Guplor

Star Trek:Zero I likes it.

2009-05-12T05:44:04Z

Yes, It was only Hamburger and not a Steak dinner of a movie... But it was really good hamburger -with the lot and a cold beer!

Of the actors, I liked them all -except for the poor guy doing Chekov. His accent was never THAT bad.

Karl Urban was fantastic, and Zachary Quinto was excellent. Pegg -YAY!

In all the ads n trailers they gave the impression that Uhura was hot for Kirk -sooo happy that was not the case.

Speaking of Kirk, him getting the crap kicked out of him every five minutes was the best thing they did with him -it just endeared him to me instead of the normal apathy I feel for him. It makes him a bit of an underdog rather than the superhero-wish-fulfillment-guy-who-never-loses he normally is.

I ran into Pols workmate Tony, he mentioned Kirk didn't win a single fight -except by cheating, ie: the Romulan he shot in the gut with his own gun. I like that.

The awkward exposition of why they have their cake and eat another one too, was thankfully brief. But is -to my mind- the best thing they could have done; I am very happy with it. The original continuity is preserved -and could even be continued if they wish- but we get to have all new adventures with different-but same characters.

Of course... Nero staying angry -for 25 YEARS??? instead of doing something about it??? and the Supernova that will destroy all space -but a blackhole that can stop said supernova ...won't???

Meh, hambuger.

Now I want MORE! Tv series and Movies!

...now damn it!

Melbourne?

2009-01-04T07:58:27Z

OK, I'm coming down to Melbourne, later this month; to visit family and meet up with friends who are stopping over on their way home from the UK. And it has been a while since I lived there -and that was for only 3 months in the early 80's.

So, where are all the good Steamer, Geek n Gamer places/stores in Melb?

I know of Global gear & MilSims, but what others? Comic, Book, Collectables, Toys, Clothes, etc

And I esp. want a long coat; a black Trench coat is the preference.

And what else is there to do or see -has been more than 20 years since I have visited. I was... 10? omg that was a bit longer than 20 ...grrrrrr

Laptops?

2008-11-18T10:06:08Z

Is there any brand of Laptop that is [other than Mac] particualy good OR are there brands that I should avoid ...say Compac?

I want a back-up-PC / travel-PC / watch-downloaded-stuff-n-play-old-games-PC thingie.

Suggestions?

"How would you like your toast? A little on the dark side?"

2008-11-10T02:08:49Z

I want one

http://gizmodo.com/5078124/vader-toaster-is-most-awesome-bread%20branding-device-yet

hehe

Prometheus Bound 22nd Nov

2008-11-06T12:16:24Z

Might I -in the interests of science- pique your curiosity in this?

www.myspace.com/prometheusbound01 there is also a Facebook event for this little soiree.

Weather -such as it is- I anticipate; can be the only obstacle to a wholly successful evening.

I CAN HAS COFFIN? or update: Hexadecimal Honeyed Hobbits Hysterical Halloween Harlequinade!

2008-10-26T21:49:23Z

I am on days off this week to do a bit of cleaning and prepare for teh Partei. And as part of planing where to hide some junk I had a look out in the shed -where I discovered a pair of mountain bikes; they are in almost new condition 'cept that they both have flat tires.

Who owns them?

Also, there was much fun had yesterday when peeps came over to make partei decorations -I can has COFFIN? So sweet to see everyone getting involved: Paul n Lex with Eden in some sort of assembly line of cardboard bats, spiders n jack o lanterns -like an evil sewing circle.

It was sooo nice to see Lilly so excited about it all -running about to n fro, hands covered in paint, speaking at a million miles an hour, piles of cut up card board getting under foot, wads of sticky tape every where, more running about, all my stationary spread from one end of the house to the other, even more running about, getting head spins from the fumes of the spray paint ...awwww do you need to lie down for awhile? Ok, you do that -wuve u!

I get to watch her this arvo: "My, my Lilly -what's this? I went and bought a bunch of new garbage bags; how exciting! Want to play a fun game: Uncle Guppy has a beer -while you get to ~~pick up~~ recover all the... um, Dragons treasure! Why yes, I DO think it will be great fun!"

Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Hexadecimal Honeyed Hobbits Hysterical Halloween Harlequinade!

2008-10-16T10:29:58Z

This is a repost from my Facebook:

A Kid/Adult friendly Halloween Masquerade Partei @ chez Gup!
Friday 31st October
Kids 6pm - 9pm-ish
Adults 9pm - late

The Lilly-mon has issued a decree that a partei be held to celebrate the "Annual kids get LOTS OF CANDY night" and for me to host such a soiree.

So, as the weather is sort of random now -we shall have a Masquerade partei. --That way, if it is too muggy people can come casual and still participate in the festivities.

But feel free to get fully kitted up!

The plan is for all the younglings [under 15's that is] to be fed [order pizza/whatever 'bout 7ish] and candied to the eyeballs by 8 or 9 pm --and then be sat down to watch a bunch of films upstairs [or have a sleep over] while the adults continue to have fun downstars.

Please bring:
-Food ------[a plate or something gizme a call]
-Drink ------[something for yourself, but also for the kids]
-a Mask or better
-a DVD for the kids to vote on to watch [such as: Teen Wolf, I was a Teenage vampire, Monster Squad, Scooby Doo, Monster House, etc, etc, --whatevar is the film dujour]

Annnnd don't forget the -CANDY! ---the idea is: if every one brings a bag of lollies -preferably individually wrapped- and we throw them all into a big bucket and mix 'em up them we give the kids [big and small] a bag of them each!

...and a folding chair; as well as some sleeping gear for the kids.

There shall be some of the above provided and hopefully a lot of atmosfear!

Polrua B'day Partei! ...ooh Bec-toria's n others too!

2008-09-26T07:07:05Z

We is hosting the big Munky's -n some others- B'day bash tomorrow night [Sat 27th, after 6pm] -sooooo TURN UP!

Its an excuse to BOOZE UP 'N RIOT!

...well as much as we do anyway.

So, there should be some nibbleys -and pizza is being discussed; but bring some Fud [maybe], Vitamin Booze [most definitely] n Yourselves [Duh] and maybe a folding chair [so you can sit!] as many of mine have got broke recently -AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!

YAY!

guplor @ 2008-09-05T15:02:00

2008-09-05T05:02:51Z

Other peoples pics of the Partei:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50123&id=622646536&ref=mf

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=56456&id=523040718&ref=mf

Now... I need to put some of my own!

Party, Part-ay, Partei!

2008-08-29T09:30:09Z

STEAMPUNK Partei!

30th August
Windsor Palace
6pm onwards

That is all...

Where do you get a Trench/Long coat that fits, in Brisbane?!

2008-08-21T23:28:37Z

The Steampunk partei is next weekend and I've hit a bit of a snag, my London Fog trench coat is too small [across the sholders of all places!] -it was a tad small when I bought it maybe 14 years ago; but now it is just no good at all.

Apart from the costume angle -I don't really expect to get one before the partei anymore; I'd just really like a nice coat -y'know?

So, I'm on the hunt for a Trench or Long coat -Black!- for real person size 4-5XL [thats a 50+ I think?] Wool great coats are not quite right:

1, I don't like wool. -too scratchy.
2, Waaay too hot in Queensland.
3, Always seem to be a little dingy looking.

So, does anyone know where I can get one or If anyone makes them?

Budget is: $200 ...but the cheaper, the better -of course!

KEATING! --DANCES!

2008-08-21T03:57:27Z

KEATING! was on ABC2 last night as part of the "ABC Live Presents" series, was v. good

-'cept the sound people were a second or two behind a few times

--aaannd the damn presenters hogged the mike at the end, so we missed most of what Keating was saying when he thanked the cast for such a great show.

I did NOT record it to DVD in the interests of posterity. So there is absolutely no point in asking me for a copy to treasure forever. -none what so ever.

YAY!

Is this the coolest motorcycle helmet ever?

2008-08-18T07:11:53Z

Too bad it is sooooo not legal!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Skeleton-Skull-Full-Face-3D-Unique-Motorcycle_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742Q2em153Q2el1262QQ_trksidZp1742Q2em153Q2el1262QQcategoryZ6749QQihZ002QQitemZ120295477165QQtcZphoto

But it could make for a great space marine costume piece?

?

Musgrave World Medieval Tournament !?! ...a Rose by another name???

2008-08-17T02:30:22Z

Not to imply that the Med-Fayre smells sweetly; But it can be sweet.

Thanks greenglowgrrl; I was going to have a giant rant in my last post that there was NO web presence at all .

But of course --they cannot call it the "Brisbane Medieval Fayre" s-h-i-t-e!

I mean -its a medieval fayre -in Brisbane! --What the phauk else would you call it??? AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!

It has to have some goddamn awful other name [copyright, trademarks and other bullcrap -grrr] the sad thing is half a dozen people have told me they have tried the reasonable thing and done a search for "Brisbane Medieval Fayre" [just like I did] and come up with nothing just as I did.

Here is the only linkie I have been able to find --and I would never have found it if greenglowgrrl had not done it first. -YAY!

http://www.esford.com/links.htm

Not much -but at least its something; hopefully they will have a real webpage up soon.

BRISBANE MEDIEVAL FAYRE! 20th & 21st September '08! Musgrave park, West End!

2008-08-16T06:50:57Z

Yes, there is a Brisbane Medieval Fayre this year --all sorts of rumours going round right now.

          --Apparently there will be a beer tent!
          --And there will be stuff ...there
          --um... er... BEER TENT!

...well thats all that really matters, as far as I'm concerned:   If there is sufficent space to sit and chat while having a drink and make frequent sorties to the german sausage stand [for cheese Kransky] --I will be a damn happy guppy!

So... YAY!

BRISBANE MEDIEVAL FAYRE! 20th & 21st September '08! Musgrave park, West End!

--PASS IT ON!

Fallout 3 ---Banned in Oz???

2008-07-17T02:59:08Z

Once again the lack of any real system of classification screws us over; the latest installment in a truly great series of games -and almost ten years since the last- is being banned because it has drug use [albeit fairly realistic drug use] :

http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/887/887728p1.html

Go sign the petition:

http://www.gameplayer.com.au/Petitions/Save-Fallout-3.aspx

Why is it we still do not have the same ratings for all forms of media? Be it movies, tv, books and vid games???

Party, Partei, Par-tay! FREAKY FRIDAY @ Casa Del GUP!

2008-06-11T12:28:08Z

This Friday is a 13th! And we is having a B'day bash for three people: Rasmussen, Perrin and Laka. So come one, come all! to the Windsor household and wish them well!

Bring Nibbles and Booze-ahol, bring partei cheer and... bring a yard chair -so you have somewhere to sit [peeps have been breaking mine]

There is talk of Lovecats.
There is talk of sending the few children who will be there, to the upstairs to watch movies.
There is talk of costumes!

Theme: Well Perrin said "Freaky Friday" -but does not explain; so I say: "Halloween / Goth / 50's B grade movie / whateva!"

Yeah!

Wicked! and Rocky! in Melbourne!

2008-05-23T02:29:06Z

Rocky, is now going to Melbourne and starts in September: http://www.rockyhorror.com.au/news_melb.html

And Wicked, http://www.wickedthemusical.com.au/wicked/home.html has bookings into January next year [even if Ticketek only goes up to the end of August] -so a trip down in September is now when I want to go.

Yay!

I bought a bloody great SWORD for a $1!!! -or Guppy's further adventures in EBAY!

2008-05-22T17:07:54Z

Ebay is... Fun!
Ebay is... Wonderful!
Ebay is... Helping me find things that I have been looking for -for years!
Ebay is... BAD!
Ebay is... Painful!
Ebay is... Helping me find things that I have been looking for -for years!

Ebay is... Taking all my money!

I like and loathe -in equal measure- Ebay. ...that is not true, I really like it, I like the fact that I have found a bunch of v. cheap DVDs, some kewl aviator goggles, a crapload of stuff that I did not know I needed AND a truckload of Miniatures and Bitz for miniatures, that I thought I would never -ever- see again. And at a price a shiteload less than I thought I would have to pay to ever get them all; but I am not happy that I can find almost anything -and I do mean anything; which -with my compulsive nature, is like blood in the water for sharks!

Some thoughts, on some things I've noticed:

--Necromunda plastic Bulkheads [small 3inch square "walls" that came with the original boxed set] have become a something of a commodity; they can command a v. good price [-for what they are. The highest I've seen so far is roughly $5ea! but a reasonable price is $2-3] if I did not want to use them to build and then paint terrain for said game -I could make a bit of money!

--It is amazing how high some people will bid for things and how early they do it. I was bidding on a large boxed set for 40k Cities of Death, worth $300 brand new [your Friendly Local Games Store -such as Ace Comics and Games and other stores will sell it at 10% off so more like $270] so my reasonable limit was $100 to 150 it would depend on how I felt. But the bidding finished at $230-odd, not counting postage and the set weighs upwards of a kilo and a half -it's big! -dickheads!

--I am suspicious of the French! I have always been so. This is nothing new; but now I have real reasons: An auction I bid on was for a bunch of Airfix Robogear [a sort of wargames water-wings set. V. Mechwarrior-ish! With snap-together models of soldiers, vehcles and buildings with some basic paints and a simple set of rules -where you can use dice and rulers to resolve the battle OR just use the spring loaded plastic dart throwers and shoot the other kids toys! KEWLl! http://www.robogear.ru/eng/ http://www.imex-model.com/games1.htm it is interesting that Aifix does not have a web presence for them. I can see it as a good way to get a younger person straight into the hobby without the burden of complex rules; much like what basic DnD was meant to be --I myself, wanted them to break all the sets down for PARTS! Bitz! More for the Bitz God! yay]
...So, the starting bids were 1euro, "kewl" I say I'll start with 2 then -you have been out bidded. Mmrmm... Oh-kay, I'll try 5 then -out bidded. Meh -it's ok, I'll leave it as I have just found that deals direct has some http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/airfix-robogear-battle-model-kit/ [which I have now received -and they are pretty kewl -NOT GREAT! just decent for what they are; worth the 40bucks. So, go have a look xutech!]
...so I go back to looking for a toy Han Solo blaster -always wanted one! When up pops a message "You have a second chance offer" IT seems that the other bidder has had to cancel his offer on the sets and I have been given the chance to make the purchase -at the last highest offer. Which just so happens to be 4.99euro an ALL 6 SETS!?!?! One or two -Yes! even 4 maybe -But ALL SIX!???? Something smells. ...S.I.G.H.

--Only bid with someone who will combine postage on multiple items! This is pretty much common sense and almost every one does it as a matter of course [I even got a refund from one!!! I gave him VERY good feedback!] -but there are some real turds out there.

--Go to Global Gear's, 99cent Ebay site http://stores.ebay.com.au/GlobalGear-online They are not really 99cents -the bidding starts there PLUS $35 delivery fee [combined postage is 20% off] but so far I have got one sword at $1 + $29 delivery fee and on the normal 'site http://www.globalgear.com.au/ it was worth $120 +delivery fee, So... Scooore!

Anyhoo, I started this just on 1am and it is now after 3am -tired!

Guppy, fall down -go BOOM!

Missing DVDs! and Daydreams of Wood Chippers! -nnnnaaarrrnnn!!!!

2008-05-12T11:51:21Z

The other night we were listening to "Once more, with feeling" -the Buffy musical- when Emma piped up that she had never seen any Buffy before...

I was stunned, I was shocked -I was! So, I gave her the lot so she can watch them at home -maybe lilly will like them as well. But today when I went down to the HJ's to grab a crap lunch, da Em tells me: my Season 3 of Buffy has gone missing -both multidisc cases -Weird!

Am pretty sure I loaned the entire lot of Buffy n Angel to someone a while ago and was sure I got it all back -ok maybe not that sure. So, as I have a memory like a sieve! Can any of you have a look about and see if you have a pair of season 3 Buffy laying about???

The young Emma's pop culture education is at stake!

p.s. I cleaned out some of the shed today -fIEND you still have crap in the shed- had next ot no fun at all cleaning out the trash. Had to sort though lots of boxes of what was up to seven years ago: good, well packed and cared for books and wargames gear; but is now quite often ruined from the cockroaches, mice and weather.

While tipping whole archive boxes of what used to be treasured belongings into the rapidly filling wheelie bin ...I discovered the true extent of my miniature hoarding... it's pretty kewl actually -except for all of fIEND's crap in the shed- LOTS of plastic sprues of Space marines [of course] but a suprisingly large amount of Imperial Guard and Tanks and Vehicles, even some fantasy stuff as well: Orcs, Dwarves, Elves n Gobbos -and fIEND you still have crap taking up room in the shed- a big lot of terrain stuff I could not remember stuffing in there; mainly because of all of fIEND's -crap in the shed.

So, other than thinking maybe I can afford another giant skip bin to get rid of even more trash; I also had strange daydreams of what it would be like to have FUN with a WOOD CHIPPER!

-nnnnaaarrrnnn!!!!
-nnnnaaarrrnnn!!!!
-nnnnaaarrrnnn!!!!

mrrmmm... I wonder if that was a little too subtle?

p.p.s. Not really angry about fIEND's -crap in the shed, just would like it gone. hehe

Grrr... Arrrgh!

2008-05-05T08:02:27Z

Iiiiiitttsssssss B-a-c-k!

http://www.brisbanezombiewalk.com/

...maybe I will get xombie-fied this year.

Broken record time!

2008-04-26T04:40:27Z

KEATING! even better the second time round!

I really enjoyed being able to see all the different flag ideas that get dismissed in the "Arse end of the earth" [a Ska style, patter song! wheeeee] this time around -when I saw it in Sydney -we were so far on the left of the stage we could not see any of the goings on, over the right hand side.

Get off your bum and go see it -I cannot stress how ORIGINAL, GOOD & FUN!!! this show is.

I really hate finding something excellent -AFTER it has been and gone! Case in point: The Princess Bride -I avoided it when it was in cinemas and only discovered it FIVE years later when a friend tied me to a chair and told me to shut up and watch it on video ...me: " But, how can a fairy tale be any good?" -the irony, is not lost on me.

So, as pretty much EVERYONE I've sat down and played the cast recording for -has enjoyed it. Don't miss this! -it really is a very good old style music hall show, as in: the cast play with the audience and want you to respond to the jokes.

If you want good and original, truly creative, well made and entertaining art -you have to support it! So -do so. I have! And I want to go again, now to check what seats are available the last few nights.

...Here, endeth the rant.

SEVEN YEARS!

2008-04-16T06:19:22Z

That is how long it has been, since I last did any model building / painting. And it has been eating at me all that time... miniature modeling [not the actual wargaming itself] is my BIG hobby -PERIOD! Even moreso that tabletop roleplaying Just ask anyone how much STUFF I have for Necromunda, 40k and a shiteload of defunct miniature wargames.

I lourve, LOURVE!!! [Intentional bad spelling!] building and modifying -what amounts to overpriced toy soldiers ---AND the terrain to be used with them [I had almost forgot how much fun it is to build this stuff -almost!] there is a running joke amongst some of you "Hey Russ, that ???? could be good for terrain." ???? being almost any piece of crap they happen to have spied lying about, be it old PC bits, hard plastic fast food containers, broken toys or other varied junk... admittedly -Yes! more often than not, what they have pointed out is trash; but I can and have turned said rubbish into some very kewl pieces for the battle board.

Terrain, is the background for wargaming; you can have a whole army of well painted and dynamic figures -but when you field them on your dinning table and have to use a bunch of old books and some tinned baked beans as hills and a few buildings it can spoil the enjoyment somewhat. Much like playing with unpainted figures -you can do it, but it is never as much fun.

Yesterday, I finally set up my modeling desk and unpacked my paints... most of which are ruined, they're still mostly liquid ...sort of, the medium [the chemical that keeps the paint liquid] in almost every one has slowly evaporated over the last seven years, and while they're useable the paint dries on the brush -no matter how much thinner or water I mix them with.

I also uncrated some of my large -as in abundant, ample, appreciable, astronomical (also astronomic), bumper, capacious, cavernous, commodious, colossal, copious, enormous, excessive, exorbitant, extravagant, extreme, great, gigantic, gross, heroic, hippopotamic, huge, immense, jumbo, king-size (or king-sized), major, mammoth, massive, monolithic, monstrous, monumental, latitudinous, lavish, liberal, plentiful, prodigious, staggering, stupendous, super, tremendous, vast, voluminous, whacking, whopping; ...'effen BIG! Bitz box!

...which is a bit of a misnomer -my Bitz box [where a model maker keeps any odd "bitz" rather than EVER throw anything out =the highest SIN -evar!] has not been a single "box" since the early 90's!!!   At the mo. it is at least nine sets of those plastic drawers -the smaller sets 3 or 4 flat drawers ...and a pair of the big ones as well.

...AND IT IS NOT ENOUGH!

Sooo, I'm looking for any model acrylic paints -Citadel [Games Workshop], Tamiya, Vallejo or even humbrol, etc, etc -that anyone is no longer using? Also If you have unwanted figures or bitz! i would like to hear about them. -now.

Gimme yur BITZ!

More BITZ! -BITZ! for the BITZ BOX!

maybe I'm a little high from the glue fumes....

TRASH Video in trouble.

2008-04-12T16:50:47Z

They are asking for help @ TRASH -Great place, I just cannot get there v. often.

Here is the reprint of their latest email...

Before you do anything further: please forward this to as many people as you can. We need to get the word out that small business, and not just OUR business, is under threat, but you can do something about it.

Three things happened this week to make me send this email. Firstly, a friend told me how they mentioned they were heading to Trash. “Ah,” said one wit, “West End’s Black Books!” That’s funny and tragic at the same time: We’re seen as cantankerous, rude, shambolic, devoid of customers and filled with old things no-one wants. In other words, a joke.

Second thing (or “ting” as Black Book’s Bernard would say) is the appearance of Red Room DVD on Boundary St. That’s ANOTHER chain store renting new releases to compete with. To rub salt in the wound, their window proudly proclaims, “DVD killed the video store.”

Thirdly: our phone was disconnected on Friday, and I didn’t have enough money to pay the reconnection.

Older customers may remember us sending out an email last March saying “we need your help”. At the time we were limping along, barely paying the shop rent let alone wages and new stock, and several grand in debt with no hope of ever making it from takings alone.

In our email I wrote: “We now make ONE THIRD of what we did in 2001. 2005: we were barely making enough money to cover new titles, and had to borrow thousands from my business partner to pay for them. The repayments were crippling - I stopped taking wages at this point just to get the business back on its feet 2006: We were barely making our phone bills and overheads. Still no wages, but I was cautiously optomistic. 2007: We cant even make shop rent. At what point do I put this dying beast out of its misery?”

The response was overwhelming. Donations flooded through the front doors in the shape of cash and new DVDs. Wihin two weeks we were out of the hole and buying stock again. Everyone loved us, and the future looked bright.

Within another two weeks, things ground horribly back to normal. The message – that we need ongoing support and not just token attention or charity – went unheeded. NOW IN APRIL 2008 we still make a third of what we need to thrive and survive. After a flurry of activity for the first few weeks of the “Save Trash” campaign, things went horribly back to normal – we had over a thousand new DVDs but no-one renting them. Instead of trying to sustain the momentum, I sank into a pit of depression, anxiety and despair. I’m not too proud to admit now that my pride took an absolute beating, and so I tried every escape valve to take a mental holiday from the badness. Not productive, I know, but that’s where my head was at the time.

ELEVEN BAD MONTHS IN A ROW have seen us sink further into debt – six grand’s worth of immediate bills in the shape of debt collector letters, over $25,000 in back taxes, and the Tax Office are ringing us weekly wanting their money. That’s $30,000 we need RIGHT NOW. And that’s to stop us from drowning, let alone treading water. Add another desperately-needed capital injection of $30,000 to $50,000 just to compete with the chain stores in the neighbourhood.

THERE’S THREE OPTIONS OPEN TO US…

1) SELL THE BUSINESS. A heartbreaking option, considering it was my Golden Child thirteen years ago. I guess children grow to adolescence and become more demanding, not to mention a severe financial burden. Maybe someone else can turn the store around. Any takers? Only SERIOUS offers, please. This is heartbreaking enough to have to be polite to vultures looking for what they believe will be easy pickings. I can see the potential and so can others, so please don’t insult me with a patronizing gesture.

2) LIQUIDATE. Sell the collection off in its entirety or piece by piece, and close the business down. The absolute worst-case scenario, but one I may have to face.

3) SURVIVE AND THRIVE. The hardest one to achieve, considering my ever-depleting well of energy, sanity and enthusiasm, not to mention complete lack of capital. Things would need to change and a lot of cash would need to be raised.

THE PROBLEMS: THEN AND NOW

MARCH 2007: “Chain stores have more money and can afford to pander to the general public. Indie stores just cant compete. People like new releases, shiny surfaces, branded corporate image. We are grumpy, untidy, at times arrogant and condescending, and dont share the publics fascination for new and shiny. Basically we are the Black Books of the video world, and while it seems funny from the outside, no-one really wants to shop there. We were forced out of the Valley six years ago by Blockbuster taking all of our custom. Now Civic around the corner on Boundary Street has done the same thing - it arrived around the time we started going majorly downhill.”

APRIL 2008: ...and continues spiralling downwards. How do we reverse the down trend? How do we make things good again?

MARCH 2007: “Brisbane is the place where novel ideas dont make money. We have the population, are tribal and suburb-centric. We tend to stay in a lot and say ìthats a good ideaî but only support it in spirit. Look at the fate of the following: Silver Rocket, Kent Records, Pippins, Fan Attic, Metro Arts Cinema, The Classic, The Boomerang, Schonell Cinema, Village Twin, Valley Twin... We outlasted them all, but only just.”

APRIL 2008: The key words are “only just”. “But you guys have been around forever,” we hear time and time again. “You’re an institution (that horrible word). Surely you can’t go under!” Well, institutions tend to be structures fuelled by nostalgia or good intentions that never pay their own way and usually have massive external funding to keep them going. We’re a business, and thus don’t qualify for arts grants or the like. Believe me, we’ve considered every option.

MARCH 2007: “Consumer patterns have changed. There’s less money around, and people have less spare time, and small business is suffering across the board. Our customers now rent one film instead of three or four at a time, and that can’t sustain a business. Also, consumers in general would rather own or download a movie than rent it, and besides, DVDs are much easier to burn for your friends.”

APRIL 2008: …and it’s only getting grimmer for video stores in general. It’s not just us, so I no longer take it personally. The question must be asked – is Trash Video an anachronism? Are we no longer relevant? IS IT TIME TO MOVE ON?

MARCH 2007: “We cant expect loyalty from our customers when we dont have a product to offer them. No new releases or back-catalogue titles for six months has killed off the last amount of good will from most of our customers. The irony is: we have more customers and more films on our database than ever. It just proves that a video store is like a hungry beast that constantly needs to be fed, and we have run out of meat.”

APRIL 2008: No new releases for the last six months have proved those words as relevant as ever. Depressingly so.

MARCH 2007: “New technology has killed us. We had no idea how swift the changeover to DVD would be; we figured at least there would be a dual system for a few more years. Instead, we were forced to replace our entire stock AND keep up with new releases. When you are a micro-business like ours with no absolutely capital reserves, and are (in the eyes of every financial institution, and who can blame them) a high risk investment, its impossible to even attempt to keep up with the flood of new DVD titles. So we are stuck with a store with over 80% VHS titles which are considered worthless and unrentable.”

APRIL 2008: Now we see the introduction of Blue Ray, a new format less than ten years after the introduction of DVD. This is consumerism spiraling out of control, and to tell you the truth, I don’t want a part of it. If we do survive, I make a pledge here and now: TRASH SAYS NO TO BLUE RAY. We will stick to what we were meant to do: keep old and forgotten films on dilapidated technology in circulation. It’s the message, not the medium, which is important, and no amount of one-upping your friends with shiny new toys will prove me wrong. Or am I wrong? IS IT TIME TO MOVE ON?

MARCH 2007: “I have worked behind the counter at Trash for eleven years without a break. Friends warn you not to make something you love into a business, and yet I forged ahead with Trash, and for the most part Ive had a blast. In the last few years the joy has been ground out of me. My long-term staff left and I couldnt afford to replace them, and so I became a one-person operation. Over the 2006/07 holiday period I worked for three months, every day for nine to twelve hours, without a break, for rent money. I’m tired, bored, jaded, cynical, and suffer prolonged periods of depression, anxiety and paranoid delusions directly linked to stress over my financial situation, which translate into deep-seated feelings of inadequacy and failure. I’m not trying to play the sympathy card – I’m just stating facts. It’s just not fun being me anymore.”

APRIL 2008: After a five year struggle with the symptoms of manic depression, I’ve spent nine months of therapy dealing with an undiagnosed series of stress breakdowns. Now I’m finally starting to claw my way back to feeling “normal”. It appears, as I’m crawling out of the black hole and starting to conquer my inner demons, that all the good stuff is happening elsewhere – the study, the documentary, the TV show, the writing – and not in the business side of things. I do get the feeling that, by pushing my friends and loved ones away, not to mention existing and potential customers, I feel like I’ve been burning bridges for years to the point where I may have none left. You get to 38, you’ve been self-employed for almost thirteen years, and yet I work 90 hours a week for less than $250 a week. IS IT TIME TO MOVE ON?

When all may be lost, you have to pose the question: Is it worth the struggle to continue? The answer is, and always has been, a resounding YES. To put it simply, Trash is my baby. It was my dream project since I was 10 years old, and has been my reality for the past 11-plus years. Sure, I would love to be doing something else (writing? teaching? making movies?), but I would also want Trash to still exist. I may be down right now, but I will never give up on the dream until the bitterest of ends. Call me a dreamer and an idealist - this is how I choose to live my life.

Now is the time to stand up and be counted. Halt the Monoculture streamroller. It’s not too late to save the alternative to chain store video culture. Imagine a city with no Trash Video. If we disappear, so does the last independent video store in inner city Brisbane. Your choice is reduced, and is dictated by market forces. Do you want eccentric, different, indie, even if it’s messy and occasionally grumpy? Or safe, corporate, and lowest common denominator?

Sure, chain stores have a bigger range of DVDs. GIVE US A FIGHTING CHANCE TO COMPETE.

THE SOLUTION? (mostly written in March 2007 and more relevant than ever…)

Drop by the store and BUY or RENT SOMETHING. Just come to us for one week, even if it’s for a token rental from our relatively miniscule selection. Even if we are inherently creatures of comfort and habit, please step outside your comfort zone for one moment, jump on a bus and pay us a visit. You can stop us from going under by choosing to spend your money with us. IF EVERYONE RENTED $10 WORTH OF MOVIES OR BOUGHT a $10 MOVIE OR POSTER BEFORE THE END OF MARCH, WE HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE OF SURVIVAL. Aren’t you tired of the Brisbane Lament: “I used to really like that place.” We all pay lip service to indie ventures yet spend our money elsewhere. You can reverse the process of independent stores going out of business by supporting them financially. VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET: do I choose to spend my money at an independently owned store, or am I happy to see my money go to making big business so big it crushes small business in the process? Spend a little cash with us in the next few weeks, and see what difference it makes.

Put credit on your account. Even $20 to use down the track whenever you feel the pinch. Or buy credit on someone else’s account, just to say you love them!

Adapt and survive. That seems to be the message coming through loud and clear: embrace the DVD explosion. Most emails lament our situation, yet acknowledge the need to transform the business to meet changing economic and cultural patterns. Long-term plans seem to indicate keeping rare VHS titles on the shelves while expanding the selection of quality DVD titles the chain stores neglect. We will still be a niche store catering to a niche market, but potentially capturing a considerable share of that market. Time to think laterally...

Sponsor a New Release DVD. Buy a title from the “SAVE TRASH VIDEO” lists at Avid Reader in Boundary St and JB Hi Fi in Adelaide St (available from Monday onwards), and donate it to the store. We will then give you the equivalent of the receipt in free rentals (plus you get to watch the movie first!), AND list your name on the front cover. You can be a part of Trash history!

Donate your unwatched DVDs and VHS to Trash. Most people watch a movie twice, three times? One customer has even lent us over 60 of his DVDs for an indefinite period - that means over $800 we didnt have to spend on new (and good!) rental stock - in return for free rentals.

Owe us money in overdue fees? Please pay all, or even some of the amount. Im sure we will be grateful as hell and offer to wipe the excess. Or (and this is a simple one), bring those non-returned DVDs back!!!

Donate cash. The time for pride is over. We have put a donation box on the counter, 'cos at this point, every silver coin helps.

Loan us some small amount, say $500 or $1000. We will pay it back in six months or a year, or when we can afford to. That way we can plow even more capital into buying new DVD stock. Meanwhile you can enjoy the luxury of free rentals for the period of the loan. Or just write off the amount and call it a gift, its up to you.

We will keep listening to good ideas, get marketing advice. Help us devise a workable advertising campaign. And above all, keep getting the word out that indie stores need your ongoing support.

Volunteer your services for a few hours a week or even once a month. Help us clean, do a leaflet run, offer me an extra pair of hands on an afternoon or evening to put movies away, and get a few free rentals in the process!

Benefit Shows. A solution proposed by many, but the sheer time and energy factor to set up and promote an event for possibly very little return, particularly at this moment in the shopís history, precludes me from the equation. If anyone would like to set up an event, or series of events, I would be more than happy to put my name to it. From Dana: “A Roller Derby, Marathon Soc Hop, anything that Happy Days did.... we do.”

Don’t throw away your VHS player, or get a cheap $30 machine from the Pawn Shop. We will even rent out VHS players for a week or weekend at very reasonable rates. Don't allow commerce to hoodwink you into believing DVD is the only worthwhile format. The truth is, DVD is not the indestructable format we believe (check out some of our 20-plus year old tapes and compare them to a six month rental disc, and see if the tapes skip and freeze or just refuse to play on your machine). Also, help us keep our VHS library intact and halt the process of cultural homogenization. If DVD becomes the sole format, your choices are slashed. Once half of our VHS stock disappears from the shelves, you may never see them again.

Keep the Grass-Roots Campaign Rolling To Save Trash You don’t need a Blockbuster advertising budget to get your message across. Show how grass-roots networks DO work, and make everyone aware how bad it is for small business to compete against the global corporatization of EVERYTHING. Do a blanket coverage of chat rooms, forums, bog sites, email networks.

So I guess our future is in your hands once again. DO WE SELL? DO WE SCUTTLE? OR DO WE WE KEEP GOING IN A MUCH BETTER SHAPE? If you come in and spend money with us over the next two weeks, we have a good chance of surviving the hump, evolving and thriving. If you don’t, we will wither and die. THE CHOICE IS YOURS. But don’t say “Man, I used to really like that place, it’s a shame it had to close down.” Use your power wisely to change things for the better, if that’s what you choose. Whatever happens in the next few weeks, at least you can say we gave it one last try.

Warmest regards and with fingers crossed, I again await your response.

Andrew

TRASH VIDEO: “Here one minute...”

1/73 Vulture St , West End Qld 4101, Australia

ph 07 38447844 (or intl code + 61 + 7 + 38447844)

OPENING HOURS: Monday to Thursday 12pm to 9pm, Friday to Sunday 10am to 10pm

EMAIL: trash@trashvideo.com.au

WEB: www.trashvideo.com.au or www.myspace.com/trashvideo

BLOG: www.trashvideobrisbane.blogspot.com

“SEARCH FOR WENG WENG” DOCO: www.andrewleavold.blogspot.com

SCHLOCK TREATMENT: www.schlocktreatment.blogspot.com

MY WRITING: www.mondostumpo.blogspot.com

Its a damn shame they had to move from the Valley ages ago; That was the biggest blow to them -imho.

Wheeeeeeeeeeee

2008-04-10T12:39:37Z

http://www.glamguns.com/storemain.html

Now I wanna play Cyberpunk!!!

...again, s.i.g.h. sooo loonng. so very long.