Faithless - Forever Faithless
I found this at the checkout at a supermarket for under £5, a bargain for this collection of the band’s better known tracks. Even if you don’t know much about them you will have heard their music backing shows or adverts on the box. A great accessible dance act that is musically accomplished and lyrically inspiring. The gentle, dreamy and soulful voices reach deep inside your head where the words resonate while the incessant beat drives your feet to tapping. Love it!
Friday, March 30, 2007
I love Dorking…
We have a new ‘tourist attraction’ in Dorking. In the middle of the roundabout on the main junction into the town is a ten foot tall metal cock. The Dorking Cock is a symbol of the town and dates back to when they used to breed these five toed chickens locally.
Naturally the new construction has caused plenty of comment and discussion and the noble beast itself has been adorned variously with streamers and daffodils in the short time it has been here (we are waiting for Easter to see what materialises then!).
I know the name of the town itself has come in for some comment from friends and family who associate dork and dorking with something else, but a T-shirt available shows that the locals don’t take themselves too seriously (I love Dorking). I’ve got to get me one of those!
Discussions about the Dorking Cock
Naturally the new construction has caused plenty of comment and discussion and the noble beast itself has been adorned variously with streamers and daffodils in the short time it has been here (we are waiting for Easter to see what materialises then!).
I know the name of the town itself has come in for some comment from friends and family who associate dork and dorking with something else, but a T-shirt available shows that the locals don’t take themselves too seriously (I love Dorking). I’ve got to get me one of those!
Discussions about the Dorking Cock
All kind of Folk…
The Chanticleer Folk Club is based out of the Friends Provident Social Club in Dorking and this provides and excellent venue with good performance space, comfortable seating area and separate (and cheap) bar. I suspect the name of the club is a reference to the Dorking cockerel. The club is run by Neil ‘the goblin’ McRitchie and his wife Martina. Neil used to work at the Hobgoblin music store and he plays the melodeon for the Rampant Rooster Morris side and the Pugwash Ceilidh Band. The club meets most Wednesdays from 8:30pm until 11:00pm and usually alternates weekly between a guest artist and a ‘singer’s night’ where club members perform.
Our last visit to the folk club was to see the Geordie fiddle player Tom McConville with Claire Mann on fiddle, flute, and whistle and vocals and Aaron Jones on bouzouki, guitar and vocals. They played traditional tunes, jigs and reels from all around the UK and gave a great performance to the small audience for a couple of hours.
Our last visit to the folk club was to see the Geordie fiddle player Tom McConville with Claire Mann on fiddle, flute, and whistle and vocals and Aaron Jones on bouzouki, guitar and vocals. They played traditional tunes, jigs and reels from all around the UK and gave a great performance to the small audience for a couple of hours.
A day in bonny Scotland…
The Monday after I returned from Brussels I was again on a plane, this time to Aberdeen where I was to meet with a couple of guys from the local office and go to visit a customer to talk about some work they want us to quote for. It takes longer to fly to the other end of the country than it does to some places in Europe and the ‘glamour’ of the ‘jet-set’ soon wares off when you have to shuffle in queues through several airports. Luckily I was able to go there and back in a (long) day and get back home by evening.
Out and about in Brussels…
I recently visited Brussels for a few days on a training course for work, learning about some of the company’s new products. There were a couple of colleagues from my office with me along with our opposite numbers from Sweden, The Netherlands, France, Bulgaria and the local office and our German boss. It is interesting to meet people from all over Europe and to find out a little about them and fortunately, for us ignorant types, the company language of English means they all speak more than one language (some embarrassingly speak many more).
More of wot I have read…
London Bridges by James Patterson
This book is trying to be an action packed thriller with a worldwide (centred on America) threat in the vein of the TV series ’24’. The main problem is the Alex Cross is no Jack Bower; in fact I became very frustrated with his lack of constructive input or drive (he seemed to spend most of his time jetting around, walking in parks brooding or asleep). The almost omnipotent, omnipresent villain with limitless funds and resources was too much too. It was a quick read, but for me, ultimately unsatisfying.
‘Alex Cross is back in his tenth and most explosive adventure yet.
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.
And so is the Wolf
Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian super criminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.
And so is the Weasel
Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.
Now are you scared?
World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.’
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I have written about Dean Koontz before and his skill in descriptive writing and characterisation and in this book he doesn’t disappoint. He manages to drag you into a nightmare scenario while delicately describing the environment and revealing the hidden depths and of his characters exposing them to evermore extreme conditions in a tantalising and believable manner. I found this book riveting.
‘With each and every new novel, Dean Koontz raises the stakes—and the pulse rate—higher than any other author. Now, in what may be his most suspenseful and heartfelt novel ever, he brings us the story of an ordinary man whose extraordinary commitment to his wife will take him on a harrowing journey of adventure, sacrifice, and redemption to the mystery of love itself-and to a showdown with the darkness that would destroy it forever.
What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?
We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighbourhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… ...Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it.
He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
From its tense opening to its shattering climax, THE HUSBAND is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock, every revelation...until it lets you go, unmistakably changed. This is a Dean Koontz novel, after all. And there's no other experience quite like it.’
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Where I like many of the subjects Dan Brown explores in his books and enjoy a certain amount of conspiracy and intrigue too, I find his execution sometimes jars and throws me off when I am reading. His annoying trait of telegraphing important messages as if the reader is a simpleton is condescending and disruptive to the narrative flow. Also Robert Langdon often appears ignorant of some things whilst making implausible leaps of deduction at other times. Important clues that have been hidden for centuries are solved in mere moments. If you get over these little frustrations the far-fetched story is quite entertaining.
‘When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati... the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.
The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy... the Catholic Church.
Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair... a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.
An explosive international thriller, ANGELS & DEMONS careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war...’
This book is trying to be an action packed thriller with a worldwide (centred on America) threat in the vein of the TV series ’24’. The main problem is the Alex Cross is no Jack Bower; in fact I became very frustrated with his lack of constructive input or drive (he seemed to spend most of his time jetting around, walking in parks brooding or asleep). The almost omnipotent, omnipresent villain with limitless funds and resources was too much too. It was a quick read, but for me, ultimately unsatisfying.
‘Alex Cross is back in his tenth and most explosive adventure yet.
In broad desert daylight, a mysterious platoon of soldiers evacuates the entire population of Sunrise Valley, Nevada. Minutes later, a huge bomb detonates a hundred feet above the ground and lays waste to homes, cars, and playgrounds: a town annihilated in an instant.
And so is the Wolf
Alex Cross is on vacation in San Francisco with his girlfriend, Jamilla Hughes, when he gets the call. The Russian super criminal known as the Wolf claims responsibility for the blast. The Wolf is the deadliest nemesis Cross has ever faced, and the fact that he is still at large is agonizing for him and his new bosses at the FBI.
And so is the Weasel
Major cities around the globe, including London, Paris, and New York, are threatened with total destruction. The Wolf has proven he can do it - the only question is who can stop him in time. Surveillance film of the blast reveals the presence of another of Alex Cross's most dangerous enemies, the ruthless assassin known as the Weasel. The thought of these two dark geniuses joining forces makes Alex's blood run cold.
Now are you scared?
World leaders have just four days to prevent an unimaginable cataclysm. In a matter of hours, Cross is catapulted into an international chase of astonishing danger. Joining forces with Scotland Yard and Interpol, Alex fights his way through a torrent of false leads, impersonators, and foreign agents before he gets close to the heart of the crimes. Racing down the hairpin turns of the Riviera in the most unforgettable finale James Patterson has ever written, Alex Cross confronts the truth of the Wolf's identity - a revelation that even Cross himself may be unable to survive.’
The Husband by Dean Koontz
I have written about Dean Koontz before and his skill in descriptive writing and characterisation and in this book he doesn’t disappoint. He manages to drag you into a nightmare scenario while delicately describing the environment and revealing the hidden depths and of his characters exposing them to evermore extreme conditions in a tantalising and believable manner. I found this book riveting.
‘With each and every new novel, Dean Koontz raises the stakes—and the pulse rate—higher than any other author. Now, in what may be his most suspenseful and heartfelt novel ever, he brings us the story of an ordinary man whose extraordinary commitment to his wife will take him on a harrowing journey of adventure, sacrifice, and redemption to the mystery of love itself-and to a showdown with the darkness that would destroy it forever.
What would you do for love? Would you die? Would you kill?
We have your wife. You can get her back for two million cash. Landscaper Mitchell Rafferty thinks it must be some kind of joke. He was in the middle of planting impatiens in the yard of one of his clients when his cell phone rang. Now he's standing in a normal suburban neighbourhood on a bright summer day, having a phone conversation out of his darkest nightmare.
Whoever is on the other end of the line is dead serious. He has Mitch's wife and he's named the price for her safe return. The caller doesn't care that Mitch runs a small two-man landscaping operation and has no way of raising such a vast sum. He's confident that Mitch will find a way. If he loves his wife enough… ...Mitch does love her enough. He loves her more than life itself. He's got seventy-two hours to prove it.
He has to find the two million by then. But he'll pay a lot more. He'll pay anything.
From its tense opening to its shattering climax, THE HUSBAND is a thriller that will hold you in its relentless grip for every twist, every shock, every revelation...until it lets you go, unmistakably changed. This is a Dean Koontz novel, after all. And there's no other experience quite like it.’
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Where I like many of the subjects Dan Brown explores in his books and enjoy a certain amount of conspiracy and intrigue too, I find his execution sometimes jars and throws me off when I am reading. His annoying trait of telegraphing important messages as if the reader is a simpleton is condescending and disruptive to the narrative flow. Also Robert Langdon often appears ignorant of some things whilst making implausible leaps of deduction at other times. Important clues that have been hidden for centuries are solved in mere moments. If you get over these little frustrations the far-fetched story is quite entertaining.
‘When world-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati... the most powerful underground organization ever to walk the earth.
The Illuminati has surfaced from the shadows to carry out the final phase of its legendary vendetta against its most hated enemy... the Catholic Church.
Langdon's worst fears are confirmed on the eve of the Vatican's holy conclave, when a messenger of the Illuminati announces he has hidden an unstoppable time bomb at the very heart of Vatican City. With the countdown under way, Langdon jets to Rome to join forces with Vittoria Vetra, a beautiful and mysterious Italian scientist, to assist the Vatican in a desperate bid for survival.
Embarking on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and even to the heart of the most secretive vault on earth, Langdon and Vetra follow a 400-year old trail of ancient symbols that snakes across Rome toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair... a secret location that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation.
An explosive international thriller, ANGELS & DEMONS careens from enlightening epiphanies to dark truths as the battle between science and religion turns to war...’
Thursday, March 15, 2007
More of wot I have read…
Fallen Angels by Bernard Cornwell and Susannah Kells (his wife Judy Cornwell)
This book has characters connected with A Crowning Mercy and along with that and his Gallows Thief book they are the only ones I have read. All are similar and display the author’s passion for the detail of the period that has made him so well know especially for his Sharpe series. His characters tend to be quite romantically drawn in a somewhat stylised way, but they are fun and fit in well with the adventurous nature of the story. His books are an easy and enjoyable read.
‘The Lazenders, a gilded family, have been the envy and pride of Britain for centuries. But Toby Lazender, the heir, is now mysteriously absent. His sister, Campion, is running the family estates in his absence.
But Lazen Castle is, unknowingly, a house under siege. The Fallen Angels – among the most powerful and dangerous men in Europe – are plotting to bring revolution to England. To succeed, they need money, and the Lazender fortune can provide it. A web of deceit closes around Lazen, drawing Campion ever closer to a subtle trap that has been laid for her. Her only hope for survival lies with the Gypsy – her brother’s aloof horse-master – a man whose loyalties have always been uncertain.’
This book has characters connected with A Crowning Mercy and along with that and his Gallows Thief book they are the only ones I have read. All are similar and display the author’s passion for the detail of the period that has made him so well know especially for his Sharpe series. His characters tend to be quite romantically drawn in a somewhat stylised way, but they are fun and fit in well with the adventurous nature of the story. His books are an easy and enjoyable read.
‘The Lazenders, a gilded family, have been the envy and pride of Britain for centuries. But Toby Lazender, the heir, is now mysteriously absent. His sister, Campion, is running the family estates in his absence.
But Lazen Castle is, unknowingly, a house under siege. The Fallen Angels – among the most powerful and dangerous men in Europe – are plotting to bring revolution to England. To succeed, they need money, and the Lazender fortune can provide it. A web of deceit closes around Lazen, drawing Campion ever closer to a subtle trap that has been laid for her. Her only hope for survival lies with the Gypsy – her brother’s aloof horse-master – a man whose loyalties have always been uncertain.’
More DIY…
We have been spending more time and money on decorating the house and it is getting close to how we want it. We have had more help from others too, Sue’s mum has made us some curtains and one of Sue’s aunts has done some wall papering while Sue’s sister jet-washed the deck, I put up some shelves and fixed the squeaking wardrobe doors, and Sue cooked an amazing roast dinner. Now that the weather has started to warm up we have also been down at the new allotment digging and planning while the back garden is also getting some attention with spade and saw.
Infestations…
Our new house has evidence of previous woodworm in some of the floorboards in our bedroom. Recently on a couple of nights we heard a random ticking sound that we couldn’t place, we didn’t have any clocks and the heating had been off for several hours so of course I thought ‘death-watch beetle!’ We weren’t one-hundred percent sure and I suspected a few other things, but we thought it was better to be safe than sorry, and so we arranged for a ‘Timber Pathologist’ to come around a do a survey. When he came over we lifted a few floor boards and he drilled a hole in another to inspect with a probe and in the end he was happy that we didn’t have a problem. I moved the two wicker baskets that sat on the bookcase behind our bed (they were pushed right up against the wall) and we haven’t heard the noise since.
But now we seem to have an infestation of cats! Our cat flap in the back door is either open or shut and normally we leave it open so our cat Sooty can come and go as he pleases. We also usually keep all the internal doors open to let the air circulate. The cat’s food is kept on the kitchen floor by the back door, and although he is a fussy eater, the bowls are always empty. On a couple of occasions we have come home from work and he has greeted us as usual while another black cat has come downstairs and run out through the cat flap. Also on a couple of nights ginger cat has come in and Sooty has started hissing at him so that I have had to get up and shoo it off. Now we have to close doors and the cat flap for some peace and quiet. It must be noted that Sooty is not averse to entering other neighbouring houses for food and a sleep either.
But now we seem to have an infestation of cats! Our cat flap in the back door is either open or shut and normally we leave it open so our cat Sooty can come and go as he pleases. We also usually keep all the internal doors open to let the air circulate. The cat’s food is kept on the kitchen floor by the back door, and although he is a fussy eater, the bowls are always empty. On a couple of occasions we have come home from work and he has greeted us as usual while another black cat has come downstairs and run out through the cat flap. Also on a couple of nights ginger cat has come in and Sooty has started hissing at him so that I have had to get up and shoo it off. Now we have to close doors and the cat flap for some peace and quiet. It must be noted that Sooty is not averse to entering other neighbouring houses for food and a sleep either.
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