Christopher Robin joins the lost boys

Is this focus groups feedback, political correctness or guerilla marketing?

The Disney Corporation are to make Winnie the Pooh's Christopher Robin a girl?

Huh?

Now I know its fashionable to be a girl with an ambiguous moniker (Jo, Chris, George, Mel, Jules and so forth).

According to various sources, including the BBC, Christoper Robin, a key part of the A.A. Milne Pooh bear storyline, is about to be written out and replaced by a girl. OK, nothing wrong with adding a girl to the story, but why zap Christopher Robin?

Milne's English granddaughter, Clare, is trying to reclaim the rights from Slesinger, but Milne's widow Lesley doesn't think he would have minded this change.

Disney says that the series will target preschool children quoting, “The young character will elicit physical, cognitive and emotional responses from the viewing audience and will also address them directly". You can also let Disney know your views via their own comment facility.

And the milk picture above along with a further adventure of Christopher Robin lost in the Hundred Acre Woods comes from Whatever.

Tag: Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh, Disney

bust bus

I posted a few weeks ago about the demise of London's Routemaster two person bus (the one with the open platform to hop on and hop off). The last day was yesterday and it was even a top news story on Radio Four's Today programme, complete with interviews with the decision makers.

The appropriate eulogy is at this gem of a site which has a systematic review of the last journey. There will still be red buses in London and a few tourist Routemasters. But an icon has gone.

The old joke, "Whats red and lies in the gutter?"

Boom boom.

Tag: London, Routemaster, bus, London Transport, No159

friday soiree

Tonght was party time with an oriental theme, in a huge marquee outside a stately home near London.

We had bindi dancers, a bucking camel, a sumo wrestling den and dodgems.

There was a Chinese inspired dinner and a mainly open bar. The dance floor was packed from after the dinner and the chill-out tent was strewn with cushions and people taking it easy.

I admit I back-posted this on Saturday afternoon when I regained consciousness.

snow storm

I couldn't resist adding this link from Jenny about the snow globe. Give it a try!

Thursday Thirteen (V4.0)

13 instant things (V4.0) about rashbre

1. I was determined to do Thursday Thirteen for two weeks in a row!
2. This is the first blog entry this week that I have spent more than about five minutes writing because I have been out each evening this week for a variety of reasons;
3. I moved into the editing stage of my NaNoWriMo work last weekend and as part of it have developed the ending for the story. Now I've printed the 100 plus A4 pages for the first time. When I reformat it as a book, I calculate i will be around 160 pages.Here is an extract of the rough draft.
4. I listened to 'Across the Universe' as a small tribute to John Lennon today. Jai Guru Deva, Om;
5. I've printed the HTML of my blog template to try to find the annoying incompatibility which make it go wrong in Internet Explorer;
6. The changes to rashbre central layout were after the critique from Ms Chatty and her friends;
7. I have not bought a single Christmas present yet - I will need to take a day sometime next week to get organised;
8. I've just eaten a pepperoni pizza;
9. Yesterday, Jenny gave me some Swedish St Nicholas cookies; they are supposed to make me nice.
10. The cookies reminded me of the Neimann-Marcus cookie recipe hoax, but I won't publish it here!
11. is still my favourite number;
12. I critiqued Michael's web site and will check again in a week or two to see what has changed;
13. I'm going to a big party tomorrow

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Leanne's Thirteen!
2. Raehan's Thirteen!
3. Colleen's Thirteen!
4. Carnealian's Thirteen!
5. Jen's Thirteen!
6. Shelli's Thirteen!
7. Barbara's Thirteen!
8. Enigma Chaos's Thirteen!
9. Angel's Thirteen!
10. Running2K's Thirteen!
11. D's Thirteen!
12. Jenny's Thirteen!
13. uzi's Thirteen!
X. (leave your link in comments, I'll add you here!)


Get Leanne's Thursday Thirteen code here!



The purpose is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! Why not do this too? Then leave me a link as a comment or trackback and I will update my entry a link to yours, and you can continue the chain!

Tag: Thursday Thirteen

thai square

We visited Windsor this evening and dined at Thai Square which enjoys a prime position opposite the Queen's castle. Our group convened in the conservatory and included David, Maria, Maura, Teji, Jenny, Chris and Annalisa. We were there to meet Guy and to hear about his latest adventure and all spent a chatty evening including swapping places at random intervals during the meal.

Good food, including crab cakes and mini spring rolls with pan fried dishes, spicy and chile laden curries and house specials such as ped makham - chargrilled duck breast, thinly sliced and spread on crispy seaweed topped with tamarind sauce.

the tiger's pad

Out this evening with Clive, Alli, Elaine, Alan and others to the Tiger's Pad restaurant in Sunningdale. The restaurant and indeed the town was brightly decked out with Christmas lights.

Great Indian food served communally to our group made a typical informal English night out. And when we finished, there was still time for Elaine and I to separately visit Marks and Spencer's, which Elaine reminded me was open until midnight for late shopping.

dig that xmas hit?

The UK pop charts fill with novelty records leading to Christmas. The actual number that make it to the Number One spot is far less than most Brits would expect, as everyhit shows. Nowadays, singles charts are fairly defunct because sales are lower since internet, mtv and similar.

Just for fun, I'm going to speculate on an 'Offbeat' number one this year, with this song about a bullied schoolboy creating traffic jams whilst riding around with his father on a JCB digger. Kind of Bob the Builder meets Mad World, with a bit of The Streets. Here's the video and here's the interesting website.

What's your bet?

Please enter song and artist in this box

Some from the Past:
C= Charity/O=Offbeat/G=Girly/D=Desparate/N=Novelty/X=Xmas/P=Pop

2004: C Band Aid 20 - Do They Know It's Christmas
2003: O Michael Andrews featuring Gary Jules - Mad World
2002: G Girls Aloud - Sound Of The Underground
2001: D Robbie Williams & Nicole Kidman - Somethin' Stupid
2000: N Bob The Builder - Can We Fix It?
1999: P Westlife - I Have A Dream / Seasons In The Sun
1998: G Spice Girls - Goodbye
1997: G Spice Girls - Too Much
1996: G Spice Girls - 2 Become 1
1993: N Mr Blobby - Mr Blobby
1990: X Cliff Richard - Saviours' Day
1989: C Band Aid II - Do They Know It's Christmas?
1988: X Cliff Richard - Mistletoe & Wine
1985: X Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone
1984: C Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas?"
1980: N St Winifred's Choir - There's No One Like Grandma
1978: N Boney M - Mary's Boy Child-Oh My Lord
1977: N Wings - Mull of Kintyre / Girls' School
1976: X Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born (Soleado)
1974: X Mud - Lonely This Christmas
1973: X Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody
1972: N Jimmy Osmond - Long Haired Lover From Liverpool
1971: N Benny Hill - Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)
1969: N Rolf Harris - Two Little Boys
1968: N Scaffold - Lily The Pink


I've left out Pink Floyd, Queen and other big artists who happened to be there and the '67, 66, 65, 64 were Beatle songs. Have to stop somewhere!

do i stress you out?

Thanks to debra for a) recent inspiration and b) the alanis morissette song generator, designed to generate angst ridden songs of total dispair.

Here's my depressing entry...If you want to play the game, click the link.

"Will to Live"
I feel miserable
Poisons make me ill
I feel miserable
Unbelievers tear at my foundations
I feel miserable
Unnecessary critics are dragging me down to the depths of misery
I want to die

Is it because of negativity that I feel this way?
With the green rays of misery pounding on my brain?
Or am I lost in tales of adrian henry, adrift far from home
I don't think so, I don't think so.

Jojo Broke My Will to Live
Jojo Broke My Will to Live
Jojo Broke My Will to Live
I was getting better but then
Jojo Broke My Will to Live

I feel miserable
Sadnesses rot the flesh from my bones
I feel miserable
Spiteful people defeat my purpose
I feel miserable
Miserable are doing their best to impale my soul
I want to die

Is it because of negativity that I feel this way?
With the green rays of misery pounding on my brain?
Am I lost in tale of adrian henry, adrift far from home
I don't think so, I don't think so.

Jojo Broke My Will to Live
Jojo Broke My Will to Live
Oh God, jojo Broke My Will to Live
I was getting better but then
Jojo Broke My Will to Live

What a hoot! I think I shall make a tune to accompany it!

bunny rabbit trap

Melanie tells me that Ben has been here, impersonating a Welsh person looking for rabbits. My thanks to Sascha Ledinsky for the bunny above and here is here evidence of another Imposter.

wibbly

I'm making a few changes to rashbre central today.

Please do not adjust your set if the colours look a bit stranger than usual and also assume that this is part of ongoing modifications. As I use a mac normally, I need to retry everyting on a PC. I usually find that everything works fine with just about every browser under the sun except Microsoft Internet Explorer.

keep on blogging - a slight return

In July, my rather freshly baked blog included an article about the Electronic Freedom Foundation. Across on Chocolate and Vodka (great combination!) there is an ongoing debate about digital rights and various activities and initiatives.

I mention this because a comrade-in-link appears to have been deblogged recently. Its not my story to tell, but I suppose the advice on ways to blog and about blogging at work suggest a few useful points. After one of the Technorati had problems, there was a good discussion on the red couch at naked conversations.

Additionally, James Snell's comments at IBM received a lot of attention when IBM produced its guideline's and policy.

Be careful out there in hyperspace and of course, keep on blogging!

Tag: blog, blogging