The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
This is a gentle and somewhat dull story that didn’t really do it for me. I couldn’t find much sympathy in the main character and was often frustrated by her stuffy middle aged, middle class attitudes.
‘Behind Edinburgh’s regimented Georgian facades, its moral compasses are spinning with greed, dishonesty, lust and murderous intent. Isabel Dalhousie knows this. Isabel, in fact, rather relishes it. An accomplished philosopher and editor of the Review of Applied Ethics, she knows all about the difference between good and bad. Which is probably why, by instinct, she is an amateur sleuth. And instinct tells her the man who tumbled to his death in front of her eyes after a concert in the Usher Hall didn’t fall. He was pushed.
And whatever Isabel lacks in official status, she more than makes up for with accomplices and contacts: there’s her housekeeper Grace, whose applied philosophy is that the Edinburgh way is right and the way of the world is wrong; her beautiful niece Cat; and Cat’s ex boyfriend, Jamie, who is leading Isabel to review her own ethics in the sexual attraction market…’
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
More of wot I have heard…
The Boy Bands Have Won by Chumbawamba
This is one of the best finds for some time and has been played often to family and friends. They are a very sincere and considered band (some times edging towards ‘right-on’) with a superb craftsmanship of word and music of beautiful harmonies, skilled instrument work and joyous lyrics. They have a good time with many of there subjects and the Add Me track pokes fun at the weird and wonderful social networking trends and is a current anthem of ours.
The music has a strong folk influence and has guest performances by big names of the genre, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from giving it a go as it is not all sandals, beards and real ale.
This is one of the best finds for some time and has been played often to family and friends. They are a very sincere and considered band (some times edging towards ‘right-on’) with a superb craftsmanship of word and music of beautiful harmonies, skilled instrument work and joyous lyrics. They have a good time with many of there subjects and the Add Me track pokes fun at the weird and wonderful social networking trends and is a current anthem of ours.
The music has a strong folk influence and has guest performances by big names of the genre, but that shouldn’t stop anyone from giving it a go as it is not all sandals, beards and real ale.
Monday, June 23, 2008
More of wot I have read…
Gormenghast trilogy by Mervyn Peake 1911-1968
Titus Groan 1946
Gormenghast 1950
Titus alone 1959 – reworked after his death
This was a very difficult series of books and ultimately took me several months to stubbornly plough my way through. The exciting but complicated writing of Peake had its rewards and challenges and the increasingly surreal imagery proved difficult to overcome. I found the first book the best and the most exciting and beautifully imagined, the second became more complicated and the last book was just to way out there to really be enjoyed.
I remembered the first book being made into a TV series some time ago that thinking back on it recreated much of the gothic grandeur pretty much as I imagined whenI read it.
Moon by James Herbert
Not quite the same sort of book as what I have just been reading previously (Gormenghast) and the technology changes from when it was written did make it feel dated. But it did have some good ideas; however I can’t find enough in it to really recommend it unless you have nothing else to read.
‘He had fled from the terrors of his past, finding refuge in the quietness of the island. And for a time he lived in peace. Until the ‘sightings’ began, visions of horror seeping into his mind like poisonous tendrils, violent acts that were hideously macabre, the thoughts becoming intense.
He witnessed the grotesque acts of another, a thing that glorified in murder and mutilation, a monster that soon became aware of the observer within its own mind, and relished the contact. A creature that eventually would come to the island to seek him out…’
Titus Groan 1946
Gormenghast 1950
Titus alone 1959 – reworked after his death
This was a very difficult series of books and ultimately took me several months to stubbornly plough my way through. The exciting but complicated writing of Peake had its rewards and challenges and the increasingly surreal imagery proved difficult to overcome. I found the first book the best and the most exciting and beautifully imagined, the second became more complicated and the last book was just to way out there to really be enjoyed.
I remembered the first book being made into a TV series some time ago that thinking back on it recreated much of the gothic grandeur pretty much as I imagined whenI read it.
Moon by James Herbert
Not quite the same sort of book as what I have just been reading previously (Gormenghast) and the technology changes from when it was written did make it feel dated. But it did have some good ideas; however I can’t find enough in it to really recommend it unless you have nothing else to read.
‘He had fled from the terrors of his past, finding refuge in the quietness of the island. And for a time he lived in peace. Until the ‘sightings’ began, visions of horror seeping into his mind like poisonous tendrils, violent acts that were hideously macabre, the thoughts becoming intense.
He witnessed the grotesque acts of another, a thing that glorified in murder and mutilation, a monster that soon became aware of the observer within its own mind, and relished the contact. A creature that eventually would come to the island to seek him out…’
Cat-flap catastrophe…
Being new to the neighbourhood our cat has found that he is no longer king of the castle and he has had several run-ins with other cats – mostly limited to singing competitions in the middle of the night. But some of the cats started to come into our house to eat any left over cat food and sleep on the beds, and after a while one of them started to try and show his dominance by spraying in the house. This disturbed our cat and didn’t impress us either, so when I was at the vets I bought the most expensive cat-flap ever. Over a hundred pounds later and I was the dubious owner of a Pet Porte electronic cat-flap. This is designed to detect the cat’s microchip and only allow it in, but the problem was I had to make sure it worked with our cat’s microchip and get it programmed. Sooty is not the most sociable of cats and it usually a two person job just to put the flea drops on him, so I was not looking forward to having to ‘scan’ him across this detector and still retain all of my digits. Luckily I managed to sneak up in him when he was eating and programmed it successfully. The next job was to get it into the door – and for this I fitted it where the old one came out, only now it was to high outside to be able to scan the cat successfully as there is a big step from inside to out and the flap was situated high in the door. The only solution was to some how raise the floor out side the door so that when the cat tried to get in he was within range of the scanner – so now we have a shelf on the outside of the door that looks bloody weird. All this fuss and messing with the door and manhandling of the cat had made him nervous of the whole thing so now we have to retraining him to use it. Oh joy!
Springwatch…
We were given a cute bird box a while ago and I put it up on the side of our house not expect to much from it as I was told it was in the wrong place. But we were pleasantly surprise when a couple of Blue Tits chose it to set up nest and we took to watching and listening to their progress (unfortunately as did our cat and some of the neighbouring cats too). We were rewarded with the chirping of babies and the sight of the parents busily feeding them. Unfortunately nature’s cruel hand cam into play and some of the fledglings didn’t make it. One fell out of the nest and died, and another flew into a window and was killed by our cat as it lay stunned on the ground. We think the others survived and hope that the box will prove to be attractive next year too.
Sue changes jobs…
After being a long term temp Sue has recently been made redundant, however even before she left the old job she was offered something new. Also a temp job this new work has grown and after being there for only a week or two Sue was ask to train the other staff and had been left in charge. Now the company has offered her a permanent job hinting at more responsibility. This doesn’t suit her at the moment and she will probably not take them up on their offer as ultimately Sue hopes to find work nearer to home. Nevertheless it is pretty cool to be so good at what you do that people are clambering for your services.
They actually expect me to work…
My job has an unpredictable workload as we rely on customer’s demands. I provide support to the sales staff in estimating engineered solutions to meet our client’s requirements in the industrial marketplace (mostly petrochemical and chemical sites). And at the moment with the current demand for fuel and chemicals these customers want to increase their capacity by build new sites or expanding existing ones. Of course they all want them done at the same time and over the last few year there has been a steady reduction in people with the necessary qualifications to support these industries, so that now there is not enough people to do the work.
A rambling man…
We have again enjoyed getting out into the lovely Surrey countryside (when we have the time) and have explored a few different paths. We have seen rare wild orchids on Ranmore common and have heard tales of exotic wildlife such as snakes being spotted nearby. Of course the charm of an English country walk is often enhanced by the prospect of a drink in a country pub and these too are very welcome diversions.
Garden in bloom…
Around home we have also been busy in the garden with a small veggie patch providing lots of salad greens and the flowers in the front garden starting to provide colour and scent to what was once a relatively boring patch of lawn and that has now been turned into out version of a cottage garden. We are quite please with the results though we will have to do some more tweaks now we can see what the plants look like fully grown. Now all we need is some time and good weather to be able to enjoy it.
Dig for victory…
We have had a better start this year at the allotment and have benefitted from the new shed by getting the seedlings off to a good start. The ground is still poor and this is something we are going to have to deal with over the next few years. We have a fence around the site to help stop the deer and other wildlife helping them selves to food (though I am not sure it has prevented human intervention – I am sure there were more strawberries than that!). The plots are all full now and we are having to resort to tubs and are planning to extend the available land for crops that are still to go in. Now we are starting reap our rewards with the first pickings of peas and beans and strawberries and we have high hopes for the garlic, though the potatoes seem to be suffering with the poor soil.
The Americans are coming…
Dana & Susan Robinson – This was a night of sweet music mostly written by Dana in a more modern folk style inspired by the rich American folk heritage.
Jeff Warner – He was a man who has grown up with a family that have researched American folk history and who has an obvious passion for the subject that was very inspiring. He spent time explaining the origins of the songs and showed a great knowledge and understanding.
Judy Cook – Mostly singing solo and unaccompanied, Judy had a great voice and expressed her passion for the songs she sang. Another singer who had researched the origins of the songs she sang and who was able to add a greater depth of understanding to the subject.
Mike Agranoff – Here was an entertainer who was lively and engaging whose talent for music shone out even when he was performing his more flippant of songs.
Jeff Warner – He was a man who has grown up with a family that have researched American folk history and who has an obvious passion for the subject that was very inspiring. He spent time explaining the origins of the songs and showed a great knowledge and understanding.
Judy Cook – Mostly singing solo and unaccompanied, Judy had a great voice and expressed her passion for the songs she sang. Another singer who had researched the origins of the songs she sang and who was able to add a greater depth of understanding to the subject.
Mike Agranoff – Here was an entertainer who was lively and engaging whose talent for music shone out even when he was performing his more flippant of songs.
More of wot I have heard…
Upstate Songs by Devon Sproule
Just the right side of odd, I saw this artist on the Later with Jules Holland TV show and knowing that she is scheduled to perform at Womad I picked this up to see what she was like. Charming and qwerky this album probably won’t appeal to everyone, but I like it.
Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp
This is the third album we have of them and although it is good it is not quite as good as their first (Felt Mountain). They have made an effort to try new things each time they record, which is a problem if you find one of them that you like.
Thirst for Romance by Cherry Ghost – They have some very good tunes packed into this album. I particularly like the tracks, Mathematics, 4am and People Help The People.
Just the right side of odd, I saw this artist on the Later with Jules Holland TV show and knowing that she is scheduled to perform at Womad I picked this up to see what she was like. Charming and qwerky this album probably won’t appeal to everyone, but I like it.
Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp
This is the third album we have of them and although it is good it is not quite as good as their first (Felt Mountain). They have made an effort to try new things each time they record, which is a problem if you find one of them that you like.
Thirst for Romance by Cherry Ghost – They have some very good tunes packed into this album. I particularly like the tracks, Mathematics, 4am and People Help The People.
An English country garden…
Late spring/early summer is usually a good time to start exploring the English countryside and the gardens therein and it helps us get over the long dark winter just past.
When we moved to our new house we joined a couple of clubs to meet people and get involved with the local community. One of these was the garden club and it was through them we went out to visit the Ramster Gardens . This is a large and rambling informal garden of trees and exotic flowing bushes, specialising in Azaleas and Rhododendrons. It was a very pleasant garden and a lovely day to be out wandering about.
We have been spending a lot of time with my Aunt and Uncle and we have indulged our combined interest in gardens by visiting several private gardens in the National Gardens Scheme, including:
Bledlow Manor owned by Lord and Lady Carrington and a grand and graceful garden peppered with many interesting sculptures. The aging Lord himself was on hand to great people and talk to them and as an ex-politician he had a diplomatic and engaging manner about him.
On a separate occasion we went to the Old Thatch where Enid Blyton once stayed and possibly wrote some of her famous stories. This was a delightful garden that had many elements of a traditional Cottage Garden with some more modern interpretations that fitted together with the lovely old thatched cottage.
A visit to Cublington allowed us to visit two very different gardens, one was a smaller garden behind a modern detached house that was immaculately groomed and stylishly arranged, the other was a larger more rambling affair around an old vicarage.
Later on we visited an old favourite country garden of ours, Sissinghurst, with Sue’s Mum, Auntie Vera and Sarah. We had not been here for quite some time and the gardens was as spectacular as we remembered with individual ‘rooms’ cutting the large area into more manageably sizes and creating intimate views around each corner. After strolling around the grounds we were treated to a lovely meal at Vera and Sarah’s place rounding off a lovely day.
When we moved to our new house we joined a couple of clubs to meet people and get involved with the local community. One of these was the garden club and it was through them we went out to visit the Ramster Gardens . This is a large and rambling informal garden of trees and exotic flowing bushes, specialising in Azaleas and Rhododendrons. It was a very pleasant garden and a lovely day to be out wandering about.
We have been spending a lot of time with my Aunt and Uncle and we have indulged our combined interest in gardens by visiting several private gardens in the National Gardens Scheme, including:
Bledlow Manor owned by Lord and Lady Carrington and a grand and graceful garden peppered with many interesting sculptures. The aging Lord himself was on hand to great people and talk to them and as an ex-politician he had a diplomatic and engaging manner about him.
On a separate occasion we went to the Old Thatch where Enid Blyton once stayed and possibly wrote some of her famous stories. This was a delightful garden that had many elements of a traditional Cottage Garden with some more modern interpretations that fitted together with the lovely old thatched cottage.
A visit to Cublington allowed us to visit two very different gardens, one was a smaller garden behind a modern detached house that was immaculately groomed and stylishly arranged, the other was a larger more rambling affair around an old vicarage.
Later on we visited an old favourite country garden of ours, Sissinghurst, with Sue’s Mum, Auntie Vera and Sarah. We had not been here for quite some time and the gardens was as spectacular as we remembered with individual ‘rooms’ cutting the large area into more manageably sizes and creating intimate views around each corner. After strolling around the grounds we were treated to a lovely meal at Vera and Sarah’s place rounding off a lovely day.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The birds and the bees…
To try and get to know people in our village we made the decision to join in many of the local groups and as we had an interest in growing plants we joined the Gardener’s Club. This week we went to an organised talk on the subject of the Pollination of Flowers. We were not expecting too much but the talk was actually very well presented by a retired ex-bio-chemist who was also a very accomplished photographer. A well organised and informative talk was supported by some interesting detailed slides, though the presenter’s evolutionary, anti-creationist, attitude may have rankled with some of the church-goers in the audience. He also had a very strong opinion against the proliferation of GM technology and in particularly the way Monsanto influences American policy to the detriment of the natural order.
Again we found ourselves to be the youngest, in some cases by far, of the people there, the majority of which were long retired. Not that they were not interesting and welcoming people, it is just that we could do with meeting some more people our own age in the village.
Again we found ourselves to be the youngest, in some cases by far, of the people there, the majority of which were long retired. Not that they were not interesting and welcoming people, it is just that we could do with meeting some more people our own age in the village.
Singing for your supper…
We went out to the Croydon branch of a small restaurant chain called Little Bay for the birthday of a friend. We were in a party of five adults and three children who had all, apart from the two of us, been to this venue before.
The outside of the place was slightly unusual in that the façade looked like a ski chalet, and once inside we saw a photograph on the wall of how it used to be when it was called the Swiss Cottage. But that was before it had been taken over and the inside completely remodelled into some wild fantasy piece. The front half of the restaurant was conventionally laid out and was decorated in gaudy colours with bold designs and unusual lighting, but it was the back half of the restaurant that took our breath away. We descended down a short flight of stairs into someone’s magical interpretation of an Italian Opera house, small intimate tables in the middle of the room under grand chandeliers and surrounded by irregular booths over which were suspended theatre-like boxes with more tables and seating in them. We were shown up a steep set of stairs inlayed with lights in the shape of stars and the like to a large veranda booth where we sat around a kidney shaped table that had images of maps and other ancient looking documents plastered over it. Apparently the theme is enhanced a couple of days a week by performers wandering around singing various operatic tunes to the diners, sometimes climbing up the side of the booths or lying across the tables to serenade you. The artistic imagery around this part of the dining area was very theatrical and this was extended to the toilets where the pictures became more erotic in nature (the children had a separate loo that was decorated with more appropriate Disney characters).
Another departure from the norm for this restaurant chain is the very low prices of the food, which was as cheap as a café but with the variety of dishes that were as good as many bigger restaurants. Apparently the prices are even lower at lunch times and although I have read reports where some customers have been disappointed in other branches with the service and food, I can honestly say that we all found it quite enjoyable, and at £130 for food and drinks for the eight of us it was very reasonably priced.
The outside of the place was slightly unusual in that the façade looked like a ski chalet, and once inside we saw a photograph on the wall of how it used to be when it was called the Swiss Cottage. But that was before it had been taken over and the inside completely remodelled into some wild fantasy piece. The front half of the restaurant was conventionally laid out and was decorated in gaudy colours with bold designs and unusual lighting, but it was the back half of the restaurant that took our breath away. We descended down a short flight of stairs into someone’s magical interpretation of an Italian Opera house, small intimate tables in the middle of the room under grand chandeliers and surrounded by irregular booths over which were suspended theatre-like boxes with more tables and seating in them. We were shown up a steep set of stairs inlayed with lights in the shape of stars and the like to a large veranda booth where we sat around a kidney shaped table that had images of maps and other ancient looking documents plastered over it. Apparently the theme is enhanced a couple of days a week by performers wandering around singing various operatic tunes to the diners, sometimes climbing up the side of the booths or lying across the tables to serenade you. The artistic imagery around this part of the dining area was very theatrical and this was extended to the toilets where the pictures became more erotic in nature (the children had a separate loo that was decorated with more appropriate Disney characters).
Another departure from the norm for this restaurant chain is the very low prices of the food, which was as cheap as a café but with the variety of dishes that were as good as many bigger restaurants. Apparently the prices are even lower at lunch times and although I have read reports where some customers have been disappointed in other branches with the service and food, I can honestly say that we all found it quite enjoyable, and at £130 for food and drinks for the eight of us it was very reasonably priced.
Friday, April 04, 2008
A mixed bag…
We have had a mixed time of things recently from the lows of a family funeral to highs of parties with friends and family. We have been trying to get out and about in the countryside when we can but the weather has not been on our side as it has been quite cold and wet. The local Westcott History Group has a Good Friday walk and this year it was up to one of the sources of the nearby brook. Luckily the weather was in our favour and we had a good time with almost as many dogs on the walk as people.
The other walk we had during Easter was into Dorking to try out a couple of hostelries ending up at the Star Inn where we were so enamoured with the atmosphere we stayed for longer than perhaps we should have. When we entered there was no other patrons in and the bar maid was playing violin, but the quirky artwork on the walls and the Darlek at the end of the bar intrigued us so we encouraged her to play on as we looked about and had a drink. Other people started to trickle in and soon we found ourselves in conversation with total strangers and have a great time. The walk home was a bit of a blur and our wallets were considerably lighter but we didn’t care.
We attended the AGM of the local gardening group that we had joined so that we could meet more people in the village, though many people there also belong to the other local groups as well. It was a cheese and wine evening in the village club and we met a few new people and found out more about the village in bloom competition that will be happening. We have started to work on our front garden and I have trays of flower seedlings in the potting shed next tor the vegetables in preparation as it is possible the judges will be passing in front of our house in their route around the village.
We had a couple of people in to quote for fixing and improving our original sash windows (some of which are jammed shut or have broken cords), but the prices were more than we hoped for and it looks like it will have to be a DIY job with the possible help of a friends and family. We also think the fridge/freezer is on the way out and these built in units are quite expensive to replace.
I am still practicing the guitar, though not as much as I should as I get frustrated with the slow progress. I have also submitted my story to another publisher, though by the lack of response I guess it will be to the same end.
Now that the clocks have changed here to Summer Time we are looking forward and our hearts are lifted with the prospects to come.
The other walk we had during Easter was into Dorking to try out a couple of hostelries ending up at the Star Inn where we were so enamoured with the atmosphere we stayed for longer than perhaps we should have. When we entered there was no other patrons in and the bar maid was playing violin, but the quirky artwork on the walls and the Darlek at the end of the bar intrigued us so we encouraged her to play on as we looked about and had a drink. Other people started to trickle in and soon we found ourselves in conversation with total strangers and have a great time. The walk home was a bit of a blur and our wallets were considerably lighter but we didn’t care.
We attended the AGM of the local gardening group that we had joined so that we could meet more people in the village, though many people there also belong to the other local groups as well. It was a cheese and wine evening in the village club and we met a few new people and found out more about the village in bloom competition that will be happening. We have started to work on our front garden and I have trays of flower seedlings in the potting shed next tor the vegetables in preparation as it is possible the judges will be passing in front of our house in their route around the village.
We had a couple of people in to quote for fixing and improving our original sash windows (some of which are jammed shut or have broken cords), but the prices were more than we hoped for and it looks like it will have to be a DIY job with the possible help of a friends and family. We also think the fridge/freezer is on the way out and these built in units are quite expensive to replace.
I am still practicing the guitar, though not as much as I should as I get frustrated with the slow progress. I have also submitted my story to another publisher, though by the lack of response I guess it will be to the same end.
Now that the clocks have changed here to Summer Time we are looking forward and our hearts are lifted with the prospects to come.
Dancing boy…
Billy Elliott the musical
We were invited out to the theatre with many of Sue’s family in essence to celebrate an Aunt’s birthday, but in reality it is usual for them to get together in this way once or twice a year, often at her Uncle’s expense.
Not everybody had seen the movie and so were unsure what to expect, some of the guys were not looking forward to an evening of ballet. But the storyline of the miner’s strikes and of the tough life in a struggling northern town ensured that the show was edgy enough to counter any other sentimental elements. Overall the acting and dialog were great and the choreography was quite spectacular though one or two numbers were perhaps overlong and one or two songs were a little saccharine for everyone’s taste. There were quite a lot of expletives throughout the dialog but it was used to good comic and dramatic effect and helped emphasise the setting and mood that it could easily be overlooked, even welcomed.
Travelling into and out of town is the biggest drawback to the night and is probably the main reason (along with the big city prices) that we don’t do this more often. There are so many good shows on all the time and it is such a shame we don’t get to see more of them.
We were invited out to the theatre with many of Sue’s family in essence to celebrate an Aunt’s birthday, but in reality it is usual for them to get together in this way once or twice a year, often at her Uncle’s expense.
Not everybody had seen the movie and so were unsure what to expect, some of the guys were not looking forward to an evening of ballet. But the storyline of the miner’s strikes and of the tough life in a struggling northern town ensured that the show was edgy enough to counter any other sentimental elements. Overall the acting and dialog were great and the choreography was quite spectacular though one or two numbers were perhaps overlong and one or two songs were a little saccharine for everyone’s taste. There were quite a lot of expletives throughout the dialog but it was used to good comic and dramatic effect and helped emphasise the setting and mood that it could easily be overlooked, even welcomed.
Travelling into and out of town is the biggest drawback to the night and is probably the main reason (along with the big city prices) that we don’t do this more often. There are so many good shows on all the time and it is such a shame we don’t get to see more of them.
More of wot I have seen…
We had to visit our local library to renew our cards which would have expired as we hadn’t been since we moved to the area. While we were there the library was running an offer designed to attract people back and they were offering free DVD hire when you took out a book. So we pick the following films up.
Nacho Libre
This is a light and fun movie with the usual Jack Black slightly edgy comedy styling. Set in the unfamiliar world of a Latin American monastery it revolves around the cultural obsession with wrestling while introducing elements of forbidden love, trust and honesty and goodliness. Good for a laugh.
300
300 is a movie based on a comic reworking a tale of Spartan heroism against unbelievable odds. The imagery captures the comic feel perfectly and adds to the mythic scale of the dramatic action that wouldn’t have worked in a ‘realistic’ way. Naturally it is a bit of a boys-own type of film and won’t appeal to everybody, but for those who can remember flipping through graphic novels or still do it will probably be just up your street.
Nacho Libre
This is a light and fun movie with the usual Jack Black slightly edgy comedy styling. Set in the unfamiliar world of a Latin American monastery it revolves around the cultural obsession with wrestling while introducing elements of forbidden love, trust and honesty and goodliness. Good for a laugh.
300
300 is a movie based on a comic reworking a tale of Spartan heroism against unbelievable odds. The imagery captures the comic feel perfectly and adds to the mythic scale of the dramatic action that wouldn’t have worked in a ‘realistic’ way. Naturally it is a bit of a boys-own type of film and won’t appeal to everybody, but for those who can remember flipping through graphic novels or still do it will probably be just up your street.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Savage Worlds...
Savage Worlds
http://www.peginc.com/
http://savagepedia.wikispaces.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds
We have been playing a new RPG mechanics that is described as being fast and furious and that has several game variants. We have tried the standard Savage Worlds and also have a couple of different campaigns running:
Rippers – Set in an alternative Victorian world where the stories are true and Frankenstein, Van Hellsing, Jeckle and Hyde, Dracula are not just fictional and an organisation called the Rippers exists to capture the beasts that threaten society. My character is a slightly dark academic called Professor Modecai Grey.
Necessary Evil – This is and anti-superhero game where vicious aliens have conquered an alternative earth and have wiped out all of the superheroes leaving the population at their mercy. In this game you play super-villains that band together to defeat the aliens and take back the earth for their own ends. I play a super powered thief called PolterHeist who can turn invisible and intangible.
http://www.peginc.com/
http://savagepedia.wikispaces.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Worlds
We have been playing a new RPG mechanics that is described as being fast and furious and that has several game variants. We have tried the standard Savage Worlds and also have a couple of different campaigns running:
Rippers – Set in an alternative Victorian world where the stories are true and Frankenstein, Van Hellsing, Jeckle and Hyde, Dracula are not just fictional and an organisation called the Rippers exists to capture the beasts that threaten society. My character is a slightly dark academic called Professor Modecai Grey.
Necessary Evil – This is and anti-superhero game where vicious aliens have conquered an alternative earth and have wiped out all of the superheroes leaving the population at their mercy. In this game you play super-villains that band together to defeat the aliens and take back the earth for their own ends. I play a super powered thief called PolterHeist who can turn invisible and intangible.
More of wot I have heard…
Seasick Steve – Dog House Music
Heard first on the Jules Holland late night music show, this artist is both visually and musically surprising. Looking like a time weary hobo and playing a guitar that looks like it came from a busker Seasick Steve manages to bring his version of southern USA blues to life in an amazing way.
Various Artists - The Imagined Village
We saw this folk super-group at last years WOMAD festival where they were performing their updated retelling of traditional tales in a very entertaining and moving way.
Ian Dury – New Boots and Panties
I heard this album again recently at a friends house and was reminded of just how good it was with the poetic lyrics of Dury and the driving rhythms of the Blockheads I just had to go out and get a copy.
Seth Lakeman – Freedom Fields
Another artist we saw at WOMAD he has been leading the charge for the new breed of musicians that are bring the traditions of folk singing up to date and to a new audience.
Bram Taylor –Song Singer
This was freebee album that we picked up when we were at our local folk club recently and is not someone I had heard of before.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Not a pairing that many people would have thought of but they manage to make some wonderful music together and I find personally that where I wouldn’t buy their solo stuff as a duo they are so much better.
The Fratellis - Costello Music
Good party music with more than a few catchy songs in it this album is lively and entertaining.
Feist – Let it Die
Moody and eccentric this artist has some beautiful gems in this quirky album.
Heard first on the Jules Holland late night music show, this artist is both visually and musically surprising. Looking like a time weary hobo and playing a guitar that looks like it came from a busker Seasick Steve manages to bring his version of southern USA blues to life in an amazing way.
Various Artists - The Imagined Village
We saw this folk super-group at last years WOMAD festival where they were performing their updated retelling of traditional tales in a very entertaining and moving way.
Ian Dury – New Boots and Panties
I heard this album again recently at a friends house and was reminded of just how good it was with the poetic lyrics of Dury and the driving rhythms of the Blockheads I just had to go out and get a copy.
Seth Lakeman – Freedom Fields
Another artist we saw at WOMAD he has been leading the charge for the new breed of musicians that are bring the traditions of folk singing up to date and to a new audience.
Bram Taylor –Song Singer
This was freebee album that we picked up when we were at our local folk club recently and is not someone I had heard of before.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
Not a pairing that many people would have thought of but they manage to make some wonderful music together and I find personally that where I wouldn’t buy their solo stuff as a duo they are so much better.
The Fratellis - Costello Music
Good party music with more than a few catchy songs in it this album is lively and entertaining.
Feist – Let it Die
Moody and eccentric this artist has some beautiful gems in this quirky album.
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