Year: 2010

June 5, 2010

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The first Booker Prize winner I ever tried to read was Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner. I didn’t get on with it, and although it is a very short book, I believe I didn’t even bother to finish it. Since then, I have read a few of the winners, and a few of the short-listed, picking books that I think I would like. Many times, I have been right, and as a result, authors like Roddy Doyle, Ian McEwan and Pat Barker found their way onto my shelves.

I am currently half way through Wolf Hall, and I am so pleased I bought it – every page is a delight. Retelling the story surrounding Henry VIII and his desire to marry Anne Boleyn, and the political and church intrigue that results; our hero is Thomas Cromwell, whose nemesis is Thomas More, opponent to Reformation and persecutor of heretics.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel</span>
June 4, 2010

Storage space

Before I got the boiler moved to the loft, I had a new hatch and ladder installed by the Attic and Loft Company.

Now they have just finished stage 2 of the job, having reinsulated and boarded the entire loft. As a result, I now have 36 square metres of empty storage space.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Storage space</span>
May 28, 2010

Speechless

May 25, 2010

Why won’t designers listen?

Further to my earlier comments about the various folk I’ve had quoting my kitchen, and how they don’t seem to be able to listen to what I say.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a visit yesterday from yet another chap to measure up and design my kitchen. This is after the company (who, for various reasons, I would like to use) had earlier quoted with some odd decisions on unit sizes. It was explained to me that this was a ball-park price, and they would send a designer.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Why won’t designers listen?</span>
May 25, 2010

More irony

In the Queen’s speech today, a new “great repeal bill” was announced, designed, amongst other things, to restore the right to protest.

Meanwhile, in today’s news, anti-war protester Brian Haw was one of two people arrested by police, as they cleared the area in preparation for the Queen’s speech.. The other protester was Barbara Tucker, who was arrested when she pointed out to the police that they didn’t have cause to arrest Brian.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>More irony</span>
May 24, 2010

Flip-Flop

Not a post about MP’s expenses, nor beach footwear. It’s about my plans for my kitchen.

Ever since my boiler got moved out of the kitchen, I have been planning a kitchen refit. My first decision was whether to do it myself, after some fashion, replacing doors and drawer fronts, or to have a new kitchen fitted. OK, that was a joke – the decision was whether to pay someone else to replace my doors and drawer fronts, or to have a new kitchen fitted. I’ve had 10 years here to do it myself, it ain’t going to happen.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Flip-Flop</span>
May 22, 2010

A Taste of Ashes

I was a great fan of “Life on Mars”, but gave up on “Ashes to Ashes” very quickly. To my mind, whereas Philip Glenister’s Gene Hunt was an excellent supporting character and foil in LoM, promoting him to co-star altered the balance between drama and comedy for the worse (this is not a comment on Glenister or his acting, but the comic and caricaturic nature of his character).

However, now the final episode of AtA has aired – “which explains it all” – I was a little curious – not enought to watch the show, but sufficient to Google it.

Having done so, I have decided that I was right to pretend that the story ended with Series 2 of LoM, because if what I read is accurate, they just went and spoilt it.

Spoilers follow.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>A Taste of Ashes</span>
May 19, 2010

I must be thick…

May 19, 2010

John Humphrys

My radio comes on every morning with Radio 4’s Today programme. For me, it used to be essential breakfast time listening. Now, more often than not, if I hear John Humphrys’ voice, I have an urge to either turn the radio off, or throw it out the window.

I used to like John Humphrys. I believe that there was a time when he was an truly incisive penetrating journalist. However, I feel he has now simply become pure ego, drunk on his own reputation, and given to interupting and haranguing every other word.

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May 17, 2010

Camera mounts, expensive and cheap

When I bought my Kodak ZI8, the first thing I thought of was how I was going to mount it. As well as being a fun thing to take with me and film things like the Gadget Show, I am planning to do some home music videos (performance, not arty) and also do some filming in the kitchen; and although my camera tripod will do the former, it wouldn’t do the latter, where I would want a view down on a kitchen top.

So I needed a flexible mount that is compact but versatile. I was persuaded to buy a Gorillapod, which cost me upwards of 30 quid. I’ve had it a couple of months, and I am still nervous of trusting my camera to its tenuous rubbery grip. It seems to work quite well wrapped around a gnarled tree branch or fence post, but not so good on a melamine kitchen shelf.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Camera mounts, expensive and cheap</span>
May 17, 2010

Camera mounts, expensive and cheap

When I bought my Kodak ZI8, the first thing I thought of was how I was going to mount it. As well as being a fun thing to take with me and film things like the Gadget Show, I am planning to do some home music videos (performance, not arty) and also do some filming in the kitchen; and although my camera tripod will do the former, it wouldn’t do the latter, where I would want a view down on a kitchen top.
So I needed a flexible mount that is compact but versatile. I was persuaded to buy a Gorillapod, which cost me upwards of 30 quid. I’ve had it a couple of months, and I am still nervous of trusting my camera to its tenuous rubbery grip. It seems to work quite well wrapped around a gnarled tree branch or fence post, but not so good on a melamine kitchen shelf.
Then when I was in Brighton, I saw one of these in Maplins. It is simply a camera screw-mount, on a flexible stalk attached to a whopping big (rubber-lined) sprung clip. When it is attached to anything – door frame, kitchen cupboard, spare mike stand – it stays attached. While not pocket sized, it is small enough to not be a problem to carry about.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Camera mounts, expensive and cheap</span>
May 17, 2010

Subtitles, how not to do it

When I bought my FetchTV box at the Gadget Show, it came bundled with 50 pounds credit against films downloaded via Fetch’s service (I actually bought it as a cheap twin channel Freeview hard disk recorder with integral BBC iPlayer, but I am not going to look a gift horse in the mouth).

Not suprisingly, most of the films made available each month are relatively old, which is how I came to watch “The Alamo” (2004, with Dennis Quaid and Billy Bob Thornton). The film was actually much better than I expected, in fact, it was bloomin’ good. But I had one minor problem with it.

Read the Post <span class='p-name'>Subtitles, how not to do it</span>