Even More Oooh! With More Pictures!!

Do you remember me mentioning that I’m been playing with both Preview and Gimp, to jazz up a few photo’s?

No?

Well … !

I’ve managed to do some damage, I think!!

Mostly by using the various copy and paste functions within Gimp, to add various backgrounds to various other pictures.

I’m rather pleased with the result.

Although, from what Gwen and Stef have told me, it’d be a rough job, making Chucky be any more evil that he already is … !!

Now, if you’ll excuse me?

Even more Oh

Oh, well …

This maybe getting a touch silly, isn’t it?

Or possibly it’s just a sign of how bored I can get, sometimes!

Maybe … !

But I do know I’m having fun, doing these. I just don’t know if Allison’ll approve …

•••••

I also know I’ve been chatting to Rob — the regular customer at work who loaned me a 9.2.2 install disc that I can use on the vintage iMac — had a mixed set of feelings, today.

He’s had to take his iMac in, to get the onboard Superdrive seen to.

Which means the Snow Leopard Upgrade Disc he had delivered, this morning, won’t be going on for a couple more days!

MORE … Oh!

Well, at least I know Allison’s ok!

Although, according to her insurance company, she can’t actually claim for it, as there were no third parties involved.

Which seems strange to me, but there we go.

I do know she’s well enough to be boasting about beating my high score at MacDo … !

•••••

But let’s move on …

I do know I’ve been tinkering with the abilities of Preview to cut out an object — usually people! — so that I can do stuff …

Hmm …

Most to the point, I’ve been combining the .png files that the cutout’s I create with Preview, with some of the various backgrounds available with-in GIMP.

Either by adding an extra transparent layer, using the various filters to come with something entertaining, and then sending that layer to the bottom of the stack.

OR by using the Alpha to Selection feature, invert that same selection and, as above, getting going with the filters.

Which does make for some fun pictures!

The one of Cara I handled a little differently; although that was just a case of adding the a screen grab from the opening titles of a Tom Baker era Doctor Who.

Which she loved!!

And Gwen and Stef were well impressed with theirs.

What Will, Kevin and Sarah will make of their ones …

Oh …

You know, I had an old friend, Steve, over last night, wanting to borrow my connection, to upload some photo’s to a website he’s a member of.

Which was handy!

It meant I could try a trick with Preview I’d picked up from Pogue Press’ rather good “Missing Manual for Mac OS X: The Leopard Edition”.

Before it goes out of date, on Friday!

Something I’d found I could do with Preview is use the Select button to call up the little window — the one with ‘Rectangular Selection’, ‘Elliptical Selection’, ‘Lasso Selection’, ‘Extract Shape’, and ‘Instant Alpha’ — which, when I hit the ‘Extract Shape’ button, allows me to draw a line around a shape I want to cut around — in this case, me — and save it as a .png file.

Quite what the technical details exactly mean, I really couldn’t tell you, exactly.

But I know that, after using Preview to extract a shape from an image, I can use the Gimp to fill in the empty spaces to put in an entertaining background.

Which wasn’t something Steve fancied.

Too artificial, apparently.

O-kaaay …

One of these day’s, I’m really going to have to have a word, there … !

•••••

And I’ve got to admit, I had a couple of interesting natters; one with a workmate, and one with Gwen, bless, her.

And both agreeing that Roy Jay — the Spook Spook, Slither, Hither Man — was is either weird, or funny, depending on your mood.

It’s just a shame I can’t find little more than the Schweppes ad, on YouTube …

If anyone finds anything, could you let me know?

Ta!

Tonights Gig

OK, I’ll admit to the usual nerves.

And depression.

And anger.

A whole mix of emotions, in point of fact.

 After the utter disaster that was Tuesday night*º, I’m quietly hoping and praying that I get a turn-out, tonight.

I could do with a serious morale boost.

Anyway, just so you know, I’ve not changed the table round; – you can read the preview, here.

Wish me luck.   I’ll hopefully see you tonight.

* What makes it frustrating is the simple fact that the teams who’d been in were in because of that A-board.   It was starting to have an effect.   That’s … well …

º Saying that, I’ve had an old friend share some sad news that does put a bit of perspective on things.

Oh, all right, then …

Oh, all right, then …

I’d usually do this, later in the evening; – but, here, have a look at the Valentines’ questions …

ROUND ONE: –  GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.

Q1) Which year  of the ’60’s witnessed the so-called “Summer of Love”?

Q2) When drunk in tea or coffee what’s supposed to reduce sexual desire?

Q3) Which sculptor’s most famous work shows two people kissing; – Donatello, Auguste Rodin, or Frederick Roth?

Q4) Name either of the 2 actors who played Casanova, in the BBC2 series.

Q5) According to Shakespeare's play, Valentine and Proteus were the “Two Gentlemen of…” where?

Q6) How many species of Love-bird are there?

Q7) On Valentines Day, 2000, NASA put a spacecraft in orbit around what, an asteroid, a comet, or the Sun?

Q8) The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates St Valentines Day on which day of February?

Q9) Which waterlogged Italian city is a destination for many honeymooning couples?

Q10) True or False; - Romeo was a Capulet?

ROUND TWO: – SLUSHY MUSIC AND SOFT LIGHTS.

Q11) Which Supremes hit was the first Motown number one in Britain?

Q12) Which song from “Buster” gave Phil Collins a No 1 hit?

Q13) According to his 1972 song, Jimmy Osmond was the Long-Haired Lover from where?

Q14) Which soul act was “Standing in the Shadow of Love” in 1967; – The Commodores, The Four Tops, or Sly and the Family Stone??

Q15) In 1986, which Hull based band reached Number One in the UK pop charts with “Caravan of Love”?

Q16) According to the song, love and marriage go together like a horse and what?

Q17) What 70s hit by the Osmonds gave Boyzone a hit in 1994?

Q18) Which Beatles song begins “There’s nothing you can do that can’t be done”?

Q19) The song, “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”, comes from which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical?

Q20) Which American diva got married after a whirlwind romance, in 2008?

ROUND THREE: –  SNOGGING IN THE BACK ROW.

Q21) Which actress played the younger version of Rose in the James Cameron epic “Titanic”?

 Q22) Who played the bunny boiling Alex in “Fatal Attraction”?

Q23) Which Jane Austen novel was filmed by Ang Lee; – “Pride and Prejudice”, “Sense and Sensibility”, or “Northanger Abbey”?

Q24) Linda Kozlowski had an on-set romance with her co-star, whilst making “Crocodile Dundee”; – who was he?

Q25) Which  Nicole Kidman film featured Jim Broadbent’s bizarre interpretation of “Like A Virgin”?

Q26) Which Leonardo DiCaprio film features the line “A plague on both your houses”?

 Q27) In the 2006 film, “Casanova,” who plays Casanova?

Q28) Which 70’s film had the line “Love means Never Having to Say You’re Sorry,” on its posters?

Q29) When Demi Moore married Bruce Willis, which 50’s rock star conducted the service?

Q30) What was squeezable on the Brad Pitt model unveiled at Madam Tussaud's in 2003?

ROUND FOUR: –  WEDDING BELLS.

Q31) Who was Josef Goebbel’s best man?

Q32) Which punk rocker had a hit with “White Wedding”?

Q33) “Chapel of Love” was a hit for which band; – The Dixie Cups, the Dixie Belles, or the Dixie Chicks?

Q34) Elizabeth Taylor has been married 8 times.   Name any of her seven husbands.

Q35) Tracy di Vicenzo and Aki were both married to which who? 

Q36) Adolf Hitler and Ernest Hemmingway were both keen on marrying which German actress?

Q37) In the film “Casablanca”, what is the name of Ilsa’s husband; – Victor, Heinrich, or Josef?

Q38) Name either of Sir Michael Philip Jagger’s two ex-wives?

Q39) What colour is the traditional wedding dress in China?

Q40) What does the Anglo Saxon word wed mean; – pledge, oath, or sworn?

ROUND FIVE: –  LOVE STORIES

Q41) Who was the lover of the Duke of Buckingham in “The Three Musketeers”; – Anne of Austria, Anne of Cleves, or Anne of Green Gables?

Q42) Who does the Beast fall in love with?

Q43) Name either of the two men Bridget Jones has a relationship with, in “Bridget Jones Diary”.

Q44) The childhood crush of Adrian Mole later became a self serving politician; – what was her name?

Q45) Who wrote the novel “Women in Love”?

Q46) What is the name of the enigmatic employer with whom the heroine falls in love in “Jane Eyre”?

Q47) Who wrote “Wuthering Heights”?

Q48) Who left an unfinished novel called “Sanditon”; – Jane Austen or Emily Brönte?

Q49) Which romantic novellist had Britain’s longest “Who’s Who” entry?

Q50) Which book was famously described as being ‘…not being something you’d let your wife or servants to read’?

ROUND SIX: – GENERAL KNOWLE IGNORANCE.

Q51) Who was the Greek god of passion and romance?

Q52) Who are you in love with if you have an Electra complex?

Q53) “Ti Amo” means “I Love You” in which European language?

Q54) Which US city is known as “The City of Brotherly Love”?

Q55) Which well-known actor played himself in “The Love Lottery”; – Humphrey Bogart, Dirk Bogarde, or Dirk Benedict?

Q56) Who was the Roman goddess of love?

Q57) At what sport did James Hewitt, one-time lover of Princess Diana, excel?

Q58) During which century did the world’s greatest lover Casanova live; – the 17th, 18th, or 19th?

Q59) Agoraphilia means you like having sex … where?

Q60) Who gave birth th the love child of Cecil Parkinson?