Typecast

The online gaming world continues to develop at a rapid rate. Innovative technology, improved graphics capabilities and new ideas from programmers means that online pokies now have a rich variety of modern games to play. Despite this some pokie lovers prefer the sentimental value of pokies that are based on an old film or series, with content from the 80’s proving to be most popular amongst these type of players. The nostalgia of childhood memories from the 80’s can flood back, making these type of pokies still an attractive proposition, even in the era of more advanced technology. Whilst 80’s based pokies may be a little outdated in terms age, they certainly hold their own in the gameplay department. Here are the four best 80’s pokies, all of which are available at Pokies Palace . Guns N’ Roses Guns N’ Roses fans have a fantastic opportunity to join their stars, Axl Rose, Slash, and the rest of the team with this awesome pokie from NetEnt . The pokie immerses the pla...

Last night, on the first live semi-final of Britain's Got Talent , we saw Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon literally drool and fawn over a couple of the contestants.  We were also 'treated' to Alesha pour a glass of water over David Walliams' head after a sly comment was made about live singing versus miming.  I understand that more water was poured/thrown over David during the ITV2 aftershow (and Amanda got in on the act) but I wasn't watching that. All in the name of entertainment. On a family show. On one of the main television channels in the UK. Can we just flip this for a moment?   How do we think that the media and the audience would currently be reacting if Simon Cowell or David had asked the female contestants if they could remove their top to help them make a decision about the quality of their act.  In the same respect, how would we be reacting if Simon or David had thrown water over Amanda or Alesha because of a jokey exchange? Why i...

Soundtrack To My Life  this week comes from Katie who believes life is for living - something I totally agree with. You can connect with Katie using the links at the bottom of the page. In the meantime, here are her song choices. ¨¨ °º©©º°¨¨  Bill Medley & Jennifer WarnesTime Of My Life (Dirty Dancing OST)  This was the song I grew up with. I had 2 older sisters who were Dirty Dancing mega fans, and this was blasted from the speakers on a regular basis, with the obligatory hairbrush microphone. It has stuck with me since, and I find myself singing it on a regular basis.   Aerosmith - Don't Want To Miss A Thing This was our wedding song, for no other reason than we both love it. The words are beautiful, and we actually have a quote from it on our bedroom wall. Just pure romantic stuff. Bryan Adams - Everything I Do This was my sisters wedding song. I was 9, and a bridesmaid, and I remember thinking this song was the most awesome piec...

Do you judge people by the ink on their skin?  Or where they choose to be tattooed? I used to but I think we entered an era where self-expression became more accepted. For me, being who you are and having a choice as to how that is represented has always been important, whether that be through dress sense, a hairstyle, the placement of jewellery or body modification. I was reading  this  BBC News  article  which questioned why people go back for more tattoos. It houses various theories and opinions about the whys and the wherefores and does cover the subject from many angles. Whilst reading, I considered the inequality of getting tattooed simply because tattoos of the modern Western world were once associated with criminals, sailors, whores and, more recently, cosmetic reasons. I have the most awesome book about the history of tattoos ( 1000 Tattoos  -  recently republished with some  images appearing on Buzzfeed ) which shows that Tribal ...

Many, many years ago I was a member of a parenting forum called " The Bad Mother's Club ". I made numerous friends there, received and gave advice, shared laughs and tears and my Friday Night Music Thread was really the precursor of what is now  Soundtrack To My Life  and the Friday Twiz . Jules was one of the original members of the forum and I'm honoured to have met her in real life and to be able to call her a friend.  I've seen her go through many ups and downs but she always comes out the other side, smiling.  Here are the tracks she's chosen to represent her Soundtrack To My Life . ¨¨ °º©©º°¨¨  Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born I'm going to do these in age of music order, so this is first. It takes me back to Christmas 1976 when my younger brother Mark was born on Christmas Day. As is a common theme throughout this feature, it makes me well up. He is 37 now and is finally being recognised for his fantastic creative talent. When his ...

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...for randomness like this! Don't concentrate on the negative  live for the positive What a wonderful RAOK / PIF!! (RAK = random act of kindness.  PIF = pay it forward)

I found a hint of a recipe for minestrone soup on the Slimming World website which sounded really easy to pull together. I gave it a shot, tweaked a few of the ingredients and it makes a great lunch or a perfect accompaniment to a salad. Preparation Time : 10 minutes Cooking Time : 30 minutes Serves : 6 large servings Cost Per Serving : 60 pence Ingredients 2 medium sized onions 2 large carrots 3 sticks of celery 2 cloves of garlic (crushed) or 2 teaspoons of garlic granules   2 vegetable stock cubes dissolved in 1.5 pints of boiling water 2 tins of chopped tomatoes 3 handfuls of pasta (conchiglie or fusilli works best) 2 tins of cannellini beans (drained) 10 slices of chopped cooked ham (leave this out if you want a totally vegetarian version)  Method Slice the onions, dice the carrots and chop the celery.  Place them in a large pan with the garlic, vegetable stock and chopped tomatoes Bring to the boil and then sim...

Playing casino games provides an unparalleled level of enjoyment and entertainment for millions of gamblers who savour the excitement, drama and tension in land-based and online casinos. Each slot, table and card game found behind the doors of a casino are based upon mathematical odds that always favour the house, but also provide the potential for players to win big amounts of money through winning bets, or hitting the big jackpot. Online casinos provide the modern day, 21st Century alternative to land-based casinos through an innovative format that brings the casino world to you  at the click of a mouse, or touch of a screen. Casino players generally accept that the house always holds the initial advantage over them and are more likely to lose than win, but there are those who believe online casinos are fixed to ensure players lose in order to receive more money from them. Despite the house advantage, there have been countless ‘rags to riches’ stories of gamblers who have l...

Stephen Sutton died this morning . The short but emotional statement from his mum on the Facebook page immediately touched me and made me well up.  During his final few weeks he shared his progress - the ups and the downs - and even managed to make a small enough recovery to be able to leave his hospital bed for a short amount of time to attend his own 'Good Gestures' event ( read about this - it's something that should be happening everywhere ). As the mother of a childhood cancer survivor I don't know what it's like to lose a child in this way but I have comforted parents who have returned a no-longer needed wheelchair to the ward and spoken to relatives who aren't too sure what the right thing to do or say is. In situations like that, there is no right or wrong and grief pours out of us in the most unexpected ways. We can all learn from Stephen. He was selfless to the end. He spent the last four years not wondering if he was any closer to de...

I thought I'd have a quick look through my twitter history to see when myself and Rachael first stated chatting and found out it was in January 2010. Four whole years ago - but that makes sense because we probably connected via a writing forum and then through blogging. So much has happened in those four years too (If anyone is interested I have some rather 'interesting' pictures of her from an adult-themed party we both attended.  I'm just waiting for the right offer to land on my desk). I've followed Rachael's journey - both personal and writing - and I'm really proud of what she's achieving. She self-published her first novel in 2013 and scored herself a publishing deal for actual real books (details further down the page).  I can't wait to see how her own story unfolds but in the meantime here's the music she chose to represent her Soundtrack To My Life ... ¨¨ °º©©º°¨¨  Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick ...

As we all know I am a lover of lists and a fan of my Filofax.  If it's not written down, it's not happening. Then I stumbled upon the 'bullet journal' idea in a Facebook group and started thinking about how I could incorporate this into my Filofax life. In the meantime, I was gifted a moleskine notebook for my birthday which was the perfect time to start testing the bullet journal theory. Empowered (!?) by the productiveness of this I shared the idea with a number of Facebook friends who also love to keep handwriting alive in the digital age.  I appear to have started a bit of an obsession with some of them (making no apologies to you Sian , Catherine , Elaine and Kirsty ) by encouraging them to do the following:  Watch the bullet journal video Buy a new notebook/binder/Filofax/Filofax pages Buy a new pen Buy all of the washi tape Watch the bullet journal video again Start making lists I'm using my bullet journal slightly differentl...

So this just happened... I might have squealed a little bit. I make no apologies for cropping and saving it and sharing it. I think I may have completed the internet. It makes the Rubik 40th anniversary celebrations all the more special, doesn't it? And if you're into your Rubik Cube stuff then have a look at these speed solvers who can complete a cube in under 10 seconds (source - The Guardian )! I solved mine the other week (using detailed instructions from the internet) and it took me about ten days.

Amy and I crossed paths on Twitter through our love of 80s music, if I remember correctly. Her Twitter bio ( @aimers1982 ) mentions that most of her tweets are about music, pop culture and news events so we're pretty well matched.  Here's the music she chose to represent her Soundtrack To My Life ... ¨¨ °º©©º°¨¨  Steve Winwood - Don't You Know What The Night Can Do? I was a big Steve Winwood fan as a kid. It wasn't until I was a teenager that I discovered he had a career before the 80s. Doobie Brothers - Black Water I used to spend a lot of time listening to my parents' records and 8-tracks as a teenager and this was one of my favorites. Mariah Carey - Dreamlover Music Box was one of the first albums I ever bought. I was a big Mariah Carey fan as a kid. Jimmy Eats World - The Middle This song was out the summer I started dating my husband. Hearing it always takes me back to the early days of our relationship. Flo Rida - Goo...

Many of us have fond memories of childhood holidays and day trips to Blackpool , but did you know there’s a darker side of Blackpool that’s strictly adult’s only? If you've got a hen or stag do to plan, or just fancy getting a group together for a weekend away, Blackpool’s a brilliant choice of destination for adults only get-togethers. Here are some ideas for your itinerary: Themepark Thrills The Pleasure Beach is a great place to spend a day in Blackpool, whatever your age, and there are plenty of thrill rides to get the adrenaline pumping for an adults only group. Tick the Big One, over-water inverted coaster Infusion, Revolution, Wild Mouse and Valhalla off your list, for a thrill-packed day out. Ken Webster This hilarious comedy/hypnotist show is billed as XXX rated, adults only – with the note ‘if easily offended stay away!’ It’s safe to say that you should expect rude, crude and outrageously funny behaviour from this hypnotist. Catch the show at the Pleasure B...

A yard or garage sale is the easy way to find a home for things that you no longer use but that are too good to be thrown away forever. The following secrets and tips will help you make your sale more successful and cost effective. Implement some of them or follow the instruction step-by-step for making the process a lot easier. Collect stuff during the whole year. As long as you find something in the house that you don’t use anymore, and none of your friends, relatives or neighbors needs it, put it in a box in your garage or under the stairs. When the box with clutter is full, start another one. This way, when the time of the sale approaches, you will have couple boxes of stuff you want to get rid of. Have a plan. Nothing can be successful without proper organizing, so make sure you have enough time to clear out all the clutter in your place, and to price everything you are about to sale – you need at least couple days to do it properly and without hustle and bustle. Team u...

My colleague, Mel thinks I'm having a mid-life crisis......and she might be right! This week alone I have auditioned for a tv game show (I didn't get to the filming stages but I was shortlisted from 25,000 applicants) and now I've agreed to skydive for charity. Yes... you read that right.   On Friday 9th  30th May (weather permitting - this is the rescheduled date) I will be throwing myself out of a plane (with a parachute, natch, and in tandem with someone who knows what they are doing) as part of a blogger event. It has given me the almost unique opportunity to raise some money for a charity very close to my heart. Last year I managed to convince many of my family and friends, both online and in real life, to donate over £900  when I joined in with two Race For Life events with other members of Team Drama Llama in tow.   This year, I have decided to go one step further.  I will be running fast walking another Race For Life again later this...