Gunpowder, Treason and Plot



Guy Fawkes - Loved to Party

Today is the 5th of November, the anniversary of the old rogue Guido Fawkes' (now rebranded as Guy Fawkes) attempt to blow up the King on England!

Here is a potted (and completely honest) history... ok, with some embellishment.. 

5th November, also known as Bonfire Night. 

Back in 1605, Guido Fawkes and his cronies wanted to protest on how Catholics were treated.

So they decided that they would try to blow up the Houses of Parliament, in particular the House of Lords, by smuggling in hundreds of gunpowder kegs into the cellar for a firework display of their own and try detonating them on 5th November as the King (James I) was opening Parliament.

Unfortunately for Guy Fawkes, one of his gang was a lag and would blab when he got smashed and word soon spread all over town about this amazing party they were planning. They were caught in the act without so much as a roman candle going off.

Penny for the Guy?

In those days execution was considered as a fitting punishment for minor crimes like stealing a loaf of bread.  So they decided on a more fitting punishment and decided to chop Guy Fawkes into bits, hang him for a couple of minutes, disembowel him and do other unmentionable things to embarrass him whilst he was still alive.

Since petty crime only resulted in the severing of limbs and sometimes being boiled in oil, this gruesome torture of being 'hung drawn and quartered' was reserved exclusively for traitors. 

Whilst Guy Fawkes was a bit of a shit, he is also widely regarded as a person who knew how to Party. 

This is still observed on 5th November every year, when people of Great Britain, literally burn money they don't have and cheer as they see it go up in flames and whoosh into the air and erupt as fireworks.. whilst those who are more sensible collect old logs, burn and effigy called a Guy and create a massive bonfire to roast their chestnuts.

Newswire! William Shatner in Space and Bill Clinton with the Clap

It's the Newswire!

Earth Shatnering news as TJ Hooker blasts into space, Bill Clinton gets Clap and Superman goes mincing.

William Shatner's mission in space, a success

Astronaut, William Shatner, lands on Earth.

It was so exciting to see William Shatner, aged 90, become the oldest man in space today, as he blasted off aboard the Blue Origin starship.

The six man crew under Kirk's command, naturally returned safely.

Visibly awestruck, perhaps shaken and very emotional, Shatner touched back down to earth 12 minutes after take off.

He stood alone, from the other astronauts, collecting himself and processing what he had experienced.   He was speaking aloud his thoughts, which gave huge insight into the emotions involved with this, the most extreme sport he has ever been involved with, and there have been many.  

On landing he said, "I hope I can maintain what I feel now. I don't want to lose it. It's so much larger than me and life." 

He was already a Starfleet legend before blast off,  so the only title we can bestow on top of that, is that of Astronaut.

Watch the stream below to see the take off, and the landing footage and interview, from 22 minutes in.

 

To Boldly Go.. The Shat in Space

William Shatner beaming with pride

Due to forecasted winds on Tuesday 12 October, Blue Origin’s mission operations team has made the decision to delay the launch of NS-18 and is now targeting Wednesday 13 October,” the company said in a statement.

Stardate: 111021.2.30pm BST.

Wishing William Shatner and the rest of his crew aboard the Federation Starship USS Blue Origin, the very best of luck as they blast into space today on a top secret mission.

The Captain, 90 year old Shatner, has come out of retirement once more, to save the world as we know it.

James T. Kirk and his crew of just three (presumably Spock, Dr McCoy and Scotty), will launch at 1.30pm GMT which is 2.30pm in the UK on Tuesday!

Hailing frequencies are open thanks to Lt. Uhura, so you can watch it live everywhere on this planet on every news station.

Good luck Jim!

Watch it live here:  Live Stream on Youtube

The Weekend Video Review

New singing sensation and part-time actor, William Shatner (The Shat) was in Concert for Guy Fawkes night in London City accompanied by his backing group The Bridge Crew.

Enjoy the edited hilights of The Shat in concert!

The Shat and Bonfire Night - A Double Whammy Event!

The event of the year is finally here on Saturday, William Shatner in Concert, and also Bonfire Night Firework display! 1pm SL (8pm UK).

From Captain Kirk and TJ Hooker to Priceline Negotiator, Denny Crane in Boston Legal and Raw Nerve chat show host and the richest actor in the world, The Shat has done it all.. except sing in London City.

Join us for this breath-taking, jaw dropping, once in a lifetime event at 1pm SL (8pm UK) on Saturday here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City/91/106/24

Shat Concert - The Video

Hope you enjoyed the spectacle of The Shat in concert last night.  The place was heaving with gluttons for punishment!

Here is the video.  Enjoy!

Leonard Nimoy 1931 - 2015

Kirk Beams Down

Known for his roles as Captain Kirk, TJ Hooker, Denny Crane and the Priceline Negotiator, The Shat added a personal appearance in London City to his resume this weekend, where he wowed the crowds with his amazing vocal skills.

The Shat landed via Shuttlecraft and immediately began to sing to the gathered audience. The full hour concert brought an enormous attendance, some to enjoy the music, but most to see what he would do to it.

It was a lot of fun putting on a quirky event like this and great to see so many people enter into the spirit of it.   Enjoy the video.

The Shat in Concert on Saturday

The long awaited event of the year is finally here on Saturday, William Shatner in Concert, 1pm SL (8pm UK).

From Captain Kirk and TJ Hooker to Priceline Negotiator, Denny Crane in Boston Legal and Raw Nerve chat show host and the richest actor in the world, The Shat has done it all.. except sing in London City.

Join us for this breath-taking, jaw dropping, once in a lifetime event at 12pm SL (8pm UK) on Saturday here: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/London%20City3/182/165/23