Gary Packer
Stories (31/0)
ECLECTIC MIX APRIL 2022
We’ll spring has finally sprung, or by the time you read this it will well and truly be over. And you’ll have eaten all those easter eggs you got! The days have gotten longer, and although maybe not quite there, we’ve had a bit of a preview of what kind of days lie ahead. Ones hopefully full of sun, and better days for us all! So far, I’ve attended my best mates wedding this month and it was one of the best celebration events I’ve ever had the pleasure of being too. So, I am taking this as the start of all good things!
By Gary Packer9 days ago in Beat
ECLECTIC MIX FEB/MARCH 22
Firstly, sorry to all for having to wait so long for monthly music post, and the latest playlist(s) that go with. Unfortunately my gran passed away quite quickly and suddenly at the beginning of March. As a result, I’ve not really felt in anyway shape, or form like doing one of my eclectic music posts. I have continued to listen to music, so I will share my playlists for the months of February and March. However what I will do is present the 2, separately, in this one article.
By Gary Packerabout a month ago in Beat
ECLECTIC MIX JANUARY 22
Well guys Christmas is over, and we find ourselves in a new year. Hopefully one which is better than last years, or even the year before that. CoVid finally seems to be fading into the background of our daily lives, and hopefully we now can all face forwards to better days. One’s we don’t take for granted, and with the past 2 years events and lessons still in our heads. January is now over, which tends to be one of the longest, and blues-y feeling months of the year, suppose it’s like a whole month-long hangover of the year just gone past. Now we can all jump on the new year, new me bandwagon. To help you on the way why not take up some musical tastes and indulge in this playlist to help you on the way. Sure, as they say variety is the spice of life!
By Gary Packer3 months ago in Beat
THE ECLECTIC MIX 2021
A year which seen Trump lose his presidency, which caused a mob to invade capitol hill and the Congress building. A super tanker got jammed in the Suez Canal for 6 days, grinding the globe's commerce to a near halt. Several European football teams attempted to break ranks from UEFA and form a new super league. The Tokyo Olympics finally got under way a year later than planned, as did the EURO 2020. Hosted across several European cities, it marked the 60th anniversary of the competition. COP26 took place here in Glasgow, with world leaders making agreements and plans over a 2-week period to tackle climate change. And finally, just when it seemed like life was managing to move beyond CoVid-19, a new variant, Omicron reared up in South Africa. To date it has spread across the globe, causing the return of previous phased out CoVid regulations.
By Gary Packer5 months ago in Beat
ECLECTIC MIX NOVEMBER 21
This month past it seems like winter has finally arrived on our doorstep, and we were battered here in the UK by our 1st storm of the year, Arwen. The storm left many people without power for over a week, and mainland seen wind speeds of 70-80mph, along with heavy snowfall across the north of Scotland. I know what anyone across the pond reading us will think that the storm probably sounds ‘cute’ but for us over here, it was a big deal! So don’t take that energy, or heating for granted over the next few months, especially as we are to hit again with some more severe weather.
By Gary Packer6 months ago in Beat
ECLECTIC MIX OCTOBER 21
Well last month finally seen autumnal weather hit us, a little later than usual most probably due to climate change, which in itself is ironic as my city of Glasgow hosts COP26. The tree’s have now practically dropped all their leaves, and the wet and windy weather is giving way to shorter, darker colder days and nights. So it’s time to get cosy, crank the heating up (not too warm now, think of the planet) and enjoy home comforts while the weather shifts closer to winter.
By Gary Packer7 months ago in Beat
ECLECTIC MIX SEPTEMBER 21
Well it’s been a month of real opposites. We continued into a small short heat wave again, and had temperatures hitting the mid 20’s if you can believe it. Yip Scotland (well the central belt) was practically tropical! However like all good things they end, and the wet, windy weather that so stereotypical of Scotland reared its head again. The tree’s green’s gave way to all shades of red, gold and browns, before litterying our pavements and roads. But the flipside, its a great excuse to get used to the colder weather, and wrap up warmer, and take comfort sitting on the couch or being warm and cozy in bed while the wind and rain batter’s the windows.
By Gary Packer8 months ago in Beat
ECLECTIC MIX AUGUST 21
Well it happened everyone, we had a heatwave and it was glorious. This drizzly famous land of Scotland has been scorched by the stunningly sunny weather, and as of the time of writing its continued into September! So this playlist has been influenced partially by it, but also heavily by my viewing this month. I discovered on Netflix the show called Hip Hop Evolution, if you have the time, and love Gangsta Rap, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rap, Trap, or G-Funk then it’s definitly worth a viewing. Similarly so if you only have a passing interest then its still brillant viewing, and will explain the world of Hip-Hop and show you how actually varied, and important it has been to the music scene. Its 30 years+ history and origins all laid out, and told in great detail by those who made it, by the end of it you'll know your MC Ren to Q-Tip, The Neptunes, De La Soul, Goodie Mobb and everything in between. Another show which influenced this playlist was The Defiant Ones, a show exploring the origins of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, their eventual union, and the impact the 2 of them have had on their respective areas before and after working togther. Don’t stress though, this list is just as varied as ever, and as always eclectic, just this month with a heavier slant towards R&B. Your ears will feast on old 80’s beats, iconic R&B, Trip-Hop, Dance, Indie, 80’s Classics, Alternative and Rock !
By Gary Packer9 months ago in Beat
The Flying Fox, Helena
The hold up had been a success. It couldn’t have gone any better than I planned. The courier’s crashing through the ice, into the freezing cold water being an added bonus. Meant we didn’t have to deal with any heroes. Riding hard, the cold wintery night air stabs at my face, through a thick scruffy beard. Hard to feel my face is actually there. It’s like my conscious thoughts are the heaviest part of my head. Cold air starts to bring me back down, grounding my reality. The giddiness of pulling off the heist fades, my mind changes gear. Catching up with Pete before we get into Helena becomes the priority.
By Gary Packer9 months ago in Fiction
Pike Creek, Helena
‘This is the final score’ I told Pistol-Pete. And myself. I was tired from a decade of hoodwinking, robbing, and sticking up places. I’d put aside some money to retire on. I never wanted to be an outlaw, not that I’d really seen myself as one. But I’d never wanted to stay in this life until I was gunned down like a chump, by some hothead wanting a name for themselves. I was thirty-two, and it was time!
By Gary Packer9 months ago in Fiction
Intermission: Whatever happened to the cinema??
There’s no escaping since the impacts of CoVid have been felt on a global scale. It has filtered down into and impacted almost every aspect of life that we take (or should that be took) for granted prior to this global pandemic. It’s had real significant impact on peoples personal lives, and sadly many people have now been affected, or lost loved ones to the virus. It is hard to imagine prior to this pandemic, something like a virus outbreak (which has happened several times over the years) could change the way the world operates, and the gears of global economy to grind to a halt almost overnight – but it has. Our lives have changed, and there is no doubt this will have lasting impacts for the foreseeable future. Where it has hit us most, is in the social aspect, and the things we do for fun to unwind after the long working week. One of which, along with pubs and restaurants, has been cinema.
By Gary Packer9 months ago in Geeks
Call of Duty Warzones: The ultimate love/hate relationship!
For context, the Call of Duty series for the last 2 decades has been the biggest and most famous FPS (first person shooter) series out there. Starting in 2003 the series originally focused on WW2, as did subsequent titles until 2007’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which moved the setting to present day. Launching around the same time as the next gen of consoles, the PS3 and the Xbox 360 appeared: consoles which truly embraced the online multiplayer aspect of games. Modern Warfare’s timing was perfect. For the next decade it would dominate the online shooter market, releasing new titles within the franchise yearly, growing the Modern Warfare storyline into Hollywood-like proportions, as well as its yearly alternating Black Ops series set in the Cold War years. Overall, it would go on to become the 3rd biggest selling games franchise of all time, selling a combined 300 million copies worldwide. By 2016 its latest installment Infinite Warfare was released, looking to move the title into a near futuristic era and freshen up the franchise. The move backfired with fans having a lukewarm reaction to the jump-packs, futuristic guns and gadgets as well as changes in game play. As a result, it ended up being the lowest selling entry to date so far. By this point it seemed like the series had become stale, with Activision deciding the next installment would go back to the series’ roots, and it’s WW2 setting. Met with a more muted response but finishing the year as one of the best-selling games, 2017’s Call of Duty: WW2 helped remind the publishers that underneath it all people just wanted a boots on the ground shooter grounded in a reality. However, there was a shift in the attitude and expectations of what FPS could offer, as competitors where circling and simultaneously players were looking for a new challenge. Players were being drawn away from the series to play shooters which offered this. PlayerUnknowns Battleground (PUBG) and Fortnite, both released earlier the same year as Call of Duty: WW2, they gave players a unique and different gaming experience: Battle Royale mode!
By Gary Packer9 months ago in Gamers
