Sunday 17th February: ...and my latest excuse for not seeing any live bands this weekend was that I was working in Glasgow...
Apart from meeting up with an ex-colleague (and ex-Orange Wednesday cinema partner) the highlight of this trip was trying (and liking) Chili Beer. This is a North American lager-style beer with an actual green chili pepper in the bottle. The beer has a chili kick and is very drinkable, if you like spicy food. Check out the website to see a chili beat up a lime.
At the risk of turning this blog into more of a diary, here are another couple of things that went on this week.
It was half-term for Elizabeth so I took a couple of days off work so that we could do "family" things. These things turned out to be two trips to walk around some of the spectacular Yorkshire countryside. Wednesday saw us in Dalby Forest in brilliant sunshine, while it drizzled on us while we walked around Aysgarth Falls on Thursday. Whatever the weather, Elizabeth loves being outside so she really enjoyed herself and Dalby Forest was so nice that I bought an annual pass. Now we have to go back.
Musically, I did buy a bunch of cheap CDs from Tesco, some of which I've had a chance to listen to, others I haven't.
"This is the Life" is last year's debut album from Amy McDonald, bought on the strength of the single (and title track), which makes her sound Swedish. She's actually from Bishopbriggs, just outside Glasgow where, coincidentally, the ex-colleague mentioned above lives. Amy wrote all the songs on the album (co-wrote one) and plays acoustic guitar as well as doing all the vocals. The album is a bit samey throughout, but quite listenable.
Mark Knopfler's 2007 album "Kill to get Crimson" is more guitar, less pop. The ex-Dire Straits frontman treats us to some laid back tunes which come across as more folky than anything else. This one may have to grow on me.
Also from last year is "This Time", ex-Spice Girl Melanie C's fourth album. I already had her first two and have seen her live twice (stop laughing). This, along with her third album, was released on her own label, meaning that all the musical choices on it are hers. She co-wrote all the songs. Not had a chance to listen to this one yet.
"Cuts Both Ways" and "Into the Light" are 1989 and 1991 albums by Gloria Estefan. I previously had these on vinyl, bought during the height of Estefan's popularity in this country (which also saw me see her live). I still like her admittedly commercial Latin pop songs and ballads.
"Supernatural" and "Shaman" are Carlos Santana's 1999 and 2002 albums. I've only just discovered Santana's superb guitar-playing but haven't listened to these yet. Like Estefan's albums they are special minimally-packaged CDs from Sony. This range covers quite a wide-spectrum of both music and time and feature two albums, released in a cardboard sleeve. While not perfect for me (I remove CDs and booklets from jewel cases and put them in CD holders to save space - I can't do that with these more eco-friendly cases. Not that I'm complaining.) Tesco are selling each pair of albums for £5. Bargain!
Sunday, 17 February 2008
Sunday, 10 February 2008
The First Book Summary of 2008
Sunday 10th February: The second weekend in a row when I've not been out to see any live music (this time due to being on standby for work), no match at Elland Road for me to comment on (although Leeds did drw 1:1 at Northampton yesterday and I haven't been to the cinema in weeks.
I have, however, read a few books so far this year so I thought I'd comment on some highlights.
Now, I normally struggle a bit with some early (say pre-1980s) science-fiction. I find the writing style to be generally dense and, in some of the classics (as evidenced by what is reprinted in the SF Masterworks line), I just don't get the stories or some of the meanings. Maybe I'm just not clever enough to understand the science fiction that tries to comment on the real world. However, I really enjoyed two 1970s books that I read recently - The Inverted World (Christopher Priest, 1974) and Orbitsville (Bob Shaw, 1975).
Both these books are short - just a couple of hundred pages each (practically short stories in today's world of doorstep-sized trilogies) - and both are genuine "sensawunda" SF. The first tells the story of Helward Mann, recently granted an apprenticeship with the Guild of Futures, the group that maps out the path taken by the ever-moving city whose inhabitants are ignorant both of the city's motion and the real world that surrounds the city.
Orbitsville (which, I have just found out is the first part of trilogy) concerns Vance Garamond who, after being involved in the accidental death of her son, flees Earth and the vengeful President Elizabeth Lindstrom. Out in the stars, he dicsovers a Dyson Sphere which, in a universe in which only two habitable planets have been found, offers hope for an over-crowded Earth. Garamond reports the find and Lindstrom herself follows him to the sphere, eventually allowing humanity to migrate there, while formulating a plan to get revenge on Garamond and his family.
Even in their short lengths, these two books show more ideas and characterisation than a lot of today's novels. Both are easy reads and there is no message or interpretation/interpolation of our world. They are, quite simply, well-told stories.
The other books I have finished since 2008 started are:
Confessor (Terry Goodkind, 2007): The final volume (book 12!) of the Sword of Truth series. This series went on too long for me and the ending was a little weak.
Barrayar (Lois McMaster Bujold, 1991): Aristocratic, military SF, telling the events leading up to the birth of Miles Vorkosigan, Bujold's most famous character. I enjoyed this one more than I expected to.
Hot Sky at Midnight (Robert Silverberg, 1994): A environmental warning set on a near-future Earth where global warming is taking its toll. Well-written with some good characters, but I didn't really get the ending.
Rewind (Terry England, 1997): The story of seventeen adults who, after entering an alien spaceship, are reverted back to ten-year-old bodies. This book show the reactions to them by scientists, family and humanity in general. Not bad, but it seemed to be a story that needed an SF idea to tell it, rather than an SF story.
Circus of the Damned and Lunatic Cafe (Laurell K. Hamilton, 1995 and 1996): Books 3 and 4 of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. This is an attempt at a more adult version of Buffy - supernatural creatures not only exist but live alongside us and have legal rights. I didn't really like the first book (Guilty Pleasures, 1993) but had bought most of the series so had to persevere. Happily, the rest (so far) have been much better, weaving pretty good stories and well-written action, with a good dash of humour in each. Any book which boasts a man with lycanthropy who turns into a swan can't be all bad...!
I have, however, read a few books so far this year so I thought I'd comment on some highlights.
Now, I normally struggle a bit with some early (say pre-1980s) science-fiction. I find the writing style to be generally dense and, in some of the classics (as evidenced by what is reprinted in the SF Masterworks line), I just don't get the stories or some of the meanings. Maybe I'm just not clever enough to understand the science fiction that tries to comment on the real world. However, I really enjoyed two 1970s books that I read recently - The Inverted World (Christopher Priest, 1974) and Orbitsville (Bob Shaw, 1975).
Both these books are short - just a couple of hundred pages each (practically short stories in today's world of doorstep-sized trilogies) - and both are genuine "sensawunda" SF. The first tells the story of Helward Mann, recently granted an apprenticeship with the Guild of Futures, the group that maps out the path taken by the ever-moving city whose inhabitants are ignorant both of the city's motion and the real world that surrounds the city.
Orbitsville (which, I have just found out is the first part of trilogy) concerns Vance Garamond who, after being involved in the accidental death of her son, flees Earth and the vengeful President Elizabeth Lindstrom. Out in the stars, he dicsovers a Dyson Sphere which, in a universe in which only two habitable planets have been found, offers hope for an over-crowded Earth. Garamond reports the find and Lindstrom herself follows him to the sphere, eventually allowing humanity to migrate there, while formulating a plan to get revenge on Garamond and his family.
Even in their short lengths, these two books show more ideas and characterisation than a lot of today's novels. Both are easy reads and there is no message or interpretation/interpolation of our world. They are, quite simply, well-told stories.
The other books I have finished since 2008 started are:
Confessor (Terry Goodkind, 2007): The final volume (book 12!) of the Sword of Truth series. This series went on too long for me and the ending was a little weak.
Barrayar (Lois McMaster Bujold, 1991): Aristocratic, military SF, telling the events leading up to the birth of Miles Vorkosigan, Bujold's most famous character. I enjoyed this one more than I expected to.
Hot Sky at Midnight (Robert Silverberg, 1994): A environmental warning set on a near-future Earth where global warming is taking its toll. Well-written with some good characters, but I didn't really get the ending.
Rewind (Terry England, 1997): The story of seventeen adults who, after entering an alien spaceship, are reverted back to ten-year-old bodies. This book show the reactions to them by scientists, family and humanity in general. Not bad, but it seemed to be a story that needed an SF idea to tell it, rather than an SF story.
Circus of the Damned and Lunatic Cafe (Laurell K. Hamilton, 1995 and 1996): Books 3 and 4 of the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. This is an attempt at a more adult version of Buffy - supernatural creatures not only exist but live alongside us and have legal rights. I didn't really like the first book (Guilty Pleasures, 1993) but had bought most of the series so had to persevere. Happily, the rest (so far) have been much better, weaving pretty good stories and well-written action, with a good dash of humour in each. Any book which boasts a man with lycanthropy who turns into a swan can't be all bad...!
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Mac's Back (pt II)
Saturday 2nd February: Work shifts, family and finances meant the I was an absent member of the Friday Night Music Club this weekend - a review of the York music scene can be found here.
So, for the second time this week, I'm going to write about Leeds United. As anybody who read my last entry (or the newspapers, or just follows football in general) knows, this was Gary McAllister's first game in charge - a home match against Tranmere Rovers.
Added to the players previously signed by Dennis Wise before his move to Newcastle were Bolton defender Lubo Michalik (why he dropped two divisions and was able to be bought for just £200k, we don't know), and prolific Stockport striker Anthony Elding. Darren Kenton, previously a loanee, signed for us full-time and defender Alan Sheehan was brought in on loan. Of those four, all but Sheehan started the game, as did a returning Johnny Howson. Missing were defenders Fraser Richardson and Paul Huntingdon, midfielder Neil Kilkenny and 'keeper Casper Ankergren.
Any new manager must be looking at the pros and cons of his side and, I have to admit, there were few cons. In fact, there was an almost total lack of confidence, conviction and (in some cases) control. As to the pros, there were few of them as well. Howson did well in midfield - he always seems to have more time than anybody else and manages to pick out his passes most of the time, unlike David Prutton who just seems to lump the ball forward without looking.
New striker Elding got a reasonably good first-half shot away, which seemed to calm his nerves. As much as commentators point out that, to a lot of First Division players, the large Elland Road crowds can be intimidating, I would have thought that the same would be true for a player like Elding who, not that long ago, was a part-time player with a proper job.
However, we lacked invention and goal-scoring opportunities, whilst Tranmere seemed to have both and, after a goal-less first half, they dominated and scored the only two goals of the game. Leeds slipped out of the play-off spots for the first time since they got into them, eventually ending the day in eight place. It's now five games since our last win.
At the moment, it's hard to see where any wins are going to come from. Opposing teams seem to have worked us out now and we are less of a "scary" opposition then we were at the start of the season. McAllister had only had three days with the players and you can't expect things to change overnight but you also can't help feeling that there is a lot of work to do. Hopefully he will think that he can change our fortunes with the players we have as I, for one, don't want to see another raft of loanees coming in. After all, the players that Wise signed in January were brought in with a view to playing in the Championship next season, so they should be good enough to get us there.
So, for the second time this week, I'm going to write about Leeds United. As anybody who read my last entry (or the newspapers, or just follows football in general) knows, this was Gary McAllister's first game in charge - a home match against Tranmere Rovers.
Added to the players previously signed by Dennis Wise before his move to Newcastle were Bolton defender Lubo Michalik (why he dropped two divisions and was able to be bought for just £200k, we don't know), and prolific Stockport striker Anthony Elding. Darren Kenton, previously a loanee, signed for us full-time and defender Alan Sheehan was brought in on loan. Of those four, all but Sheehan started the game, as did a returning Johnny Howson. Missing were defenders Fraser Richardson and Paul Huntingdon, midfielder Neil Kilkenny and 'keeper Casper Ankergren.
Any new manager must be looking at the pros and cons of his side and, I have to admit, there were few cons. In fact, there was an almost total lack of confidence, conviction and (in some cases) control. As to the pros, there were few of them as well. Howson did well in midfield - he always seems to have more time than anybody else and manages to pick out his passes most of the time, unlike David Prutton who just seems to lump the ball forward without looking.
New striker Elding got a reasonably good first-half shot away, which seemed to calm his nerves. As much as commentators point out that, to a lot of First Division players, the large Elland Road crowds can be intimidating, I would have thought that the same would be true for a player like Elding who, not that long ago, was a part-time player with a proper job.
However, we lacked invention and goal-scoring opportunities, whilst Tranmere seemed to have both and, after a goal-less first half, they dominated and scored the only two goals of the game. Leeds slipped out of the play-off spots for the first time since they got into them, eventually ending the day in eight place. It's now five games since our last win.
At the moment, it's hard to see where any wins are going to come from. Opposing teams seem to have worked us out now and we are less of a "scary" opposition then we were at the start of the season. McAllister had only had three days with the players and you can't expect things to change overnight but you also can't help feeling that there is a lot of work to do. Hopefully he will think that he can change our fortunes with the players we have as I, for one, don't want to see another raft of loanees coming in. After all, the players that Wise signed in January were brought in with a view to playing in the Championship next season, so they should be good enough to get us there.
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