Top Number: My Top 7 Mythbusters Episodes

For over a decade, the Mythbusters have been blowing everything and anything up in the name of science. The two main presenters, Adam Savage and Jamie Hynerman along with the build team, Tori Belleci, Kari Byron, and Grant Imahara, have been testing out anything between common misconceptions to the outright bizarre all to get an answer. If the myth is deemed impossible to recreate from the evidence given, it is busted, which gives them the greenlight to do whatever it takes to get a result they are happy with; if the myth can be recreated by with only in a specific way, it is deemed as plausible; but if a myth can be recreated and the result is exactly what they were looking for – and can be done so multiple times – then it is classed as confirmed.

The more popular myths the team tests out are the ones they find in the news, where a situation happened that many believe to be false, so they go ahead and test it to see if the newspapers or the article on the website is indeed true or not, however, they also collect myths from viral videos across Youtube and other such social media websites, and even from fans who’ve sent in their suggestions that they would like to see tested, but their most popular ‘myth generator’ is from the feature film. Hollywood is known for bending the truth slightly, and so they test to see if that person really was able to pull off that incredible stunt, or if that car really was able to fly like that; no questions are left unanswered.

If, after they have fully tested a certain myth and their fans are disagreeing with their results, the team will go ahead and retest the myth with any suggestions from the fans on how to get a better or the result they were looking for in the first place. There has been a couple of times throughout the show that they have gone back and retested a myth because they believe they have gained a lot more experience than what they had last time to really crank up the tests and get the results.

Due to the show now being in its final season, I thought it was the right time to talk about my top 7 favourite episodes. I will be listing what experiments they did in each episode but I won’t be giving away any of the results as they may be surprising.

Number 7:

Youtube Special – 2009 Season

The Mythbusters test myths taken from viral videos as seen on Youtube, including the match bomb, where if Adam and Jamie were to ignite 30,000 match heads it would create a huge fireball and if a car tire was spun so fast, would the friction generated from it set it alight, and if Grant Kari and Tori were to build a giant Lego ball completely out of Lego to see if it would roll down a hill without breaking.

While this may not be the first episode to feature a myth taken from a video clip, this is certainly the first episode to feature nothing but video clips. The original viral videos does leave you scratching your head wondering if what you saw was real or not, but you don’t have to wonder anymore, because the answers are all jam-packed into this one episode.

Number 6:

Duct Tape Hour 2 – 2010 Season

Can Adam and Jamie built a bridge with nothing but Duck Tape, can Grant a Tori reassemble a car that has been torn apart by Kari, can Duck Tape hold keep a car suspended in mid-air, and can Duck Tape stop a car travelling at 60mph?

This is the second of many duct tape specials the team have made over the course of the show and while each episode feature Duct Tape does go one better than the one previous, I picked this episode in particular because this is the second special featuring nothing but the power of Duck Tape. I mean, Duck Tape must be a powerful and versatile product if they have to pick it up again to see if they can do anything else with it.

Number 5:

Plane Boarding – 2014 Season

What is the best and most efficient way to board a place? Adam and Jamie tests various different ways with the help of a group of fans of the shows acting as volunteers. Whilst they are doing that, the built team are testing if someone can really catch a bullet in their teeth.

Boarding a plane shouldn’t be a stressful experience, yet it is because we simply do not know who is allowed to board first, whether it is the people who pre-booked, the people with new-born babies, or anyone with a first class ticket. We simply do not know, so we all go at once instead and then spend a long time being processed before finally being able to board the plane. I was quite surprised when they showed the results of their experiments. The reason why I am putting this episode here, is simply because this episode can be used to help an everyday event in some way.

Number 4:

James Bond: Parts 1 and 2 – 2008 Season

In the first episode, Adam and Jamie test to see if an electromagnet hidden in a wristwatch can deflect bullets and if a speedboat can land safely and continue driving after jumping off a ramp, and the build team test to see if a person can shoot a propane tank with a 9mm and make it explode.

The second episode featuring myths from the James Bond movie franchise, saw Adam and Jamie testing to see if a Ballpoint pen bomb can be used to completely destroy the top half of a mannequin, and if a person can actually use a set of metal teeth to bite through a cable car’s cable, and the build team test to see if a statue’s head can be knocked clean off with a metal brimmed Bowler hat.

The James Bond franchise stretches over 5 decades, so it doesn’t surprise anyone that it comes with its fair share of moments that leave you aghast. Of course, they are films and so aren’t meant to be taken literally, but it doesn’t stop you wondering if there is a hint of possibility in there somewhere. How cool would it be if they turned out to be true?

Number 3:

Airplane Hour – 2007 Season

Another episode featuring planes, but this time, it is completely devoted to them instead of just focusing on one myth. This time, Adam and Jamie test to see if an untrained passenger can land a plane via instructions from the air traffic control center – this myth is based on the movie, Airplane. The build team test a number of myths which focuses on skydiving: Whether you can have an audible conversation whilst skydiving; whether a person can freefall for a certain amount of time before opening their parachute; and if someone jumps out of a plane, can someone jump out after them and catch them before they hit the ground.

The odds of the first myth actually happening is very unlikely, but if it were to happen, it would be nice to know if it is possible, and if you were to go skydiving for the first time, having the knowledge of what will happen during may help you, but if you don’t fancy skydiving at all, then you can simply sit back and enjoy the episode.

Number 2:

JATO Rocket Car: Mission Accomplished? – 2013 Season

There is a valid reason why there is a question mark in the title. This is the first ever myth Adam and Jamie ever tested on the show, and the result wasn’t what they were expecting. Everything went right, but it didn’t go right. Now, ten years on, they have accumulated many more years of experience, so they decided, to celebrate ten years of mythbusting, to go back to the very beginning and retest the myth that got away. Now, with many more hands, they were able to go bigger and better with making sure that everything would work as planned so they can get that one last definitive answer that they have been searching for, for ten years.

Throughout the entire episode, you can clearly see how much they have grown since the beginning. They are a lot more comfortable within their own shoes meaning they know exactly what they are doing. All they want is for a car to fly like a rocket into a side of a mountain. How hard can it be?

Number 1:

Tanker Crush – 2016 Season, and Hollywood Car Crash Clichés

That’s right, I’ve picked two episodes to be joint first place. I did so because I couldn’t decide between them. I thought about putting one of them as number 2, but in the end I decided they were as equally as good.

The first episode features Adam and Jamie fill railroad tanker with steam, seal it up and see if it crushes under its own pressure. They spend the entire episode trying various ways to make it crush. I will give away the end result: It’s Busted. They cannot make the crush under its own pressure. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t ever unsuccessful. They do eventually and the end result is so satisfying to watch, I could watch it over and over again without ever getting bored. A giant piece of metal such as that tanker suddenly being flattened with nothing but the power of pressure is unbelievable. I cannot imagine what it would look like if I was actually standing there, waiting with continuously growing intensity when any second the entire think could collapse.

Throughout its entire run, there is only one other episode, in my opinion, that ends with an incredible satisfying result and that is, the Hollywood Car Crash Clichés, in which Adam and Jamie tests whether a car can crash through a sheet of class without injuring the two people carrying it, and if a truck travelling a high speed can plough through two lanes of traffic. The build team test whether a vehicle will flip over when being blown up instead of just staying where it was.

The experiment featuring the truck and the traffic jam ends with one of the best conclusions to an episode they’ve done. It’s yet another episode that I could watch over and over again, just for that one moment.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk 

Layers: Part 22

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk

The Watch – Part 53:

The walk through the Fair was a simple one. Despite the amount of people darting from one place to another or many in one place, it was surprisingly easy to navigate without bumping into anyone, save from a couple of twists and turns as one or two kids decided to break away from their parents and dart towards something they wanted.

As I followed Tom, I saw not just stalls full of various items, but also events that anyone could have a go at, such as arts and craft, needlework, the Hoopla, ball-in-a-basket, archery and air rifles and paint balls shooting where you have to shoot at a range of targets and the highest ones means a better prize. There were also many rides for all ages, from the standard Ferris Wheel, miniature train rides and rollercoasters and the always popular house of mirrors that I used to love when I was a kid during the many times my parents or my grandparents took me to a travelling fair during the summer holidays. Seeing my reflections all twisted and contorted kept me entertained for hours. I absolutely hated the haunted house ride. That scared the living heck out of me and I vowed never to enter its spooky doors again, and I haven’t. Tom, being Tom, loves that ride and always heads straight towards that no matter what. This time, however, we walked straight past it.

‘You do know that you just walked past the haunted house ride, don’t you?’ I asked.

‘I know,’ he said, ‘but I’m not interested in that at the moment,’ he said rather cryptically.

‘That’s a first,’ I said.

‘And if all goes well for you,’ he said, turning around and walking backwards at the same speed as he was forwards, ‘what is about to happen will be a first for you, as well.’ I should know what he is up to, yet my brain is unable to piece the clues together. I know the answer is staring me in the face, but just cannot see it, no matter how much I try and look for it.

We carried on walking, past the rides designed for the likes of teenagers and adults alike. The bigger, scarier rollercoasters with steep drops and large banked curves. One even had a loop right in the middle where people screamed the coaster entered and exited in one motion. The largest Ferris wheel is always a must no matter what type of fear it is. And the always infamous mechanical bull that everyone brags about how long they can or have lasted on its back only to fall off in a matter of seconds much to the spectator’s amusement. We bypassed everything until we were right at the back of the fair where a large white tent stood. Many people entered and exited at the same time. Tom stopped just before the entrance and I stood beside him, reading the sign that hung just to the right of the door.

I read the sign out loud, ‘Talent competition. Everyone has a hidden talent. Here you can show that off and win prizes. Come and have a go for only five pounds. Prize: a year’s supply of pizza.’ I turned towards Tom, who was awaiting my reaction. ‘A year’s supply of pizza is a bit much, don’t you think. I mean, wouldn’t it go out of date before you could finish every last one of them, and wouldn’t you get a bit bored of having pizza every day for an entire year?’

‘Oh, you are such a party pooper, you know that,’ Tom said shrugging off my questions.

‘You’re not expecting what I think you’re expecting, are you?’ I asked really hoping that he is going to say what I think he’s going to say, ‘because I don’t have any talent,’ I said not wanting to put myself down so I quickly added, ‘not one that would be good enough to entertain a panel of judges, anyway.’ I do have a hidden talent, but it’s not something special, just something that I found I was able to do with ease. But isn’t how all hidden talents are discovered, by finding out that you can do something with ease.

‘No, I am not expecting you to get up on stage and perform,’ Tom said, ‘I expect you to go in there and meet someone, talk to her and actually get somewhere.’ ‘Her’ can only mean Amy.

‘I would rather perform, thanks,’ I said as my nerves kicked in.

‘Suit yourself,’ he said.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well,’ he said in that tone that told me he has a very dubious plan, ‘I can either put your name down on the list and you perform on stage in front of all those people, and from the sound of things, it’s pretty packed, or you can have a casual conversation with Amy. What do you want to do?’

‘You’re evil,’ I said. But I can see his logic. I have liked Amy for four years now, ever since then I laid eyes on her on the first day of college, and Tom has been trying to get me to talk to her, even if it’s for one sentence ever since he figured it out that I liked her, which was immediately because I apparently zoned out as I watched her enter the classroom and walk towards her seat, sit down and get prepared for the first class of the day. In a way, Tom was only doing what any good friend would do, which is help me. And if anyone has that one friend that is stubborn, then they will find a way around that. In the end, that one stubborn friend always sees the good intentions in their friend’s actions and thank them for it. That’s just the way things go.

‘But thank you,’ I said after I thought about it for a while.

‘No problem,’ he said smiling.

‘How did you know that Amy would be, not only at the fair, but in this tent?’ I asked.

‘Oh, you know, in passing,’ he said. ‘So are you going to stand out here all day or are you going to enter?’

‘Well, considering the other option is not what I want to do at all, I have no choice but to enter.’

‘Good choice,’ Tom said, patting me on the shoulder.

‘But what do I say to break the ice?’ I asked. ‘I can’t just walk up to Amy and her friends and join in the conversation they are having as if it’s nothing at all. That’s intruding and not a very good first impression.’

‘Just follow my lead,’ he said and I followed him into the tent. I did have that expression that told me he was surprised that I am optimistic for a change, but he carried on anyway, as if nothing’s any different.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk

Random Topic Generator: My History of Gaming

When I received my first PS2 back in the day, the three games that came with it were: 

The Incredibles, an action-adventure, beat ‘em up game based on the critically acclaimed Pixar film of the same name; 

Spider-Man 2, an action-adventure, sandbox game loosely based on the critically acclaimed film of the same name; 

and Burnout 3: Takedown, a racing game within the Burnout series. All three games were released during 2004, and it was these games that started my gaming collection

Over the years, my PS2 game collection had grown to a considerable number. I had some of the most popular titles including and not limited to, The Simpsons: Hit and Run and The Simpsons Road Rage, both games were awesome to play and kept me entertained for hours; The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, a game which I consider the best sandbox game there is because of the amount of continuous fun and unstoppable rage you can create whilst controlling one of the most powerful superheroes in all of comic books; Stuntman, which allowed me to create almost any insane stunt that I wished to see if my car was able to flip this way and that to complete it successfully, but almost always ended up either laying on its room in bits; and Worms 3D, which was prone to many glitches and when I was playing the multiplayer with two of my friends, the game got stuck on a worm saying ‘surf’s up’ over and over and over again, which still haunts me today, but overall it is a good game.

The reason why I mentioned those specific six games is because during the entire time I had a PS2, those six games were the only ones that I fully completed the story and, or all the missions, and unlike all the others, were the ones that I continued to play after completion. After I had finished some of the other games, I put them to one side, and didn’t play them for a while afterwards. I didn’t see the need to figure out why I stuck to those games more than others, but recently, after thinking about it for a while, I came up with an adequate reason which I would like to share with you today.

Let’s start with Spider-Man 2 and the Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction are sandbox games, which allows you to do pretty much what you want in between progressing the story. It was these two games that made me fall in love with that particular genre of games, because it allows for creativity, experimentation, and unique experiences every now and again, which is why GTA V is a close second when it comes to my greatest sandbox games of all-time. Burnout 3: Takedown, started my passion for racing games, and to this day is my niche, mainly due to how I was practically unbeatable on the track and still am. The thrill of driving a car at high speeds, weaving in and out of traffic, before slamming on the breaks to take an incredibly sharp corner and when coming out of the other side, hitting the boost button, sending my car right back to top speed once more, doesn’t get any better than that. I did have a drought for a year or so, but when I picked up the controller once more, I was instantly re-hooked. And The Incredibles and the Simpsons: Hit and Run showed me that the games that stick to a story are fun as well, if done right.

A couple more years passed, and the unfortunate happened. My PS2 passed away. By that time though, I had already purchased myself a PS3, and was playing the popular racing game, GT5, and LittleBigPlanet. So, I made a decision, and one that I probably shouldn’t have made. Once it was clear that my PS2 was gone for good, I sold my games. A lot of memories and many fun times were had playing those games, but I thought it was high time to move on. And that’s when I realised that I had made a mistake. I should have just gotten myself another PS2 – a second-hand one; nothing to fancy. But I didn’t. I was convinced that it may be a waste of money as I cannot be sure that that console wouldn’t break as well, being second-hand and all that jazz. It was during this time I didn’t play many racing games, mainly due to the fact that I was practically addicted to LittleBigPlanet’s build your own level section. But when I did get back into racing games, I started to play Colin Mcrae: Dirt 2, which I still consider as the best rally game there is.

But then, one of my closest friends introduced me to a game series that changed my liking of story-based games. Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, the first of four games by Naughty Dog, the incredibly popular game company that made the Crash Bandicoot games. I played Uncharted from beginning to end in a matter of days, and the second in an even shorter space of time. I was always that person who didn’t bother about studying the graphics over the story, but even I had to admit that the graphics completely blew me away, which dragged me in even further, and the story was big and bold, historic and clever. When I heard about the third game in the series, ‘Drakes Deception’, I couldn’t wait, and when I eventually got it, I played it right the way through. I had to admit there and then that Naughty Dog was one of my all-time game developers, but what cemented themselves as number one was when the Last of Us came out.

The Last of Us broke me. It was emotional from beginning to end, the story was so immersive, the characters so relatable and developed so much throughout the story. The ending made me weep for days. It was so good, I played through the entire game in one day, I just couldn’t put the controller down. The Last of Us is without a doubt, the greatest game I have ever played. Just as a side note, my thoughts on there being a sequel are neutral – they are neither for nor against there being one – but if they are going ahead with one, then I am sure Naughty Dog will do a great job with it.

After I had eventually recovered from that incredible experience, after a few months, I found myself playing more and more PC games. I should explain. When I started college, my Grandma thought that it would be good if I had a laptop because that way I would be able to get on with any and all assignments that I had to complete without having to disturb anyone from the family computer. I loved my laptop. I wrote many assignments and a couple of short stories from time to time. It was that laptop that I actually wrote the first half of my book, Sector 22: Zoey on… sorry, I know it was a chunky plug, but I couldn’t resist.

Anyway, moving on. Steam is wildly known as the most popular place to get your games from, and a couple of my friends already had accounts on there. I didn’t think I needed one because there wasn’t any games that took my fancy, until Train Simulator 2012 came out. I’ve been a big fan of trains all my life, it never went away, and so I thought that this game is the best I’m going to get to actually driving a train – I know, sad isn’t it. I didn’t know that you needed a Steam account to play the game, so I signed up for one. And ever since then, my Steam library has grown and grown. Train Simulator started my liking for simulators as I brought Euro Tuck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator, but I found that I still favoured the racing games and the sandbox games as I brought Just Cause 2 and its multiplayer, and subsequently Just Cause 3 which it came out late last year, Garry’s Mod, GTA IV and GTA 5, Dirt: Rally and Dirt: Showdown, Kerbal Space Program, and Universe Sandbox and its sequel.

But, if it weren’t for the Uncharted series and the Last of Us, then I wouldn’t have been shown the wonders of story-based games, and so I decided to branch out a big and see what’s out there, and I discovered Little Inferno, Human Resource Machine, and the absolutely faultless Paper, Please, which is yet another game that broke through my emotional barrier and made me think for days on end.

One of the reasons why I stuck with PC gaming and it gradually becoming my number 1 place to play my games now is plainly and simply because of the large array of mods that are available. Mods can be compared to the modern day cheats that you would enter into your PS2 games among others, because they can be used to unlock everything. But, they can also be used to do pretty much whatever you want. Mods allows you to change the gameplay enough to give you a new experience, and therefore more enjoyment. For example, the mods that I currently have installed on Just Cause 2 are infinite health and infinite ammo, meaning that I can go around, doing whatever I want having unlimited fun hour after hour.

But I never forgot where all of this started. I knew when I started playing games, but I didn’t know what led me up to this point, until now. But what helped me generate that reason was when my friend said that he was getting rid of one of his consoles and ask if I was interested in having it. You may already know where this is going? I said that I didn’t really need another console, because I’ve got my PS3 and my PC, but when he said that it was a PS2, I brought it off him quicker than the quickest lap time I’ve ever done in GT5, which was 59 seconds around the Top Gear Test Track in a Zonda. I then instantly purchased four games: The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Spider-Man 2, Burnout 3: Takedown and the Simpsons Road Rage, and when the turned up, I played them once more, and completed them again.

The nostalgia was strong, and it was then when I discovered why I stuck to those games when I had them before and the genres they sat in, not because they were good games – because they were – but because when it comes to sandbox games, when I was younger and had a mind completely void of any worries and stress that would come later in life when I got older, they allowed my mind to wander and wonder, I was allowed to do so much more than just follow a story, and as I gradually became a part of all the worries and stress that come with adult life, those games allowed me to forget about all of that for an hour or two, I was able to just sit back and relax, and let my mind wonder and wander won’t more. And when it comes to racing games, well, I was just naturally good at them.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk

Layers: Part 21

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk 

… Of the Week: 24th February – 2nd March 2016

Film of the Week:

Pacific Rim

A few days ago, I got into a conversation with someone about this film, and they said that they didn’t like it very much, which is fair enough, but their reason behind it was one that I simply couldn’t agree with. They said that it’s nothing but ‘robot and monster battling it out for two hours. The story is practically non-existent and when the story does show up, it’s poorly written.’ My reasoning behind why I like this movie is because it’s ‘robot and monster battling it out for two hours.’ What’s not to love about that?

When we were younger, we used to grab our robots and our monsters and test their might. We used to occupy ourselves for hours on end, creating complete worlds full of nothing but battle scenes. And that is exactly what this film is about. Two hours of robot and monster going against each other: Epic imagery over the top of an awesome soundtrack. What more can you possibly want?

Well, now that we are older, we would like to have some story between the fight scenes, so we are given one. When gigantic creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea and terrorising the world, humankind had no other choice but to create monsters of their own: Equally as massive robots known as Jaegers. These Jaegers can only be controlled when two compatible people are mentally linked via a neural link. If this link is broken, they have lost all control over the robot. But, as more and more strong Kaiju emerges from the sea, even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenceless. Raleigh Becket (Charlie Hunnam) – a former pilot – is recruited back for one more chance at defeating the Kaiju once and for all. When in search for a compatible partner, he discovers Mako Mori (Rinko Kikuchi) – an untested trainee. Together, they must fight the Kaiju and stop them from emerging from the sea. Can they remain compatible?

I’ll say it again: It’s epic. From beginning to end, the spectacular imagery will leave you speechless and wanting more. The first time I saw one of the Jaegers dragging that freighter behind it only to whack one of the Kaiju with it was easily the highlight of the film for me. If you haven’t seen it, then you simply don’t know what you are missing.

TV Episode of the Week:

How I Met Your Mother – Season 5 – Episode 12: Girls Vs Suits

This isn’t just another episode, it’s the 100^th episode, and they most definitely honour that in a big way. But, let’s backtrack a bit and talk about the show as a whole. Ted Mosby (Josh Radnor) sits his two children down to tell them the story of how he met their mother. Starting in 2008 and ending in 2014, How I Met Your Mother follows the adventures of Ted and his friends, Marshall Eriksen (Jason Segel), Cobie Smulders (Robin Scherbatsky), Lily Aldrin (Alyson Hannigan), and Barney Stinson (Neil Patrick Harris), through thick and thin as they battle every day occurrences and those odd situations as well. It’s funny, eccentric, and stuck to its conclusion throughout the series by subtly adding specific tenses here and there.

The 100^th episode tells of how Barney – who loves wearing suits – tried to seduce the woman behind the bar, but when it turns out that she doesn’t like men who wear suits, pledged to stop wearing suits so that she would then go out with her. It started off easy, but Barney found that he started to crave his suits. When he was hurriedly putting one of his suits back on, it rips. Devastated, he takes it to the best tailor in the city to try and get it fixed. I’ll let you find out what happens next.

To celebrate this episode being the big 100, there is a big song and dance about how nothing suits Barney better than a suit. It’s well-choreographed, and well-performed. Overall, it’s a great episode that helps the show to continue forward for another 100 episodes before it came to an end.

Game of the Week:

Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005)

I found out the other day that Need for Speed: Most Wanted – the 2012 version – was free for a limited time for download. An entire game for free, that’s the good part. The bad part about that is the game. I have to say that I don’t like the reboot of Most Wanted. It’s too much like Burnout Paradise and is nothing like the original. I feel as if the reboot is trying to steal the original’s limelight, and so I am here to acknowledge that it is still a great game to play.

You are a racer who was once cheated out of losing your car and was subsequently arrested. Once released due to lack of evidence, Mia helps you to reclaim was is rightfully yours by giving you a new car and a chance to take down each member of the blacklist. Once you have worked your way up the list, you eventually get the chance to take on the number 1 most wanted person on the blacklist, Razer, the person who has your car. Can you take him out and escape the police as well.

When you are driving the cars and pushing them to their limits, it looks and feels as if you are really going that fast. The gradual increase of difficulty throughout the story prepares you for the final races and the ending to the story. There’s a sense of achievement when you win each race and defeat each member on the blacklist. Most Wanted reintroduces the Police and boy do they make it difficult to escape from. If you have five stars, you had better be skilled behind the wheel, because there will be no shortage of roadblocks complete with spike traps, SUVs, helicopters, and a stampede of cars coming from all directions. Even playing now, after so many years of experience, I can barely escape from a five star wanted level, but that’s all part of the fun. The game makes you earn the victories instead of handing them to you on a plate.

And, the reason why this is my number 1 Need for Speed game above all, is because of one feature that I still don’t know if it was deliberate or not, but it’s there. I won’t spoil what happens, but I will tell you how to locate it (although I am pretty sure that most people already know about this useful feature).

On the main menu, select ‘Quick Race’, then ‘Custom Race’, and then select circuit. There, select the track Omega. Pick the car you want to race in and begin the race. When the race starts, follow the track until you find the underground carpark area. Slam on the brakes, turn around and you will see that there is no barrier across the entrance. Drive through the underground carpark and have fun.

Video of the Week:

The Marauder – Ten Ton Military Vehicle – Top Gear – BBC

By Top Gear

Last week, I made a list about the top 5 Top Gear challenges. Although this isn’t a challenge, more of a review with a comedic edge to it, this video shows Richard Hammond driving the Marauder, a beast of a machine that can trample over any and all ordinary cars that dare to get in its way. That is all. I’ve linked the video so that you can watch it and enjoy.

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk  

The Watch – Part 52:

The sun was shining bright today and there weren’t any clouds in the sky save from a few patches here and there. It was nice and comfortable instead of being far too hot to handle, allowing Tom and I to walk casually. We chatted as we made our way to the park located just down the road from us. Tom lived closer to it than I, but it was still only a few minutes’ walk from my house, so there was no need for any transportation except our own legs.

‘So, what’s happening down at the park, then?’ I asked Tom as we neared.

‘You’ll see,’ he said, trying to keep that bit of information a secret, but I could tell it was trying to force its way out of his mouth by the way he was grinning.

‘I didn’t hear anything about this event,’ I said, trying to make casual conversation and to see if I could get whatever is going on out of him.

‘You never know when anything is happening,’ he countered.

‘True,’ I said, shrugging off that backfire. He is true in that I have no clue of anything that is going on due to my introverted nature. I like to keep myself to myself when I’m at school and home, only communicating with the likes of my friend, Tom and my family. I hardly have any conversations on the internet either, except with Tom for whenever he is unable to make it round mine or I around his.

I know what I did back in that Parallel Universe was rather putting myself out there. I was all over the news, for goodness sake, but that’s a completely different scenario altogether. I had my identity hidden so no one actually knew who I was, and I was in another Universe, meaning I didn’t have to act how I do in this Universe. Sure, I could just as easily change my personality to the likes of what it was back there, but I figured it would be better if I just acted how people know me, just to avoid confusion and all that jazz.

The other reason, I suppose, was due to the fact that I had massively powerful superpowers that boosted my confidence as well as my strength and speed and other stuff. I was in a different Universe, so a different me was necessary, I thought. Although, it did pave the way to my enlightenment, allowing me to see just what I am capable of achieving if I actually do something, instead of keeping myself to myself. I will always keep that experience in the back of my mind, just in case, but for now, it’s back to my normal self, and I’m OK with that.

Besides, if Amy is actually there, then even if I did act confident in this Universe, I will immediately drop back down to my old level faster than a brick from the tallest building, and I don’t want that to happen, so it’s best to just start from the bottom so I don’t have to fall anywhere, that way I can work my way up, if I choose to. I know that sounds slightly contradictory, but I believe it is the best thing to do. This place is my home, and so I need to act like it is.

Anyway, I’m rambling a bit here and slowly zoning out. I snapped myself back into this world and focused on where I was going. We didn’t say anything until we came to the park’s entrance. The park wasn’t full of slides, roundabouts, climbing frames, it was just a large plain field that anyone can enter and relax in. People take their dogs for a walk to this park where they can let them off their leads and play fetch, or have picnics, or just a casual stroll. However, today, the entire field was taken over by hundreds of stalls. Well, it wasn’t quite hundreds due to the size of it, but it was a lot nevertheless.

‘It’s a fair,’ I said.

‘Not only that,’ Tom said, ‘at the back, there’s a concert hall where a local band is playing in for a couple of hours this morning, then again this evening.’

This reminded me of the market place Amy and I went to back in the first Parallel Universe I travelled to, except that was in the high street and didn’t have a concert hall at the back. But, the many stalls, from what I can see, had a large variety of stuff. I had to get closer to determine what stuff the stalls had, but from here, the spectrum looked rather diverse.

‘How long is this on for?’ I asked.

‘Only for a couple of days,’ Tom said. ‘It’s the beginning of the summer fair. I think they want to make it a tradition because my mum and dad told me that they have already booked this field for the next two years.

‘They sound confident with their success,’ I said.

‘From the looks of that crowd,’ he said widening his arms to indicate the mass of people all walking from one stall to another where they would stand and chat with the stall holders before making a purchase and moving on to the next, ‘I would say they were right to be so.’

‘How much is it to get in?’ I asked.

‘It’s free to enter,’ he said, ‘so anyone can enter, but obviously for everything else you have to pay for. I think it’s only a couple of quid to enter the concert hall, which I’m going to by the way. I don’t need your answer,’ he said, knowing that I don’t normally go to a concert. Not my kind of atmosphere.

‘Shall we, then,’ I said, letting Tom go first.

‘I’ll let you chose where to go first,’ he said.

‘You know me and decisions,’ I said, ‘you choose.’

‘As you wish, and I followed him towards a section where I realised that allowing Tom to make the first choice was a mistake.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Thanks for reading

Antony Hudson

(TonyHadNouns)

My book, Sector 22: Zoey, is now available on Amazon, eBay, and SkyCat Publications' website:

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sector-22-Antony-Hudson-ebook/dp/B00LC8QVD4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450701601&sr=1-1&keywords=sector+22+zoey

eBay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sector-22-Zoey-/121836251280?hash=item1c5e01a890:g:hpUAAOSw9NxTsSEC

SkyCat Publications:

http://www.skycatpublications.com/

Ask me anything at:

ahudsonpresents@live.co.uk