A lot of software engineers are very clever folk. Indeed, that almost goes with the territory - you need to be at least quite bright to do the job. However, a very large proportion of software engineers have extremely technical, even mathematical, minds. This is also important - we're operating in a field where exactness matters a great deal, and where we're thinking around problems that are, generally, deterministic in nature. That's all good.
However, what this also tends to mean is that many, if not most, software engineers aren't very good at technical writing - that's a different skill-set that requires different aptitudes. Indeed, many software engineers are remarkably bad at explaining what they're doing - very often they start from a position about two steps in advance of their audience, and then expect that audience to keep up.
This is why so many instruction manuals suck.
A big part of the reason that I'm posting about this right now is that I'm in a transition from one project, with a technology that I've been working with for almost 20 years, onto another project, with a technology that I've used extensively but never worked with. This has meant a very steep learning curve, aided and abetted by the documentation that has been available to help. It's fair to say that it has been... difficult.
I'm really not sure what the answer to any of this is. As noted, good engineering and good technical writing are different skill-sets, which means that people who can do both well are vanishingly rare. Obviously, a possible solution is to employ a separate team for the technical writing, but that only goes so far - sometimes there's no substitute for having built the thing when it comes to understanding how it works.
Mostly, though, this post is an aknowledgement of just how important good writing is (where 'good' writing is, of course, defined by the context - what is good in technical writing isn't the same as in a novel, for instance). And where you do find someone who is good at it, and especially if you happen upon someone who can do both things well (the engineering and the writing), make sure to value them accordingly!
Wednesday, March 06, 2019
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
No Power in the 'Verse
Back in 2015, I purchased the four graphic novels in the Serenity comic line that represented the Firefly/Serenity expanded universe. And that was that - until about two weeks ago I hadn't realised that there was actually a fifth volume, "No Power in the 'Verse" that carried on where the fourth volume finished up.
Anyway, having learned that there was a fifth version, I proceeded to hunt it down - Amazon UK didn't have it for any reasonable price, eBay let me down, so eventually the order went in with Amazon US. And a week or so later, the book arrived, so that was a good choice.
The volume itself is made up of two stories - the aforementioned "No Power in the 'Verse", and "The Warrior and the Wind". Of the two, the latter is actually the better story, consisting of River telling a bedtime story to young Emma. Good stuff, even if it was mostly just another take on what we've already seen.
The main story was fine - it actually felt much more like Firefly than most of the other stories. Except for two things, both of which came right at the end (there are, of course, spoilers ahead!)
My first issue with the story is that it just stops. I think the publishers expected to have a few more volumes to come, but they never quite panned out. That's a bit of a problem, as the book therefore leaves a number of threads just dangling - actually, in much the same way as the show, and indeed it was those very threads that the movie did a good job of tidying up. Oh well.
My second issue was that the book ended with Mal engaged in another of his "my way or the high way" speeches (as in "Serenity"). This time, he's decided to take down the Alliance as a whole. Unfortunately, this just didn't ring true, both because it really feels like something that's just too big for one ship and one crew to deal with (he isn't Luke Skywalker, after all - heck, he isn't even Han Solo), and also because his crew is much more divided over this issue than over the question of Miranda. He's basically trying to browbeat several members of his crew into something that most are lukewarm at best towards, and that some actively oppose.
And then the book just stops.
My understanding is that the new Firefly comic will eventually pick up where these graphic novels have left off, and we'll get some sort of a resolution. Unless, that is, they change their mind and decide to ditch the expanded universe (or, perhaps, Disney decide to pull it in-house - having bought Fox, they now have control over "Firefly" as well). So we'll see. It would be good to see how this cleans up, if indeed it does. Alas, without that, I don't think I can really recommend this book, or by extension the rest of the series.
#10: "100 Classic Stories", by Miles Kelly (a book for Funsize)
Anyway, having learned that there was a fifth version, I proceeded to hunt it down - Amazon UK didn't have it for any reasonable price, eBay let me down, so eventually the order went in with Amazon US. And a week or so later, the book arrived, so that was a good choice.
The volume itself is made up of two stories - the aforementioned "No Power in the 'Verse", and "The Warrior and the Wind". Of the two, the latter is actually the better story, consisting of River telling a bedtime story to young Emma. Good stuff, even if it was mostly just another take on what we've already seen.
The main story was fine - it actually felt much more like Firefly than most of the other stories. Except for two things, both of which came right at the end (there are, of course, spoilers ahead!)
My first issue with the story is that it just stops. I think the publishers expected to have a few more volumes to come, but they never quite panned out. That's a bit of a problem, as the book therefore leaves a number of threads just dangling - actually, in much the same way as the show, and indeed it was those very threads that the movie did a good job of tidying up. Oh well.
My second issue was that the book ended with Mal engaged in another of his "my way or the high way" speeches (as in "Serenity"). This time, he's decided to take down the Alliance as a whole. Unfortunately, this just didn't ring true, both because it really feels like something that's just too big for one ship and one crew to deal with (he isn't Luke Skywalker, after all - heck, he isn't even Han Solo), and also because his crew is much more divided over this issue than over the question of Miranda. He's basically trying to browbeat several members of his crew into something that most are lukewarm at best towards, and that some actively oppose.
And then the book just stops.
My understanding is that the new Firefly comic will eventually pick up where these graphic novels have left off, and we'll get some sort of a resolution. Unless, that is, they change their mind and decide to ditch the expanded universe (or, perhaps, Disney decide to pull it in-house - having bought Fox, they now have control over "Firefly" as well). So we'll see. It would be good to see how this cleans up, if indeed it does. Alas, without that, I don't think I can really recommend this book, or by extension the rest of the series.
#10: "100 Classic Stories", by Miles Kelly (a book for Funsize)
Monday, March 04, 2019
Iain Banks
Part of me wishes that I'd come to Iain Banks novels much earlier - I did read one of his 'Culture' novels a long time ago, but it never really compelled me to read more. If I had done, and especially if I'd read both his genre and non-genre novels, I suspect he would have become one of my favourite authors, I would have eagerly awaited the release of each novel as it came, and would have quickly devoured each one.
As it is, I've been reading them one a month for about a year now. And while the standard is generally high, each novel is quite different from the others, which almost inevitably means that they're a mixed bag. Some of them are very good indeed; some of them, not so much.
(I've been somewhat surprised to find that I've tended to enjoy the non-genre novels a bit more, on average, than the genre novels. I had expected the sci-fi to be the better. Given that I read all the sci-fi first, that's no bad thing.)
On the other hand, part of me is aware that if I had come to his novels earlier, and he had become a favourite author, that would have meant losing another favourite a few years ago. Which always sucks. So perhaps it's better this way.
#9: "Dead Air", by Iain Banks
(Incidentally, this novel was okay but I felt it was one of the poorer ones - it didn't feel like it really had quite enough plot to carry the novel, and so it felt more like an extended rant about various political topics. Not that I'm averse to a good political rant...)
As it is, I've been reading them one a month for about a year now. And while the standard is generally high, each novel is quite different from the others, which almost inevitably means that they're a mixed bag. Some of them are very good indeed; some of them, not so much.
(I've been somewhat surprised to find that I've tended to enjoy the non-genre novels a bit more, on average, than the genre novels. I had expected the sci-fi to be the better. Given that I read all the sci-fi first, that's no bad thing.)
On the other hand, part of me is aware that if I had come to his novels earlier, and he had become a favourite author, that would have meant losing another favourite a few years ago. Which always sucks. So perhaps it's better this way.
#9: "Dead Air", by Iain Banks
(Incidentally, this novel was okay but I felt it was one of the poorer ones - it didn't feel like it really had quite enough plot to carry the novel, and so it felt more like an extended rant about various political topics. Not that I'm averse to a good political rant...)
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Possibly My Most Obscure Post Ever...
I was reading an article about running board meetings, for reasons that should be obvious. During the course of this article, I discovered an interesting (to me) discussion of the role of AOCB - Any Other Competent Business (that is, the bit at the end of the meeting where people bring up anything that hasn't yet been discussed).
Anyway, what was interesting was that the article recommended that AOCB be extremely strongly constrained - specifically, it should be allowed only for things that had come up in the meeting itself but that couldn't possibly have been predicted beforehand.
For other topics, these should ideally be submitted for inclusion in the agenda ahead of time, or they should be raised (but not yet discussed) at the outset of the meeting. Either way, they should be added to the agenda at the start of the meeting, at the latest.
The reason given for this, other than just for a more efficient running of a meeting, is that it protects against the case where someone has to leave the meeting early (or just "on time") and shouldn't later discover that something has been discussed, and potentially decided on, in their absence.
Which is, of course, quite right. And it's one of the things that I wish I had considered, and acted upon, while I was Chairperson of the band, and found myself stuck in very long, very repetitive meetings where AOCB so frequently was the thing that got out of hand.
But, as I said, it's a bit of an obscure topic for the blog. If not the most obscure ever.
Anyway, what was interesting was that the article recommended that AOCB be extremely strongly constrained - specifically, it should be allowed only for things that had come up in the meeting itself but that couldn't possibly have been predicted beforehand.
For other topics, these should ideally be submitted for inclusion in the agenda ahead of time, or they should be raised (but not yet discussed) at the outset of the meeting. Either way, they should be added to the agenda at the start of the meeting, at the latest.
The reason given for this, other than just for a more efficient running of a meeting, is that it protects against the case where someone has to leave the meeting early (or just "on time") and shouldn't later discover that something has been discussed, and potentially decided on, in their absence.
Which is, of course, quite right. And it's one of the things that I wish I had considered, and acted upon, while I was Chairperson of the band, and found myself stuck in very long, very repetitive meetings where AOCB so frequently was the thing that got out of hand.
But, as I said, it's a bit of an obscure topic for the blog. If not the most obscure ever.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Strange Days
I never thought I'd find myself having a barbecue in February, at least not in Scotland. And yet, as of this afternoon, I have now done so.
On the one hand, the recent warm weather has been really nice - Scots tend to suffer, near-universally, from Vitamin D deficiencies; and the bright sunlight and warm weather just cheers everyone up.
On the other hand, this time last year we were house-bound due to being snowed in pretty thoroughly. And while I'm hesitant to immediately jump from the weather (which is transient) to climate change - if for no other reason than doing so gives succour to those who ask "what about global warming?" every time there's a cold snap - it is the case that average temperatures seem to go up year by year, the climate is most definitely changing, and that's a bad thing.
(On the wider topic of climate change, I still find myself in one of my very few agreements with George W. Bush - the solution to this is going to end up being technological. Either because we develop energy sources that are both greener and cheaper than those we're currently using; or because someone develops technologies that can directly counter some of the damage. If we're hoping instead to fix the issue with global changes of behaviour, I'm afraid I have bad news... people are just the worst.)
Anyway... the barbecue went well. I managed to get the amount of food estimated almost exactly, everyone had a good time, and the sun shone down on us. So that's a win, at least in my book.
On the one hand, the recent warm weather has been really nice - Scots tend to suffer, near-universally, from Vitamin D deficiencies; and the bright sunlight and warm weather just cheers everyone up.
On the other hand, this time last year we were house-bound due to being snowed in pretty thoroughly. And while I'm hesitant to immediately jump from the weather (which is transient) to climate change - if for no other reason than doing so gives succour to those who ask "what about global warming?" every time there's a cold snap - it is the case that average temperatures seem to go up year by year, the climate is most definitely changing, and that's a bad thing.
(On the wider topic of climate change, I still find myself in one of my very few agreements with George W. Bush - the solution to this is going to end up being technological. Either because we develop energy sources that are both greener and cheaper than those we're currently using; or because someone develops technologies that can directly counter some of the damage. If we're hoping instead to fix the issue with global changes of behaviour, I'm afraid I have bad news... people are just the worst.)
Anyway... the barbecue went well. I managed to get the amount of food estimated almost exactly, everyone had a good time, and the sun shone down on us. So that's a win, at least in my book.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
What Happens if They Refuse?
So the latest gambit from May will see her bring her deal back to the Commons on the 12th of March. If it is voted down, as it surely must, there will then be two votes on the 13th - one to leave with No Deal, and a second to authorise a short extension to Article 50.
So far, so good.
But what happens if, as is very likely, the Commons vote against all of those options?
(Oh, and for that matter, what if the EU refuse to grant a short extension, instead insisting on 2 years? Or they put a hefty price tag on an extension, as they well might?)
So far, so good.
But what happens if, as is very likely, the Commons vote against all of those options?
(Oh, and for that matter, what if the EU refuse to grant a short extension, instead insisting on 2 years? Or they put a hefty price tag on an extension, as they well might?)
Interesting...
I see Brendan Rodgers is to leave Celtic. I'm slightly surprised by this, but only slightly - I wonder how much fun there really is in just winning everything with no real challenge.
Though, ironically, his leaving may mean that there actually is some real challenge for the remainder of the year - after Celtic went out of Europe last week, I expected them to go on a big unbeaten run until the end of the season, but it's just possible that the loss of their manager might unsettle them just enough to let Rangers close some of the gap. Maybe - we'll see.
I do wonder who is next for the hot seat. It sounds like Neil Lennon may be back in the short term, and actually I think Celtic could do worse than to give him the job on a permanent basis - and there would be something poetic about the manager who started the run to 10 be the same man who brings it to a conclusion. If, indeed, Celtic do reach that landmark. Then again, if Celtic really have pretentions of doing something in Europe, I suspect they'll need a bigger name for the role.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out from here.
Though, ironically, his leaving may mean that there actually is some real challenge for the remainder of the year - after Celtic went out of Europe last week, I expected them to go on a big unbeaten run until the end of the season, but it's just possible that the loss of their manager might unsettle them just enough to let Rangers close some of the gap. Maybe - we'll see.
I do wonder who is next for the hot seat. It sounds like Neil Lennon may be back in the short term, and actually I think Celtic could do worse than to give him the job on a permanent basis - and there would be something poetic about the manager who started the run to 10 be the same man who brings it to a conclusion. If, indeed, Celtic do reach that landmark. Then again, if Celtic really have pretentions of doing something in Europe, I suspect they'll need a bigger name for the role.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out from here.
Monday, February 25, 2019
Little Drummer Girl
I finished watching this over the weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Well, 'enjoyed' might not be the right word, but I thought it was exceptional. Good work, and highly recommended.
Of course, now I have to read the book. But it may take me a while to get to it.
Of course, now I have to read the book. But it may take me a while to get to it.
Funsize's First Birthday
We had Funsize's first birthday party yesterday, a few days after her birthday proper. (Actually, it was a busy week, and weekend, for birthdays and parties - C and A turned 40 last week, so we had that party on Friday night also.) Once again, we were lucky enough to be able to borrow the church hall for the event, which meant we were able to invite a sizeable group of people, hire a soft play company, and lay on food. But more on that in a bit.
On Funsize's actual birthday, I took the day off work and we went over to the Kelvingrove to see Dippy the dinosaur. That was nice - once again, it took FS a moment to realise what we were pointing at, and then she realised just how big it was. Which was fun. We also spent a little time looking at the other animals, the exhibit on Ancient Egypt, the Leonardo da Vinci sketches, and various other things. Plus, we had a rather nice lunch - Funsize enjoyed their "Explorer's Box", which contained a sandwich, an apple, and a yogurt. I had a rather nice burger, LC has the fish.
Anyway, back to the party - the event was mostly organised by one of LC's cousins, who was also one of her bridesmaids some years ago. And a grand job she did, too - balloons fit to entertain an army of babies, the aforementioned soft play, a photo 'booth' where we took the picture with the cake. Oh, and a rather spectacular cake that she'd arranged to have made. (I'll endeavour to add some photos later - I don't have any on my phone, so will need to get them off another device.)
Some initial teething troubles aside, everyone seemed to have a good time, which is always the mark of a successful party. Huzzah!
And then we went home and collapsed in a heap. Funsize proceeded to sleep for three hours in the evening (missing dinner in the process), woke up just long enough to open the last of her million-and-one presents, and then went back to sleep. Somehow, we actually managed to get three halfway decent nights sleep across the weekend.
So that's that. As noted, I'll try to add some photos later...
On Funsize's actual birthday, I took the day off work and we went over to the Kelvingrove to see Dippy the dinosaur. That was nice - once again, it took FS a moment to realise what we were pointing at, and then she realised just how big it was. Which was fun. We also spent a little time looking at the other animals, the exhibit on Ancient Egypt, the Leonardo da Vinci sketches, and various other things. Plus, we had a rather nice lunch - Funsize enjoyed their "Explorer's Box", which contained a sandwich, an apple, and a yogurt. I had a rather nice burger, LC has the fish.
Anyway, back to the party - the event was mostly organised by one of LC's cousins, who was also one of her bridesmaids some years ago. And a grand job she did, too - balloons fit to entertain an army of babies, the aforementioned soft play, a photo 'booth' where we took the picture with the cake. Oh, and a rather spectacular cake that she'd arranged to have made. (I'll endeavour to add some photos later - I don't have any on my phone, so will need to get them off another device.)
Some initial teething troubles aside, everyone seemed to have a good time, which is always the mark of a successful party. Huzzah!
And then we went home and collapsed in a heap. Funsize proceeded to sleep for three hours in the evening (missing dinner in the process), woke up just long enough to open the last of her million-and-one presents, and then went back to sleep. Somehow, we actually managed to get three halfway decent nights sleep across the weekend.
So that's that. As noted, I'll try to add some photos later...
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Day 50: Update on Goals
50 days in, and 2019 has sucked so far. Which is a real shame, but there it is - I'm not inclined to sugar coat it. Anyway, it's time for an update on goals:
- Books: By day 50 I should have read 8.21 books. I'm actually right on target, which is something of a surprise (I finished book 8 this morning), but quite good. On the topic of The List, I'm currently a little under half of the first book - "Anna Karenina", so on that front I'm rather behind. I already think I'm highly unlikely to get that done.
- Weight: No change.
- Blogging: I'm a little behind here, but slightly ahead of target for the Imaginarium. So that's not too bad.
- Redecorate the Study: This is on hold until the Easter holiday. I'll have a better update next time - by the 10th of April we should either have done the job or at least be preparing to start.
- The To-Do List: The to-do list has eight items on it. Of most note is the clearing out of RPG notes, which is entering its final phase. But the list as a whole is actually in a reasonably good position. As with the previous goal, I expect the next update to indicate very significant progress here.
Perhaps surprisingly, the various goals are all more or less proceeding apace. And, in particular, they're setting up nicely for a good update next time. So I'm happy with that.
#7: "Creature Codex", by Kobold Press
#8: "Pathfinder: Rise of New Thassilon", by Greg A. Vaughan
Monday, February 18, 2019
Splitters!
As I've mentioned before, in a First-Past-the-Post electoral system there is room for two main parties and one "none of the above" option. For better or worse, in the UK at the moment the two main parties are the centre-left pro-Brexit Labour party and the centre-right pro-Brexit Tory party. The "none of the above" option is a fractured mess that is effectively impotent. (Northern Ireland is an exception to this, of course. Because in UK politics, Northern Ireland is always an exception.)
The unfortunate consequence of the above is that a group of MPs splitting off from the Labour party to become a new independent grouping is to help the Tories. They're not going to suddenly gain ground to become a new second party, and they're not suddenly going to be the central mass around which the "none of the above" grouping are going to coalesce.
All that this really serves to do is to demonstrate one of the other great truths of UK politics: it doesn't actually matter how terrible a mess your party is in - you just have to be marginally less dysfunctional than the other guys. Neither Labour nor the Tories are fit for purpose, but the Tories are just barely managing to hold together, so they'll win.
The unfortunate consequence of the above is that a group of MPs splitting off from the Labour party to become a new independent grouping is to help the Tories. They're not going to suddenly gain ground to become a new second party, and they're not suddenly going to be the central mass around which the "none of the above" grouping are going to coalesce.
All that this really serves to do is to demonstrate one of the other great truths of UK politics: it doesn't actually matter how terrible a mess your party is in - you just have to be marginally less dysfunctional than the other guys. Neither Labour nor the Tories are fit for purpose, but the Tories are just barely managing to hold together, so they'll win.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Hit Bottom
Yesterday was another disastrous day. But it had one upside: I think we've now successfully hit the bottom and can start climbing back up.
The purchase of the birthday present is now done: we were able to get some direct feedback from the recipient which meant that we went from having a bunch of not-very-satisfactory options to having one solid choice. From there, it was just a matter of placing an order.
The issue with the wall switch has also been dealt with, thanks to a timely intervention by my father-in-law. My own efforts to resolve it were stalled out by a combination of bad light, sticky screws, and a lack of space in which to work. But, thankfully, it's now done.
And I managed also to get the church website updated, which needed to be done yesterday because it included events happening today.
The upshot of all of that is that there aren't any urgent tasks looming large any more, just a number of things that can be dealt with when time permits.
Of course, there's now all the fallout from the past eight days to deal with - as I said, it has been fairly disastrous. And much of the fault there is mine.
#6: "Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way", by Scott Rehm
The purchase of the birthday present is now done: we were able to get some direct feedback from the recipient which meant that we went from having a bunch of not-very-satisfactory options to having one solid choice. From there, it was just a matter of placing an order.
The issue with the wall switch has also been dealt with, thanks to a timely intervention by my father-in-law. My own efforts to resolve it were stalled out by a combination of bad light, sticky screws, and a lack of space in which to work. But, thankfully, it's now done.
And I managed also to get the church website updated, which needed to be done yesterday because it included events happening today.
The upshot of all of that is that there aren't any urgent tasks looming large any more, just a number of things that can be dealt with when time permits.
Of course, there's now all the fallout from the past eight days to deal with - as I said, it has been fairly disastrous. And much of the fault there is mine.
#6: "Game Angry: How to RPG the Angry Way", by Scott Rehm
Monday, February 11, 2019
Storing Up Trouble
I had two major tasks for the weekend: pick up a birthday present and replace the door seal on the washing machine. Unfortunately, both were pretty urgent.
And I achieved neither.
Oddly, the biggest problem with getting the birthday present was just finding any item in the approximate price range - I saw lots of items that were too low, and a very nice item that was about twice the budget, but only a tiny number that were about right - and most of those I didn't like.
That was Saturday, and was pretty disheartening.
Then on Sunday I had to change the door seal on the washing machine. I've done this once before on another machine, and it's an absolutely horrible job - but it's a horrible job that costs about £25 and adds a few years of life to a washing machine, which is a bit better than replacing the whole thing.
As anticipated, this was a terrible job, that has left my hands shredded. But, somehow, I did manage to get it done... mostly.
Naturally, there was a wrinkle - at the last step when reconnecting the power, the wall socket decided not to play ball and broke apart. The upshot of this was that the washing machine was completely out of action, and indeed left in a somewhat dangerous condition. So that's tonight's job.
The annoying thing here is that, on both counts, leaving the jobs in an incomplete step is just storing up trouble for the future. The birthday in question isn't about to be cancelled or to move to a different date. And we can't not have a washing machine for any length of time (plus, as I said, it's somewhat dangerous). So those are tasks that must be addressed soon - and done so when I have that bit less time than at the weekend.
(And that isn't to mention the other task I now have looming, which I'd decided not to address yesterday in order to make time for the washing machine... and which now needs to be dealt with today. That's only a matter of twenty minutes or so, but it's another task on a day without enough time as it is.)
Oh well. Sometimes, things just suck and you end up in a hole. And then, sometimes, you get to climb out of that hole, and that's good.
#5: "Book of Swords, Part I", edited by Gardner Dozois
And I achieved neither.
Oddly, the biggest problem with getting the birthday present was just finding any item in the approximate price range - I saw lots of items that were too low, and a very nice item that was about twice the budget, but only a tiny number that were about right - and most of those I didn't like.
That was Saturday, and was pretty disheartening.
Then on Sunday I had to change the door seal on the washing machine. I've done this once before on another machine, and it's an absolutely horrible job - but it's a horrible job that costs about £25 and adds a few years of life to a washing machine, which is a bit better than replacing the whole thing.
As anticipated, this was a terrible job, that has left my hands shredded. But, somehow, I did manage to get it done... mostly.
Naturally, there was a wrinkle - at the last step when reconnecting the power, the wall socket decided not to play ball and broke apart. The upshot of this was that the washing machine was completely out of action, and indeed left in a somewhat dangerous condition. So that's tonight's job.
The annoying thing here is that, on both counts, leaving the jobs in an incomplete step is just storing up trouble for the future. The birthday in question isn't about to be cancelled or to move to a different date. And we can't not have a washing machine for any length of time (plus, as I said, it's somewhat dangerous). So those are tasks that must be addressed soon - and done so when I have that bit less time than at the weekend.
(And that isn't to mention the other task I now have looming, which I'd decided not to address yesterday in order to make time for the washing machine... and which now needs to be dealt with today. That's only a matter of twenty minutes or so, but it's another task on a day without enough time as it is.)
Oh well. Sometimes, things just suck and you end up in a hole. And then, sometimes, you get to climb out of that hole, and that's good.
#5: "Book of Swords, Part I", edited by Gardner Dozois
Friday, February 08, 2019
The Star Trek Films, Ranked Worst to Best
One of my Christmas gifts was a blu-ray set of ten "Star Trek" films - the six with the original cast and the four with the Next Generation cast. I'm therefore in a position where I've actually watched all thirteen Trek films in the past year. So, my ranking...
#13: "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier". This film suffers from three key weaknesses. Firstly, it's just not good. Secondly, what qualities it does have are overshadowed by the director's bouts of ego. And thirdly, it suffers from heightened expectations - after the sort-of-trilogy of "Khan", "Search", and "Voyage", the Trek films were in a really good place. All in all, it's the worst of all the films.
#12: "Star Trek: Nemesis". The final film for the Next Generation is similarly weak. By that time, I think the producers had decided they needed to find the "new Khan", and it just didn't work. Throw in a fairly tired-looking cast, two key actors who clearly wanted to move on from their parts, and a rather distasteful mindrape subplot, and you've got a stinker, and one that has aged badly at that. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were actually going for the "worst Trek film" title. But if so, they couldn't even manage that. Poor.
#11: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". Unlike a lot of people, I don't consider this to be a bad film... I just think it is the wrong film. I think the company had some notion that they'd get a film like "Star Wars" - and certainly they timed the film for precisely that. However, what they got was a lightweight "2001: A Space Odyssey". Which is fine, except that it's not series enough to satisfy fans of 'real' sci-fi while also being too slow to really satisfy fans of Trek (or Star Wars). It's a film I re-watch every few years, and it's interesting enough as a piece of film-making (and the music is outstanding), but it's not a film I'd really recommend.
(Oddly, despite the advertising materials stating otherwise, and the set itself doing the same, the blu-ray in the boxed set does appear to be the Director's Cut. Which is good - that cut goes a long way to improve the film, and indeed is almost the difference between it being 'watchable' and not.)
#10: "Star Trek: Generations". A very frustrating film, this. The opening scenes, with Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov are surprisingly good, with the Enterprise-B giving a tantalising hint of what might happen between the two generations. And the middle of the film, with the Next Generation crew dealing with a mad scientist while Picard deals with a personal bereavement are likewise very good. And then it goes horribly wrong. As soon as Kirk comes back into the film, it all turns to dust, and it becomes a slog to get through to the end.
#9: "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home". This is a decent film, but very dated. Indeed, despite enjoying the film, this was one that I never bothered to buy on DVD, and there was a reason for that. Mostly, it serves to round out the sort-of-trilogy, getting back to the status quo as at the start of Khan. That said, it does have the introduction of the Enterprise-A, and it's almost worth watching for that alone.
#8: "Star Trek: Into Darkness". This is a strange one - when it first came out I really enjoyed this film, rather more than its predecessor. However, where I've enjoyed "Star Trek" more and more over the years, this film has diminished over time. It's not a film I'd avoid, necessarily, but it's also not one I have any burning desire to watch again, and given the choice I'd go for either of the other two Pine-era Treks instead.
#7: "Star Trek: Insurrection". I was surprised to be rating this one so highly, but when I rewatched it I was also rather surprised to find that this film was better than I remembered. I guess it has just aged well. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it... but I also wouldn't immediately change the channel to avoid it. In particular, the thought process Picard goes through as he contemplates his rebellion is worthwhile, as indeed is Worf's ever escalating firepower.
#6: "Star Trek". I have very mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, I really like the cast they've assembled. On the other hand, much of the film feels like it comes from the Dan Brown school of writing - it doesn't matter how stupid the plot is provided you keep the pace up high enough that people don't notice. Sadly, I did notice. In particular, the scene where Kirk provokes an emotional outburst from Spock and then immediately turns around to take command just doesn't work. Still, I do find I enjoy this film more each time I watch it - as with "Insurrection", it seems to have aged rather well.
#5: "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock". This is a slightly strange film, in that it really doesn't work by itself - only the context afforded by "Wrath of Khan" allows it to make sense. Obviously, this film isn't as good as "Khan", but there's still an awful lot to like here - and the death of David followed by the destruction of the Enterprise make this one worth the price of entry all by themselves.
#4: "Star Trek: Beyond". I'm surprised how much dislike this film seems to attract - for me, this is the best of the Pine-era Trek films, both in terms of being the most entertaining and also in terms of being the more Trek-like. Basically, I just really enjoyed it.
#3: "Star Trek: First Contact". The second outing for the Next Generation crew is also their best. The Borg are the single best bit of Trek lore to be added since the Original Series ended, and are used very well here - that feeling of creeping horror is well done. Plus, the conflict between the human spirit and the inhuman Borg, and also Data's conflicting goals are strong. Good stuff.
#2: "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". It was something of a toss-up between this and First Contact, but I give this one the nod because the message of peace and optimism was rather stronger in this one. Plus, Captain Sulu and the Excelsior were just great.
#1: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Obviously.
My feelings overall are that of the thirteen there are only two genuinely bad films (although they truly are awful), plus two frustratingly poor films. Then there are four mediocre films, that are mostly watchable but really not great, and then four good films and one truly outstanding film in the series. Of all of these, "Wrath of Khan" is probably the only one that really counts as a great film while the next four are good Star Trek films.
Of course, my opinion may change with time!
#13: "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier". This film suffers from three key weaknesses. Firstly, it's just not good. Secondly, what qualities it does have are overshadowed by the director's bouts of ego. And thirdly, it suffers from heightened expectations - after the sort-of-trilogy of "Khan", "Search", and "Voyage", the Trek films were in a really good place. All in all, it's the worst of all the films.
#12: "Star Trek: Nemesis". The final film for the Next Generation is similarly weak. By that time, I think the producers had decided they needed to find the "new Khan", and it just didn't work. Throw in a fairly tired-looking cast, two key actors who clearly wanted to move on from their parts, and a rather distasteful mindrape subplot, and you've got a stinker, and one that has aged badly at that. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were actually going for the "worst Trek film" title. But if so, they couldn't even manage that. Poor.
#11: "Star Trek: The Motion Picture". Unlike a lot of people, I don't consider this to be a bad film... I just think it is the wrong film. I think the company had some notion that they'd get a film like "Star Wars" - and certainly they timed the film for precisely that. However, what they got was a lightweight "2001: A Space Odyssey". Which is fine, except that it's not series enough to satisfy fans of 'real' sci-fi while also being too slow to really satisfy fans of Trek (or Star Wars). It's a film I re-watch every few years, and it's interesting enough as a piece of film-making (and the music is outstanding), but it's not a film I'd really recommend.
(Oddly, despite the advertising materials stating otherwise, and the set itself doing the same, the blu-ray in the boxed set does appear to be the Director's Cut. Which is good - that cut goes a long way to improve the film, and indeed is almost the difference between it being 'watchable' and not.)
#10: "Star Trek: Generations". A very frustrating film, this. The opening scenes, with Kirk, Scotty, and Chekov are surprisingly good, with the Enterprise-B giving a tantalising hint of what might happen between the two generations. And the middle of the film, with the Next Generation crew dealing with a mad scientist while Picard deals with a personal bereavement are likewise very good. And then it goes horribly wrong. As soon as Kirk comes back into the film, it all turns to dust, and it becomes a slog to get through to the end.
#9: "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home". This is a decent film, but very dated. Indeed, despite enjoying the film, this was one that I never bothered to buy on DVD, and there was a reason for that. Mostly, it serves to round out the sort-of-trilogy, getting back to the status quo as at the start of Khan. That said, it does have the introduction of the Enterprise-A, and it's almost worth watching for that alone.
#8: "Star Trek: Into Darkness". This is a strange one - when it first came out I really enjoyed this film, rather more than its predecessor. However, where I've enjoyed "Star Trek" more and more over the years, this film has diminished over time. It's not a film I'd avoid, necessarily, but it's also not one I have any burning desire to watch again, and given the choice I'd go for either of the other two Pine-era Treks instead.
#7: "Star Trek: Insurrection". I was surprised to be rating this one so highly, but when I rewatched it I was also rather surprised to find that this film was better than I remembered. I guess it has just aged well. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it... but I also wouldn't immediately change the channel to avoid it. In particular, the thought process Picard goes through as he contemplates his rebellion is worthwhile, as indeed is Worf's ever escalating firepower.
#6: "Star Trek". I have very mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, I really like the cast they've assembled. On the other hand, much of the film feels like it comes from the Dan Brown school of writing - it doesn't matter how stupid the plot is provided you keep the pace up high enough that people don't notice. Sadly, I did notice. In particular, the scene where Kirk provokes an emotional outburst from Spock and then immediately turns around to take command just doesn't work. Still, I do find I enjoy this film more each time I watch it - as with "Insurrection", it seems to have aged rather well.
#5: "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock". This is a slightly strange film, in that it really doesn't work by itself - only the context afforded by "Wrath of Khan" allows it to make sense. Obviously, this film isn't as good as "Khan", but there's still an awful lot to like here - and the death of David followed by the destruction of the Enterprise make this one worth the price of entry all by themselves.
#4: "Star Trek: Beyond". I'm surprised how much dislike this film seems to attract - for me, this is the best of the Pine-era Trek films, both in terms of being the most entertaining and also in terms of being the more Trek-like. Basically, I just really enjoyed it.
#3: "Star Trek: First Contact". The second outing for the Next Generation crew is also their best. The Borg are the single best bit of Trek lore to be added since the Original Series ended, and are used very well here - that feeling of creeping horror is well done. Plus, the conflict between the human spirit and the inhuman Borg, and also Data's conflicting goals are strong. Good stuff.
#2: "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". It was something of a toss-up between this and First Contact, but I give this one the nod because the message of peace and optimism was rather stronger in this one. Plus, Captain Sulu and the Excelsior were just great.
#1: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Obviously.
My feelings overall are that of the thirteen there are only two genuinely bad films (although they truly are awful), plus two frustratingly poor films. Then there are four mediocre films, that are mostly watchable but really not great, and then four good films and one truly outstanding film in the series. Of all of these, "Wrath of Khan" is probably the only one that really counts as a great film while the next four are good Star Trek films.
Of course, my opinion may change with time!
Thursday, February 07, 2019
Goodbye
While waiting for my flight at Schiphol airport, I was musing on the fact that it was most likely the last time I would be flying home from mainland Europe while we were still a part of the EU. Which is a real shame - the EU in general, and Freedom of Movement in particular, have been a massive boon in my life, and I will be sorry to see that go, quite aside from the economic and political repercussions. (I appreciate that that isn't necessarily true for everyone. I'm just noting that it is true for me.)
Unfortunately, I now have no hope that Brexit can be avoided. The key issue is time - it is written into UK law that we're leaving on the 29th of March, and as long as that is true our government can neither ask for an extension to Article 50 nor can it rescind it. And while it is possible to remove that bit of law, the move to do so has to come from the government - there aren't any Opposition Days between now and then, and so it is the government that sets the business of parliament.
And the problem with that is the Theresa May doesn't want an extension. Even if she did, her cabinet really don't want an extension. And even if they did, the majority of Tory members want a No Deal Brexit. Which means we're relying on May doing something she doesn't want to do, and persuading her colleagues to do something they don't want to do, and doing so for the good of the country... knowing that it would split their party. That's as close to saying "it's not going to happen" as anything I can think of.
No extension means no second referendum, as there just isn't time. It also means that there's no time to negotiate a significantly different deal from the one that has already been rejected. It might be possible to tweak the existing deal, but I would be surprised if the current discussions result in anything more than another letter stating that there is no intention to use the backstop, and certainly no intention to 'trap' the UK in it... but nothing legally mandating that. And then the choice really will be May's Deal or No Deal.
I was at least heartened by the news that the EU are going to continue to allow visa-free travel, even in the event of No Deal. So we won't be totally isolated and our horizons won't have contracted completely.
But it's still a real shame. And I just thought it was worth noting that.
Unfortunately, I now have no hope that Brexit can be avoided. The key issue is time - it is written into UK law that we're leaving on the 29th of March, and as long as that is true our government can neither ask for an extension to Article 50 nor can it rescind it. And while it is possible to remove that bit of law, the move to do so has to come from the government - there aren't any Opposition Days between now and then, and so it is the government that sets the business of parliament.
And the problem with that is the Theresa May doesn't want an extension. Even if she did, her cabinet really don't want an extension. And even if they did, the majority of Tory members want a No Deal Brexit. Which means we're relying on May doing something she doesn't want to do, and persuading her colleagues to do something they don't want to do, and doing so for the good of the country... knowing that it would split their party. That's as close to saying "it's not going to happen" as anything I can think of.
No extension means no second referendum, as there just isn't time. It also means that there's no time to negotiate a significantly different deal from the one that has already been rejected. It might be possible to tweak the existing deal, but I would be surprised if the current discussions result in anything more than another letter stating that there is no intention to use the backstop, and certainly no intention to 'trap' the UK in it... but nothing legally mandating that. And then the choice really will be May's Deal or No Deal.
I was at least heartened by the news that the EU are going to continue to allow visa-free travel, even in the event of No Deal. So we won't be totally isolated and our horizons won't have contracted completely.
But it's still a real shame. And I just thought it was worth noting that.
Minor Gripes
We seem to have successfully standardised onto USB as the means of powering/charging a wide variety of small electronics (phones, etc). This is a good thing. Why is it, though, that we've not yet managed to choose one of about half a dozen types of USB connector as the standard port? Such that when you need to charge a device you inevitably find every type of cable within reach except the one that you actually need?
Why is it that some people insist on driving at a constant 40 miles per hour, regardless of road conditions or, indeed, the speed limit? Thus infuriating everyone else on the road who actually has somewhere to go and failing to drive safely in those places where the limit is lower.
Why can't we settle on a consistent set of rules for airport security? It's bad enough that those rules vary from place to place, or even from shift to shift, but yesterday I watched as the three lanes all had different rules at the same time - one group had to take all footwear off, one only had to take trainers off, and the third didn't have to take any footwear off. Surely, if there really is a meaningful threat from people wearing shoes (spoiler: there isn't), everyone should be required to remove their shoes in every airport, all the time? One set of rules, please!
And speaking of flights, why do some people think it's acceptable to get thoroughly drunk and then board a plane? You wouldn't like to be locked in a small space with a loud, obnoxious, and quite possibly abusive person, so why inflict that on other people. And, no, you're not as different as you think. Maybe we should start breathalysing people before they're allowed to board.
Anyway, that's all for now. I feel slightly better.
Why is it that some people insist on driving at a constant 40 miles per hour, regardless of road conditions or, indeed, the speed limit? Thus infuriating everyone else on the road who actually has somewhere to go and failing to drive safely in those places where the limit is lower.
Why can't we settle on a consistent set of rules for airport security? It's bad enough that those rules vary from place to place, or even from shift to shift, but yesterday I watched as the three lanes all had different rules at the same time - one group had to take all footwear off, one only had to take trainers off, and the third didn't have to take any footwear off. Surely, if there really is a meaningful threat from people wearing shoes (spoiler: there isn't), everyone should be required to remove their shoes in every airport, all the time? One set of rules, please!
And speaking of flights, why do some people think it's acceptable to get thoroughly drunk and then board a plane? You wouldn't like to be locked in a small space with a loud, obnoxious, and quite possibly abusive person, so why inflict that on other people. And, no, you're not as different as you think. Maybe we should start breathalysing people before they're allowed to board.
Anyway, that's all for now. I feel slightly better.
Monday, February 04, 2019
Some TV
For Christmas I received, amongst other things, the second season of "Supergirl" on blu-ray, which I finished watching on Friday. The first season started reasonably brightly, dragged for a bit, and then improved a great deal. The second season, sadly, did not really match this trajectory - it started brightly, dragged for a bit... then dragged for a bit more and then ended.
A shame. But it does let me skip out on the third and subsequent series.
Likewise, LC and I have been watching the fourth and final series of "Rebels", which I also received for Christmas. This one started quite slowly, ran slowly for quite a long time, and then ended with a phenomenal run of episodes that really showcased everything that was good about the show. The last episode, in particular, was outstanding (though it probably doesn't work by itself). Anyway, that was good.
Finally, I spent some time yesterday watching "Brexit: An Uncivil War", which was horribly watchable. That one is definitely worth a watch if you have the time - but be aware that it's likely to leave you both absolutely furious and rather depressed by the time it's done. (Also, I think it's important to note that while the show mostly focusses on the cavalcade of monsters in the Leave campaigns, it does rightly point out that the Remain campaigns were characterised by utter uselessness - they frankly didn't deserve to win either. Recognising that was definitely to the show's credit.)
Next up will be "Little Drummer Girl", which I expect to watch over the next two weekends (LC has opted out); "Watership Down", which I've heard isn't the best, but which we recorded so I do want to watch; and "Les Miserables", which we've been holding off on until it was done so we could in quick succession. Also, Channel 4 are now advertising that they have the whole of "30 Rock" available, so that might be being added to the slate soon too.
#4: "The Business", by Iain Banks
A shame. But it does let me skip out on the third and subsequent series.
Likewise, LC and I have been watching the fourth and final series of "Rebels", which I also received for Christmas. This one started quite slowly, ran slowly for quite a long time, and then ended with a phenomenal run of episodes that really showcased everything that was good about the show. The last episode, in particular, was outstanding (though it probably doesn't work by itself). Anyway, that was good.
Finally, I spent some time yesterday watching "Brexit: An Uncivil War", which was horribly watchable. That one is definitely worth a watch if you have the time - but be aware that it's likely to leave you both absolutely furious and rather depressed by the time it's done. (Also, I think it's important to note that while the show mostly focusses on the cavalcade of monsters in the Leave campaigns, it does rightly point out that the Remain campaigns were characterised by utter uselessness - they frankly didn't deserve to win either. Recognising that was definitely to the show's credit.)
Next up will be "Little Drummer Girl", which I expect to watch over the next two weekends (LC has opted out); "Watership Down", which I've heard isn't the best, but which we recorded so I do want to watch; and "Les Miserables", which we've been holding off on until it was done so we could in quick succession. Also, Channel 4 are now advertising that they have the whole of "30 Rock" available, so that might be being added to the slate soon too.
#4: "The Business", by Iain Banks
Friday, January 25, 2019
My Week on the Trains
From Monday to Thursday of this week I was at a training course, which was held out of the office. This particular course was held at a hotel five minutes' walk from a station that was on the same line between Edinburgh and Livingston, two stops from home, so I thought it would be ideal to get the train in and thus not mess around with traffic.
So on Monday I went to the station to try this. I had arranged to arrive just in time for the last-but-two train that would get me there on time. This proved to be flawed, as before getting the train I needed a ticket. (Scotrail do have a SmartCard travel system, which is better. But that only works if you already have the card!) So I queued and got the ticket, and was just in time to get that same train, which was several minutes late.
The journey was okay, but not really something I'd recommend - by the time the train reached Livingston it was standing room only. Fortunately, I was only going two stops, so it was only briefly uncomfortable. But then it was a short walk to the hotel, which was good.
Coming home, I unfortunately got back to the station just in time to see a train pulling away, which meant a rather cold wait for fifteen minutes for the next one. Then it was, once again, standing room only, but then I was home. And that was fine.
My conclusion was that using the train was okay - it was a bit more expensive that using the car, it was quite a bit more uncomfortable, but the actual journey was considerably quicker, so provided I timed it right it would be pretty good.
So far, so good.
On Tuesday I got to the station only to discover that there was a broken down train on the line one stop past my actual destination, meaning that all trains were cancelled until it was fixed. When would that be? There was no indication.
So I got the car in.
On Wednesday, I didn't even bother with the train, and instead just used the car, and the same was true of Thursday also. The experiment had ended.
My conclusion from all of this is that I was largely disappointed by the trains. Given one of the easiest and most convenient journeys, it proved to be a fairly poor sustitute - more expensive per day (or even for a five-day week with a weekly pass - which I couldn't get as I didn't have a photocard), considerably less comfortable due to there being one two few coaches... and then plagued by a key unreliability.
It was that last that really caused problems - when I got to the station on Tuesday I couldn't know whether the train was cancelled for fifteen minutes, an hour, or several hours. The boards said to ask station staff... but there aren't any at that station. So while a broken down train really isn't something you can legislate for or realistically avoid, it wasn't handled particularly well. And since my analysis of the pros and cons was already borderline by that point, this tipped it over the edge.
And yet, that shouldn't have been the case. As I said, this was the easiest and most convenient journey in the system, and it involved a single person travelling. For both logistical and environmental reason, the Powers That Be should be trying really hard to get that journey off the roads - if every lone traveller from Livinston-ish to Edinburgh-ish switches from a car to the train, the corresponding reduction in car use would make a massive difference to the system as a whole. That's something that really needs to be facilitated.
So how could it be made better? Unfortunately, that's where I hit a blank. I think there are three obvious changes: firstly, the comparison of the costs really should favour the train over the car, and should do so based on the patterns of travel that people actually use. (That is, there should be an option of a 5-day ticket, for people who only need it for the working week.) Secondly, they could really do with finding a way to make those season tickets more easily accessed. As I said, I couldn't get a weekly ticket as I first needed a photocard - either that requirement needs to be done away with or it should be easy to get the required card. And thirdly, on that specific route they need to be adding one more coach to the average train (which appears to be an issue throughout the system). Basically, if you have people being required to stand, you have a problem.
One other thing, specifically about the SmartCard. Having looked into it, it is indeed an improvement over the standard approach of tickets and ticket machines. However, they've managed to implement it in a considerably worse manner than London's Oyster Card (which itself is less good than most equivalents on the continent... but I digress*). In London the card is loaded with money and then the system applies charges as you use it, based on how you use it (so if you use the Underground, it detects where you get on and get off, and charges you accordingly. Also, it detects if your daily usage means a day ticket would be cheaper, and caps itself accordingly, and so on). The SmartCard system, by contrast, has you load tickets onto the card, which means (a) you need to know your exact journey and (b) you need to buy the tickets four hours before you travel - if you suddenly need to go from A to B you're stuck.
* The reason that most of the systems on the continent are better is that the providers of public transport are all joined up. So the same card can be used on the bus, trains, trams, and so on. London has made some steps towards this, but the system is far from complete; the Scotrail system only covers the trains and Glasgow subway. So if you need a bus to get you to the station, it's just a hassle.
(Of course the best solution would get rid of the cards entirely and do everything with a mobile phone app. First set up an account to sort out payment, then you scan your phone at the start and at the end (or even better, log in/out with Bluetooth), and the app will automatically be charged for the appropriate journeys - with all the discounts for daily tickets applied automatically. That way there's no requirement for a special extra card, since pretty much everyone already has a phone, there's no need to work through an arcane system to find the optimum ticket, since the app sorts that after the fact, and there's a minimum of fuss all around. Of course, that requires a public transport system that is optimised to get people using it, rather than one that is set up to generate profit. But we can dream...)
#2: "802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide", by Matthew S. Gast
#3: "Version Control with Git", by Jon Loeliger & Matthew McCullogh
So on Monday I went to the station to try this. I had arranged to arrive just in time for the last-but-two train that would get me there on time. This proved to be flawed, as before getting the train I needed a ticket. (Scotrail do have a SmartCard travel system, which is better. But that only works if you already have the card!) So I queued and got the ticket, and was just in time to get that same train, which was several minutes late.
The journey was okay, but not really something I'd recommend - by the time the train reached Livingston it was standing room only. Fortunately, I was only going two stops, so it was only briefly uncomfortable. But then it was a short walk to the hotel, which was good.
Coming home, I unfortunately got back to the station just in time to see a train pulling away, which meant a rather cold wait for fifteen minutes for the next one. Then it was, once again, standing room only, but then I was home. And that was fine.
My conclusion was that using the train was okay - it was a bit more expensive that using the car, it was quite a bit more uncomfortable, but the actual journey was considerably quicker, so provided I timed it right it would be pretty good.
So far, so good.
On Tuesday I got to the station only to discover that there was a broken down train on the line one stop past my actual destination, meaning that all trains were cancelled until it was fixed. When would that be? There was no indication.
So I got the car in.
On Wednesday, I didn't even bother with the train, and instead just used the car, and the same was true of Thursday also. The experiment had ended.
My conclusion from all of this is that I was largely disappointed by the trains. Given one of the easiest and most convenient journeys, it proved to be a fairly poor sustitute - more expensive per day (or even for a five-day week with a weekly pass - which I couldn't get as I didn't have a photocard), considerably less comfortable due to there being one two few coaches... and then plagued by a key unreliability.
It was that last that really caused problems - when I got to the station on Tuesday I couldn't know whether the train was cancelled for fifteen minutes, an hour, or several hours. The boards said to ask station staff... but there aren't any at that station. So while a broken down train really isn't something you can legislate for or realistically avoid, it wasn't handled particularly well. And since my analysis of the pros and cons was already borderline by that point, this tipped it over the edge.
And yet, that shouldn't have been the case. As I said, this was the easiest and most convenient journey in the system, and it involved a single person travelling. For both logistical and environmental reason, the Powers That Be should be trying really hard to get that journey off the roads - if every lone traveller from Livinston-ish to Edinburgh-ish switches from a car to the train, the corresponding reduction in car use would make a massive difference to the system as a whole. That's something that really needs to be facilitated.
So how could it be made better? Unfortunately, that's where I hit a blank. I think there are three obvious changes: firstly, the comparison of the costs really should favour the train over the car, and should do so based on the patterns of travel that people actually use. (That is, there should be an option of a 5-day ticket, for people who only need it for the working week.) Secondly, they could really do with finding a way to make those season tickets more easily accessed. As I said, I couldn't get a weekly ticket as I first needed a photocard - either that requirement needs to be done away with or it should be easy to get the required card. And thirdly, on that specific route they need to be adding one more coach to the average train (which appears to be an issue throughout the system). Basically, if you have people being required to stand, you have a problem.
One other thing, specifically about the SmartCard. Having looked into it, it is indeed an improvement over the standard approach of tickets and ticket machines. However, they've managed to implement it in a considerably worse manner than London's Oyster Card (which itself is less good than most equivalents on the continent... but I digress*). In London the card is loaded with money and then the system applies charges as you use it, based on how you use it (so if you use the Underground, it detects where you get on and get off, and charges you accordingly. Also, it detects if your daily usage means a day ticket would be cheaper, and caps itself accordingly, and so on). The SmartCard system, by contrast, has you load tickets onto the card, which means (a) you need to know your exact journey and (b) you need to buy the tickets four hours before you travel - if you suddenly need to go from A to B you're stuck.
* The reason that most of the systems on the continent are better is that the providers of public transport are all joined up. So the same card can be used on the bus, trains, trams, and so on. London has made some steps towards this, but the system is far from complete; the Scotrail system only covers the trains and Glasgow subway. So if you need a bus to get you to the station, it's just a hassle.
(Of course the best solution would get rid of the cards entirely and do everything with a mobile phone app. First set up an account to sort out payment, then you scan your phone at the start and at the end (or even better, log in/out with Bluetooth), and the app will automatically be charged for the appropriate journeys - with all the discounts for daily tickets applied automatically. That way there's no requirement for a special extra card, since pretty much everyone already has a phone, there's no need to work through an arcane system to find the optimum ticket, since the app sorts that after the fact, and there's a minimum of fuss all around. Of course, that requires a public transport system that is optimised to get people using it, rather than one that is set up to generate profit. But we can dream...)
#2: "802.11 Wireless Networks: The Definitive Guide", by Matthew S. Gast
#3: "Version Control with Git", by Jon Loeliger & Matthew McCullogh
Friday, January 18, 2019
Ten Weeks
In exactly ten weeks time, unless something changes in the interim, the UK will leave the EU. At present, we will be embarking on a "no deal" Brexit, overseen by the worst government in living memory.
But, you know, no rush you guys.
But, you know, no rush you guys.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Rebuilding the To-Do List
I wrapped up the previous iteration of my to-do list at the end of November, with a promise that when the new year arrived I would build a new version of the list. In the meantime, I have given a little thought to the best form for the list, and have settled on building it in phases, where I would expect to finish, or at least be well advanced, in one phase before moving on to the next one.
I expect this iteration of the to-do list to run through to the end of the Easter holiday, after which I'll wrap it up and take stock.
Already Done
We have already managed to tackle three of the tasks from the to-do list:
There are two tasks remaining in the first phase of the list:
Phase Two
Once the last drawer has been cleared, we'll be in a position where we've finished our decluttering for the time being. This leaves us quite a lot of stuff that has been earmarked for disposal but which is still taking up space. Phase two, therefore, is to correct that:
Phase Three
Once phases one and two are done (hopefully by mid-February), it will be time to move on to phase three, which consists largely of tasks that were deferred from last year...
And that's the list. As noted, I intend to run this one until the end of the Easter holidays, and I'm hopeful of completing eight of the nine items by then.
(Once we get past the Easter holidays, my suspicion is that I might end up without a to-do list at all - the lists have been getting progressively shorter with each iteration, so it might just be possible that we'll have reached the end, at least for the time being. But we'll see.)
I expect this iteration of the to-do list to run through to the end of the Easter holiday, after which I'll wrap it up and take stock.
Already Done
We have already managed to tackle three of the tasks from the to-do list:
- I spent some time sorting through our accumulated documents, and disposed of a whole bunch that were no longer needed. (I also grouped other documents into annual bunches, meaning that next year's task will be one step easier. Which is nice.)
- As noted yesterday, we spent much of Saturday clearing out the kitchen.
- And, likewise, we rearranged the sideboard on Saturday.
There are two tasks remaining in the first phase of the list:
- I've resumed my task of clearing out my old RPG papers. This mostly involves an awful lot of scanning and then shredding of the documents. It's proceeding apace, but is going to take several more months to get through, I think. (I don't intend to hold up phase two for the completion of this task!)
- There is one drawer I want to go through and clear out (again). This isn't a long job, but it's one that will bug me if I don't get it done. So that's my task for this weekend.
Phase Two
Once the last drawer has been cleared, we'll be in a position where we've finished our decluttering for the time being. This leaves us quite a lot of stuff that has been earmarked for disposal but which is still taking up space. Phase two, therefore, is to correct that:
- Take the books, clothes, and other useable stuff to the charity shop for donation.
- Take the boxes, appliances, and other junk to the tip for disposal.
Phase Three
Once phases one and two are done (hopefully by mid-February), it will be time to move on to phase three, which consists largely of tasks that were deferred from last year...
- Digital Declutter: I started this last year when I re-catalogued my music. My intention is to do much the same with photos, videos, downloads, and documents on my PC - these should all be moved into a single, easily-backed-up location. Then I'll take a copy onto safe storage, and then go through the various files trying to find a better arrangement for them. The goal is to get everything into a state where it is easily found and accessed, where file names are help with the above, and to get rid of duplicate copies of the same document. (That last, of course, doesn't count backup copies, of course!)
- Re-fix the Wardrobe: As I mentioned at the time, I wasn't really happy with the end result of my 'fix' of the bedroom wardrobe. I therefore set myself the task to revisit that fix, which was deferred from the previous list. It's time to address this once again.
- Garden Plug: Likewise, my previous list had a task to remove and dispose of a concrete plug from the garden. This was deferred due to the winter, but will need to be tackled before too long.
- Redecorate Study: I mentioned this as one of my annual goals, and it's something I have pencilled in for the Easter holiday. The intention is to empty the room completely, remove some fastening plugs the previous owners left, fix the resulting holes in the wall, then repaint the room (changing the colour scheme). That done, we'll then put things back into the room, but take the opportunity to replace some of the furniture, rearrange some others, and generally make the room more pleasant to use.
- Repaint the Dining Room: Unfortunately, one of the consequences of the Christmas period is that the paintwork in the dining room has been damaged. Since it's not really possible to hide the damage, nor to find some paint to patch it in exactly the same colour, we'll need to redo the paintwork in this room. For the moment, my intent is to repaint the walls (only) in as close to the same colour as we can find. I'm not currently planning to redo the skirting boards or door frames, though this may well change.
And that's the list. As noted, I intend to run this one until the end of the Easter holidays, and I'm hopeful of completing eight of the nine items by then.
(Once we get past the Easter holidays, my suspicion is that I might end up without a to-do list at all - the lists have been getting progressively shorter with each iteration, so it might just be possible that we'll have reached the end, at least for the time being. But we'll see.)
Monday, January 14, 2019
A Big Achievement
Originally, our plan for the weekend was to try to get out for a walk on Saturday afternoon. However, due to a spot of inclement weather we ended up having to cancel this, and when Funsize went for a sleep we suddenly found ourselves with a block of free time and no clear plans.
After some debate, LC and I finally settled on a task for that afternoon - we would clear out the cupboards in the kitchen, have a big declutter, and rearrange what was left. And, as a side effect, we would also rearrange the sideboard in the dining room, making better use of all of the available storage.
Fun times!
This task then took us the next several hours, and was fairly tedious work. And the end result was that almost everything was rearranged into the same places they were stored previously - I'm sure it's possible to find a better arrangement, but in the event I couldn't see one that had sufficient benefit to justify throwing away my knowledge of where to find things.
But the main result was that a significant amount of stuff that never gets used was marked for decluttering, another significant chunk of stuff was moved out of the kitchen to the aforementioned sideboard, and the remaining stuff was therefore given room to breathe.
All in all, it was a good job well done. Although we were left absurdly pleased at this, frankly minor, achievement!
#1: "Dark Sun Campaign Setting", by Richard Baker, Robert J. Schwalb, and Rodney Thompson
After some debate, LC and I finally settled on a task for that afternoon - we would clear out the cupboards in the kitchen, have a big declutter, and rearrange what was left. And, as a side effect, we would also rearrange the sideboard in the dining room, making better use of all of the available storage.
Fun times!
This task then took us the next several hours, and was fairly tedious work. And the end result was that almost everything was rearranged into the same places they were stored previously - I'm sure it's possible to find a better arrangement, but in the event I couldn't see one that had sufficient benefit to justify throwing away my knowledge of where to find things.
But the main result was that a significant amount of stuff that never gets used was marked for decluttering, another significant chunk of stuff was moved out of the kitchen to the aforementioned sideboard, and the remaining stuff was therefore given room to breathe.
All in all, it was a good job well done. Although we were left absurdly pleased at this, frankly minor, achievement!
#1: "Dark Sun Campaign Setting", by Richard Baker, Robert J. Schwalb, and Rodney Thompson
Monday, January 07, 2019
Christmas Preparations and Wash-up, Part Two
Okay, it's a little odd posting again about Christmas this far after the fact, but the post-Christmas activities didn't finally complete until yesterday. Additionally, I've had something of a blog-holiday, and am only now just getting back into things, so here we are. This post picks up from a previous post on the topic from back in December...
And that is that. I've been pretty happy with the way Christmas has gone this year, with only two caveats: the cook-time on the turkey and the wasted leftovers. If I cook again next year, I'll need to address both of these. (That said, hopefully next year I'll be in better health, and so be in a better place for that cooking. But I guess we'll see - being ill for Christmas happens distressingly often.)
The main thing I hope to add for next year, which I've quite fancied for a few years but just haven't found time for, is some Christmas baking - some nice festive biscuits or muffins or something. I think that's my next step, which I'll be building in some time early in December...
- Cooking the Meal (revised): The major 'lesson learned' of the Christmas period is that when cooking the big roast dinner the oven doesn't actually reach the claimed temperature - between the oven being so very full and between the door being periodically opened (for basting the joint and/or putting things in), it was probably a good 10 degrees lower than was hoped. This naturally messed up my cooking times, especially for the turkey.
- Leftovers: The big Christmas meal is likely to leave a significant quantity of leftovers, especially when catering for a family of two adults and one tiny person. The leftovers will keep for a few short days, so it's a good idea to have a couple of plans for using them up - this year I made a turkey korma and a festive soup, which was good but still led to more waste than I would have liked.
- Sorting the Gifts: This is a fairly benign task - the wrapping paper goes straight to recycling, the various bits of packaging want removed (and sent to recycling), and then homes need to be found for the various gifts.
- Dealing with the Cards: At the end of the Christmas season, the Christmas cards should be gathered and quickly checked: are there any that need to be saved (for craft use, or similar)? If so, these should have the relevant sections harvested and taken away. The rest need to be checked for addresses and other personal information, and shredded if appropriate. And then it all gets recycled.
- Packing Up: The decorations come down on the 6th of January, in a reverse of the process of putting them up. Fortunately, this is a rather quicker process, since there's no need to worry about an artistic arrangement or similar. The only things to check are that (a) anything fragile needs to be packed with care, and (b) anything that has become damaged should be discarded immediately - don't wait for next year, or you'll never do it!
And that is that. I've been pretty happy with the way Christmas has gone this year, with only two caveats: the cook-time on the turkey and the wasted leftovers. If I cook again next year, I'll need to address both of these. (That said, hopefully next year I'll be in better health, and so be in a better place for that cooking. But I guess we'll see - being ill for Christmas happens distressingly often.)
The main thing I hope to add for next year, which I've quite fancied for a few years but just haven't found time for, is some Christmas baking - some nice festive biscuits or muffins or something. I think that's my next step, which I'll be building in some time early in December...
Tuesday, January 01, 2019
Books of the Year 2018
As part of the end-of-year round-up, I can once again present a list of books read in 2018. Note, however, that this list is slightly provisional, as I have had to compose this post in advance, and won't have opportunity to update it for a few days. It is therefore possible that I may have to add a book, or even two, early in the New Year.
(Update: I didn't have to add anything to the list. I've been reading "Anna Karenina", which is taking a fairly long time to get through!)
Here is the list:
The book of the year goes to "White Knight, Black Swan", by David Gemmell, which served as a reminder of just why he was my favourite author for so long. A shame that there shall be no more from him.
None of the books from this year were particularly disappointing, so I'll leave that dubious distinction unassigned for this year.
And that's that. For 2019, the target is once again stated as being 60 books. However, the sublists are in a state of flux this year - I only have three (books from The List, books by Iain Banks, and Pathfinders), and two of these will end early. The rest will be made up of a mix of books. We'll need to see if I can come up with some more sensible sublists for the year...
(Update: I didn't have to add anything to the list. I've been reading "Anna Karenina", which is taking a fairly long time to get through!)
Here is the list:
- "The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún", by J.R.R. Tolkien
- "Pathfinder: City in the Deep", by Amber E. Scott
- "On the Road", by Jack Kerouac *
- "The Darkling Child", by Terry Brooks
- "Pathfinder: Tower of the Drowned Dead", by Ron Lundeen
- "Against a Dark Background", by Iain M. Banks
- "Lolita", by Vladimir Nabokov *
- "The Sorcerer's Daughter", by Terry Brooks
- "Feersum Endjinn", by Iain M. Banks
- "Only Dead on the Inside", by James Breakwell
- "Pathfinder: Beyond the Veiled Past", by Thurston Hillman
- "Ready Player One", by Ernest Cline
- "The Black Elfstone", by Terry Brooks
- "A Fine Balance", by Rohinton Mistry *
- "Pathfinder: Crownfall", by Thurston Hillman
- "Coruscant and the Core Worlds", by Craig R. Carey, Chris Doyle, Jason Fry, Paul Sudlow, John Terra, and Daniel Wallace
- "Espedair Street", by Iain Banks
- "Dangerous Women", edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
- "William Shakespeare's Star Wars: The Force Doth Awaken", by Ian Doescher
- "Pathfinder: Songbird, Scion, Saboteur", by Crystal Frasier and Richard Pett
- "The Hobbit", by J.R.R. Tolkien * **
- "O.L.D. Fantasy Heroic Role-playing Game", by Russ Morrissey
- "Walking on Glass", by Iain Banks
- "The Enchanted Wood", by Enid Blyton *
- "Pathfinder: The Twilight Child", by Ron Lundeen
- "The Algebraist", by Iain M. Banks
- "Rhyming Rings", by David Gemmell
- "Norse Mythology", by Neil Gaiman
- "The Magic Faraway Tree", by Enid Blyton *
- "The Bridge", by Iain Banks
- "The Jesus Storybook Bible", by Sally Lloyd-Jones **
- "Pathfinder: City in the Lion's Eye", by Mikko Kallio
- "The Folk of the Faraway Tree", by Enid Blyton *
- "Canal Dreams", by Iain Banks
- "Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes", by Wizards of the Coast
- "Pathfinder: The Reaper's Right Hand", by John Compton
- "White Knight, Black Swan", by David Gemmell
- "Up the Faraway Tree", by Enid Blyton *
- "Winnie the Pooh", by A.A. Milne * **
- "Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game", by West End Games
- "Stonemouth", by Iain Banks
- "Fools and Mortals", by Bernard Cornwell
- "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold", by John le Carré
- "Pathfinder: the Six-Legend Soul", by Amber E. Scott
- "The Quarry", by Iain Banks
- "The World of Peter Rabbit", by Beatrix Potter **
- "The Star Wars Sourcebook", by West End Games
- "Pathfinder: Secrets of Roderic's Cove", by Adam Daigle
- "Midnight's Children", by Salman Rushdie *
- "Complicity", by Iain Banks
- "Rivers of London", by Ben Aaronovitch
- "Dungeon Crawl Classics", by Goodman Games
- "Pathfinder: It Came From Hollow Mountain", by Mike Shel
- "Dunstan", by Conn Iggulden
- "Pathfinder: Runeplague", by Richard Pett
- "Whit", by Iain Banks
- "Father Christmas's Fake Beard", by Terry Pratchett
- "Pathfinder: Temple of the Peacock Spirit", by Jason Keeley
- "A Song of Stone", by Iain Banks
- "Pathfinder: The City Outside of Time", by Amanda Hamon Kunz
The book of the year goes to "White Knight, Black Swan", by David Gemmell, which served as a reminder of just why he was my favourite author for so long. A shame that there shall be no more from him.
None of the books from this year were particularly disappointing, so I'll leave that dubious distinction unassigned for this year.
And that's that. For 2019, the target is once again stated as being 60 books. However, the sublists are in a state of flux this year - I only have three (books from The List, books by Iain Banks, and Pathfinders), and two of these will end early. The rest will be made up of a mix of books. We'll need to see if I can come up with some more sensible sublists for the year...
Monday, December 31, 2018
My Year in 2018
Finally, we come to the end of 2018! It has been quite the year, with the main theme being one of great change. So, time for the end-of-year round-up.
My Year in... Blogging
As in 2017, I set myself a sort-of goal of posting 120 times here and 60 times on the Imaginarium. And, as in 2017, I hit both those targets, despite a major drought on the Imaginarium in the first half of the year. I'm happy with that.
My Year in... Work
For much of last year and the first half of this year, I wasn't able to talk about a big change coming at work - we were recently acquired by another company. I'm still not going into the details here, as part of my "don't talk about work" policy, but I will say that it has been a very positive step, for a few reasons.
The other big news is that around Easter of this year I finally received the much-hoped-for promotion. Which was nice!
My Year in... Health
Things have been much better this year than last year (when they weren't too bad either). So that's all to the good!
My Year in... Gaming
On the other hand, 2018 has been somewhat of a disappointment on the gaming front. I have, rather unexpectedly, found myself running a game at work, which is nice. However, I have largely fallen out of the Falkirk RPG group (for reasons of distance and scheduling), but have not found a group in Livingston. I would be nice to think that might change, but I fear the reality is that if I wanted a group I would have to set one up... and I no longer really have the time or energy to be bothered.
In short, I expect 2019 to also be a very quiet year for gaming.
My Year in... Band
Things have been ticking along quietly in my new band - I'm involved enough to keep practicing without feeling any real pressure, which is nice. I do kind of miss the teaching aspect of it, and there's no prospect of that changing in the new band, but on the other hand I'm not feeling particularly inclined to push for a change.
My Year in... Resolutions
As always, the wrap-up of annual goals, and setting of goals for next year, are handled in another post.
My Year in... Travel
Ah, this year has been crazy!
Our first trip of the year was just a few weeks after the arrival of Funsize, when LC and I travelled to London for a friend's wedding. It was the start of summer, and a really hot weekend - especially as the AC on the train coming home failed.
Then there was the big trip out to the US for a family wedding. This was the best of the trips of the year, with a good time being had by all.
And then there was a third wedding, this involving a short journey and then an overnight stay. I wouldn't mention this except that it was followed immediately by an unexpected journey down South to say goodbye...
A few weeks later, that was then followed by another trip down South for another, more formal goodbye. This was also a good trip, albeit a painful one.
Then, more happily, LC and I (and FS!) spent a few days in Antwerp. This was a good trip, but by then I was really starting to get fed up with travel. I did also feel that just a few days was really enough for Antwerp - we could perhaps have found more to do, but we might have been making things up for the sake of making them up. I recommend the zoo. And the fries.
Not finally, I then had to make a trip back to the US, this time for work. It was fine - tiring and hard work, but very productive.
And then there is one more trip that I shall mention but not discuss further at this stage. Watch this space...
2019 looks like it will start much as this year has been, but will then calm down almost completely. (I may have as many as three trips with work in January and February, but have indicated that I am then not available to travel until the summer.)
I think that our own personal travels will be considerably shorter in range next year - we might make a trip to France in July, but otherwise are likely to remain in the UK, or perhaps even just in Scotland. Part of me thinks that we should seek to travel while it's still easy (grr, Brexit), but a bigger part of me has little desire to spend any more time in a plane!
My Year in... Faith
It has been a good year. LC and I have setting into our new church and been made very welcome. We're both becoming increasingly involved, which is a good thing... to a point. I expect 2019 to essentially be more of the same, which would be good.
My Year in... Sadness
As I alluded to previously, 2018 was another year that featured a great sadness, with the passing of Grandad. As with last year, I wrote about this at some length at the time so won't reiterate here. However, my thoughts at this time are very much with Grandma, who has just faced her first Christmas without him in more than sixty years.
My Year in... Great Joy
In sharp contrast, though, this year saw the completion of Project Tadpole and the arrival of Funsize. Again, I wrote about this at length at the time, so I'll not reiterate it here. Suffice it to say that she's been keeping us busy!
My Year... Overall
As I predicted at the end of last year, 2018 was a year of massive changes. Most of these have been positive, some hugely so, alloyed with one great sadness. I feel we've now really started to settle in Livingston, which means we now have a foundation for moving forward, and I have some significant optimism about 2019 as a result.
Anyway, that's the end-of-year review. As always, I wish you a Happy New Year, and will see you in 2019!
My Year in... Blogging
As in 2017, I set myself a sort-of goal of posting 120 times here and 60 times on the Imaginarium. And, as in 2017, I hit both those targets, despite a major drought on the Imaginarium in the first half of the year. I'm happy with that.
My Year in... Work
For much of last year and the first half of this year, I wasn't able to talk about a big change coming at work - we were recently acquired by another company. I'm still not going into the details here, as part of my "don't talk about work" policy, but I will say that it has been a very positive step, for a few reasons.
The other big news is that around Easter of this year I finally received the much-hoped-for promotion. Which was nice!
My Year in... Health
Things have been much better this year than last year (when they weren't too bad either). So that's all to the good!
My Year in... Gaming
On the other hand, 2018 has been somewhat of a disappointment on the gaming front. I have, rather unexpectedly, found myself running a game at work, which is nice. However, I have largely fallen out of the Falkirk RPG group (for reasons of distance and scheduling), but have not found a group in Livingston. I would be nice to think that might change, but I fear the reality is that if I wanted a group I would have to set one up... and I no longer really have the time or energy to be bothered.
In short, I expect 2019 to also be a very quiet year for gaming.
My Year in... Band
Things have been ticking along quietly in my new band - I'm involved enough to keep practicing without feeling any real pressure, which is nice. I do kind of miss the teaching aspect of it, and there's no prospect of that changing in the new band, but on the other hand I'm not feeling particularly inclined to push for a change.
My Year in... Resolutions
As always, the wrap-up of annual goals, and setting of goals for next year, are handled in another post.
My Year in... Travel
Ah, this year has been crazy!
Our first trip of the year was just a few weeks after the arrival of Funsize, when LC and I travelled to London for a friend's wedding. It was the start of summer, and a really hot weekend - especially as the AC on the train coming home failed.
Then there was the big trip out to the US for a family wedding. This was the best of the trips of the year, with a good time being had by all.
And then there was a third wedding, this involving a short journey and then an overnight stay. I wouldn't mention this except that it was followed immediately by an unexpected journey down South to say goodbye...
A few weeks later, that was then followed by another trip down South for another, more formal goodbye. This was also a good trip, albeit a painful one.
Then, more happily, LC and I (and FS!) spent a few days in Antwerp. This was a good trip, but by then I was really starting to get fed up with travel. I did also feel that just a few days was really enough for Antwerp - we could perhaps have found more to do, but we might have been making things up for the sake of making them up. I recommend the zoo. And the fries.
Not finally, I then had to make a trip back to the US, this time for work. It was fine - tiring and hard work, but very productive.
And then there is one more trip that I shall mention but not discuss further at this stage. Watch this space...
2019 looks like it will start much as this year has been, but will then calm down almost completely. (I may have as many as three trips with work in January and February, but have indicated that I am then not available to travel until the summer.)
I think that our own personal travels will be considerably shorter in range next year - we might make a trip to France in July, but otherwise are likely to remain in the UK, or perhaps even just in Scotland. Part of me thinks that we should seek to travel while it's still easy (grr, Brexit), but a bigger part of me has little desire to spend any more time in a plane!
My Year in... Faith
It has been a good year. LC and I have setting into our new church and been made very welcome. We're both becoming increasingly involved, which is a good thing... to a point. I expect 2019 to essentially be more of the same, which would be good.
My Year in... Sadness
As I alluded to previously, 2018 was another year that featured a great sadness, with the passing of Grandad. As with last year, I wrote about this at some length at the time so won't reiterate here. However, my thoughts at this time are very much with Grandma, who has just faced her first Christmas without him in more than sixty years.
My Year in... Great Joy
In sharp contrast, though, this year saw the completion of Project Tadpole and the arrival of Funsize. Again, I wrote about this at length at the time, so I'll not reiterate it here. Suffice it to say that she's been keeping us busy!
My Year... Overall
As I predicted at the end of last year, 2018 was a year of massive changes. Most of these have been positive, some hugely so, alloyed with one great sadness. I feel we've now really started to settle in Livingston, which means we now have a foundation for moving forward, and I have some significant optimism about 2019 as a result.
Anyway, that's the end-of-year review. As always, I wish you a Happy New Year, and will see you in 2019!
End of Year Update on Goals
It's a bit odd having an end of year update on goals, given that I deliberately only set one for the year (and haven't achieved that). However, since one of the other purposes of this post is to set goals for next year, I'm sticking with the format.
So, firstly an update on the goal:
Books: My stated goal for the year was to complete my reading though the British section of The List. Despite having made some significant progress, this goal fell short - there still remain five books on the list to be read. That's somewhat unfortunate, but not a disaster.
I have, however, managed to read 60 books this year, and have also completed all but one of the normal sub-lists I would set (I've read fewer books from The List than I would prefer). So that's a bit of a result.
Next, some thoughts on things that are not quite goals:
So, firstly an update on the goal:
Books: My stated goal for the year was to complete my reading though the British section of The List. Despite having made some significant progress, this goal fell short - there still remain five books on the list to be read. That's somewhat unfortunate, but not a disaster.
I have, however, managed to read 60 books this year, and have also completed all but one of the normal sub-lists I would set (I've read fewer books from The List than I would prefer). So that's a bit of a result.
Next, some thoughts on things that are not quite goals:
- Weight: I have ended the year basically where I started. That's slightly disappointing, but also not a disaster - especially given that I recent trip to the US played havoc with things.
- Gaming: This has been an odd one this year, in that I've been involved in a game at work, which was unexpected but quite nice. Otherwise, it has been a year entirely devoid of gaming, which is unfortunate. Indeed, this year is probably more notable for my starting to get rid of some of the cruft from my gaming collection, and also scanning and shredding my old paper notes, than it is for actual gaming.
- Blogging: As usual, my semi-formal goal has been to post an average of 10 times a month here and a further 5 times a month over on the Imaginarium. Despite a fairly lengthy drought on the latter, I've actually exceeded both those targets, which is nice.
- Work: I can't say too much here, but it has been a successful year at work - the much hoped for promotion finally happened, which is nice.
- The To-Do List: There have been a large number of tasks around the house that have needed done, and these have mostly been completed. I'm particularly pleased with the redecoration of the main bedroom, which has come together nicely. I think I'd still quite like to get the study redecorated, and there's still a few bits and pieces of decluttering to do, but that's not too bad.
- Books: The usual goal of 60 books for the year. As in 2018, I'm stating a goal of getting the British segment of The List done. Other than that, it's going to be an odd year for reading - I only have three sublists, two of which won't run for the full year. The rest will be made up of a mixture of books, unless and until I hit on a new theme.
- Weight: In 2019 I'll need to get back to work on this. The target is to end the year 20 pounds lighter than I start.
- Blogging: Time to formalise the informal goal of past years: 120 posts here, plus 60 on The Imaginarium.
- Redecorate the Study: When we moved in we identified two rooms in the house as needing redecoration - the main bedroom and the study. Having redone the main bedroom in 2018, it is now the turn of the study.
#59: "A Song of Stone", by Iain Banks #60: "Pathfinder: The City Outside of Time", by Amanda Hamon Kunz
Friday, December 21, 2018
My Latest Silly Idea...
With Parliament in recess and Trump about to go off on holiday, it's time for us to spring into action. I suggest that, starting on the 1st of January, we collectively agree the following:
I reckon, if we stick to it hard enough, we can convince the world that it really was all a dream.
- Kiefer Sutherland has actually been president all along, having become so in a bizarre and convoluted sequence of events. (It has to be him, so that there's televisual evidence. After all, TV wouldn't lie to us...)
- Brexit was actually Ricky Gervais' most ambitious comedy project ever, and a true triumph of British humour. I mean, the very notion that we'd consider utterly trashing our economy simply to get blue passports. Naturally, Brexiteers should be lauded for playing their roles to perfection, and Theresa May deserves all the plaudits going for her absolute commitment to playing such a terrible character. Truly, she stands in the top echelon of such characters, along with Basil Fawlty, David Brent, and Gordon Brittas.
I reckon, if we stick to it hard enough, we can convince the world that it really was all a dream.
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
Why Did Nobody Tell Me?
In amongst all the excitement of the last few weeks, I neglected to mention my exciting new find: when hunting for Christmas presents during the Black Friday sales, I happened upon the not-quite-latest range of Transformers toys. And it seems that the "Return of the Legends" line was followed by a "Power of the Primes" line... which featured new versions of the dinobots!
But there's more even than that. Because not only are the dinobots cool in and of themselves, and not only do these new toys closely resemble the originals (but better, it would appear), but...
Anyway, all of this raises the crucial question I raised above: why did nobody tell me?
But there's more even than that. Because not only are the dinobots cool in and of themselves, and not only do these new toys closely resemble the originals (but better, it would appear), but...
- It looks like the new dinobots are actually a combiner set, able to merge to become Volcanicus!
- There's a new dinobot! She's called Slash, and transforms into a velociraptor. (Of course she transforms into a raptor. After Jurassic Park, how could she be anything else?)
Anyway, all of this raises the crucial question I raised above: why did nobody tell me?
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Time for a Conclave
Our MPs, and especially the ones who make up our government, are now actively harming the country day by day. We not only need a good answer to the problems of Brexit (or at least a less-worse answer), but we also need it quickly. And amongst the problems are that we have too many outside considerations crowding in - whether it's appealing to the people, playing for a General Election or people who are leaders of parties but are not themselves MPs getting involved.
I have a solution.
The word "conclave" literally means "with key". When the time comes to elect a new Pope, the Cardinals are locked into a debating chamber, and have to stay there until they come to a decision.
So, what I recommend is that we do exactly that - our 650 MPs are locked into the chamber, with no access to telephones or the internet, no contact with the outside world, and with the microphones and cameras switched off. Three times a day, we'll deliver them bread and water, and those who have medical needs will have those tended to (I'm not a monster). But otherwise they stay there until they choose from the three available options: Theresa's Deal, No Deal, or Remain.
Once they come up with an answer, whichever one it is, we then take that to the people in a referendum: "Do you agree that we should {chosen option here}? Yes/No".
If the answer is "No", the MPs have to go back in and choose again from the remaining options. (It is possible, of course, that the people might choose to reject all three options in referendums, and our MPs have to go back in to choose from zero choices. That's a feature, not a bug.)
But if the answer is "Yes", the chosen option will then have an impeccable double mandate - it will have been agreed by the majority of the House and a majority of the people. So that's what we'll do.
(Of course, there's no chance of this happening - Westminster runs on conventions and rules, and none of them allow for something like this. Unfortunately, the conventions and rules don't seem to actually offer any way out of the mess. It should, hopefully, now be clear to all involved that politics as practiced in Westminster is just not fit for purpose. Once this mess is dealt with, we need reform - I would submit that that starts with a proper written constitution and goes from there.)
I have a solution.
The word "conclave" literally means "with key". When the time comes to elect a new Pope, the Cardinals are locked into a debating chamber, and have to stay there until they come to a decision.
So, what I recommend is that we do exactly that - our 650 MPs are locked into the chamber, with no access to telephones or the internet, no contact with the outside world, and with the microphones and cameras switched off. Three times a day, we'll deliver them bread and water, and those who have medical needs will have those tended to (I'm not a monster). But otherwise they stay there until they choose from the three available options: Theresa's Deal, No Deal, or Remain.
Once they come up with an answer, whichever one it is, we then take that to the people in a referendum: "Do you agree that we should {chosen option here}? Yes/No".
If the answer is "No", the MPs have to go back in and choose again from the remaining options. (It is possible, of course, that the people might choose to reject all three options in referendums, and our MPs have to go back in to choose from zero choices. That's a feature, not a bug.)
But if the answer is "Yes", the chosen option will then have an impeccable double mandate - it will have been agreed by the majority of the House and a majority of the people. So that's what we'll do.
(Of course, there's no chance of this happening - Westminster runs on conventions and rules, and none of them allow for something like this. Unfortunately, the conventions and rules don't seem to actually offer any way out of the mess. It should, hopefully, now be clear to all involved that politics as practiced in Westminster is just not fit for purpose. Once this mess is dealt with, we need reform - I would submit that that starts with a proper written constitution and goes from there.)
Monday, December 10, 2018
Good Doctor, Bad Series
This post contains spoilers for the most recent series of "Doctor Who", including the finale. As usual, if you don't want to know...
I have long considered that Colin Baker has had a bit of a raw deal. I wouldn't consider him a great Doctor, by any means, but a very large part of the problem with his tenure was due to the material he was given, the costume he was forced to wear, and the fact that the show was just getting rather tired by the time he took over. None of those were things he could really do anything about; he did the best he could with some rather poor material.
As predicted, Jodie Whittaker has been absolutely fine as the Doctor - she seems to be channeling a lot of David Tennant's portrayal (which is no bad thing, as he remains the best of the 'new' Doctors), while also bringing a lot that is unique to the role (also no bad thing).
Unfortunately, this most recent series has reminded me more of Colin Baker's tenure than anything else.
I do need to note some positives of the series. Firstly, and most significantly, the episode "Rosa" was excellent - perhaps the single best episode since the show resumed, eclipsing even "Blink" and "Day of the Doctor". (It benefitted from a very strong real-world premise, where the other two I mentioned leaned very hard on time-travel premises. For me, that gave that episode a gravitas the other two couldn't quite match.)
Bradley Walsh has also been very impressive as Graham - as with Catherine Tate I thought he would be awful, but he surpised me a great deal. I thought he was excellent, and would have been great as a lone Companion.
And the new take on the theme music has been great.
Unfortunately, that's about it. The rest of the show has wavered between the mediocre and the dire, with occasional ventures into the realms of being okay.
It all started with the first episode. On the one hand, regeneration episodes always suck (to the extent that next time they really should just skip it - jump ahead to "some time later..." and go from there), but this one was especially poor. I was utterly bemused to see the various reviews falling over themselves to heap praise upon what I thought was a godawful, muddled mess.
Then there are the monsters. I actually thought the decision to put all the recurring monsters on hiatus was a good one - Daleks and Cybermen in particular had become very tired, and the rest are best used very sparingly. Unfortunately, that decision only works if the new monsters are good, and I saw no evidence of that - I mostly saw a Niffler knock-off, a bad CGI tree, and a mock-Terminator.
As I said, BW would have been great as a lone Companion. Unfortunately, Ryan and Yaz weren't so much Missy's "exposition and comic relief" so much as terminally dull and completely pointless. They even failed in their duty to ask stupid questions so that the Doctor could explain the plot, forcing JW to spend loads of time talking to herself. Such a waste.
But the absolute worst aspect of the series was the curious lack of tension at key moments. The Doctor is being drowned in a witch trial! Quick, let's talk about it all at length - no need to hurry! The entire Earth is about to be consumed with crushing psychic energy! Quick, let's monologue at length about all the various resources we have at our disposal!
I guess talking is a Free Action in the Doctor Who RPG.
Anyway.
The upshot of that is that I was rather glad to see the end of the series, and curiously unmoved by the confirmation that the New Year's episode will be the only new Who in 2019. If what we've just seen is what we have to look forward to, then it's no great loss.
As a consequence of all of this, I'm not sure where to place Whittaker on my list of the Doctors*. Given that she's only had one year, and is going to have at least one more full season in the role, I think I'm inclined to put her just ahead of Paul McGann in the "Doctors with Potential" pile - based on her performance, she should probably be higher; based on the series as a whole the rating should be lower, so that's probably about right.
* Remember that I re-evaluated Capaldi's portrayal at the end of his tenure, leading to him being moved a good bit higher. I will do the same for Whittaker when the time comes, hopefully with the same outcome - I would much rather like something than not!
Anyway, that's all I have to say about that, for now at least. I daresay I'll have some things to say about "Resolution" in early January...
#58: "Pathfinder: Temple of the Peacock Spirit", by Jason Keeley
I have long considered that Colin Baker has had a bit of a raw deal. I wouldn't consider him a great Doctor, by any means, but a very large part of the problem with his tenure was due to the material he was given, the costume he was forced to wear, and the fact that the show was just getting rather tired by the time he took over. None of those were things he could really do anything about; he did the best he could with some rather poor material.
As predicted, Jodie Whittaker has been absolutely fine as the Doctor - she seems to be channeling a lot of David Tennant's portrayal (which is no bad thing, as he remains the best of the 'new' Doctors), while also bringing a lot that is unique to the role (also no bad thing).
Unfortunately, this most recent series has reminded me more of Colin Baker's tenure than anything else.
I do need to note some positives of the series. Firstly, and most significantly, the episode "Rosa" was excellent - perhaps the single best episode since the show resumed, eclipsing even "Blink" and "Day of the Doctor". (It benefitted from a very strong real-world premise, where the other two I mentioned leaned very hard on time-travel premises. For me, that gave that episode a gravitas the other two couldn't quite match.)
Bradley Walsh has also been very impressive as Graham - as with Catherine Tate I thought he would be awful, but he surpised me a great deal. I thought he was excellent, and would have been great as a lone Companion.
And the new take on the theme music has been great.
Unfortunately, that's about it. The rest of the show has wavered between the mediocre and the dire, with occasional ventures into the realms of being okay.
It all started with the first episode. On the one hand, regeneration episodes always suck (to the extent that next time they really should just skip it - jump ahead to "some time later..." and go from there), but this one was especially poor. I was utterly bemused to see the various reviews falling over themselves to heap praise upon what I thought was a godawful, muddled mess.
Then there are the monsters. I actually thought the decision to put all the recurring monsters on hiatus was a good one - Daleks and Cybermen in particular had become very tired, and the rest are best used very sparingly. Unfortunately, that decision only works if the new monsters are good, and I saw no evidence of that - I mostly saw a Niffler knock-off, a bad CGI tree, and a mock-Terminator.
As I said, BW would have been great as a lone Companion. Unfortunately, Ryan and Yaz weren't so much Missy's "exposition and comic relief" so much as terminally dull and completely pointless. They even failed in their duty to ask stupid questions so that the Doctor could explain the plot, forcing JW to spend loads of time talking to herself. Such a waste.
But the absolute worst aspect of the series was the curious lack of tension at key moments. The Doctor is being drowned in a witch trial! Quick, let's talk about it all at length - no need to hurry! The entire Earth is about to be consumed with crushing psychic energy! Quick, let's monologue at length about all the various resources we have at our disposal!
I guess talking is a Free Action in the Doctor Who RPG.
Anyway.
The upshot of that is that I was rather glad to see the end of the series, and curiously unmoved by the confirmation that the New Year's episode will be the only new Who in 2019. If what we've just seen is what we have to look forward to, then it's no great loss.
As a consequence of all of this, I'm not sure where to place Whittaker on my list of the Doctors*. Given that she's only had one year, and is going to have at least one more full season in the role, I think I'm inclined to put her just ahead of Paul McGann in the "Doctors with Potential" pile - based on her performance, she should probably be higher; based on the series as a whole the rating should be lower, so that's probably about right.
* Remember that I re-evaluated Capaldi's portrayal at the end of his tenure, leading to him being moved a good bit higher. I will do the same for Whittaker when the time comes, hopefully with the same outcome - I would much rather like something than not!
Anyway, that's all I have to say about that, for now at least. I daresay I'll have some things to say about "Resolution" in early January...
#58: "Pathfinder: Temple of the Peacock Spirit", by Jason Keeley
Wednesday, December 05, 2018
Christmas Preparations
I posted a couple of years ago about how to have a stress-free Christmas. Since this year marks something of a change from the way things have been (in that Funsize has changed everything), I thought I'd recap where we are at this time. Of course, much of this is subject to change, and some of it is likely to need revision for next year!
There will probably be a part two of this post later, dealing with the big tidy up afterwards. Or maybe not...
- Black Friday: Much as I am coming to dislike Black Friday, and even more "Black Friday Week", I admit it has its uses. There's no specific task for this week, but keep an eye out for useful bargains of all sorts!
- Christmas Presents: In theory, my preference for these would be to buy them all in the first weekend of December. The reality is that that's not practical - firstly because the rising tide of media pressure makes it difficult to delay, and secondly because the required lists aren't necessarily all available. So my actual position on this is that I want to finalise my list of who to buy for by December 1st, but will start buying at some likely time, and will aim to complete buying by the 10th.
- Advent Calendar: This should be bought as part of the last weekly shop in November. In addition, as of this year we have a reusable Advent Train which needs filled with goodies - these should also be bought in the last weekly shop in November.
- Christmas Decorations: Ideally, these should go up the first weekend in Advent. Even better would be the Sunday, but if scheduling makes this busy then either the Saturday or even the Friday night will work.
- Food Order: The big addition as of this year is that we'll be staying at home on Christmas Day, which means I'll be cooking the big meal. That means that a suitable bird needs to be ordered, and this should also be done on that first weekend in Advent.
- Christmas Cards: Another of my great nemeses, Christmas Cards continue to be a thing. And so, despite my vocal protestations about the environmental impact (and my real objection, which in truth is just about sheer laziness), I guess these should be done. My inclination is that the time for these is between the first and second Sundays of Advent. This gets them done in time for international postage (if applicable), and also in a slightly less busy part of the month. Anyway, get the list of recipients identified, get the cards written, addressed, and posted. (Also, as with wrapping the presents, my innate preference would be for a one-and-done approach, but I suspect it's actually a three-stage task - see the next item...)
- Wrapping Presents: My preference here would be a one-and-done task, to be completed in that second week after all the presents are in hand. This has failed the test of reality, which has led me to the conclusion that it's probably a three-part split - as soon as almost all the presents are in hand, set time aside to get those wrapped. Then there will need to be a second wrap party once the rest of them arrive, and then a final task of wrapping the inevitable last straggler. I've already completed the first, expect to finish the second this week, and very much hope to finish the third by that third Sunday in Advent.
- Stocking Fillers: These are not quite presents, but need a similar level of secrecy. Also, since they're not wrapped I don't really want them hanging around for too long. So the plan is to go get these some time in the last week before Christmas. I have a list...
- The Big Supermarket Shop: The weekly shop during Advent is the time for an almighty shopping expedition, stocking up on absolutely everything that is needed - ridiculous amounts of Coke and wine, stupid numbers of snacks, enough sprouts to cancel Brexit, and so on and so forth. The only exception to this is if the last weekend in Advent falls a long way before Christmas Day, in which case some fresh items may need purchased later.
- Pick Up the Bird: Having ordered a turkey, don't forget to go pick it up on the appointed day!
- Meal Pre-preparations: The cooking of the main meal is going to be hectic, so anything that can be prepared in advance should be. Therefore, it's wise to identify a starter and a dessert that can either be bought in or made in advance. In the latter case, Christmas Eve is the time to get these in hand.
- Cooking the Meal: Roast turkey takes a while, but fundamentally it's just any other roast dinner. So leave aside plenty of time, take your time, and get on with it. The major considerations here are really: (1) when do you want to cook, (2) does this give you opportunity to go to church, and (3) do you kick everyone else out of the house while you're cooking?
There will probably be a part two of this post later, dealing with the big tidy up afterwards. Or maybe not...
Tuesday, December 04, 2018
Ambushed by an Ending
I finished up "Father Christmas's Fake Beard" yesterday, that being absolutely the last book by Terry Pratchett. This time, there really will be no more.
This ending was particularly painful, because it seemed to come out of nowhere. Partly because the last several pages of the book were a taster for "Truckers" (a genuinely excellent novel), which proved deceptive, but also because the last story came to its end right at the bottom of a page, so I got there, turned the page... and there was nothing. Much like with this post.
#57: "Father Christmas's Fake Beard", by Terry Pratchett
This ending was particularly painful, because it seemed to come out of nowhere. Partly because the last several pages of the book were a taster for "Truckers" (a genuinely excellent novel), which proved deceptive, but also because the last story came to its end right at the bottom of a page, so I got there, turned the page... and there was nothing. Much like with this post.
#57: "Father Christmas's Fake Beard", by Terry Pratchett
Monday, December 03, 2018
New to (Part) Five: Sock Conspiracy: The New Evidence
I didn't dare post this at the weekend, but on Saturday LC was heard enticing FS to "go on, grab Daddy's socks". Funsize is currently at the stage where anything in the hand promptly finds itself in the mouth, so...
What this all means:
Tee hee.
What this all means:
- As we know from "JFK" (the film, not the president), when two or more people are involved you have, by definition, a conspiracy.
- As I have long suspected, the secrets of the Sock Conspiracy are indeed passed from mother to daughter.
- You might not hear from me again after this...
Tee hee.
Sunday, December 02, 2018
Phenomenal Symbolism!
Ten years ago, Irn Bru gave us the truly phenomenal "Snowman" ad. It really was, and is, great. Here it is:
So far, so good.
Of course, I have my issues with what's happened with Irn Bru this year, but there's no denying that the new "Snowman" ad is likewise extremely well done. And here that one is:
In particular, I really like the symbolism of it all.
Firstly, the original advert is ten years old, which means that the can of Irn Bru that gets stolen is from the old recipe. And, indeed "he nicked my Irn Bru and let go of my hand" is a pretty bang-on description of Barr's actions this year.
In which case, the can represents old Bru, the Snowman is A.G. Barr, and the boy is those of us who desperately want it back.
So far, so good. But wait, there's more!
Because the big winner in the advert is none other than Santa, who in the struggle manages to sneak off with the grand prize.
Note, though, that Santa is a big, jolly fellow wearing red.
But so what, I hear you cry. After all, Santa always wears red!
Aha! But here's the thing: waaay back, Santa used to be depicted in a whole host of different ways - tall or short, fat or thin, human or elfin, and in a variety of colours. The key thing that essentially settled us into the now-universal depiction of a fat, bearded, jovial man in bright red is another iconic advert.
For Coca Cola.
And so the ultimate symbolism of this fabulous new advert is that in the struggle for Irn Bru, the big winner are Coca Cola.
I tip my hat to the animators. Sterling work!
#56: "Whit", by Iain Banks
So far, so good.
Of course, I have my issues with what's happened with Irn Bru this year, but there's no denying that the new "Snowman" ad is likewise extremely well done. And here that one is:
In particular, I really like the symbolism of it all.
Firstly, the original advert is ten years old, which means that the can of Irn Bru that gets stolen is from the old recipe. And, indeed "he nicked my Irn Bru and let go of my hand" is a pretty bang-on description of Barr's actions this year.
In which case, the can represents old Bru, the Snowman is A.G. Barr, and the boy is those of us who desperately want it back.
So far, so good. But wait, there's more!
Because the big winner in the advert is none other than Santa, who in the struggle manages to sneak off with the grand prize.
Note, though, that Santa is a big, jolly fellow wearing red.
But so what, I hear you cry. After all, Santa always wears red!
Aha! But here's the thing: waaay back, Santa used to be depicted in a whole host of different ways - tall or short, fat or thin, human or elfin, and in a variety of colours. The key thing that essentially settled us into the now-universal depiction of a fat, bearded, jovial man in bright red is another iconic advert.
For Coca Cola.
And so the ultimate symbolism of this fabulous new advert is that in the struggle for Irn Bru, the big winner are Coca Cola.
I tip my hat to the animators. Sterling work!
#56: "Whit", by Iain Banks
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Wizard Wars, Episode 2: The Crimes of Grindelwald
I rather enjoyed "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". It had its problems, but it was a fun little story, didn't take itself too seriously and, crucially, wasn't just a prequel to the Harry Potter series - although there were some ties in there, it was separate enough for me not to tar it with the "prequels suck" brush.
Unfortunately, "The Crimes of Grindelwald" very definitely is a prequel to Harry Potter - much more even than it is a sequel to "Fantasic Beasts" - and prequels really do suck. This one, in particular, is very much the "Attack of the Clones" of the series (which, as I've noted before, is my least-favourite Star Wars film). But where to begin?
(From here on out there are fairly significant spoilers. You know the drill by now...)
First up, I think, the returning characters. Our hero, Eddie Redmayne, remains fine as Newt - no complaints there. But then it goes horribly wrong - one of the real highlights of the first film is the interaction between the four main characters, and in this one they're barely ever on screen together. Tina barely features, and is mostly off on her own. Queenie and Jacob are now no longer having a cute flirtation, they're having tiresomely predictable relationship woes... for about five minutes, and then they're separated for most of the film. And with that, the heart that carried the previous film is ripped out.
On the other side, Ezra Miller does a surprisingly good job as Anakin, as he goes in search of his mother, only for her to be killed off and thus cause him the lash out at some Tusken Raiders. Those poor guys never get any luck. Fortunately, Padme is on hand to soothe his woes, although this time out she's less Natalie Portman and more snake-ish. Or something.
Technically, Johnny Depp is returning as Grindelwald, but given the size of his role in the first film I think it's fair to count him as being new. And on the other side, we have Jude Law as Yodaldore, busy teaching some young padawans Defence Against the Dark Arts. You know the stuff - handing them a lightsaber and/or magic wand at an inappropriately young age, teaching them object lessons that are likely to scar them for life, and then forcing them to go into a cave to face their worst fear. At least in sentences he speaks.
Okay, I'm being a bit unfair here. A more accurate comparison would actually be to Charles Xavier and Magneto in the X-Men films - two old friends divided by an insurmountable philosophical difference. The problem is that the X-Men films work because (a) Xavier and Magneto actually have time on screen together to debate their positions, and (b) Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are vastly superior actors to Depp and Law.
Beyond that there's not much to say. There's a cringe-inducing 'romance', there's a failed rescue (complete with joke about how badly it goes... but a less funny joke than in the noted comedy that is AotC), and then a final confrontation in an arena.
Here, to be fair, they surprised me. I had expected the film to follow the same beats as AotC, with our heroes having to face off against some Fantastic Beasts (possibly with Obi-wan Scamader using his abilities to tame one of those beasts?), followed by a 'rescue' by the other Jedi that leads to most of them dying, followed by the sudden arrival of Yodaldore to face off against Grindelwald in a CGI spectacular.
As it happened, though, it appears that they had used up their Fantastic Beasts by that point, so skipped straight to the Aurors arriving. And, meaning no disrespect, Callum Turner is no Samuel L. Jackson. (Also, Yodaldore was busy elsewhere, so instead the big CGI spectacular is provided by another character.)
Yeah, I think my version would have been better. Still not good, but better.
The other major problem that this film has, on top of all its other woes, is that it is very much the middle chapter in a not-trilogy. That is, it doesn't stand alone but mostly serves to move characters from the end of the first film to where they need to be at the start of the third film. The horrible thing there being that we're apparently getting five of these films, which leads me to fear that the next two will be yet more setting up for the big finale. In which case, a trilogy would definitely be better.
Anyway, that's that. I really can't recommend this film - watch the first one again instead, or even just something else entirely.
Unfortunately, "The Crimes of Grindelwald" very definitely is a prequel to Harry Potter - much more even than it is a sequel to "Fantasic Beasts" - and prequels really do suck. This one, in particular, is very much the "Attack of the Clones" of the series (which, as I've noted before, is my least-favourite Star Wars film). But where to begin?
(From here on out there are fairly significant spoilers. You know the drill by now...)
First up, I think, the returning characters. Our hero, Eddie Redmayne, remains fine as Newt - no complaints there. But then it goes horribly wrong - one of the real highlights of the first film is the interaction between the four main characters, and in this one they're barely ever on screen together. Tina barely features, and is mostly off on her own. Queenie and Jacob are now no longer having a cute flirtation, they're having tiresomely predictable relationship woes... for about five minutes, and then they're separated for most of the film. And with that, the heart that carried the previous film is ripped out.
On the other side, Ezra Miller does a surprisingly good job as Anakin, as he goes in search of his mother, only for her to be killed off and thus cause him the lash out at some Tusken Raiders. Those poor guys never get any luck. Fortunately, Padme is on hand to soothe his woes, although this time out she's less Natalie Portman and more snake-ish. Or something.
Technically, Johnny Depp is returning as Grindelwald, but given the size of his role in the first film I think it's fair to count him as being new. And on the other side, we have Jude Law as Yodaldore, busy teaching some young padawans Defence Against the Dark Arts. You know the stuff - handing them a lightsaber and/or magic wand at an inappropriately young age, teaching them object lessons that are likely to scar them for life, and then forcing them to go into a cave to face their worst fear. At least in sentences he speaks.
Okay, I'm being a bit unfair here. A more accurate comparison would actually be to Charles Xavier and Magneto in the X-Men films - two old friends divided by an insurmountable philosophical difference. The problem is that the X-Men films work because (a) Xavier and Magneto actually have time on screen together to debate their positions, and (b) Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are vastly superior actors to Depp and Law.
Beyond that there's not much to say. There's a cringe-inducing 'romance', there's a failed rescue (complete with joke about how badly it goes... but a less funny joke than in the noted comedy that is AotC), and then a final confrontation in an arena.
Here, to be fair, they surprised me. I had expected the film to follow the same beats as AotC, with our heroes having to face off against some Fantastic Beasts (possibly with Obi-wan Scamader using his abilities to tame one of those beasts?), followed by a 'rescue' by the other Jedi that leads to most of them dying, followed by the sudden arrival of Yodaldore to face off against Grindelwald in a CGI spectacular.
As it happened, though, it appears that they had used up their Fantastic Beasts by that point, so skipped straight to the Aurors arriving. And, meaning no disrespect, Callum Turner is no Samuel L. Jackson. (Also, Yodaldore was busy elsewhere, so instead the big CGI spectacular is provided by another character.)
Yeah, I think my version would have been better. Still not good, but better.
The other major problem that this film has, on top of all its other woes, is that it is very much the middle chapter in a not-trilogy. That is, it doesn't stand alone but mostly serves to move characters from the end of the first film to where they need to be at the start of the third film. The horrible thing there being that we're apparently getting five of these films, which leads me to fear that the next two will be yet more setting up for the big finale. In which case, a trilogy would definitely be better.
Anyway, that's that. I really can't recommend this film - watch the first one again instead, or even just something else entirely.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Cherry Coke
I'm not sure exactly where the notion came from, but I was sure I didn't like cherry coke. And that's a safe bet, after all - I mean, what kind of mad idea is it to add a sour fruit to a sweet drink?
Anyway, in desperation I've just had some cherry coke and discovered that my previous notion was incorrect. I wouldn't claim it as a favourite, but as an occasional alternative to Coke and Pepsi (which, frankly, I'm getting a bit sick of), it's not too bad.
I wonder what other options there might be out there?
Anyway, in desperation I've just had some cherry coke and discovered that my previous notion was incorrect. I wouldn't claim it as a favourite, but as an occasional alternative to Coke and Pepsi (which, frankly, I'm getting a bit sick of), it's not too bad.
I wonder what other options there might be out there?
King Lear
After a mere six months, we finally got around to watching the Hopkins version of "King Lear". It was an impressive piece in many ways - the modern day setting was well handled, Anthony Hopkins was great in the title role, and the rest of the cast was packed with Names.
But...
The big problem with it came at the end - it was evident that they'd cut an awful lot from the play in order to fit in the two-hour time slot, and this meant that they seemed to get to a point where they'd just run out of story, didn't quite have a resolution... so everyone just died off screen. And then it ended.
That's a real shame, since it really felt like it needed another half-hour or so to breathe just a bit longer, and maybe actually show how these things came about. As it was, it felt like a lesser version of "Hamlet" or "Romeo and Juliet" - everyone dies, there's some closing words from the last man standing, and we're done.
I guess I'll now have to go a read the actual text, to see just how far it differs...
But...
The big problem with it came at the end - it was evident that they'd cut an awful lot from the play in order to fit in the two-hour time slot, and this meant that they seemed to get to a point where they'd just run out of story, didn't quite have a resolution... so everyone just died off screen. And then it ended.
That's a real shame, since it really felt like it needed another half-hour or so to breathe just a bit longer, and maybe actually show how these things came about. As it was, it felt like a lesser version of "Hamlet" or "Romeo and Juliet" - everyone dies, there's some closing words from the last man standing, and we're done.
I guess I'll now have to go a read the actual text, to see just how far it differs...
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Wrapping up the To-do List
As I mentioned in my most recent regular update on goals, it was my intention to try to blitz the remaining items in the to-do list in November and then put it on hold for the Christmas season. I'll then rebuild the list from the ground up in the new year.
In the event, that 'blitz' of the remaining items basically amounted to nothing much - I had intended to do a big clear out of the kitchen, that being the biggest remaining task, but when it came to it at the weekend I just couldn't find the motivation. Which is slightly unfortunate, but not a disaster.
Since we've now passed the last weekend in November, I'm calling a halt to most of the remaining tasks. I'll continue with my "scan and shred" efforts with the RPG papers until Friday, since that's something I do each day, a bite at a time, and I'll certainly try to get to the charity shop and the tip to get rid of the stuff that's busily cluttering up the study and garage. But the kitchen will have to wait.
I'm reasonably content with the results from this iteration of the list - I didn't get everything done but I did get most things done, and some of the things that are done have been bothering me for a long time. And I'm particularly pleased with the results of re-sealing the shower and re-arranging the spare room - in both cases, this has led to a vast improvement in things.
And now to turn my attention to Christmas...
In the event, that 'blitz' of the remaining items basically amounted to nothing much - I had intended to do a big clear out of the kitchen, that being the biggest remaining task, but when it came to it at the weekend I just couldn't find the motivation. Which is slightly unfortunate, but not a disaster.
Since we've now passed the last weekend in November, I'm calling a halt to most of the remaining tasks. I'll continue with my "scan and shred" efforts with the RPG papers until Friday, since that's something I do each day, a bite at a time, and I'll certainly try to get to the charity shop and the tip to get rid of the stuff that's busily cluttering up the study and garage. But the kitchen will have to wait.
I'm reasonably content with the results from this iteration of the list - I didn't get everything done but I did get most things done, and some of the things that are done have been bothering me for a long time. And I'm particularly pleased with the results of re-sealing the shower and re-arranging the spare room - in both cases, this has led to a vast improvement in things.
And now to turn my attention to Christmas...
Monday, November 26, 2018
Trust
Over the past couple of weeks, LC and I have been watching our way through "Trust". (Given that most TV is now highly serialised, it makes sense where possible to record a whole series and then watch it quickly. We could have used iPlayer to the same effect... but didn't.)
Anyway, it's... okay, I guess. It had very strong performances from Donald Sutherland, Brendan Fraser, and, especially, Hilary Swank, but it was really lacking in sympathetic characters (there were, by my count, two). Plus, it didn't help that I watched "All the Money in the World" earlier in the year, which was a somewhat different take on the same story. I expect it would be interesting to know the actual truth of what happened, but since nobody now knows for sure that's unlikely.
What I can't believe, though, is that they're planning a second series of the show - this one a prequel series to tell how Getty came to be the way he was depicted... or, at least, one possible point of view on that. I'll pass, thanks.
Anyway, that was ten hours more-or-less enjoyably spent. Next up will be "Little Drummer Girl", though again I intend to let all six episodes air before starting.
#55: "Pathfinder: Runeplague", by Richard Pett
Anyway, it's... okay, I guess. It had very strong performances from Donald Sutherland, Brendan Fraser, and, especially, Hilary Swank, but it was really lacking in sympathetic characters (there were, by my count, two). Plus, it didn't help that I watched "All the Money in the World" earlier in the year, which was a somewhat different take on the same story. I expect it would be interesting to know the actual truth of what happened, but since nobody now knows for sure that's unlikely.
What I can't believe, though, is that they're planning a second series of the show - this one a prequel series to tell how Getty came to be the way he was depicted... or, at least, one possible point of view on that. I'll pass, thanks.
Anyway, that was ten hours more-or-less enjoyably spent. Next up will be "Little Drummer Girl", though again I intend to let all six episodes air before starting.
#55: "Pathfinder: Runeplague", by Richard Pett
Friday, November 23, 2018
It's a Miracle!
I see that they've started extracting oil from fields to the west of Shetland. The oil there is expected to last some forty years - which, in a sane country, should be more than long enough for us to vastly improve the technologies involved in collecting renewable energy and thus leave us sitting pretty on an absurd wealth of energy.
Unfortunately, the UK is quite manifestly not a sane country. So expect to see this bounty go the exact same way as in the 80's - squandered by a Tory government, mostly on tax cuts for their rich mates. Though I daresay this windfall will also be used to provide the "Brexit dividend" that the government so desperately needs to find.
(Of course, crazy conspiracy-theory independence supporters did suggest there might well be oil in the Clair Ridge fields. But I'm sure that's just a complete coincidence. One might even call it 'miraculous'. (In fairness, I was off by about four years.))
Unfortunately, the UK is quite manifestly not a sane country. So expect to see this bounty go the exact same way as in the 80's - squandered by a Tory government, mostly on tax cuts for their rich mates. Though I daresay this windfall will also be used to provide the "Brexit dividend" that the government so desperately needs to find.
(Of course, crazy conspiracy-theory independence supporters did suggest there might well be oil in the Clair Ridge fields. But I'm sure that's just a complete coincidence. One might even call it 'miraculous'. (In fairness, I was off by about four years.))
The Ultimate Indignity
I was digging through some old posts in advance of a proper rant (wanted to check I hadn't said exactly the same thing before - or, indeed, the opposite), when I stumbled upon a reference to a joke.
There was only one problem: I didn't get it, and consequently had to spend ten minutes desperately trying to figure out what the muppet who wrote it (past me) actually meant. Of course, once I did figure it out, it was obvious. And awful.
There was only one problem: I didn't get it, and consequently had to spend ten minutes desperately trying to figure out what the muppet who wrote it (past me) actually meant. Of course, once I did figure it out, it was obvious. And awful.
Thursday, November 22, 2018
Bollocks
I've read two novels about India this year: "A Fine Balance" by Rohinton Mistry and "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. This post contains significant spoilers about both, so if you don't want to know, best skip this post.
It's fair to say that I didn't really enjoy "A Fine Balance". It was basically a thousand pages of awfulness happening to our heroes, but throughout it all Ishvar is sustained by one hope: that he will arrange the marriage of his nephew Om and see the family continue in the next generation.
As the book reaches its climax, and just as it looks like Ishvar might have succeeded, they find themselves rounded up by government forces, and suffer forced vasectomies. And even then, despite the absurdity of it, Ishvar retains hope - a vasectomy can be reversed, so as expensive as it is he'll find a way...
It is only then that he discovers that during the night a local authority, in an act of pure spite, has in fact had Om castrated.
The moral of the story is that the powerful will always abuse the weak, and that the only way to avoid being a victim is to be the biggest bastard around. And also, while hope is the last thing that they'll take, they will take it from you.
The book ends shortly thereafter in despair and hopelessness.
"Midnight's Children" isn't so hard going, partly because it's considerably shorter and partly because there is considerably more light to contrast with the dark. But as the novel goes on it likewise becomes increasingly dark. Still, I consoled myself that at least that final indignity wasn't on the cards.
Until the protagonist finds himself rounded up by government forces. Uh-oh, I thought...
Sur enough, Saleem promptly finds himself castrated. He even coins the term 'sperectomy' for a cutting out of hope (though apparently the etymology of the term is wrong...). And then, again, the novel ends in hopelessness and despair.
Sigh.
It's fair to say that I'm now not really looking forward to "A Suitable Boy"! Though surely it must be a coincidence... that can't be a pattern, can it?
I'm not really building to a great point here - mostly, it's just a good excuse for an amusing title.
I did think it was an interesting coincidence that both these books went with the same final indignity to heap upon their heroes' heads. It's also interesting in that that action is actually nothing less than an attack on the fundamental nature of the person themselves - what we are is not just the sum of our memories and experiences, but also very significantly impacted by the particular cocktail of hormones that our brains are pickling in. Removing the testicles, and therefore dramatically altering that cocktail, inevitably alters that.
(I should note at this point that there's a difference between someone deciding that for themselves versus them having it done to them. That's one of those things that should go without saying, but...)
Anyway, it's been bothering me for some time (actually, since I finished "A Fine Balance"), so there it is. But that's all I have to say about that.
It's fair to say that I didn't really enjoy "A Fine Balance". It was basically a thousand pages of awfulness happening to our heroes, but throughout it all Ishvar is sustained by one hope: that he will arrange the marriage of his nephew Om and see the family continue in the next generation.
As the book reaches its climax, and just as it looks like Ishvar might have succeeded, they find themselves rounded up by government forces, and suffer forced vasectomies. And even then, despite the absurdity of it, Ishvar retains hope - a vasectomy can be reversed, so as expensive as it is he'll find a way...
It is only then that he discovers that during the night a local authority, in an act of pure spite, has in fact had Om castrated.
The moral of the story is that the powerful will always abuse the weak, and that the only way to avoid being a victim is to be the biggest bastard around. And also, while hope is the last thing that they'll take, they will take it from you.
The book ends shortly thereafter in despair and hopelessness.
"Midnight's Children" isn't so hard going, partly because it's considerably shorter and partly because there is considerably more light to contrast with the dark. But as the novel goes on it likewise becomes increasingly dark. Still, I consoled myself that at least that final indignity wasn't on the cards.
Until the protagonist finds himself rounded up by government forces. Uh-oh, I thought...
Sur enough, Saleem promptly finds himself castrated. He even coins the term 'sperectomy' for a cutting out of hope (though apparently the etymology of the term is wrong...). And then, again, the novel ends in hopelessness and despair.
Sigh.
It's fair to say that I'm now not really looking forward to "A Suitable Boy"! Though surely it must be a coincidence... that can't be a pattern, can it?
I'm not really building to a great point here - mostly, it's just a good excuse for an amusing title.
I did think it was an interesting coincidence that both these books went with the same final indignity to heap upon their heroes' heads. It's also interesting in that that action is actually nothing less than an attack on the fundamental nature of the person themselves - what we are is not just the sum of our memories and experiences, but also very significantly impacted by the particular cocktail of hormones that our brains are pickling in. Removing the testicles, and therefore dramatically altering that cocktail, inevitably alters that.
(I should note at this point that there's a difference between someone deciding that for themselves versus them having it done to them. That's one of those things that should go without saying, but...)
Anyway, it's been bothering me for some time (actually, since I finished "A Fine Balance"), so there it is. But that's all I have to say about that.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Discombobulated
It has been a strange few weeks - I've been transferirng to a new project featuring a completely new technology and even language (that is, new to me), while at home we've been quietly working through some old TV that we've recorded, which FS continues to grow apace, and while the preparations for Christmas get underway. The whole thing has left me feeling somewhat adrift and also somewhat dissatisfied - I like having concrete things to do with clear goals and milestones, but those are sorely lacking at the moment.
It has also had the effect of leaving me with nothing much to blog about, hence the relative silence here. That, at least, should hopefully be coming towards an end - I'll hopefully have something to say soon about "Trust" and also about the latest "Harry Potter" prequel...
For now, though, there's just nothing.
It has also had the effect of leaving me with nothing much to blog about, hence the relative silence here. That, at least, should hopefully be coming towards an end - I'll hopefully have something to say soon about "Trust" and also about the latest "Harry Potter" prequel...
For now, though, there's just nothing.
Monday, November 19, 2018
The Emergency Mug Anecdote
As I've noted before, everyone loves a mug anecode. So, since it has been a while, here's today's exciting tale...
Halfway to work this morning I suddenly realised I'd left my new jar of coffee at home. This was followed almost immediately by the realisation that I'd left my coffee mug at home also. Disaster upon disaster!
Fortunately, I have an emergency mug hidden away in the office, in preparation for a situation exactly like this one. It is a simple black mug emblazoned with the name of my employer on the side, which I received as part of the company's welcome pack.
So all's well that ends well - I was able to bring the emergency mug into operation for this week, and am making use of the office supply of coffee for today, until I can make another attempt to bring some in tomorrow.
Halfway to work this morning I suddenly realised I'd left my new jar of coffee at home. This was followed almost immediately by the realisation that I'd left my coffee mug at home also. Disaster upon disaster!
Fortunately, I have an emergency mug hidden away in the office, in preparation for a situation exactly like this one. It is a simple black mug emblazoned with the name of my employer on the side, which I received as part of the company's welcome pack.
So all's well that ends well - I was able to bring the emergency mug into operation for this week, and am making use of the office supply of coffee for today, until I can make another attempt to bring some in tomorrow.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Brutus Was An Honourable Man
In all the flurry and turmoil of these resignations, my recommendation would be to watch Michael Gove. If he stays, then I'd expect May to somehow keep her job after this mess; if he goes then that's game over.
My reasoning for this is this: back when the Brexit referendum was announced, Gove promptly left Cameron's campaign to head the opposing campaign. Apparently, Gove and Cameron were good friends, but that was the issue that divided them... and cost Cameron his political career.
Then, after the referendum and when Cameron was gone, everyone expected Boris to stand for the leadership with Gove by his side. Only Gove jumped in first with his own bid, and thus forced Boris out of the running. And it's increasingly looking like that was Boris' only chance to be PM, so that action effectively cost him his political career.
And now Gove is highly-placed in May's cabinet. Hence my logic - if he goes, May will follow, and he will have cost her her political career also.
At which point I would label Gove a "serial Brutus". But there's one problem with that comparison. See above.
#50: "Complicity", by Iain Banks
#51: "Rivers of London", by Ben Aaronovitch
#52: "Dungeon Crawl Classics", by Goodman Games
#53: "Pathfinder: It Came From Hollow Mountain", by Mike Shel
#54: "Dunstan", by Conn Iggulden
My reasoning for this is this: back when the Brexit referendum was announced, Gove promptly left Cameron's campaign to head the opposing campaign. Apparently, Gove and Cameron were good friends, but that was the issue that divided them... and cost Cameron his political career.
Then, after the referendum and when Cameron was gone, everyone expected Boris to stand for the leadership with Gove by his side. Only Gove jumped in first with his own bid, and thus forced Boris out of the running. And it's increasingly looking like that was Boris' only chance to be PM, so that action effectively cost him his political career.
And now Gove is highly-placed in May's cabinet. Hence my logic - if he goes, May will follow, and he will have cost her her political career also.
At which point I would label Gove a "serial Brutus". But there's one problem with that comparison. See above.
#50: "Complicity", by Iain Banks
#51: "Rivers of London", by Ben Aaronovitch
#52: "Dungeon Crawl Classics", by Goodman Games
#53: "Pathfinder: It Came From Hollow Mountain", by Mike Shel
#54: "Dunstan", by Conn Iggulden
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