Model Citizen

I dont watch TV. This always comes as a bit of a shock to my friends when they come round and see I have a home cinema. But I've lived without watching TV for around 17 years now and dont miss it at all. I love the freedom to watch what I want, when I want, and not become a couch potato that sits on the sofa watching whatever drivvle the TV companies decide to spoon feed you with next.
For news I listen to Radio 4, which IMO reports the news in a much more responsible manner rather than trying to show you the next most shocking image.
And yes, I dont pay a license. It's perfectly legal because I cant receive outside broadcasts, and have no aerial. Anyway, where is all this going....oh yes. HDTV. Currently you can go out and buy a nice HD ready screen and pay £300 for a Sky box that gives you HDTV images. Me and a mate at work worked out it costs around £700 per year! Can this be right!?
As stated previously, I dont watch TV, but do have a DVD.
So what options are open to those who want to move into the next generation of players....Well everyone and his aunt must be writing HD-DVD Vs BluRay articles at the moment, but what I'm going to write is a "hold on everyone" article.



First thing to clear up is this. Currently there are no British players on the market, so that bloke you know who's going on about his great new player has gone and imported it from the States. Then he's had to buy a step down transformer, and then of course import the discs. So, what's wrong with that? Well, here goes. Currently whenever you hear the Blu Ray HD thing being mentioned someone also mentions VHS Vs Betamax, but it's not like that, it's more like what if VHS AND Betamax had been popular? That's right, what if both formats , neither working on the other's machine, had taken off? And then to boot, what if the film companies decided only to release films on one or the other? So when Die Hard appeared, you'd think great I'll get that for my VHS, then when Star Wars is released you think you'll get that too, only to find out you can't because Fox has decided they'll only release it on Beta....now do you see what's happening?
That's right, your going to have to buy both.
And with HD DVD currently somewhere in the region of £500 and Blu Ray around £800 that's a massive chunk of dough.



Talking with a mate about this he said what about PS3? Is'nt that going to be about £300 and have Blu Ray? Well, I dont know, but this does'nt make sense to me, how can a standalone BluRay player cost £800 but you can pick up a games machine with graphics and ram and what not for less than half price? Maybe I'm being cynical, but I reckon the parts are going to be lesser quality.
Also, to cap it all there's news items appearing it seems every week talking about new methods to region code, so if your thinking of buying an HD DVD and playing all your old DVD's on it too, then think again on that as well.

So, my advice, if you can, is to wait, maybe even a year if possible. Someone has go to come out with a dual player, one that plays both formats and all your old discs. Hopefully it will have the best of both worlds, great picture and sound, which after all is what it's about.
One last thought, if you decide to get everything: DVD, HD-DVD and BluRay, how you going to connect it all up? That's a lot of leads and HDMI connections. Can your screen AMP take them all?
Well, that's that off my chest. Now let the waiting game begin.

Fellow Model Bloggers

Here are 5 of the best fellow Modelling Bloggers I've come across.



Resin Dog
A great gallery, tips, work bench, reviews and show news.



Here Be Monsters
Not strictly a Blog I know, but John Allred's site needs to be seen!



ToddP

Becoming a very well known site with very detailed reviews.



Figure Dreams



A good gallery as well as a Blog section.



Sakurastar

Sakura offers a painting/building service, and a Blog that shows progress of her work.

Update:
Just now Thad from The Clubhouse has started a Blog, looks very promising: http://blog.garagekitzombie.com/

It all started when I was a kid. I was 11. I was just getting into popular music and would listen to my little radio in my downstairs bedroom/studio away from the rest of the family. It was always Radio 1, there was no other station worth listening to back in 79'.
Anyway, more than once a song would come on the radio, and I'd miss who it was, so the only thing I could do was keep listening until it was played again. Yes, no kidding. I remember finding out Escape by Rupert Holmes, Everyday hurts by Sad Cafe, Cruel to be Kind by Nick Loewe like that. The one track that blew me away at that early age though was Stay With Me Till Dawn by a newcomer, Judie Tzuke.



I used to go into Newport, South Wales, where there was a place called Roxene Records, every school kid in the area used to go there and but there music. I picked up my first pink Floyd records there along with the Wish You Were Here metal pin badge, and rummaged through the Z section looking for Zuke until I figured out it was'nt spelt like that. there I found a single entry, Welcome To The Cruise.



Well I bought it, and was so struck with it I became a fan at day 1. I went on to buy Sportscar , I Am The Phoenix , Shoot The Moon , Road Noise (Live) , Ritmo and The Cat Is Out before I moved away from home with only a suitcase up to Northumberland in 89.
It would be 1991 before I heard Judie again in Basildon Essex. I was looking in a charity shop and saw Turning Stones there for £1. I bought it and fell in love all over again.



The next greatest thing to happen was Judie visited Basildon, the old theater on the corner of the town on a tour of her Wonderland album. It was the first of 4 times that I saw her and possibly the greatest show I'd been to. I say that having seen many great stars like Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Wishbone Ash, Joan Armatrading, U2. What was so great about it was that there were only about 40 people there! A shame to say the least, and also one of the hardest things to figure out with Judie (more later). Rather than be downhearted with the small turnout she gave it her all and talked to the small crowd like we were old friends, which in one way I think we all were. It was the most intimate concert I've been to, so much better than a huge gig where the musicians are the size of ants and you wonder why you paid £40 to go. It was also a real testament to her voice, which is as pure as snow, absolutely perfect.



After the show I did some research, the Internet had been invented!!! and found Judie now had her own website and recording studio.
There were a few albums also I'd not heard off, so went about replacing all my old vinyl with CD's.

It's now almost 30 years ago I first heard Judie Tzuke on the radio, and she's still to my ears one of the greatest living singer songwriters on the planet. A lot of new talent like Lucie Silvas, Kirsty Hawkshaw, Claire Toomey, and David Saw are taking her songs and bringing them to the latest generation, but to me you really need to go to the source.
Which is also the strangest part of being a Tzuke fan. Those who know her, love her, but there are so many who have never heard of her, and when they finally do hear her wonder why she's not being played round the clock on the radio? Once you hear her voice you really do appreciate just what a good singer is. You also realise there are'nt many about, maybe Kate Bush, Annie Lennox, but I'd limit it to a handful.

So, if your in the latter catagory and are thinking, well, I might give her a listen, where do you begin?

First there's her website: http://www.tzuke.com where you can get all the info you desire, a discography, a forum and links to online shops, MP3 downloads and samples.

If I was buying a first album to listen to, then I'd recommend one of three. It's pretty much a guarantee you'll like them if your any sort of female vocal lover:


Secret Agent.


Queen Secret keeper


The End Of The Beginning.

These are some of her most latest works and therefor are among the most polished. A great place to start, and as an added bonus if you buy them on-line you can ask Judie to sign them for you.

I just saw this, then as I was looking at the photos I suddenly realised what scale it was.
Honestly, take a look and prepare to be gobsmacked!




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