always respected and gotten on fine with for years. My heart sank. 

 

The latest. Getting sticky now.

That was rougher than I expected, what a cunt.

 

If this is true I hope he gets to experience this for himself in prison.

And this quote is sickening. Effectively: "be flattered that he wanted to rape you".

She said afterward, "The crew all high-fived him and told him what a great job he did getting an anal scene for the price of a boy/girl scene." Peters told The Daily Beast when she tried to speak up to her agent about it, she was told she should feel "honored" he wanted her so much.

Certainly airbrushed. However, most cover models are airbrushed so it's hardly a groundbreaking first.

Think I might have to pick the magazine up as Im intrigued to know his training regime.

I'd wager Vince has access to something a bit stronger than Icopro. Still. That alone doesn't get you in that shape, so fair play to that crazy bastard. His ticker must be an absolute state.

At least being home schooled his kids won't have to put up with shit from classmates about their homeless Santa dad. 

Announcing his departure from social media is a transparent fish for "please don't go" comments. Is it working? 

As much of an arsehole as Foley is, the T shirt designer has made himself look like a wet gimp with his response to all this. Foley's managed to position himself as the babyface in this feud now. The scruffy twat.

Just seconding that comment that Mirage Men is a GREAT book.

A Paige fan decides to start his 2015 with a strong case for a restraining order.  https://twitter.com/RealPaigeWWE/status/551763221179146240

Spotted this on Reddit. Foley living up to his reputation.

 

I also have some advice, learned from painful recent experience. Those foil-wrapped sensor cleaning swab things for DSLRs... I bought some cheapo ones off ebay a few days ago. I now have a knackered sensor. Or at least, a really grungy, streaky, properly shit looking one. So, yeah. Don't be cheap with that stuff unless you really enjoy using the clone/heal tools in Lightroom.

£30 in Jessops.

I can do a basic service on a film camera, but digital innards are too easy to damage, so I don't risk it. I'll use a rocket blower, but nothing that actually comes into contact with the sensor or shutter .

 

When I used a rocket blower, the bastard thing put more dust in there then there was to begin with.

I ought to have added I've had a Jessops clean before but wasn't thrilled with the finish. Still lots of specks including 4 really obvious large ones which would have shown up on any photo. I'd gone in to the shop with about 8 of them, so I was quite disappointed they only managed to shift half of it. My local camera shop is £49 for the sensor and three lenses - much better finish. Although then I got arrogant and thought I could do it myself. Skimped on the kit and nearly knackered my sensor. Lesson learned.

I've got my camera clean this morning using the following kit

1. Dry clean with Dust Aid platinum sensor cleaner

Pretty expensive for what it is - a piece of silicone on a stick - but really was good at unsticking some of the hard to see specks. You do have to apply some downward pressure, evenly, for it to work. 

2. Wet clean with Visible Dust 1.6x swabs + VPlus liquid

Not only had I skimped on the last swabs, I'd also bought ones that were not a good fit for my sensor, they left about 1mm at the sides and really only diverted the dust, but didn't remove it. These swabs, however, were a snug fit inside the housing, though being so snug you've got to be careful not to snag the edge of the swab on the way in. Two steady swipes across the sensor, being careful not to apply much pressure, and it was job done. 

In hindsight I should have done a before and after, but I was happy with the finish anyway. There are a handful of very very tiny specks remaining but not enough to repeat the whole process to be honest. It's not like I make a living out of my photos, and I think the only person looking at my photos blown up to 1:1 is me.

Been lurking for months and not posting, just went through it all, some really lovely stuff in this thread. You talented bastards. 

I also have some advice, learned from painful recent experience. Those foil-wrapped sensor cleaning swab things for DSLRs... I bought some cheapo ones off ebay a few days ago. I now have a knackered sensor. Or at least, a really grungy, streaky, properly shit looking one. So, yeah. Don't be cheap with that stuff unless you really enjoy using the clone/heal tools in Lightroom.

Sorry, this may have been posted elsewhere, but the WWE TLC ppv has been renamed 'WWE Tables, Ladder, Chairs....and Stairs'

 

Kane's uneven hairline is incredibly distracting. Almost as much as that lump on his back at the last PPV

While I agree that this BBFC stuff is 1960s censorship nonsense, it's been rather an eye opener which friends on Facebook seem most outraged about it. Always the quiet ones, eh?

Classic Raw clip from 1997 where HBK is clearly pilled off his tits. At points it's like he's had a mild stroke. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FvaRuloL5w

I'm also going through the late-94/early-95 Raws and I'm amazed how shit and small time it all seems. No wonder the WWF was on its arse in this era. Virtually ALL of the big hitters circa 91/92 - Warrior, Hogan, Mr Perfect, Jake the Snake, LOD, Ric Flair, and now Randy Savage - had all fucked off. Bob sodding Backlund had a turn with the belt. In the space of 2 years they've gone from headlining Wembley to running shows in tiny venues in places like the "Fernwood Resort" in Bushkill, Pennsylvania which I presume is like Butlins, but shitter.

Duke The Dumpster Droese is making regular appearances. The phrase "New Generation" is getting the push that "WWE Universe" currently enjoys. Lex Luger is treading water as an embarrassing midcard flop. Worst of all is Shawn Michaels' tragic hair. He's finally growing out the front of his mullet and it's painful to look at.

When you hear the old timers talking about how the WWF was dangerously close to going under in the mid-90s, you can see why. As a kid I don't recall making a conscious decision to stop watching WWF, but you can see why so many of us turned off in droves.

Edit: Sorry - thought this was the 'thoughts that don't warrant a thread' thread. But at least I added a photo.

That was great! Thanks for that, man - makes me want to do the trip myself, looks like a load of fun. Really want to try that Alien Burger too.

I went with a company called Adventure Photo Tours - actually I believe they are the only company still offering the tour. Whereas in the 90s with the X Files at it's peak there were coachloads going out there every day, now APT are the only ones left, doing the tour on Wednesdays only.

Also - the alien burger isn't made of real aliens. I did ask... and swiftly realised it's a "quip" the poor waitress probably hears every day and has to feign laughter to.

It really is fun, and a part of the world you're never likely to just happen upon. You could hire a car and drive out there yourself but a few things would trouble me about that:

1 - You have to negotiate your way out of Las Vegas, which is a tough ask in itself.

2 - If you don't know exactly where the fuel stops are, you're buggered

3 - Getting to any entrance of the base is not easy, given it's not on maps, the road itself is little more than a dirt track in places so a regular rented car will be a very bumpy ride! there is a scenic viewpoint only accessible by 4x4 too.

4 - We visited the entrance that is geographically closest to the base, there is another entrance further north which actually has a gate and a fence and so on, that features in this BBC documentary. If visiting the same entrance we were, and you're not paying attention, then you could pass the sign by accident. This can and does happen... the likely scenario is an interrogation, a hefty fine, and a plane ride home later that night.

Much better off getting a tour, and some friendly company for the (long!) journey.

Seems like an appropriate thread to break out my Area 51 trip report. I went to Las Vegas for a friend's wedding last year, and did one of those all-day minibus tours to Rachel NV and the surrounding 'landmarks' (term used loosely). I'm fascinated by the lore that surrounds the place, and it seemed like a unique photo opportunity - plus a chance to get away from the relentless plastic and neon of the city - so me and the Mrs went for it. Naturally, a day trip marketing itself as an Area 51 sightseeing tour is bound to attract a certain sort of punter - we were clearly the only skeptics on the bus but we'll come back to that later. It's us two Brits, a 9/11 truther from Pennsylvania who came to Vegas to see Shania Twain and booked this side trip on a whim, and two guys from Australia on a 6 week American road trip with this day trip as it's highlight. They were hardcore UFO/paranormal enthusiasts, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of alleged incidents over the years. Plus the driver, Bill, who clearly doesn't believe any of the stories so delivers it all with a smile and a wink.

The tour begins in the car park of a hotel/casino that overlooks McCarran Airport. In the distance, a plane with no markings save for a lone red stripe has passengers boarding. These are the planes which ferry workers to and from the base every day. A fellow guest on the trip barks over the fence to a security guard "Where are these people going? Who pays for this? What do they do?" His lack of answer is interpreted as someone trying to stifle the truth. The truth I suspect is that he probably doesn't know either, and is probably fed up of getting this question from the tourist bus every Wednesday.

The first stop - after a 2 hour trip to the middle of nowhere - is a dry lake bed that was to be used as an emergency landing site for the space shuttle. Nearby are some stick figure petroglyphs which are touted as being Native American representations of aliens. Here we get our first sign that we're approaching a military zone as several jets whizz past at a tremendous height, no more than specks performing acrobatics overhead with the sun reflecting off at certain points in their turns.

We stop for lunch at the "Little A'Le'Inn", the only business for about a 30 mile radius serving food and drinks (and a loo stop) for passing tourists. As we pull up, a camouflaged Jeep full of soldiers joins us, and they all pile in front of the sign for photos. "They knew we were coming. They've come to keep tabs on us. Look at them taking photos as if they aren't here every day, pretending they're tourists." I dismissed this talk as paranoia though they were all greeted on first name terms by staff.

Lunch itself was standard American diner fare, with portion sizes to match.

The walls are adorned with photos contributed by believers, signed photos from various sci-fi stars, and stills from sci-fi films. As these weren't clearly defined, I observed one of the Australian guests commenting "How can the media deny the lack of evidence? You never see photos like this in the press?" when looking at a still from Close Encounters Of The third Kind. I didn't have the heart to tell him.

Of course, there was a gift shop.

The penultimate stop was Steve Medlin's black mail box, now white, and helpfully plastered with graffiti and stickers from passing tourists.I can only imagine the poor bloke shaking his head picking up his mail in the morning and complaining that he's fed up of this shit.

Seconds later, the sound of a massive sonic boom hit us. Pants were nearly shat. In the distance a jet was doing figures of 8 in the sky - obviously miles away by the time the sound reached us. I can imagine if it was night time, with a light doing rapid manoeuvres in the distance and the odd sonic boom hits you, that you might attribute it to something else.

The final stop was Area 51 itself! Or at least, as close as you can get as a civilian without being shot, a point which is still 15 miles away from the base. Much is made of the high tech security surrounding the place and the surveillance from allegendly up to 50 miles away before getting to the base. I think that's less to do with technology and more to do with the fact it's in the middle of nowhere and you can see the smoke billowing behind any vehicle from at least 20 miles away. That said, with a keen eye you can spot aerials and other odd objects stuck up in trees from about 10 miles away.

The "line" between restricted area and regular land is not that clearly delineated. There's no gate, no physical line, get some signs to the side of the road which you could miss if you were travelling at speed. (Although you'd have to be very, VERY lost to find yourself out here.) When we turned the corner into the valley the road passes we noticed lots of aerials and cameras, some more obvious than others, and of course a lone white jeep atop a hill, looking down at us.

Our guide then told us an anecdote about a guest who couldn't understand why the tour ended here, and insisted he drive her to the base. She then gets out, starts walking and is arrested and taken away. All guests have their photos and footage erased and are sent packing. He never heard back from the woman in question.

As the jeep's occupants could likely hear every word we were saying, I wondered what sort of wild theories they'd listened to over the years, as I myself eavesdropped a conversation speculating that the jeep is remote controlled, or occupied by alien-human hybrids, or controlled by super-secret robots with synthetic skin. I realise upon reading this back that it may sometimes come across in a sneering or condescending way which isn't my intention at all, all the guys on the bus were a great laugh and we all got on well, but I couldn't share their faith that there's really something paranormal going on out here.

I came away from the trip believing far less in the myths about Area 51 than before I went... but if you find yourself with a spare day in Vegas (and have done the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam... FFS do those first!), then you might enjoy the day out and get some holiday snaps that not many people have. The truth may be out there, but you won't find it here.

If the photos don't embed, my full album can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1...mp;l=d6e15402d6

This is Natalie Slater for those interested.

Is this a deleted scene from Portlandia?