The fire skipping rope: A compilation video

No animals were harmed during the making of this video...

A few scenes from the fire skipping rope compilation video shown below.

In the early days of the Charles Fudgemuffin blog I featured a few videos featuring the fire skipping rope which is a popular/risky nightly event with drunken backpackers on the tropical island of Koh Phangan.

As it's been over a year since my last fire skipping video, I think that means I'm long overdue for another one. This time I've compiled several of my favourite fire skipping attempts into one compilation video.

The video demonstrates that the fire skipping rope can be quite dangerous, but also entertaining. Personally though, I'd rather be the one getting entertained, rather than one of those providing the entertainment by drunkenly getting themselves burnt...

Murray Walker quotes (part 1)

A tribute to a formula 1 legend.

"Seb, where would you rank Murray Walker
among formula 1 commentators?"

Today sees the title deciding final Grand Prix of the 2014 formula 1 season, so on the theme of F1 here's a collection of memorable quotes from one of my favourite sports commentators of all time ... the legend, Murray Walker.

1) "There's nothing wrong with the car except that it's on fire."


2) "I can't image what kind of problem Senna has. I imagine it must be some sort of grip problem."


3) "He's only 19. That's the same age Eddie Irvine was when he was 19."
...Coincidentally, it's also the same age I was when I was 19.


4) "And Michael Schumacher is actually in a very good position. He is in last place..."


5) "The lead car is unique, except for the one behind it, which is identical."

How not to write a helpful book review

Three unhelpful but amusing book reviews.

A few months ago I offered my opinion on how to write a helpful book review, and as a follow-up I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the flipside of the coin, namely how not to write a helpful book review. So to illustrate some of the pitfalls to avoid, here are a selection of poorly written book reviews found on Amazon...

"Many tourists visit Egypt every year but I couldn't
tell you what it's like because I've never been. 3/5."
...Travel News Magazine (#NotReally)

1) The Works Of Edgar Allen Poe (Volume 4) by Edgar Allen Poe

First up is a book 'review' which highlights perhaps the most important thing of all to consider when writing a book review. It's a review of The Works Of Edgar Allen Poe (Volume 4), and the review reads:

"I got this because it was free but I have not got around to reading it yet. 3/5"

I had to chuckle at the reply that someone has left:

"Thanks - really informative. It is always useful to read a book review from someone who has not read it."

So my first tip for anyone writing a book review would perhaps be an obvious one. When writing a book review, always ensure that you have actually read the book before you review it!

The Broof Pirate: A childish facebook prank

The Broof Pirate, happy to help with all your facebook questions...

Most pirates carry a pirate sword like this one pictured,
but the Broof Pirate instead carries a bottle of Broof.

In the past on the Charles Fudgemuffin blog I've featured a few daft childish pranks to play on facebook, and once again I thought I would mention an amusingly childish facebook prank. Most people will probably find this extremely childish, and also a bit surreal, so it'll only appeal to people who are extremely immature and easily amused, like myself for example.

The prank involves a link shortener to disguise the actual website link, and the link is www.smarturl.it/InfoPage468. The 'InfoPage468' reference makes it appear as if it links to some useful information, but in actual fact the link sneakily redirects to the 'Broof Pirate' website which is a ridiculous website featuring a pirate who makes funny 'broof' noises.

To play the prank, just wait until one of your facebook friends posts a question asking for advice, and then post a reply providing an allegedly 'helpful' link. However, instead of posting a helpful link, you instead post the disguised link to the Broof Pirate.

Here are a few examples based on questions posed on my own facebook feed...