We've discovered a great way to use our thousands of accumulated Nectar Points (Supermarket Loyalty Card points)...we can use them to buy CDs!
We recently got three in this way that I'll just give a little write up of. I'm not the best music reviewer, but here are my thoughts.
Amy Winehouse: Back to Black
I confess that it was Sally that wanted a Winehouse album, not me, and so I've not heard it much. I also confess that I'm strangely prejudiced against Winehouse's music because of what I hear about her in the news.
I was surprised, therefore, to find myself thinking that her songs, music and voice were all very good. Certainly not what I'd normally listen to, but pretty cool stuff none the less.
I'll maybe write more when I've heard the album some more.
Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler: Private Investigations - The Best Of
Sally and I went to the cinema a while back and an advert for this "Best Of" came on. At the end of the advert we turned to each other and at the same time said, sheepishly, "I'd quite like to get that".
And so we have a classic Dad-rock album. A load of tunes that we mostly already know really well but never realised were by Dire Straits. Some awesome guitar solos, some classic lyrics, and a great variety of music too, from upbeat rock and roll through blues, to some lilting ballads, but all done with great style and a very high level of musical skill.
Oddly, it gets boring quite quickly, but we're glad to have it in our collection.
Newton Faulkner: Hand Built By Robots
We're not really very up-to-date with new band and artists. For some reason that neihter of us could pin down, we wanted to give Newton Faulkner a try.
And we're glad we did!
Mostly low-key, bluesy, indie guitar music, there's a lot of variety on this album. It reminds me, at times, of plently of other artists - from the swinging accoustic guitar and laid-back melodies of Jack Johnson, to the cheeky pop-rap of Barenaked Ladies.
The album meanders slightly and seems a bit aimless at times, but it's a good, summery, feel-good pop record.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show
Today we attended the Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show 2008 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. We mostly went because Sally was working on the National Trust stand and she got me a free "VIP" ticket.
It was an interesting day with many contrasts.
It was interesting to see how much was on offer. Holidays, courses, bikes, canoes, volunteering, cars, careers, clothing, gadgets and so on. I confess that we're sucked in slightly to the commercial aspect, but we do also love the outdoors and there are plenty of people trying to make walking/hiking/cycling/etc. accessible and take out some of the difficulties that the Joe Bloggs on the street might have.
I enjoyed it. But I don't think I'd have paid £12 or £16 quid to go + fuel + £8 parking. Maybe next year I'll volunteer to help on the National Trust stand, get in for free, have a good couple of hours to look around and encourage people to give a little back to nature as well as just taking from it.
It was an interesting day with many contrasts.
- I got lots of free stuff. And I bought some expensive technical clothing.
- I felt inspired about the Great Outdoors. Yet I felt sad at the trashiness and commercialisation of it all.
- I had a fun and interesting day. I had a long and tiring day.
- I could have stayed for many hours. But I was kinda done and wanted to go home after two or three.
- There were some really neat and simple inventions for the outdoors enthusiast. And there was Ford trying to sell big 4x4's.
- It was an outdoors show. It was primarily indoors.
It was interesting to see how much was on offer. Holidays, courses, bikes, canoes, volunteering, cars, careers, clothing, gadgets and so on. I confess that we're sucked in slightly to the commercial aspect, but we do also love the outdoors and there are plenty of people trying to make walking/hiking/cycling/etc. accessible and take out some of the difficulties that the Joe Bloggs on the street might have.
I enjoyed it. But I don't think I'd have paid £12 or £16 quid to go + fuel + £8 parking. Maybe next year I'll volunteer to help on the National Trust stand, get in for free, have a good couple of hours to look around and encourage people to give a little back to nature as well as just taking from it.
Book: The Northern Lights (and Film: The Golden Compass)
Philip Pullman is an author with a reputation. He is the children's Dan Brown. He's known more for the controversy about what he writes than for how he writes.
I don't like Dan Brown's writing. I read the Da Vinci Code and though I thought it was gripping and exciting, it was also patronising and unbelievable. I also read the first chapter of "Angels and Demons" and decided it was the SAME book! I won't mention Brown's weird ideas about history and religion.
In contrast, though I approached the Northern Lights with scepticism due to the author's reputation for bashing religion and the church, I'm thinking that Philip Pullman is an excellent author!
I confess that I saw "The Golden Compass" - the film version of "The Northern Lights" - just before Christmas and before I read the book. It was very much a children's film, albeit quite a violent one, but an enjoyable romp with some imaginative scenery and special effects. The "daemons" were entirely believable! Though I thought the compass effect was done about three times too many.
I went to see the film with people who HAD read the book and they said that the book made much more sense.
And it did. Not only is Pullman an excellent author who provokes the imagination with enchanting descriptions and clever dialogue, he also spins a good yarn. The world(s) he has created is large, varied and yet coherant. He draws on reality but uses it flexibly to create somewhere of this world, possibly from another century, but also not of this world.
Does he attack the church? Well, I think so. Somewhat. He's certainly very political and implies that the church has lots of influence on the state and indoctrinates children with it's nasty ideas. But he's not attacking the church that I know. I don't know his background - maybe he has issues with the church - his own "demon", if you like. But I, as a member of The Church (meaning the body of people who follow Jesus Christ), didn't feel particularly put out by it. Plus, it's allegorical, so, unlike the Da Vinci Code that presents itself as almost-factual, you're free to see the church as being that of Pullman's world, not of our own.
The only REALLY weird thing was the Bible being translated into the context of Pullman's world. Oh, and his interpretation of it. Most odd and made me feel slightly uneasy.
The film and the book are a little out of synch. Having seen film 1 and then read book 1 it will be interesting to read book 2 and THEN see film 2 to see how things progress.
I found the book more grown up than the film - a better place for an adult to be. I would sincerely hope that children would be reading it too! The film - OK for kids but plain confusing for adults.
I don't like Dan Brown's writing. I read the Da Vinci Code and though I thought it was gripping and exciting, it was also patronising and unbelievable. I also read the first chapter of "Angels and Demons" and decided it was the SAME book! I won't mention Brown's weird ideas about history and religion.
In contrast, though I approached the Northern Lights with scepticism due to the author's reputation for bashing religion and the church, I'm thinking that Philip Pullman is an excellent author!
I confess that I saw "The Golden Compass" - the film version of "The Northern Lights" - just before Christmas and before I read the book. It was very much a children's film, albeit quite a violent one, but an enjoyable romp with some imaginative scenery and special effects. The "daemons" were entirely believable! Though I thought the compass effect was done about three times too many.
I went to see the film with people who HAD read the book and they said that the book made much more sense.
And it did. Not only is Pullman an excellent author who provokes the imagination with enchanting descriptions and clever dialogue, he also spins a good yarn. The world(s) he has created is large, varied and yet coherant. He draws on reality but uses it flexibly to create somewhere of this world, possibly from another century, but also not of this world.
Does he attack the church? Well, I think so. Somewhat. He's certainly very political and implies that the church has lots of influence on the state and indoctrinates children with it's nasty ideas. But he's not attacking the church that I know. I don't know his background - maybe he has issues with the church - his own "demon", if you like. But I, as a member of The Church (meaning the body of people who follow Jesus Christ), didn't feel particularly put out by it. Plus, it's allegorical, so, unlike the Da Vinci Code that presents itself as almost-factual, you're free to see the church as being that of Pullman's world, not of our own.
The only REALLY weird thing was the Bible being translated into the context of Pullman's world. Oh, and his interpretation of it. Most odd and made me feel slightly uneasy.
The film and the book are a little out of synch. Having seen film 1 and then read book 1 it will be interesting to read book 2 and THEN see film 2 to see how things progress.
I found the book more grown up than the film - a better place for an adult to be. I would sincerely hope that children would be reading it too! The film - OK for kids but plain confusing for adults.
Film: Gagh, no, I can't....OK, it was "Clueless"...now let me explain
Please, bear with me. This is like admitting to enjoying watching "Spice World" (oh come on, it was worth it just for the fake bus jumping over Tower Bridge "Speed"-style). Yes, this was on TV. Yes, we recorded it. And yes, we actually sat and watched it. And, heck, it was FUN!
This is a cheesy, 90's, American movie about teenage schoolgirls... BUT!!!!! It has it's tongue firmly in it's cheek and is more than what you might think it to be.
Alicia Silverstone very cleverly plays a very kooky and spoilt American school girl who's rich daddy buys her everything she could ever want. Lots happens but, basically, for me this was the story of her finding out that there's more to life than the American Consumerist Dream.
It's not a great film but it's funny and entertaining with some great one-liners. Am I ashamed I watched it? Hell yeah! But I'm a little bit proud that I did too!
This is a cheesy, 90's, American movie about teenage schoolgirls... BUT!!!!! It has it's tongue firmly in it's cheek and is more than what you might think it to be.
Alicia Silverstone very cleverly plays a very kooky and spoilt American school girl who's rich daddy buys her everything she could ever want. Lots happens but, basically, for me this was the story of her finding out that there's more to life than the American Consumerist Dream.
It's not a great film but it's funny and entertaining with some great one-liners. Am I ashamed I watched it? Hell yeah! But I'm a little bit proud that I did too!
Random Food Vans
In a vague nod to my newest reader (I think I have two regulars now!), and fellow, though far superior blogger, here's something that I'm cheekily going to title: "Things Dave probably misses about England #541: Random food vans". Or possibly Beyond Random Food Vans!
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so I hope he doesn't mind! :)
What is the English obsession with selling junk food at all hours in unlikely places? As I drove back from the N.E.C. today, via my lovely Grandma's for a cuppa, I noticed a Kebab van on the edge of a small town called Malmesbury (famous for it's Naked Gardeners). I think it was in this layby here:
View Larger Map
If the link to Google Maps works you should be able to zoom out and see that this is on a quiet road with...err...no houses near it at all. I imagine that quaint, antique-shoppy Malmesbury's market for kebabs is pretty small and most passing cars won't know there's greasy food and cheap coffee in polystyrene cups available until they're passed the damn thing and well on their way to Tetbury anyway.
Can they make ANY money at all?
And yet - someone had stopped to buy one!
Who? And why?
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery so I hope he doesn't mind! :)
What is the English obsession with selling junk food at all hours in unlikely places? As I drove back from the N.E.C. today, via my lovely Grandma's for a cuppa, I noticed a Kebab van on the edge of a small town called Malmesbury (famous for it's Naked Gardeners). I think it was in this layby here:
View Larger Map
If the link to Google Maps works you should be able to zoom out and see that this is on a quiet road with...err...no houses near it at all. I imagine that quaint, antique-shoppy Malmesbury's market for kebabs is pretty small and most passing cars won't know there's greasy food and cheap coffee in polystyrene cups available until they're passed the damn thing and well on their way to Tetbury anyway.
Can they make ANY money at all?
And yet - someone had stopped to buy one!
Who? And why?
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