January 28, 2015

Running Club

Posted in Going | Tagged ,
Reply

As a team we seem to be doing very well with our Jantastic; everyone met or exceeded their targets in weeks one and two, but we dropped off a bit last week – don’t forget to log your runs!!

I would have gone out this morning but got annoyed by someone missing an appointment, and the weather being awful, so I’ll be trying out my new custom-fitted insoles tomorrow, and see if things are a bit less sore. The man in Sweatshop assured me that all I needed was some arch support, and my existing shoes ought to be fine. We shall see.

Even if you’re not doing Jantastic, how are you getting on?

Karen
January 26, 2015

Holiday

Posted in Grumbling | Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Reply

“So, Pete, ” said Karen, a few days ago, “what do you want to do with your day off?”

“Well, it’s been ages since I’ve been to Anderton’s, so let’s go to Guildford and I might buy myself a new bass.”

So today we went to Guildford. It had high points and low points. Lunch was good, some of the geocaching less so (caches placed outside public toilets, behind dustbins, and other such uninspiring locations). But as far as shopping is concerned, we were rubbish.

Firstly, I failed to buy a camera lens. I’ve been considering getting a new lens, maybe a prime or a macro, and I was right there in a camera shop looking at them, but I just didn’t feel it. The fact that there were no prices on them didn’t help either – if I can’t tell the price of something, then I usually assume that that’s because it’s prohibitively expensive, and just move on.

I also failed to buy a bass. Since I last went to Anderton’s, they’ve moved all the basses into a little dedicated room. Which is nice if you want a little privacy, but unfortunately the room gets a bit crowded with more than one person in it. I had a few minutes to myself, but then a gang of 3 lads walked in, and I lost all will to stay.

And then I failed to buy whisky. There’s a whisky shop in Guildford, don’tcha know. I browsed the shelves for a few minutes, feeling the shop dude’s eyes on my back the whole time. Nothing really inspiring though, everything was either £100+ or something that I could get in Waitrose. I walked out, again, empty-handed.

And finally I tried on a pair of trousers in a clothes shop, but again wasn’t quite convinced. My excuse here was that they were so bedecked in security tags and little removable cardboard labels that when I asked myself “are these comfortable?” I couldn’t really say for sure, because I was distracted by all the pointy things surrounding my waist like a utility belt of thorns.

Anyway, just wanted to grumble. Thanks for listening.

Pete
January 23, 2015

The Bowie Project: Never Let Me Down (1987)

Posted in Gravitas | Tagged
2

Hello, been an abnormally long time since the last review, hasn’t it? This is usually enough to get people all afeardin’ that I’ve given up on it, but once again I shall banjax your doubtfulness.

Our album opener here is Day In, Day Out which just reeks of “live favourite”, it stomps and pounds and sets the stadium on fire. But it does also just vamp around for a bit and not really develop – the fact that it maintains a fairly constant intensity (with the exception of the bit half way through where all the instruments stop for a few bars – is there a word for that?) is both its strength and its weakness.Never-Let-Me-Down

I’m very positive about Time Will Crawl, it reminds me of something from the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrack. It’s high quality late-80s synth rock, and the lyric “Top Gun pilot” brings a smile to my face just for how unambiguously it dates it. The lead guitar and sax both sound great too, this song really is a perfect example of its genre.

Beat Of Your Drum puts Bowie back in that faux-operatic mood, with some fairly transparent innuendo in the line “I’d like to beat on your drum”. Subtle, Dave, subtle. This really is my brand of romance. Musically, it doesn’t really do much for me, there’s no particular element that I can put my finger on and say “I like that”. This song could have done with being quite a bit shorter, in my opinion.

The title track has a very cutesy sound to it, you’ll be deceived into thinking that it’s a love song but it’s actually a paean to his PA! I really like so much about this song, it hits all my buttons except for one – harmonica. The harmonica is a very touchy instrument for me, as I tried playing it on a few of my early songs and didn’t realise at the time how bad it was. So now, whenever I hear harmonica being played, it always either sounds brilliant or like my teenage folly – nothing in between.

I’ve been unable to form any sort of an opinion on Zeroes. I think that means that I don’t like it. It’s got some nice melodic touches, but I just don’t know what else to say. And that’s saying something, as I’ve been listening to this album for the last 2 months. I think maybe I’m getting sick of it. Let’s move on with haste.

And now for our regularly scheduled dose of weird, Glass Spider. What does it meeeeean? The first minute is predominantly just spoken word, but once the song gets properly going there are actually some really neat motifs threaded together. Again, I don’t think that it needs to be as long as it is, but the ingredients are definitely all there.

Shining Star (Making My Love) is just incredibly annoying. What’s that silly voice you’re doing, David? It’s quite intolerable. It’s hard to tell whether the song itself would annoy me anyway. I’ve been trying to figure out how to describe it, and for some reason Earth Wind and Fire came into my mind. But upon further observation, that comparison doesn’t hold up. Then I figured out that maybe it’s just that EWF also had a song called Shining Star, which is about eighty thousand times better, and I’m listening to it now, and I’m going to listen to the rest of it and come back to this Bowie album review later.

* * *

We’re back. New York In Love is indescribable brilliance. It’s back in the same vein as Time Will Crawl, the rock of its era. It’s got a great chorus and the whole thing is totally bass-powered, in fact that’s probably why I love it so much, the bassline is like a engine rumbling along under the bonnet, precisely-timed and dripping with torque.

Hey, it’s been a while since I’ve remarked about Bowie sounding like the Talking Heads, isn’t it? Well, here’s ’87 And Cry and the verse elicits such a thought. The chorus soars above it tastily though, and it all comes out a bit Robert Palmer. Make of that what you will. I’m indifferent, all in all. Maybe two months listening to this album has soured me a bit.

Finally, Bang Bang. And hey, it’s another Iggy Pop cover. It just trundles right on through without touching the cushions. Bit of an anticlimactic ending. To me, the album closer has a crucial role. It’s an opportunity to really leave a taste in the mouth, you can get away with things that you wouldn’t normally. It seems a disappointment to just chuck in another slice of filler.

Hits from this album: Day In Day Out and Time Will Crawl both did… okay. Never Let Me Down was also released as a single, to less vigorous response.

My favourite song from this album: Between Time Will Crawl and New York’s In Love, I think I have to hand it to the first.

Next up: Black Tie White Noise

Pete
  • Comments: 2
  • I bloody love this album. Weirdly, perhaps, it was my first Bowie album, and still has a p... - Thomasina
  • I have absolutely no knowledge or memory of this album at all. Theoretically, at my age (... - swisslet
January 20, 2015

Book Club

Posted in Gravitas | Tagged ,
17

I’ve just started White Queen by Philippa Gregory. It’s a bit trashy but I enjoyed it on TV and it ticks these boxes:

18. A book based on a true story.
19. A book from the bottom of your to-read list/pile.
36. A book with a colour in the title.
38. A book with magic.
48. A book based on or turned into a TV show.

And for Bernard’s bedtime story, we are on the umpteenth Harry Potter book, HP&THBP. This ticks these boxes, but will take foreverandaday to finish, even with me skipping every other paragraph (a trick that does nothing to diminish the flow or sense of the book):

1. A book with more than 500 pages.
3. A book that became a movie.
7. A book with non-human characters
33. A book with a love triangle.
35. A book set in high school.
38. A book with magic.
50. A children’s book.

What are you reading?

Karen
  • Comments: 17
  • I changed it from "A book that makes you cry" because how will you know it makes you cry u... - Karen
  • Oh it does't say written for children, it says a children's book. Question still stands. - Lisa
  • And to answer the second part: I don't know. The thing actually reads "that is reputed to ... - Lisa
  • Are you suggesting Human Croquet for Graybo, or asking if it will make you cry? - Lisa
  • What about Human Croquet? And what if I haven't been told it would make me cry, does that ... - Karen
January 13, 2015

Uborka Reading Challenge, Lyle – A Start

Posted in Gravitas | Tagged , , ,
3

So, the 2015 Reading Challenge has started, and this is where I stand today…

Note : I’m only going to use each category once, even if more than one book fulfils the same categories. If the True Uborkans want me to list each category for each book, that can be done.

So far this year I’ve read – with categories in brackets, and comments/reviews underneath in italics (added later, by request of Karen)

  • Impact, by Adam Baker. ( 4, 9, 10, 19, 30, 34, 40, 49)
    Awful, awful, awful. Just don’t.
  • Broken Monsters, by Lauren Beukes ( 12 )
    a tale about killers and artists, some interesting ideas (and I love the tagline that even monsters have nightmares), but ultimately it’s not likely to be one I read again.
  • Point, by Thomas Blackthorne ( 26 )
    This one (and ‘Edge’, it’s predecessor) is a long-term favourite – a semi-future Britain with a clear vision and voice. Point can be read on its own, but I like the two together
  • The Survivor, by Sean Slater
    First novel by Slater, starting off with what appears to be a school shooting, but develops into something more. I liked this one, and will at least read the second. There’s an amount of cliche to it, but it’s not a bad read at all
  • 100 Bullets (Book 1) ( 5 , 16 , 39 )
    A graphic novel, this volume has the first ten or so episodes – basically about vengeance, people are approached by a man calling himself Agent Graves, who gives them an attache case filled with information on a target, a gun, and the titular 100 bullets. The bullets won’t be traced, the evidence will be dropped, they can kill their target and get away with it. Will they?
  • String Diaries, by Stephen Lloyd Jones ( 7ish – humanoid, but not human)
    Another first novel – I saw the second and was interested, but decided to read the first one beforehand – concerning a long-lived set of people from Hungarian mythology, and their effects on those around them. I liked this is a lot, pretty gripped from Page One, and found it an interesting read. Karen would possibly like it (and no doubt pronounce the various Hungarian words/names far better than I can!) and I’ll be getting the second book.
  • No Comebacks, by Frederick Forsyth ( 11 )
    Still one of my favourite short-story collections – several tales, all with a twist in the end – and I’ve re-read them regularly over the last twenty-odd years.

Ugh, I need to get out more.

Lyle
  • Comments: 3
  • Ooh, I know what I'm going to read for A book that scares you. - Karen
  • Seven books in thirteen days is *extremely* impressive. What will you do in February when ... - Lisa
  • And come on, tell us what they were like, so we can decide if we want to use them to tick ... - Karen

Book Club

Posted in Gravitas | Tagged , , ,
10

Thanks everyone for suggestions, I have made more edits to the original list.

I was hoping to have finished What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami before today, so I could do a review and claim my tickboxes. It was written originally in Japanese, so ticks box 8; is a memoir (25) and also a non-fiction book (13). I’m not happy that item 25 also inevitably fulfills item 13, though. Also, it was recommended by my dad, so I can’t quite tick 16 (recommended by a friend) or 20 (loved by my mum).

It’s about running.

Karen
  • Comments: 10
  • OOps-- #35 is set in a high school #23 is required reading in school As you wer... - asta
  • No the only classic category on our list is romance and Slaughterhouse certainly isn't tha... - asta
  • "A classic" isn't on the list though? Or is it - I confess I keep seeing categories I have... - Lisa
  • Karen's right; Slaughterhouse Five is absolutely a classic and is still being taught in hi... - asta
  • Slaughterhouse 5 definitely ticks the school reading list box, yes. And surely it's a clas... - Karen
January 9, 2015

Uborka 2015 Reading Challenge

Posted in Gravitas | Tagged , ,
11

Inspired by POPSUGAR, Uborka is randomly choosing January as an excuse to set a challenge. For those too lazy to click, here’s the list:

  1. A book with more than 500 pages.
  2. A classic romance.
  3. A book that became a movie.
  4. A book published in the last 12 months.
  5. A book with a number in the title.
  6. A book written by someone under 30.
  7. A book with non-human characters.
  8. A book that was originally written in a different language.
  9. A mystery or thriller
  10. A book with a one-word title.
  11. A book of short stories.
  12. A book set in a different country.
  13. A non-fiction book.
  14. A popular author’s first book.
  15. A book from an author you love, that you haven’t read yet.
  16. A book a friend recommended.
  17. A Pulitzer-prize winning book.
  18. A book based on a true story.
  19. A book from the bottom of your to-read list/pile.
  20. A book your mum loves.
  21. A book that scares you.
  22. A book more than 100 years old.
  23. A book you chose based entirely on its cover.
  24. A book that is usually required reading in school.
  25. A memoir.
  26. A book you can finish in a day.
  27. A book with antonyms in the title.
  28. A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit.
  29. A book that came out the year you were born.
  30. A book with bad reviews.
  31. A trilogy.
  32. A book from your childhood.
  33. A book with a love triangle.
  34. A book set in the future.
  35. A book set in high school.
  36. A book with a colour in the title.
  37. A book that is reputed to make people cry.
  38. A book with magic.
  39. A graphic novel.
  40. A book by an author you’ve never read before.
  41. A book you have owned for more than a year but have never read.
  42. A book that takes place in your hometown.
  43. A book set during Christmas.
  44. A book written by an author with the same initials as you.
  45. A book you saw recommended on twitter.
  46. A play.
  47. A banned book.
  48. A book based on or turned into a TV show.
  49. A book you started but never finished.
  50. A children’s book.

[This list is not identical to the original one. The Editorial Team didn’t approve of “A book written by a female author,” so inserted something else instead].

We’re going to have Book Club updates on Tuesdays. Perhaps not every Tuesday, but as often as the lazy Uborkans can manage. The idea is to get people to update with what they have been reading, and recommend books to others. Lisa and I are attempting to do as much as possible on the list, without buying any new books, because our to-read piles are ridiculous.

There will be a prize [a book] for the Uborkist who can tick the most boxes by the end of the year.

One point of order remains: Can one book tick multiple boxes? Discuss.

Karen
  • Comments: 11
  • I'm also taking "this year" in category 4 to mean "in the last 12 months". - graybo
  • I'm reading a book at the moment that ticks 5 categories, although I'm including category ... - graybo
  • Edits: At Lisa's suggestion, I have numbered the categories; and I have amended the wordin... - Karen
  • That sounds plausible. Agree that the wording on that category is poor. I also vote f... - asta
  • Well, I think that means you choose the book because you like the cover, doesn't it? Badly... - Karen