Year: 2012

December 21, 2012
December 21, 2012
I’ve recently read these first two novels of Peter May’s Lewis Trilogy, and was swept away by them – to the extent that I finished The Blackhouse and immediately felt I had to read The Lewis Man. I am holding off on the third book for now – The Chessmen – as it is still almost full price on the Kindle store, and I think I need to take a break from them.

The three books are mainly set on the Isle of Lewis. May has obviously done quite a bit of research on the island and its community, and this results in a background that feels very real; although it should be stressed that the plot is wholly fictitious.

December 17, 2012
I’ve been frequenting the website and YouTube channel of a guy called Justin Sandercoe. Some of you will have already come across him, as he’s been getting some good press; but for those of you who haven’t, I’d really recommend taking a look.

http://www.justinguitar.com/

December 16, 2012
Folk in the UK will have probably seen this in the news already, but I thought it was fun enough to mention it here.

1980’s pop star, Kim Wilde – together with her brother Ricky, on guitar – singing their way back home on the London Underground after an apparently boozy MagicFM Christmas Party.

December 2, 2012
There’s been a couple of nice days lately, but I’ve either been working, or – if not – haven’t gotten up and about in time to make the most of it.

Today was predicted to be sunny, so I had an early night, and was up by 8:45.

Job number one was to put two pork shoulders on the smoker.

December 1, 2012
Another new toy – a Cuisinart Soup Maker.

I eat a lot of soup, working from home, as it makes a quick and (usually) healthy lunch. However, although I have plenty of practice in making soup, lately I seem to be eating more shop-bought soup than homemade. Which generally means more salt, more fat and more additives.

November 23, 2012
Further to buying my Nexus 10, I still haven’t shopped around for a suitable music mount. But I have been thinking about what I need to use it in the kitchen.

I already have a couple of cookery resources that can be usefully used on a tablet. The original recipe book for my pellet grill, for a start, and recently the 40 page recipe guide for my breadmaker got too sticky to be hygenic, and was replaced with a pdf kindle sent to me by Breville.

November 22, 2012
Well, disaster is not quite accurate – back in September, I mentioned that I had been disappointed by some pulled pork I’d cooked, which turned out too salty. I froze it in 3 pouches, and decided to leave it for another day to worry about.

On Tuesday night, I took a pouch out to defrost overnight in the fridge, planning to do something with it for Wednesday tea. However, Wednesday lunchtime found me with nothing else in the fridge, and it was pouring outside, so a trip to the shops was out of the question.

November 17, 2012
When I first got my Kindle 3 (now named the Kindle Keyboard by Amazon), I toyed with comics on the device, downloading some samples. However a combination of monochrome (albeit nice, crisp monochrome) and a small screen, made it unattractive, and I took it no further.

On my new Nexus 10, using the Kindle Android app, I have downloaded samples of a couple of comics – some of DC’s Earth 2 graphic novels, and the best-graphic-novel-in-the-world, Watchmen. In addition, I have actually bought the first of the Sandman series – something I have come across a few times, but never collected.

November 17, 2012
A pathetic turnout for the Police and Crime Commissioner election results (some might say a pathetic turnout for a pathetic idea), so one is wary to draw any conclusions from the results.

See some analysis here at the Guardian

November 16, 2012
… cos when I unpacked it, it leapt out at me and pushed my eyeballs into my brain.

But seriously, it was the Nexus 10 and not the Nexus-6 I got, and I’m blown away with it. Screen is wonderful, although I know I will be perpetually polishing prints off of it (which aren’t apparent in use, but boy, when you turn it off…). The case, which I have seen reviewed as “plastic” has a grippy rubbery feel to it, which I love. Sound from the front facing speakers has far more treble than bass, as you would expect from drivers that small, but is crisp and clear.

November 11, 2012
This film came out last year, but I’d never heard about it before. Made by the BBC, in partnership with others, it was reshown last night, and is on iPlayer until Nov 18. I found it really interesting.

The plot is simple – an unexplained world-wide epidemic that robs everyone of their sense of smell. Just as people are adjusting to this, taste follows.