In case you were wondering…

A quick progress round-up on a few past blog posts, for anyone whose curiosity has been piqued but not quite satiated (for some strange reason) by what went before...

Jo and I finally got to the New Model Army exhibition back in February. My favourite exhibit was the original (a.f.a.i.k.) hand-written lyrics for one of NMA's signature songs: 'Vagabonds'. I did take a photo, but the glass case caused a double exposure (or something) so it came out blurry, which was a shame...
HBO are still talking about the forthcoming TV adaptation of Preacher but there are no definite details on their website yet.
So far my Year of the Short Story has gotten off to a slow start... too many great new must-read novels coming in, dammit.
The Test-Tube Alien eventually grew to fill its tube, becoming some sort of horrible, twisted, mutant alien in the process. Which is all to the good, I suppose. Eventually the light on its forehead stopped blinking. But that was a long time after I'd stopped caring...
And three months after my team, Bury FC, were kicked out of the F.A. Cup on a paperwork technicality, we're now 19th in League Two - having achieved the dizzy heights of 9th before this all happened - and haven't won a game in our last 16 outings. You tell me, do you think the team's morale was adversely affected by the F.A.'s decision at all? There's lots more I could say on the subject, but I suspect you'd rather not hear it. Maybe James Barclay will give me a guest slot on Barclay Talks Sport and I can vent my spleen there...
But hey, at least we've finally finished the decorating! Well, apart from a bit more snagging. But all the large areas of wall that need painting are painted. So tonight, after the gym, Jo and I will be girding our collective loins for a trip out to buy new bookcases for the dining room. From Ikea. Wish us luck...

March 20, 2007 | Filed Under Miscellania | Leave a Comment

Attack of the Test-Tube Alien!

Update, Jan 2008: Over a year since I wrote this post, and I'm still getting fresh comments. Amazing...

If you've just arrived and are looking for help with a troublesome test-tube alien, please note:

I've got nothing whatsoever to do with the manufacturers. Their PR people just sent me one to 'review' over a year ago.
I can't help you if you've lost your registration number. Try contacting the manufacturers, 4kidz or www.alienadoptionworld.com. Same applies for any other miscellaneous alien behaviour questions.
If you're wondering what the flashing lights mean, see comment #2 (below).
If you've lost your 'sloog' alien food, don't panic, mine grew fine without using more than the first packet.

And now, on with my original post:

Stuck for that last-minute present for the sci-fi fan in your life? Try a Test Tube Alien for size...

I was sent one of these to birth and nurture by the UK marketing agency who represents the manufacturer, and have just spent a happy ten minutes following the instructions and sloshing it around in water.

Stage 1

The wee beastie arrives in some chunky plastic packaging. Careful with those scissors, kids!

Stage 2

Inside the pack there's a test-tube containing a weird, chalky coccoon-like object, three silver-foil packets of 'sloog' (alien food) a set of instructions (you'll need those...) and an alien registration card.

Stage 3

Pour in the water, and all sorts of interesting chemical reactions start to happen... all over the work-top. Er... time to re-locate to the sink. (Note: emergency anti-alien spray lurking in background in case things turn nasty.) But wait... is that something emerging through the murk..?

Stage 4

Yes! It lives! IT LIIIIVES! Well, it flashes, anyhow...

.
...although apart from that, it pretty much just sits there and looks at you [*]. Okay, so it's not quite a Wii, but what it lacks in interactivity it probably makes up for in geek-cred. And the whole fizzing coccoon thing is quite interesting, plus, it's probably science of some sort, which means it's educational and therefore good for you... right?

And hey, give it a couple of weeks of sloshing around in sloog and it'll grow up to be a bigger alien in a test-tube [*]. That is, if you remember to feed it. And if you make sure it gets enough light / dark (12 hours of each per day). And you can register it online as long as, unlike me, you manage to hold on to your alien registration card and not lose it amongst the clutter on your desk...

So there you go. Available from Amazon, although you'll probably have to leg it down to your nearest Toys-R-Us or Woolworths or somewhere if you want to get this particular weird gadget in for someone for Xmas.

[*] Update: 21.12 - Hey, the wee beastie is only 24 hours old and already it seems to be evolving... weird, scaly lumps and protruberances are appearing all over its torso, and it appears to be growing a tail... (memo to self and others: don't tip it upside-down to get a better look, the plastic stopper isn't quite water-tight... )