Things To Be Happy About - Part 24

1. Baby Songs and Kidsongs VHS tapes
2. The instrumental remix of 'Crablouse'
3. Death To Smoochy (film)
4. My new sticky notes
5. My new notebooks
6. My new Bluey stuff
7. Superted for feeling alive
8. Butt Ugly Martians for feeling peeved
9. Toddler Furaha playing 'This Little Piggy' with Orko using his fingers
10. Going somewhere else when the internet for Amazon Prime isn't working.

Join In With Dumbo's Pool Dance!

Now that Dumbo's Friendly Thoughts posts have come to a close, Dumbo and his friend Timothy Q Mouse would like to show you a new dance to the original Adult Swim theme music! It's called 'The Pool Dance', and here's a tutorial on how to do it!

1. Start off by placing your fingers on your toes, and then reach up high very slowly. Then quickly touch your toes again. Repeat three more times.
2. Now the beat has shifted. Move your arms in front of you and wiggle your fingers while moving them up and down, as slowly as a flag waving in the wind.
3. The rhythm has come in now! Hands on hips and wiggle them in time to the rhythm.
4. The trumpet has come in now, so it's time to raise your hands in the air and pretend to make trumpet noises. Lower them down, down, down as this part of the music goes on.
5. During the calm instrumental, go wild and madly dance around the place.
6. Make a few silly poses and a few funny faces.
7. Shuffle across the floor, tip tap dance on your toes and then jump from side to side and clap two times. Repeat this again.
8. Everything's calmed down again now. Repeat the first step, then repeat the second step when the beat comes in again.
9. Now hold out your arms at both sides. Body pop from one arm to the other, and then yell "Aaaawww yeah!"
10. And now, dance around madly! You deserve it.

Well done! Hopefully this very friendly dance will get you up and active in no time. Here's the original music in case you want to hear it:

Friendly Thoughts - This Little Piggy

Orko loved to play lots of cute games with his little sister Furaha when she was a toddler, as cute as a button, still with soft, downy fur. One game they played in particular was 'This Little Piggy'. It made Furaha giggle when Orko pronounced the first four little piggies when tickling her toes. Sometimes when he got to the fifth and final verse, Orko would tickle Furaha's tummy, and sometimes he would levitate into the air and spin until he got dizzy. Wheeeeeeeeee!!!

However, one time Orko spun round and round too much and fell onto the sofa feeling tired and very ill indeed. So, Furaha had to play the game with him - with no spinning this time. Since she can't speak full sentences yet, she gently took hold of Orko's fingers one by one and said "Piggy!" to which Orko corrected her with each time she mentioned it. When she got to the fifth piggy, instead of saying it, she tickled her brother. He laughed so much, he tickled her back, until both of them collapsed from laughing.

And then, as toddlers always do, Furaha snuggled on top of Orko to keep him warm while he had a rest, and he magicked up a soft blanket to cover the both of them while he had a rest from spinning too much. It shows that both of them love each other so, so, SO much. They have a brother-sister bond that cannot be broken - something the media can't show before.

MAINLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE CGI THAT'S GOING AROUND! IT'S COMPLETELY SOULLESS!

And now, calmer...

Oh, and happy new year. May I give a gentle wink to those who want to lie in and not make some noise when the sun rises on the first morning of 2026.

Friendly Thoughts - Welcome To Earth

When I was at school learning about planet Earth and watching The Lion King and such, we did this dance to a Michael Jackson song called 'Earth Song'. Back when I was at secondary school, I didn't want anything to do with it, because at primary school everyone was too noisy and shrill to even bother looking out for my needs. And my secondary school years were worse - it felt like every single member of the school - the pupils, the teachers, everyone - was laughing at me and bullying me for being different!

CURSE THOSE YEARS AT SCHOOL!

But now, with this song, I've found it a rightful purpose. And what is that purpose you ask? Well, since I used it for my film Furaha, Orko & Optimus: Black Mask, I now associate with the entire history of the Masters Of The Universe toyline and everything that came with it - the characters, the TV series, the films, you name it, I associate the song with anything to do with the adventures and exploits of He Man - EXCEPT THE 2021 SERIES, S4C BUTCHERED IT!

Not only that, but I also associate it with when the 2002 He Man series aired on TV around the world, from Toonami on Cartoon Network in the USA to GMTV Kids here in the UK and Cheez TV in Australia and beyond. Those were now good times as I put it, even if my favourite character Orko was left out. I feel sympathy for him even when I watch it on Prime Video.

Remember this, my friends:

Don't cry because we lost that series, smile because we have it...NOW, on Prime Video!

Things That Make Me Happy - Part 23

1. A toadstool nightlight
2. My Tesco haul
3. My support worker's friend from London
4. A cold compress for when I jam my hand between the chair and the table leg
5. A smiley face emoji mug
6. Terrahawks and Galaxy Quest on Prime Video
7. Adding photos to Pinterest
8. Making new Pinterest boards
9. A cold, dark, warmly lit New Years' Eve
10. Hem's 'Redwing'

Friendly Thought - The LifeGod

*laughs loudly* Geddit?

Anyway, just to be on the safe side, when Adult Swim's identity was centered around pools, Cartoon Network's late night lineup felt a lot safer. Waaaaaay safer. Why? Because there was a God protecting us all! In the form of that sarcastic lifeguard, of course. When Adult Swim first transmitted on US TV in 2001, we all knew it was the second coming of God. And so it was.

This son of man was there every single night to show us his 'creations' - Space Ghost, Brak, Sealab 2021 and the like...and all these bumps where he shouted at the pool attendees meant a very special meaning: he was laying down some very special commandments we must obey for the soul of America. Altogether now, at the tops of our voices!

NO TEA PARTIES!
NO EATING!
NO DIVING!
NO CANNONBALLS!

However, this whole peace was not to last....

When Adult Swim adopted its new soulless and creepy look, they extinguished this son of man entirely and started praying to the devil, which meant no commandments, no rules and nowadays, Adult Swim took over Cartoon Network which meant no variety, no fun and no laughs - and worst of all, Teen Titans Go airing all day.

IT'S NOT FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR!

However, we can all do our part to bring back the God-controlled era of Cartoon Network just by starting petitions, writing to Turner and making collages and digital scrapbooks of our favourite characters...or else, every single animator will be in the very worst kind of distress.

If you know what I mean.

RIP Lifeguard.

You always were the second coming to us.

"All kids out of the pool!"

2001-2003.

Things That Make Me Happy - Part 22

1. DJ Hazard and Dirty Harry's 'Don't Be A Hero'
2. Paw Patrol toothpaste
3. Notebooks and pens with my Tesco order
4. Writing in my notebooks while out
5. Putting photos on Instagram
6. B.L., a talking bicycle lamp who provides the robotic voiceovers for Adult Swim's 2002 action block
7. Cartoon Network's Saturday Video Entertainment System
8. Getting chocolate milk from Morrisons
9. Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song'
10. Angelique Kidjo's 'Goddess Of The Sun'

If Cartoon Network's Saturday Video Entertainment System Had A Theme Song

Friendly Thoughts - Furaha & Orko

Furaha and Orko know what gentleness means. To an older brother who has been in Eternia all his life, his exile to Earth gave him a new lease on life - no longer will He Man be able to bully him or throw his amulet deep into the pond, so Orko would have to spend 50 minutes to dive in and get it back.

He's got a family he can truly be with and love. He's got Furaha, his sweet little furry sister, who loves him with all her heart. In fact, the two share a deep sibling bond together - they play, run and laugh happily together and they share an even deeper bond with their carer Optimus Prime, who has given up his Autobot commanding duties to become a loving, caring father. Even after all he's been through, going deep into Unicron with Megatron by his side and panicking like Heck over merging with Unicron, these fears are over now. Through bonding with his two charges, he feels happiness and love.

Even though these three friends may feel and look different, inside they're still the same, and they live a gentle, cosy life in a ginormous cottage deep in the country, free from high stakes action. Their lives are full of softness. Without them...

WHAT WILL RAGDOLL DO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW?!?!?!?

Things That Make Me Happy - Part 22

1. Orko relaxing peacefully in the water, drifting down the river
2. Getting used to the Mike Young and Netflix He Man series
3. Learning from Gemini about Ragdoll and the downfall of the film and TV industry
4. The ending of the YTP 'The Horrendous Microgames', where Horrid Henry's book falls into a live shredder, which explodes
5. My Amazon Christmas haul
6. Music such as: Tag You're It, Ran Kan Kan, The Three Little Bops and music from Adult Swim's 2000's bumps
7. He Man, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo being mentioned in Netflix MST3K episodes
8. Horrid Henry
9. Orko cuddling Furaha's soft, furry body
10. Gentle softness between Furaha, Orko and Optimus

Friendly Thoughts - Space Precinct

When you've had a day with two things that seem unfair, think of Slomo. Give him a hug, then run away to Altor and experience things like the Fabulous Cave Mountains and the First Settler's Fortress.

The cave mountains are located in the desert, away from the hustle and bustle of Demeter City. There's loads of secret passages here and there, especially on the dusty ground. There are also air vents which shoot you out high into the air and send you floating slowly, back down to Earth again. The tallest rock of all, Cavern's Peir, is full of lush greenery and has a large waterfall leading down to a beautiful, crystal clear lake.

First Settler's Fortress has stood the test of time since the beginning of the world. To escape a devastating drought, early humans managed to find the technology to whizz off into Space, and thus found a new planet they hadn't noticed before - Altor. They met early Tarns and Creons, which look pretty ugly if you go to an Altorian museum and see the prehistory exhibit. The three groups of friends travelled for miles and miles and miles until they found the most beautiful fort of all - it was so giant and so hollow, they could build their own empire in it - nearby was a waterfall and a lake where they could get fresh water, and lots of spaces where they can climb to the top of the fortress and jump and run. It was a paradise for those who want a rest.

If you feel like giving up Space Precinct, remember this, and life won't seem unfair as you think it is! 

The Tots' Bedtime Poem

Under the moonlight,

A door opens wide

You looked, and you wondered,

And then stepped inside.

It's warm and very cosy inside

With lots of cheeky places to hide

There's all sorts of magic here and there

Like flows and flows of angel hair

But now comes the hard part - who lives there?

No one terrifying, it may give us a scare

It's home to three dolls, who we love lots

Can you guess who they are?

That's right, it's the Tots!

So goodnight to all, to all goodnight

Sleep until the sun's bright light

Things That Make Me Happy - Part 21

1. Disney Morrison's trading cards
2. A Bluey mug
3. A tube of chocolate buttons
4. Getting Space Precinct on Prime Video
5. Writing a Tots TV poem
6. Having chocolate brownies
7. Unstable Fables: The Goldilocks & The Three Bears Show
8. People wearing Christmas jumpers and Santa hats
9. The music heard at the beginning of Tots TV: Bedtime Stories
10. Classic Brum episodes