Grimace's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=Grimace2003-01-08T19:12:01ZTrapdoor (thing)http://everything2.com/user/Grimace/writeups/TrapdoorGrimacehttp://everything2.com/user/Grimace2003-01-08T19:12:01Z2003-01-08T19:12:01ZThis is a charming animated series produced by <a href="/title/Queensgate+Productions">Queensgate Productions</a> between 1984 and 1986. It was all animated in <a href="/title/plasticine">plasticine</a>, <i>a la</i> a very low-budget <a href="/title/Wallace+And+Gromit">Wallace And Gromit</a>. <a href="/title/Willie+Rushton">Willie Rushton</a> provided the voice.
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Very distinctive style: <a href="/title/Berk">Berk</a> is a big fat blue blob with little <a href="/title/cartoon">cartoon</a>y eyes perched on top and a small smiley mouth; he waddled about on errands for "<a href="/title/%2527im+upstairs">'im upstairs</a>," on his great flapping <a href="/title/flat+feet">flat feet</a>, while <a href="/title/dem+bones">Boney</a> offered bone-dry taunting and abuse, and <a href="/title/Drut">Drut</a> or <a href="/title/Durk">Durk</a> or whatever it was called* blew <a href="/title/raspberries">raspberries</a>, ate everything, and generally <a href="/title/got+in+the+way">got in the way</a>. In the midst of all this, Berk would realise he needed some <a href="/title/plot+device">crucial cake ingredient</a>, or something, and would have to venture <i>into the <a href="/title/trapdoor">trapdoor</a></i>... <b><i>where who knew what <a href="/title/nightmares">nightmares</a> would be unleashed?</i></b>
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<small><i>* <a href="/title/Drutt">Drutt</a>, apparently. Thankyou <a href="/title/Oolong">Oolong</a>.</i></small>
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And then there were these <a href="/title/worms">worms</a> that crawled all over the place. Really,<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Frauenliebe und Leben (thing)http://everything2.com/user/Grimace/writeups/Frauenliebe+und+LebenGrimacehttp://everything2.com/user/Grimace2002-08-17T19:24:15Z2002-08-17T19:24:15Z<h2>Frauenliebe und Leben</h2>
('A Woman's Love and Life') A song cycle for <a href="/title/soprano">soprano</a> or <a href="/title/mezzo-soprano">mezzo-soprano</a> and <a href="/title/piano">piano</a>, Opus 42 by <a href="/title/Robert+Schumann">Schumann</a>.
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Frauenliebe und Leben is a cycle of 8 <a href="/title/lieder">lieder</a> (<a href="/title/songs">songs</a>) by the <a href="/title/German">German</a> <a href="/title/composer">composer</a> <a href="/title/Robert+Schumann">Robert Schumann</a>, settings of texts by <a href="/title/Adelbert+von+Chamisso">Adelbert von Chamisso</a>, an early 19th Century romantic poet born <a href="/title/French">French</a> but writing in German, his second language.
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Ostensibly, these songs tell a simple story of a woman falling in love, marrying, conceiving a child, and dying. Each song captures a snapshot of emotion, and <a href="/title/Robert+Schumann">Schumann</a>, although not an especially <a href="/title/melodic">melodic</a> songwriter, is certainly capable of overwhelming us with emotion.
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<ol>
<li><b><a href="/title/Seit+ich+ihn+gesehen">Seit ich ihn gesehen</a></b> (<a href="/title/lovestruck">Since I have seen him</a>)
<br><i>In which our heroine finds herself <a href="/title/blind">blind</a>ed by the beauty of a man she's just met.</i>
</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Er%252C+der+Herrlichste+von+allen">Er, der Herrlichste von allen</a></b> (<a href="/title/idol">He, the most glorious of all</a>)
<br><i>In which she <a href="/title/praise">praise</a>s his beauty as<!-- close unclosed tag --></i><!-- close unclosed tag --></li><!-- close unclosed tag --></ol><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Plantagenet (thing)http://everything2.com/user/Grimace/writeups/PlantagenetGrimacehttp://everything2.com/user/Grimace2002-02-13T14:14:44Z2002-02-13T14:14:44Z<center><b>The Plantagenet Dynasty</b></center>
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="/title/Henry+II">Henry II</a></b> - 1154 - 1189</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Richard+I">Richard I</a> 'The <a href="/title/Lionheart">Lionheart</a>'</b> - 1189-1199</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/John+I">King John</a> '<a href="/title/Lackland%2527">Lackland'</a></b> - 1199-1216</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Henry+III">Henry III</a></b> - 1216-1272</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Edward+I">Edward I</a> <a href="/title/Longshanks">Longshanks</a></b> - 1272-1307</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Edward+II">Edward II</a></b> - 1307-1327</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Edward+III">Edward III</a></b> - 1327-1377</li>
<li><b><a href="/title/Richard+II">Richard II</a></b> - 1377-1399</li>
</ul>
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Formed with the marriage of Matilda, daughter of King <a href="/title/Henry+I">Henry I</a> to <a href="/title/Geoffrey+Plantagenet">Geoffrey Plantagenet</a>, Count of <a href="/title/Anjou">Anjou</a>, the Plantagenets succeeded the <a href="/title/Normans">Normans</a>, and were succeeded -- after the battling houses of <a href="/title/Lancaster">Lancaster</a> and <a href="/title/York">York</a>, and <a href="/title/The+War+of+the+Roses">The War of the Roses</a> -- by the <a href="/title/Tudors">Tudors</a>. Geoffrey's nickname, Plantagenet, refers to a sprig of <a href="/title/genet">genet</a> or <a href="/title/broom">broom</a> he habitually wore in his cap.
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With the Plantagenets, <a href="/title/Medieval+Britain">Medieval Britain</a> began to emerge from the dark ages of the <a href="/title/Norman">Norman</a>s to establish the very beginnings of a <a href="/title/cultural+heritage">cultural heritage</a>: the emergence of<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Martian Chess (idea)http://everything2.com/user/Grimace/writeups/Martian+ChessGrimacehttp://everything2.com/user/Grimace2001-11-28T18:56:04Z2001-11-28T18:56:04ZAn <b><a href="/title/Icehouse">Icehouse</a></b> game designed by <a href="/title/Andrew+Looney">Andrew Looney</a>.
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<a href="/title/Zarcana">One</a> <a href="/title/IceTraders">of</a> <a href="/title/IceTowers">the</a> <a href="/title/Martian+Chess">four</a> games that come with <a href="/title/Icehouse">Icehouse</a>: The <a href="/title/Martian+Chess+Set">Martian Chess Set</a>, <b>Martian Chess</b> itself is a deceptively simple <a href="/title/chessboard">chessboard</a> game where piece position, rather than colour, determines piece ownership. Indeed, colour is of no importance in this game, and, if you have enough pieces, it is best played in <a href="/title/monochrome">monochrome</a>.
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The board is split into <a href="/title/Quadrants">Quadrants</a>, and players control only the pieces in their quadrant. This seemingly simple concept has an interesting ability to <a href="/title/bend+the+heads">bend the heads</a> of the <a href="/title/unsuspecting">unsuspecting</a>.
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The <a href="/title/object+of+the+game">object of the game</a> is to capture as many of your opponent's pieces as you can. Your opponent's pieces, of course, are those in another quadrant to your own: you can capture the piece by moving your piece onto its square, just as in traditional Chess. However -- as soon as your move into another player's quadrant is complete, control of that piece is transferred to its<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…The End Of The Way It's Always Been (thing)http://everything2.com/user/Grimace/writeups/The+End+Of+The+Way+It%2527s+Always+BeenGrimacehttp://everything2.com/user/Grimace2001-11-27T21:04:22Z2001-11-27T21:04:22ZThe much-awaited (by me) new <a href="/title/album">album</a> from <a href="/title/Jack">Jack</a>, released across <a href="/title/Europe">Europe</a> in <a href="/title/May">May</a> 2002 on <a href="/title/Les+Disques+du+Crepuscule">Les Disques du Crepuscule</a> (<a href="/title/Twilight+Records">Twilight Records</a>) -- a sort-of <a href="/title/Belgium">Belgian</a> relative of <a href="/title/Factory+Records">Factory Records</a>, faintly legendary in <a href="/title/the+80s">the early 80s</a> for putting out records by <a href="/title/Cabaret+Voltaire">Cabaret Voltaire</a>, <a href="/title/Durutti+Column">Durutti Column</a> and <a href="/title/A+Certain+Ratio">A Certain Ratio</a>.
<p>
<ol>
<li><a href="/title/The+End+Of+The+Way+It%2527s+Always+Been">The End Of The Way It's Always Been</a> (feat. <a href="/title/Kirk+Lake">Kirk Lake</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/title/The+Emperor+Of+New+London">The Emperor Of New London</a> (feat. <a href="/title/Dan+Fante">Dan Fante</a>)</li>
<li><a href="/title/With+You+I%2527m+Nothing">With You I'm Nothing</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Disco-Cafe-Society">Disco-Cafe-Society</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/That%2527s+The+Way+We+Make+It">That's The Way We Make It</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Maybe+My+Love+Doesn%2527t+Answer+Anything+In+You+Anymore">Maybe My Love Doesn't Answer Anything In You Anymore</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Sleepin%2527+Makes+Me+Thirsty">Sleepin' Makes Me Thirsty</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Sometimes">Sometimes</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/No+North+Left">No North Left</a></li>
</ol>
<p>
Of these, Disco-Cafe-Society and Sometimes have already seen release, on 2000's <a href="/title/La+Belle+et+la+Discotheque">La Belle et la Discotheque</a> <a href="/title/EP">EP</a> (<a href="/title/Acuarela">Acuarela</a> nois010,) but they've been re-recorded and generally jigged about with for this new album.
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<b><i>"<a href="/title/Fuck+it">Fuck it</a>! <a href="/title/Fucking+shit">Fucking shit</a>!"</i></b> -- so<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…England Made Me (thing)http://everything2.com/user/Grimace/writeups/England+Made+MeGrimacehttp://everything2.com/user/Grimace2001-08-21T21:31:28Z2001-08-21T21:31:28Z<tt>
Artist: <a href="/title/Black+Box+Recorder">Black Box Recorder</a><br>
Release Date: 20th July 1998<br>
Label: <a href="/title/Chrysalis+Records">Chrysalis Records</a><br>
Length: 37:10 minutes<br>
</tt>
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<a href="/title/Luke+Haines">Luke Haines</a>, <a href="/title/instruments">instruments</a>, <a href="/title/backing+vocals">backing vocals</a>, <a href="/title/songwriting">songwriting</a><br>
<a href="/title/Sarah+Nixey">Sarah Nixey</a>, <a href="/title/lead+vocals">lead vocals</a><br>
<a href="/title/John+Moore">John Moore</a>, instruments, songwriting.
<p>
<ol>
<li><a href="/title/Girl+Singing+In+The+Wreckage">Girl Singing In The Wreckage</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/England+Made+Me">England Made Me</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/New+Baby+Boom">New Baby Boom</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/It%2527s+Only+The+End+Of+The+World">It's Only The End Of The World</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Ideal+Home">Ideal Home</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Child+Psychology">Child Psychology</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/I.+C.+One+Female">I. C. One Female</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Up+Town+Top+Ranking">Up Town Top Ranking</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Swinging">Swinging</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Kidnapping+An+Heiress">Kidnapping An Heiress</a></li>
<li><a href="/title/Hated+Sunday">Hated Sunday</a></li>
</ol>
<p>
Funny little album, this. Not long out from <a href="/title/Auteurs">The Auteurs</a>, the man <a href="/title/Luke+Haines">Luke Haines</a> finds another outflow for his none-darker takes on <a href="/title/English+suburbia">English suburbia</a>; another vent for his often <a href="/title/splenetic">splenetic</a>, livid social outlook, and one where he doesn't have to <a href="/title/sing">sing</a>. Much.
<p>
This time around, it's done in exquisitely <a href="/title/understated">understated</a> style -- <a href="/title/low-key">low-key</a>, <a href="/title/lo-fidelity">lo-fidelity</a>, <a href="/title/low-profile">low-profile</a>.<!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…