More of wot I have read…

The Algebraist by Iain M Banks

This is more my speed. I like a lot about the worlds the author has created in his sci-fi work and this is no exception. There are always difficulties in seeing the creations of an author the way he does, and sometimes you can find this a little hard to accept. Also there are many obstacles an author must overcome for the sake of a good story (languages, alien compatibility, technology etc). I find that this author makes a good job at talking all of these and still being able to spin a captivating yarn.


‘It is 4034 AD. Humanity has made it to the stars. Fassin Taak, a Slow Seer at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers, will be fortunate if he makes it to the end of the year.

The Nasqueron Dwellers inhabit a gas giant on the outskirts of the galaxy, in a system awaiting its wormhole connection to the rest of civilisation. In the meantime, they are dismissed as decadents living in a state of highly developed barbarism, hoarding data without order, hunting their own young and fighting pointless formal wars.

Seconded to a military-religious order he’s barely heard of – part of the baroque hierarchy of the Mercatoria, the latest galactic hegemony – Fassin Taak has to travel again amongst the Dwellers. He is in search of a secret hidden for half a billion years. But with each day that passes a war draws closer – a war that threatens to overwhelm everything and everyone he's ever known.’

More of wot I have read…

Don Quixote by Cervantes (translated by P A Motteux)

This was one of the most difficult reads I have ever had. It has taken me months to plough through this translation (which I now find out is perhaps not one of the better ones). Having been written so long ago 1600’s and in Spanish it is very different in style to that of modern novels. Also since the translation itself is hundreds of years old, the references are also dated and at times hard to follow. In addition to the style and structure being quite difficult to grasp, the story arc is strange and hard to follow. There are many interesting and funny passages hidden away in amongst the more challenging paragraphs, but I am not sure they alone make the ordeal worthwhile. This sort of book can make one feel a total dunce.


‘Cervante’s tale of the deranged gentleman who turns knight-errant, tilts at windmills and battles with sheep in the service of the lady of his dreams, Dulcinea del Toboso, has fascinated generations of readers, and inspired other creative artists such as Flaubert, Picasso and Richard Strauss. The tall, thin knight and his short, fat squire, Sancho Panza, have found their way into films, cartoons and even computer games. Supposedly intended as a parody of the most popular escapist fiction of the day, the ‘books of chivalry’, this precursor of the modern novel broadened and deepened into a sophisticated, comic account of the contradictions of human nature.

On his ‘heroic’ journey Don Quixote meets characters of every class and condition, from the prostitute Maritornes, who is commended for her Christian charity, to the Knight of the Green Coat, who seems to embody some of the constraints of virtue.

Cervantes’ greatest work can be enjoyed on many levels, all suffused with a subtle irony that reaches out to encompass the reader, and does not leave the author outside its circle.

Peter Motteux’s fine eighteenth-century translation, acknowledged as one of the best, brilliantly succeeds in communicating the spirit of the original Spanish’.

How do you like your Punk, Sir…? Steamed of course…

Steampunk is a unique fantasy version of 19th century Victorian England- now imbued with high tech digital devices, fantastic steam-powered machines and all manner of surreal, electro-mechanical contraptions that could only have been conjured by a mad, 21st century scientist. The “Steam” refers to steam power- as in the living, fire-breathing machines of antique locomotion. The “Punk” is the important reference to the ‘outsider’ attitude- the lone wolf artist, the DIY craftsman and the amateur engineer, who are not beholden to any contemporary style or ideology. You can bet that you won’t be seeing this kind of design in your next DWR Catalog -and that’s just the way the Steampunks want it.

Once you know where to look, Steampunk design is familiar. By reading H.G. Wells, Jules Verne or Mary Shelly or by seeing movies such as “Brazil” or “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman”, one may already have had a peek into this ingenious style. Hollywood has embraced Steampunk and often uses it as a plot foundation for it’s films (think “Wild, Wild West”). As far as Steampunk’s internet popularity is concerned, you can thank today’s young, savvy computer geeks, bloggers, gamers, authors and artists. Obviously, these creative individuals are not Luddites. They celebrate modern technology but firmly believe that the design of modern products like the ‘I-Phone’ and ‘I-Pod’ can’t possibly compete with the luxurious design of the early “Victorian Wonders” of technology.

Below are links to some of the artists on display at the show…

Amanda Scrivener
Art Donovan
Cliff Overton - Mad Uncle Cliff
Daniel Proulx
Eric Freitas
Haruo Suekichi
Ian Crichton – Herr Doktor
James Richardson Brown
Jesse Newhouse
Joey Marsocci – Dr Grymm
Kris Kuksi
Molly ‘Porkshanks’ Friedrich
Rich Nagy – Datamancer
Stephane Halleux
Thomas D Willeford
Tom Banwell
Vianney Halter

An Education…

For my birthday treat this year Sue and I went to Oxford for the weekend and stayed in a swanky hotel called the Randolph (where Morse would often drink) right in the middle of this spectacular city. I had wanted to go see the modernised Ashmolean Museum and a Steampunk exhibition.

The hotel was conveniently opposite the Ashmolean and so we spent an enjoyable few hours soaking up the culture, before moving on to have a meal in a very old down a narrow alleyway pub off the high street.

Replete we continued our education with a visit to Christ Church where we took a self guided tour around the university and saw where Lewis Carroll got inspiration for Alice in Wonderland and where some scenes from Harry Potter were filmed among the great and the good whose pictures lined the walls, and where history fair oozed out of the ground.

We wandered the streets and looked in other universities and historical buildings until we came to the Museum of the History of Science where the Steampunk exhibition was being held. We nipped in and were blown away by the artwork on display (more in a separate blog).

We had a slap-up meal at the hotel of exceptional standards and indulged ourselves in some fine wine before retiring quite contented to our sumptuous room.

More of wot I have heard…

For my birthday I bought a load more music listed below. Most of these are modern folk artists, some who have won awards for their art. A couple are more of the ‘popular’ genre (Munford & Sons being a cross-over act and Paolo Nutini being in the mainstream charts), but both have elements of folk about them. And another one is a bit more specialist – The Duckworth Lewis Method is an album entirely written about the gentleman’s game of cricket, even if you are not a fan (as I am not), there are still some cracking tunes in it.

Arc Light by Lau

The Awkward Recruit by Mawkin:Causley

Here’s the Tender Coming by The Unthanks

Sunny Side Up by Paolo Nutini

The Duckworth Lewis Method by Duckworth & Lewis

Songs from the Floodplain by Jon Boden

Sigh no More by Mumford & Sons

More of wot I have seen…

Lee Hurst - We hadn’t heard much from this comedian for several years since he left the TV show ‘They Think Its All Over’. It appears he has been running his own comedy club, The FymFygBar, where he also appears, so when we heard he was playing in Croydon we bought tickets for as and family as another Christmas present. The show was very entertaining and Jamie particularily liked the line – ‘Let’s all go to Woman-Land and play on the mood swings’.

More of wot I have seen…

fRoots at the Roundhouse – another Christmas gift was to take my uncle and a friend of his to a show at the Roundhouse that was put on by the fRoots magazine (a world roots periodical that includes many folk acts in its listings) to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The acts were many and varied with Billy Bragg toping the bill. The venue (an old steam train turning building) is absolutely spectacular though inconveniently located in north London. It was a great night out.

More of wot I have seen…

Aladdin – a pantomime at the New Wimbledon Theatre, where we took some friends and their children for a Christmas present. This show was a little different in that every few weeks they changed the leading star between Ruby Wax, Pamela Anderson, Anita Dobson, and Paul O’Grady (we saw Anita Dobson in it, and saw Brian May in the audience). A regular star was Brian Blessed (and I was over the moon when only a few minutes into the show he bellowed ‘Gordon’s Alive!’). I very much enjoy this particularly English Christmas experience.

Are you sitting comfortably…?

Late last year we decided to invest in some new sofas for our living room so we went to the Sofa Workshop store. Sue wanted a three-seater and a two-seater so that we could accommodate more people. We ended up with a large leather Robertson and a smaller fabric Browning (in a different material to the website). They were not cheap, but with the discount and the obvious quality we placed our order. They tuned up the other day and now our front room is full of seating, though we have lost our bookcase as there wasn’t room for it all.

Driving in style…

As part of my job I get a company car which is changed every few years. Just before Christmas this year I took delivery of my new bright and shiny white BMW 118d. And then it snowed for a week. In the New Year I took it to work and showed it off. And then it snowed for a week. Having been taught to drive in NZ I didn’t have much experience of driving in snow, and apparently rear wheel drive automatics are not the best at handling in this sort of weather. So it ended up parked for quite a while. But now I have been out and about we have tested it out and had it full of stuff , including a loaded roof rack, when Jamie moved.

I love it, though I think Sue is not so sure about the colour. White cars can be associated with Essex and girls in stiletto heels.

Not so clever now…

Recently we went with friends to a local pub for a quiz evening. We didn’t know what to expect, as we have not been to many, but we were greatly cheered when we got full marks in the first round and we still leading in the second. After that though we had a massive batting collapse in the music round and tumbled from first to last place. The quizmaster said he had never seen that happen in all of his years of hosting them – at least this was a first for us!

Moving house…

Jamie moved house again, still in London but now south of the river and closer to work. The girl he was flatting with bought one of those low deposit starter flats where you part buy part rent. Luckily she wanted Jamie to move with her so that he could help by paying her rent.

We moved them with the help of family and friends into the lovely brand new place, helped clean the old one, and build the furniture for the new one. Afterwards we treated them to a meal a few minutes walk away in a riverside restaurant. Oh to be young and in the middle of London – we are jealous.

More of wot I have seen…

Sherlock Holmes

We thoroughly enjoyed this film. Having only ever seen the TV version of this classic story, we enjoyed the reinterpretation of the characters that seemed well rounded and authentic. We can’t say if this is actually true, as we have not read the books, but this does make me want to search them out just to see.

I have heard mixed reviews from people, one who thought it was the best film he has seen in a long time, the other the worst. I guess it is a matter of taste and opinion.

Snow bound…

There is definitely one down side to modern telecommunication technology, and that is you do not get to benefit from a snow-day. We have had a few days of relatively heavy snow here, and I have been unable to get the car out of our little village. Nevertheless I have still had an internet and mobile phone connection so have still had to work.

I can see a glimpse of the beautifully frosted countryside through a small gap in the snow that covers the window in our converted attic space that I use as my office when I work-from-home and I took a quick walk about at lunch time to take a few photo’s.

Wii Party…

We had a fun Boxing Day around at Sue’s Sister’s place with much of the family eating and drinking well. Later their new Wii console came out and inexperienced and merry participants abused it with gusto. Since there were woollen hats amongst the gifts it was decided that it was only right that these should be worn during the Winter Sports games.

No major injuries were sustained and nobody broke anything however there was a report of ‘Wii wrist’ the next day.

There was absolutely no danger of any significant high scores being placed during the competitions

More of wot I have heard…

Again this year I received more new music that has boosted my collection.

Lemonjelly.ky by Lemon Jelly
I do love the quirky nature of this group, how they include a fun element to their wonderfully sublime tracks.

I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight by Richard and Linda Thompson
This is an album that harks back to the initial folk revival in the 1970s and is reputed to be a seminal collection of tracks. Historically interesting, put it does seem to have dated a bit.

Live Lounge by Various Artists
This is an earlier collection of tracks performed by artists on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge show. Some of the most interesting are those where artists play songs by others.

El Dorado by 17 Hippies
We saw this German band at WOMAD and were blown away by their skill and enthusiasm. As they admitted there are not seventeen of them in the band and they are not all hippies, however they do play some very good modern folk with a European twist.

Disco Heaven 2009 by Various Artists at Hed Kandi
I bought this double album for Sue who is a bit of a disco diva. It is the second hed kandi collection we have and if you like contemporary club music with soul then you should give this label a try.

Beside You – 30 Years of Hits by Dave Dobbyn
This was a gift from New Zealand that along with the following album means that I probably have everything that I can ever remember listening to in NZ that was locally produced when I lived there.

The Great New Zealand Songbook by Various Artists

Excessmas…

What a festive couple of weeks. We ate and drank as if it was going out of fashion. Does this make us particular devout to have celebrated so much? I didn’t think so either.

We did manage a few walks in the frozen countryside, however these resulted either in ending up at a pub or at a house where we ate and drank some more.

Of course now it means we are on a diet, and are attempting to detox during January.

More of wot I have seen…

Avetar

I was told this movie was something like Pocahontas crossed with Smurfs with gigantism… …I would add that it looks like it was set in a world inspired by Roger Dean paintings.

I saw this movie at the Imax Cinema, the largest 3D screen in the UK. It was pretty impressive, and the effects were immersive rather than some earlier 3D movies where the effects are obvious and detract from the overall film. The story itself was quite cheesy, loaded as it was with eco, anti colonial messages and some quite cartoon like characters, however this too fitted with the overall feel.

I enjoyed the whole experience very much.


Before hand I went to the The Sacred Made Real exhibition at the National Gallery, where I saw some absolutely amazing paintings and sculptures, that were truely moving...

‘The Sacred Made Real’ presents a landmark reappraisal of religious art from the Spanish Golden Age with works created to shock the senses and stir the soul.
Paintings, including masterpieces by Diego Velázquez and Francisco de Zurbarán, are displayed for the very first time alongside Spain’s remarkable polychrome wooden sculptures.

Inspiring devotion

The religious artists of 17th-century Spain pursued a quest for realism with uncompromising zeal and genius, creating works to inspire devotion among believers.
By displaying works side by side, this exhibition explores the intense dialogue between the arts of sculpture and painting, revealing that they were intricately linked and interdependent.

Hyperrealism

Sculptors often went to extraordinary lengths to achieve greater realism, introducing glass eyes and tears, as well as ivory teeth and human hair to their sculptures. The separate skill of polychroming, performed by specially trained painters, added to the effect with remarkable flesh tones.

‘The Sacred Made Real’ offers the opportunity to see an art form rarely seen outside Spain, featuring masters of polychrome sculpture, including Pedro de Mena, Juan Martínez Montañés and Gregorio Fernández. At the same time, it demonstrates that the painters of the Spanish Golden Age were able to achieve the same disconcerting realism on canvas.

New wheels…

I got my new company car last week. I have upgraded from the little Vauxhall Astra to an equally little BMW 1 series. I didn’t want to pay extra for the metallic paint so was limited to the three base options, black, red and white – I thought the black was way too ‘common’, the red too ‘boy-racer’ so plumbed for the white, which Sue thinks is a bit too ‘Essex’.

Before the new car comes I was advised to clean out the crap from the shed and get it down to the dump in the old car. Not much fun and had to the spend ages cleaning the think for the hand-over.

The evening of the car delivery it started to snow, covering the village in several inches of fresh powered. In the morning the white car was lost under a pile of equally white snow. We decided to try and get out of the village and we almost made it without assistance until we hit a patch of ice at the last corner. Sue got out and started to push (I would have done it, honest, but she can’t drive). One moment she was visible in the rear view mirror… …then she wasn’t. We got help from a neighbour but Sue ended up with bruised knees and soggy trousers.

I have hardly driven it since as we have had freezing temperatures that have turned the snow into ice and fresh snow and sleet adding to the difficult conditions.

Blow on the pie...

Just seen in an article in a newspaper in the UK is a report of a New Zealand police office giving a suspect thief an unusual piece of advice.

When the suspect said he was 'going up the raod to get me a pie', the office replied 'at three o'clock in the morning, that pie has been in the warming drawer for probably 12 hours, it'll be thermonuclear. You must always blow on the pie. Always blow on the pie, safer communities together, OK'

This exchange was filmed some years ago for a tv program but now it is an internet sensation and has appear on morning tv in NZ.