Zebulun @ Cession

Friendly Faces At Yum Cha This Morning

A Klown By Any Other Name Would Still Be Just As Scarey

Since my last post on the history of the world's most famous burger-lovin' clown, the story has become even more intriguing.

These four clips of are all just 30 seconds long, and will therefore take just two minutes for you to view. They are each of a different famous TV clown, but they all bear an odd historical connection. The first three are even all played by the same guy - TV weatherman Willard Scott (in an extraordinarily diverse career) - but the fourth? Well, I think he clearly owes something to each of the others, despite his official inspiration being another clown entirely...

Clown 1: (Willard Scott in the 1960s)



Clown 2: (Willard Scott in the 70s, clearly selling out)



Clown 3: (Willard Scott in the 80s, clearly taking "selling out" to prolific new heights)



Klown 4: (so... put 'em all together, and who did the 90s give us?)



Herschel, tellingly, has refused to comment on this post.

BBC Shortwave News sketch #3 of 3 : Standby

Sketch about the apathy (or lack of it) of the three churches in Revelation chapter 3, at Cession / Community Church. Words by me with Brett Jones, graphics by Dave Pitman.

Click here for sketch 1 : Restart.
Click here for sketch 2 : Antivirus.

Dick Solomon In Action

BBC Shortwave News sketch #2 of 3 : Antivirus

Sketch at Cession / Community Church about the third and fourth churches in chapter 2 of the book of Revelation. Words by Steve Goble with Brett Jones, graphics by Dave Pitman.

Click here for sketch 1 : Restart.
Click here for sketch 3 : Standby.

Sleep Yourself Thin

After 14 hours asleep in bed, I found I had broken the 80kg mark again!

Eagle vs. Shark

You have to wonder why this film was made.

It wasn’t for the thickie characters, who all - and I do mean all - seem to be disliked by both their writers and actors.

It can’t have been for the story, which is textbook right from the opening scene.

Heck, even as a hopeful piece of kiwiana it steadfastly refuses to even acknowledge place-names, to the extent of a character not stating an area-code for a reasonably long-distance phone-call.

There are one or two jokes in here (notably the phone message about “Justice is waiting for him”), but the whole thing is written, directed and even edited with such apathy, that you have to wonder if they unwittingly made a film about themselves.

Katie Melua: Concert Under The Sea

Usually I have a problem with DVD extras that include a “Making Of” feature, however in this rare instance it’s part and parcel of the main presentation.


This documentary of how, on October 2nd 2006, Mr Jan Hauge successfully put on a pop concert 303 metres below the North Sea (in then-named Statoil's Troll A platform) seamlessly segues into the show that’s really selling the DVD – Katie Melua… err… unplugged.

Although very well edited, the whole full-length viewing suffers from abysmal picture quality, and sound which almost, but not quite entirely, fails to take-in the whole reason for the show – the gorgeous acoustics of the 300 metre vertical tunnel above them. Just listen to the wonderful echo on Melua's speaking between the tracks, it's a lovely long reverberation that you can barely make out during the music itself. Talk about throwing away your star.

Anyway, earlier in the film, we get to see Hauge's and Melua’s journeys towards such a barmy event unfold almost like a real-life sitcom, with Melua and her band particularly going through more and more bizarre situations in their run-up to the big day. When it comes to the night itself, given the potential danger of a gas leak, the unnoticed dry-ice in the background only adds to the unintentional subtle comedy.

Melua’s familiar tracks hit their mark as always, and the whole concert absolutely flies-by. Of particular note is My Aphrodisiac Is You, for which she’s rightly accompanied by the show's mastermind Jan Hauge on piano.

Surely this was the actual moment at which Hauge’s incredible dream really did come true.

Available here.

BBC Shortwave News sketch #1 of 3 : Restart

Sketch at Cession / Community Church tonight based on the first two churches in chapter 2 of Revelation. Words by me, graphics by Dave Pitman.

Click here for sketch 2 : Antivirus.
Click here for sketch 3 : Standby.