So, VAT went up today, which was a bit of a pain. And so this morning we had the Labour leader being quoted as saying how unfair this was, and that this tax increase would inevitably hit the poorest worst, and...
Here's the thing: Britain's finances are a mess. We have a huge debt problem. Worse than that, we have a structural deficit in place (meaning we spent more than we make, which means things are only getting worse). The creditors are getting antsy. We must deal with this deficit urgently, and really should be dealing with the debt after that. Any government would have to take harsh action on this matter.
There are three ways to deal with the problems. The first is to cut public services to the bone. Stop spending money, and so reach a point where outgoings are less than income. The second is to raise taxes, and so reach a point where income is greater than outgoings. (Or, more realistically, do some of column A and some of column B. How much of each is an open question.)
The third option is to do nothing, take on lots more debt, and hope really hard that the eceonomy gets itself moving, and grows really fast, and so income grows to exceed outgoings. But that only works if the creditors will sign up for it... and at the present time, they won't.
(I suppose you could allow massive inflation, and so minimise the debt that way. Which would be a great idea, except that runaway inflation will make paupers of us all.)
So, it has to be cuts or taxes.
The Labour party have spent months griping about the cuts. They're monstrous, they tell us. They're completely unfair, and will inevitably hit to poorest hardest, they tell us.
And they're right. The cuts will hurt a lot of people, and they will hit the poorest hardest.
(I'm not going to address the question of 'fairness', since that depends very much on your point of view. One could construct a very strong argument that says that it's only 'fair' for the rich to pay less in taxes than the poor, since they also make less use of public services. As such, 'fairness' can be made to mean pretty much anything you want it to mean.)
The problem is, you can't have it both ways. If the cuts are monstrous, and unfair, and shouldn't happen, then you have to have tax rises. If tax rises are monstrous, and unfair, and shouldn't happen, then you have to have cuts. Pick one position, or the other, but you can't have both... or you have no credibility.
Anyway, back to the title.
Damn it, Ed, stop making me defend the Tories!
#1: "AD&D: Monster Manual", by Gary Gygax
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Monday, January 03, 2011
Goals for 2011
Having given the matter some thought, I have decided to set a list of goals for the year. However, I'm only going to set a few, as I don't want a repeat of the "tyranny of goals" from 2009. So, here they are:
And that's the list. Notable in their absence are goals for reading and for learning. In both cases, I've decided to take a break from setting a specific goal, with a view to looking at other things. Also, where in 2009 I had the "tyranny of goals", in 2010 I had the "tyranny of books". I'm not having that again!
- Super Secret Goal #3. As with the previous two, I'm not going to say a single thing about this until such time as it is complete, at which point I'll note that it's complete but probably not reveal what it was. So there!
- Blog more. I was rather remiss on that front in 2010, which ended the year with a bunch of updates about books but very little else.
- I need to get back down to my "fighting weight" again. Back when I hit my target, I declared that I really didn't want to lose control and gain back lots of weight. Well, that didn't work so well. I'm not back where I started, but I need to reverse the trend before I get there.
- Depending on whether or not the band get promoted, I will have one of two goals with the band. If the band are not moved up, then I believe our goal should be nothing less than to win grade 4B. If we do get moved up, then the goal will be to win promotion again, to grade 3B.
- Get some resolution on the situation with the Saturday game. One of three things may happen here: we may elect to dissolve the group, we may commit to better attendance at weekly games, or we might agree to a less-frequent but more reliably schedule. But, one way or another, this needs sorted out, as it can't just go on as it has been.
- Write something. I haven't decided whether this will be fiction (in which case, I'll post it here), or a homebrew D&D variant (some more musings on this may follow). But, something...
- Relax more. I'm reliably informed that I'm too stressed out all the time.
And that's the list. Notable in their absence are goals for reading and for learning. In both cases, I've decided to take a break from setting a specific goal, with a view to looking at other things. Also, where in 2009 I had the "tyranny of goals", in 2010 I had the "tyranny of books". I'm not having that again!
Aiming for a Clean Slate
I return to work on Wednesday, which is surprisingly too soon.(Normally, I feel quite ready to get back as early as the 2nd, but not this year.) Before I go back, though, I would really like to get to a position where I'm starting from a 'clean slate' with no annoying tasks lurking in the background, with everything nice and organised, and generally looking good.
So, the remaining tasks:
And that's it. The rest of the appartment is clean (according to my schedule), all my clothes are washed, dried and ironed, the Christmas decoration is down, my credit card is paid off, I've thrown out all the food that is out-of-date, and I've even caught up on the various web-comics that I usually follow.
So, the remaining tasks:
- I have a bunch of Warhammer 40,000 Orks that need cleaned, assembled and undercoated. The undercoating will have to wait (as there's no dry space available for using spraypaints on), but the rest can be done.
- The kitchen is due for a clean, as of first thing tomorrow.
- I need to go to Tesco. I have a fridge bursting at the seams with alcohol, but not a single drop of milk in stock.
- The recycling bins need emptied.
- The movies that are still littering my Sky+ box need to be deleted. If I don't watch them tomorrow, then it's time to admit I'm just not going to watch them at all.
- I need to post a list of goals for the year. Speaking of which...
And that's it. The rest of the appartment is clean (according to my schedule), all my clothes are washed, dried and ironed, the Christmas decoration is down, my credit card is paid off, I've thrown out all the food that is out-of-date, and I've even caught up on the various web-comics that I usually follow.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
My Year in 2010
2010 was a great year, but oh so hard! In fact, I'm still recovering from the insanity of it all!
Anyway, with a view to getting a clean slate to start the new year with, here is my review of the year:
My Year in... Work
2010 was a vast improvement over 2009. Back at the start of 2009, I had predicted that we were in for eighteen months of hell, after which things should hopefully get better. In the event, this turned out to be overly pessimistic, but only slightly.
On a personal level, I can justifiably claim I did some of my best work in 2010. However, because this was mostly done with our backs to the wall, we never really gained the benefit of this work. In 2011, though, I'm hopeful we can get out from under the backlog, and start making real progress for ourselves.
There were also some distinct plusses for my in 2010, but I can't really talk about them here.
Probably the biggest downside of 2010 was the difficulty of getting away from work. It seemed that almost every holiday had to be cancelled, shortened, moved back, or adjusted due to the all-consuming needs of the office. That's a large part of why I'm so exhausted now.
In 2011, I basically want more of the same, with some adjustments to how we do things to try to make things easier. Oh, yes, and a holiday now and then would be nice!
My Year in... Gaming
2010 was a very mixed year for gaming.
The RPG Meetup continues to go well. We've gained both in numbers, and also in the formation of a keen "core group" that makes the scheduling much easier. We've lost a couple of people, due to moves, but have gained others in the interim. In 2011, it should just go on in the same manner.
The other group is basically dead. We managed a handful of sessions in 2010, but only one in the latter half of the year. My plan currently is to wrap up the current campaign with this group, and then go to a different type of game (basically, a series of one-off games), unless and until we can manage more regular meetings.
Finally, there was the "Christmas Game", a one-shot game that I ran last week. Sadly, it didn't go very well - the players were fine, the system was fine, but I just wasn't "in the zone". Shame, really.
In 2011, I expect to be starting a new campaign, "The Eberron Code" with the Meetup group. It promises to be interesting.
My Year in... Band
2010 was the most successful year that the band has had since I joined.
We actually had a bad start to the season and a bad end to the season. However, the middle section was immensely successful, and has set us up for what looks to be a great year in 2011. We came seventh in the "Champions of Champions" table for our grade last year, narrowly missing the cut to be moved up to grade 4A. However, we've since recruited some new people, so may be being promoted after all.
Meanwhile, we're looking at the possibility of setting up a "Development Band" to bring through our younger players, which will improve things immensely.
The band also ran trips to Italy and Spain last year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend either, but both were enjoyed by those who did go, and contribute to our success.
Finally, the band qualified for the main competition at both the World Championships (coming seventh overall) and at Cowal, these being the only two contests with a qualification phase. So, success there.
The only area where the band fell down last year was in finance. We made a (small) loss last year, which is itself fine, but it leaves the band with no financial reserves. So, this year we absolutely must make a profit; a tall order on top of everything else.
The goal for this year is simple: more of the same.
My Year in... Love
Still awesome.
My Year in... Resolutions
I didn't set any goals last year, except for the books target, which I actually sailed through. That being the case, there's not really anything to say here.
For 2011, I need to set some goals.
My Year in... Travel
A trip to Ireland with the band, which proved very successful, plus holidays in Keswick with Lady Chocolat and to France with the family. All were excellent.
My Year in... Faith
Things have improved in the last year, although in a nebulous way that's hard to express or quantify. All is well, for now.
My Year in... Health
Unfortunately, my neck still gives me occasional pain. It's not as bad as it was, but it definitely seems to be aggravated by both stress and the cold. Somewhat unfortunate, given my life, really!
Other than that, things are pretty good. I need to go back on my diet, as the bulk of the weight lost in 2008/09 has been gradually regained.
Mi Año en Español
I took two Spanish courses in 2010, one in January and the second in October. The first was really good, but unfortunately by the time the second had come around I'd lost a bit too much. The second course was therefore much harder, and with everything else that was going on I really didn't have the time to dedicate to it.
I have decided not to continue with the Spanish at the present time. My conclusion is that my understanding of the language is quite broad, but has almost no depth at all. Simply studying yet more would therefore be building on a shaky foundation.
Instead, I am considering options for practicing the language in the real world. Whether this is a holiday in Spain (or other Spanish-speaking course), or an "immersion course" remains to be seen. For now, though, it's on the back-burner.
My Year in Painting
Some months back, I posted about miniature painting, how I had given it up but sometimes thought about coming back to it. Well, at the end of November I did exactly that. I have since bought some new paints, and have painted a small number of miniatures.
I'm now assembling an Ork warband for painting, and may well invest in a small number of other figures to paint. The truth is, I do find it very relaxing, and it was only the psycholoigical pressure of having too many unpainted figures that caused me to eventually quit. So, if I'm careful about managing it...
Well, we'll see.
My Year... Overall
2010 was a great year. 2011 is going to be an awesome year. I have every confidence.
Anyway, with a view to getting a clean slate to start the new year with, here is my review of the year:
My Year in... Work
2010 was a vast improvement over 2009. Back at the start of 2009, I had predicted that we were in for eighteen months of hell, after which things should hopefully get better. In the event, this turned out to be overly pessimistic, but only slightly.
On a personal level, I can justifiably claim I did some of my best work in 2010. However, because this was mostly done with our backs to the wall, we never really gained the benefit of this work. In 2011, though, I'm hopeful we can get out from under the backlog, and start making real progress for ourselves.
There were also some distinct plusses for my in 2010, but I can't really talk about them here.
Probably the biggest downside of 2010 was the difficulty of getting away from work. It seemed that almost every holiday had to be cancelled, shortened, moved back, or adjusted due to the all-consuming needs of the office. That's a large part of why I'm so exhausted now.
In 2011, I basically want more of the same, with some adjustments to how we do things to try to make things easier. Oh, yes, and a holiday now and then would be nice!
My Year in... Gaming
2010 was a very mixed year for gaming.
The RPG Meetup continues to go well. We've gained both in numbers, and also in the formation of a keen "core group" that makes the scheduling much easier. We've lost a couple of people, due to moves, but have gained others in the interim. In 2011, it should just go on in the same manner.
The other group is basically dead. We managed a handful of sessions in 2010, but only one in the latter half of the year. My plan currently is to wrap up the current campaign with this group, and then go to a different type of game (basically, a series of one-off games), unless and until we can manage more regular meetings.
Finally, there was the "Christmas Game", a one-shot game that I ran last week. Sadly, it didn't go very well - the players were fine, the system was fine, but I just wasn't "in the zone". Shame, really.
In 2011, I expect to be starting a new campaign, "The Eberron Code" with the Meetup group. It promises to be interesting.
My Year in... Band
2010 was the most successful year that the band has had since I joined.
We actually had a bad start to the season and a bad end to the season. However, the middle section was immensely successful, and has set us up for what looks to be a great year in 2011. We came seventh in the "Champions of Champions" table for our grade last year, narrowly missing the cut to be moved up to grade 4A. However, we've since recruited some new people, so may be being promoted after all.
Meanwhile, we're looking at the possibility of setting up a "Development Band" to bring through our younger players, which will improve things immensely.
The band also ran trips to Italy and Spain last year. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend either, but both were enjoyed by those who did go, and contribute to our success.
Finally, the band qualified for the main competition at both the World Championships (coming seventh overall) and at Cowal, these being the only two contests with a qualification phase. So, success there.
The only area where the band fell down last year was in finance. We made a (small) loss last year, which is itself fine, but it leaves the band with no financial reserves. So, this year we absolutely must make a profit; a tall order on top of everything else.
The goal for this year is simple: more of the same.
My Year in... Love
Still awesome.
My Year in... Resolutions
I didn't set any goals last year, except for the books target, which I actually sailed through. That being the case, there's not really anything to say here.
For 2011, I need to set some goals.
My Year in... Travel
A trip to Ireland with the band, which proved very successful, plus holidays in Keswick with Lady Chocolat and to France with the family. All were excellent.
My Year in... Faith
Things have improved in the last year, although in a nebulous way that's hard to express or quantify. All is well, for now.
My Year in... Health
Unfortunately, my neck still gives me occasional pain. It's not as bad as it was, but it definitely seems to be aggravated by both stress and the cold. Somewhat unfortunate, given my life, really!
Other than that, things are pretty good. I need to go back on my diet, as the bulk of the weight lost in 2008/09 has been gradually regained.
Mi Año en Español
I took two Spanish courses in 2010, one in January and the second in October. The first was really good, but unfortunately by the time the second had come around I'd lost a bit too much. The second course was therefore much harder, and with everything else that was going on I really didn't have the time to dedicate to it.
I have decided not to continue with the Spanish at the present time. My conclusion is that my understanding of the language is quite broad, but has almost no depth at all. Simply studying yet more would therefore be building on a shaky foundation.
Instead, I am considering options for practicing the language in the real world. Whether this is a holiday in Spain (or other Spanish-speaking course), or an "immersion course" remains to be seen. For now, though, it's on the back-burner.
My Year in Painting
Some months back, I posted about miniature painting, how I had given it up but sometimes thought about coming back to it. Well, at the end of November I did exactly that. I have since bought some new paints, and have painted a small number of miniatures.
I'm now assembling an Ork warband for painting, and may well invest in a small number of other figures to paint. The truth is, I do find it very relaxing, and it was only the psycholoigical pressure of having too many unpainted figures that caused me to eventually quit. So, if I'm careful about managing it...
Well, we'll see.
My Year... Overall
2010 was a great year. 2011 is going to be an awesome year. I have every confidence.
Books of the Year 2010
Before doing my retrospective of the year, I think I'll get the master list of books from last year sorted out. So, here they are:
The twenty books marked with asterisks are from The List. A full 50 of the books are RPG books, mostly from the Pathfinder, Eberron and Star Wars Saga Edition lines. A single book was work-related. Two books were re-reads: "The Colour of Magic" and the "Eberron Campaign Setting".
The most read single author was Raymond E. Feist, who I had fallen behind on. I have now caught up. Unfortunately, the books have shown a marked decrease in quality; I think I probably quit at exactly the right time!
The best book of the year by quite a distance was "To Kill a Mockingbird". The worst was "Angels & Demons", narrowly beating "The Da Vinci Code". Other very good books included "Catch-22", "Brave New World", "Oliver Twist" (despite a shocking lack of singing), both the Neil Gaiman anthologies, and "Children of Hurin".
Two books particularly surprised me: "Alice in Wonderland" wasn't as enjoyable as I had expected, but "Confessions of the Shopaholic" was much more enjoyable than expected. (Of course, it must be understood that the one was nowhere near being the worst book of the year, while the other was nowhere near the top!)
I'm not going to set a reading goal as such for the next year. There are a number of authors that I want to stay current on, a couple of series I want to get caught up on, and a couple of specific titles I want to read ("Les Miserables" and "War and Peace" being the big two). I also want to read through the thirteen "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" 1st edition hardbacks this year, and want to stay current on Pathfinder. Oh, and I also want to read a bunch more books from The List.
However, that's not a goal as such: if I don't read some or all of these, I'll not be too upset. I will continue listing the books that I have read at the base of my posts, but for information only.
- "Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Bestiary", by Paizo Publishing
- "Pathfinder: What Lies in Dust", by Michael Kortes
- "Pathfinder: The Infernal Syndrome", by Clinton Boomer and James Jacobs
- "Star Wars: The Clone Wars Campaign Guide", by Rodney Thompson, Patrick Stutzman, and JD Wiker
- "USB Complete", by Jan Axelson
- "Nation", by Terry Pratchett
- "Star Wars: Scavenger's Guide to Droids", by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey, Patrick Stutzman and Robert Wieland
- "Northern Lights", by Philip Pullman *
- "Pathfinder: Mother of Flies", by Greg A. Vaughan
- "Star Wars: Scum and Villainy", by Gary Astleford, Robert J. Schwalb, Owen K.C. Stephens, Rodney Thompson and JD Wiker
- "Children of Hurin", by JRR Tolkien
- "Fragile Things", by Neil Gaiman
- "Animal Farm", by George Orwell *
- "Star Wars: Galaxy of Intrigue", by Rodney Thompson, Gary Astleford and Eric Cagle
- "The Subtle Knife", by Philip Pullman *
- "Hot Pursuit", by Corey Reid
- "Shadows of the Last War", by Keith Baker
- "The Kite Runner", by Khaled Hosseini *
- "Eberron: Grasp of the Emerald Claw", by Bruce R. Cordell
- "Elric", by Michael Moorcock *
- "Pathfinder: The Twice-Damned Prince", by Brian Cortijo and James Jacobs
- "Eberron: Voyage of the Golden Dragon", by Nicolas Logue
- "Wolf of the Plains", by Conn Iggulden
- "Pathfinder: Classic Horrors Revisited", by James Jacobs, Rob McCreary and F. Wesley Schneider
- "Yes Man", by Danny Wallace
- "Pathfinder: Stolen Land", by Tim Hitchcock
- "Star Wars: Threats of the Galaxy", by Rodney Thompson and Robert J. Schwalb
- "Rebecca", by Daphne de Maurier *
- "Hunter: the Vigil", from White Wolf Publishing
- "Eberron Campaign Setting", by Keith Baker, Bill Slavicsek, and James Wyatt
- "Pathfinder: Rivers Run Red", by Rob McCreary
- "The Amber Spyglass", by Philip Pullman *
- "Eberron: Whispers of the Vampire's Blade", by David Noonan
- "Eberron: Eyes of the Lich Queen", by Stephen Schubert, Tim Hitchcock and Nicolas Logue
- "Krondor: Tear of the Gods", by Raymond E. Feist
- "Lords of the Bow", by Conn Iggulden
- "The Catcher in the Rye", by J.D. Salinger *
- "Star Wars: The Unknown Regions", by Gary Astleford, Owen K.C. Stephens and Rodney Thompson
- "Pathfinder: The Varnhold Vanishing", by Greg A. Vaughan
- "Life of Pi", by Yann Martell *
- "Bones of the Hills", by Conn Iggulden
- "And Another Thing...", by Eoin Colfer
- "Eberron: Sharn: City of Towers", by Keith Baker and James Wyatt
- "The Burning Land", by Bernard Cornwell
- "Races of Eberron", by Jesse Decker, Matthew Sernett, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, and Keith Baker
- "Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide", by Sterling Hershey, Peter Schweighofer, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Rodney Thompson
- "Forest Mage", by Robin Hobb
- "Pathfinder: Blood for Blood", by Neil Spicer
- "Dragons of the Hourglass Mage", by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
- "Sharpe's Waterloo", by Bernard Cornwell
- "To Kill a Mockingbird", by Harper Lee *
- "The Ghost King", by R. A. Salvatore
- "Star Wars: Rebellion Era Campaign Guide", by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey, Owen K.C. Stephens and J.D. Wiker
- "Pathfinder: War of the River Kings", by Jason Nelson
- "Honoured Enemy", by Raymond E. Feist and William Forstchen
- "Star Wars: Legacy Era Campaign Guide", by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey and Gary Astleford
- "Oliver Twist", by Charles Dickens *
- "Star Wars: Jedi Academy Training Manual", by Rodney Thompson, Eric Cagle, Patrick Stutzman and Robert Wieland
- "Unseen Academicals", by Terry Pratchett
- "Star Wars: Galaxy at War", by Rodney Thompson, Gary Astleford, Eric Cagle and Daniel Wallace
- "The White Rose", by Glen Cook
- "Tomb of Horrors", by Ari Marmell and Scott Fitzgerald Gray
- "Pathfinder: Sound of a Thousand Screams", by Richard Pett
- "Pathfinder: Souls for Smuggler's Shiv", by James Jacobs
- "Murder in LaMut", by Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenberg
- "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley *
- "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", by C.S. Lewis *
- "Eberron: Five Nations", by Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan and Christopher Perkins
- "Confessions of a Shopaholic", by Sophie Kinsela *
- "Eberron: Explorer's Handbook", by David Noonan, Frank Brunner and Rich Burlew
- "Jimmy the Hand", by Raymond E. Feist and Steve Stirling
- "The Colour of Magic", by Terry Pratchett
- "Magic of Eberron", by Bruce R. Cordell, Stephen Schubert and Chris Thomasson
- "Player's Guide to Eberron", by James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson and STAN!
- "Talon of the Silver Hawk", by Raymond E. Feist
- "Eberron: Secrets of Xen'drik", by Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn and Amber Scott
- "Faiths of Eberron", by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell and C.A. Suleiman
- "Birdsong", by Sebastian Faulks *
- "Pathfinder: Racing to Ruin", by Tim Hitchcock
- "Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition", from Pinnacle Entertainment Group
- "King of Foxes", by Raymond E. Feist
- "The Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown *
- "Exile's Return", by Raymond E. Feist
- "The Handmaid's Tale", by Margaret Atwood *
- "Flight of the Nighthawks", by Raymond E. Feist
- "Angels and Demons", by Dan Brown *
- "Eberron: Dragonmarked", by Keith Baker, Michelle Lyons, and C.A. Suleiman
- "Pathfinder: City of Seven Spears", by James Jacobs, Kevin Kulp, and Rob McCreary
- "Into a Dark Realm", by Raymond E. Feist
- "Eberron: Secrets of Sarlona", by Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Glenn McDonald, and Chris Sims
- "Smoke and Mirrors", by Neil Gaiman
- "Eberron: Forge of War", by James Wyatt, Wolfgang Baur and Ari Marmell
- "Catch-22", by Joseph Heller *
- "Dragons of Eberron", by Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Nicolas Logue and Amber Scott
- "Wrath of a Mad God", by Raymond E. Feist
- "Rides a Dread Legion", by Raymond E. Feist
- "Eberron: City of Stormreach", by Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James "Grim" Desborough, and C.A. Suleiman
- "Pathfinder Companion: Adventurer's Armory", by Jonathan Keith, Jeff Quick, Christopher Self, J.D. Wiker and Keri Wiker
- "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass", by Lewis Carroll *
- "Stonehenge", by Bernard Cornwell
The twenty books marked with asterisks are from The List. A full 50 of the books are RPG books, mostly from the Pathfinder, Eberron and Star Wars Saga Edition lines. A single book was work-related. Two books were re-reads: "The Colour of Magic" and the "Eberron Campaign Setting".
The most read single author was Raymond E. Feist, who I had fallen behind on. I have now caught up. Unfortunately, the books have shown a marked decrease in quality; I think I probably quit at exactly the right time!
The best book of the year by quite a distance was "To Kill a Mockingbird". The worst was "Angels & Demons", narrowly beating "The Da Vinci Code". Other very good books included "Catch-22", "Brave New World", "Oliver Twist" (despite a shocking lack of singing), both the Neil Gaiman anthologies, and "Children of Hurin".
Two books particularly surprised me: "Alice in Wonderland" wasn't as enjoyable as I had expected, but "Confessions of the Shopaholic" was much more enjoyable than expected. (Of course, it must be understood that the one was nowhere near being the worst book of the year, while the other was nowhere near the top!)
I'm not going to set a reading goal as such for the next year. There are a number of authors that I want to stay current on, a couple of series I want to get caught up on, and a couple of specific titles I want to read ("Les Miserables" and "War and Peace" being the big two). I also want to read through the thirteen "Advanced Dungeons & Dragons" 1st edition hardbacks this year, and want to stay current on Pathfinder. Oh, and I also want to read a bunch more books from The List.
However, that's not a goal as such: if I don't read some or all of these, I'll not be too upset. I will continue listing the books that I have read at the base of my posts, but for information only.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Yes!
#100: "Stonehenge", by Bernard Cornwell
And with that, I'm swearing off doing anything so absurd ever again.
And with that, I'm swearing off doing anything so absurd ever again.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Ninety-nine
I feel I shall have to find a Flake now. Yum, yum.
#97: "Eberron: City of Stormreach", by Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James "Grim" Desborough, and C.A. Suleiman
#98: "Pathfinder Companion: Adventurer's Armory", by Jonathan Keith, Jeff Quick, Christopher Self, J.D. Wiker and Keri Wiker
#99: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass", by Lewis Carroll (book twenty from The List)
Just one more to go...
#97: "Eberron: City of Stormreach", by Keith Baker, Nicolas Logue, James "Grim" Desborough, and C.A. Suleiman
#98: "Pathfinder Companion: Adventurer's Armory", by Jonathan Keith, Jeff Quick, Christopher Self, J.D. Wiker and Keri Wiker
#99: "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass", by Lewis Carroll (book twenty from The List)
Just one more to go...
Friday, December 24, 2010
Mamma Mia!
Some months back, I was forced to watch "Mamma Mia". The things we do for love...
Anyway, I didn't hate it. In fact, there was quite a lot to like about it. The music was of course what one would expect, and most of the cast were fine.
With one key exception. Simply put: Pierce Brosnan can't sing. At all.
Now, even this might be fine. Give him a small part, with just a handful of lines, and you're fine. But no. Instead, he's given the most significant of the three male roles, such that he has to carry several songs. And he just can't.
Basically, that one bad decision ruins the entire film.
(And it's not like you can really get away with bad music. In theory, some musicals could manage that, and be carried by the plot, the characters, or a general sense of well-being. But the entire selling point of "Mamma Mia" is the music. That has to be right, and it just isn't.)
So, I won't be watching "Mamma Mia" on DVD again. I might be persuaded to see it on the stage, if I really must, but not on DVD.
#94: "Dragons of Eberron", by Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Nicolas Logue and Amber Scott
#95: "Wrath of a Mad God", by Raymond E. Feist
#96: "Rides a Dread Legion", by Raymond E. Feist
Anyway, I didn't hate it. In fact, there was quite a lot to like about it. The music was of course what one would expect, and most of the cast were fine.
With one key exception. Simply put: Pierce Brosnan can't sing. At all.
Now, even this might be fine. Give him a small part, with just a handful of lines, and you're fine. But no. Instead, he's given the most significant of the three male roles, such that he has to carry several songs. And he just can't.
Basically, that one bad decision ruins the entire film.
(And it's not like you can really get away with bad music. In theory, some musicals could manage that, and be carried by the plot, the characters, or a general sense of well-being. But the entire selling point of "Mamma Mia" is the music. That has to be right, and it just isn't.)
So, I won't be watching "Mamma Mia" on DVD again. I might be persuaded to see it on the stage, if I really must, but not on DVD.
#94: "Dragons of Eberron", by Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Nicolas Logue and Amber Scott
#95: "Wrath of a Mad God", by Raymond E. Feist
#96: "Rides a Dread Legion", by Raymond E. Feist
Monday, December 13, 2010
Ooh, tense!
Yesterday morning I finished the very funny "Catch-22", taking my running total for the year to 93 books. This is a mighty total by any measure, but it does leave me some seven books short of the century, with a mere 19 days remaining this year. Worse, I now need to average more than two books a week to reach the goal.
(In fact, I need to average around 125 pages per day to complete the goal. But that's oversimplifying somewhat: not all pages are created equal.)
On the plus side, I now have only one more week of work this year, and there's only two more band practices before that takes a break also. So, I should be getting some additional time to read the remaining books.
So, it's all a bit tense. I'll update as I go...
#92: "Eberron: Forge of War", by James Wyatt, Wolfgang Baur and Ari Marmell
#93: "Catch-22", by Joseph Heller (book nineteen from The List)
(In fact, I need to average around 125 pages per day to complete the goal. But that's oversimplifying somewhat: not all pages are created equal.)
On the plus side, I now have only one more week of work this year, and there's only two more band practices before that takes a break also. So, I should be getting some additional time to read the remaining books.
So, it's all a bit tense. I'll update as I go...
#92: "Eberron: Forge of War", by James Wyatt, Wolfgang Baur and Ari Marmell
#93: "Catch-22", by Joseph Heller (book nineteen from The List)
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Snow Day 3?
Dammit, I really want to get to work! I'm going crazy here.
I'm going to try to get the car out again in half an hour or so, but if I can't then I guess I'm stuck here.
I'm going to try to get the car out again in half an hour or so, but if I can't then I guess I'm stuck here.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
The Michael Bay of the Writing World
I was asked to say something about why I didn't like "The Da Vinci Code". Given that I also didn't like "Angels & Demons", I think I'll cover that as well.
The thing is, it's not that these books are badly written. You can see the list of books I've read in the last two years, and there's no denying that there's a load of dross on there. And Dan Brown's works aren't significantly worse than some of the others.
Besides, I do think that the comparison is apt: as with a Michael Bay film, a Dan Brown novel doesn't need to be well-written, provided he keeps the pace up, and fills it with enough exciting events to distract you from the vapid nonsense involved. And so everything happens at a hundred miles an hour (even the endless chapters talking about art or science). There are people running here and there, revelations on every page, secrets and lies, things being hinted at and not revealed until later...
It's exciting.
The problem is, I do have a brain, and it doesn't just switch off. And in both "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons", the idiocy reached a level that I couldn't just ignore.
As I've mentioned before, I don't like it when people in the church start talking about science. As a rule, they don't have the grounding to know what they're talking about, or if they do then they over-simplify things for their audience to a point where it stops being anything like real science.
I also don't like it when scientists start talking religion (e.g. Dawkins). Again, they too often don't really understand their topic, or perhaps deliberately get things wrong for effect (more on this later). Basically, if you're going to talk about both, you really need to understand a fair amount about both, and very few people do.
Dan Brown's works are filled with endless expositions on art, science, religion and history. But it's bad art, bad science, bad religion and bad history.
The scene that first brought this to the fore was in "Da Vinci...", where Langdon has gone to see his colleague Leigh Teabing to discuss the Holy Grail. Whereupon about three quarters of the plot of the book is laid out in a huge chunk of exposition. (Actually, about 100 pages of exposition - I'm amazed he got away with it.)
Anyway, we proceed to have these two supposed high-end academics laying out the secret history of Jesus' wife and children, the vilification of Mary Magdalene, her line marrying into the French royal line, and then becoming extinct, and the Holy Grail being a vagina, and...
And as we go, we repeatedly have these experts saying, "Of course, X and Y and Z..."
But the thing is, X is just wrong, Y is a lie, and Z is maybe true if you really stretch the known facts.
But because these are 'experts' (even if they're fictional characters, and even if at least one of them is an expert in an entirely fictional field), people who don't know better will simply believe them. After all, if an expert says it, it must be true, right? And he couldn't put it in his novel if it wasn't true, could he?
Or, better still, how about the scene in "Angels..." in which Langdon is told about an experiment that 'proves' Genesis could be possible. (Of course, that itself is a nonsense - if you assume an all-powerful creator God, then of course it is possible; if there is no such creator God then Genesis is irrelevant anyway.)
Anyway, to prove Genesis is possible, our scientist has created "something out of nothing". Fair enough.
So, he took a particle stream (um, isn't that 'matter'), and fired it along a particle accelerator at speed (um, isn't that 'energy'), and then fired another particle stream along the accelerator in the other direction (more 'matter' and 'energy'), and proceeded to collide them (more 'energy'). And the result was... matter was created.
Something out of nothing? Um, no. That would be "something out of something else". Which is well-understood scientific principle: E = mc^2, and all that. ("Angels & Demons" even gets the science wrong in the 'fact' section preceding the novel itself. At least "The Da Vinci Code" didn't manage to annoy me until the first word of the novel proper.)
Then there's the logic failure: a key part of the plot of "Da Vinci..." revolves aroung the search for the "sacred feminine", the female counterpart to God. Fair enough. It also posits that Jesus was just a man (albeit a prophet), who had children by Mary Magdalene. Also fair enough.
But then, when Langdon finds the bones of Mary Magdelene at the end of the book, he feels compelled to kneel and pray at the feet of the goddess.
Um, what?
Surely, if Jesus was just a man, then Mary was just a woman, and their children would be... well, children. And wondrous as all that is, where exactly is this supposed goddess?
Bit of a failure on the 'logic' front, there, I think.
And so it goes. On the surface, these books are a quick read, they're exciting, and they have a bit of 'smarts' to them. It's just that as soon as you scratch the surface that you find that, well, it's all surface.
At least "Revenge of the Fallen" only takes two and a half hours to get through.
The thing is, it's not that these books are badly written. You can see the list of books I've read in the last two years, and there's no denying that there's a load of dross on there. And Dan Brown's works aren't significantly worse than some of the others.
Besides, I do think that the comparison is apt: as with a Michael Bay film, a Dan Brown novel doesn't need to be well-written, provided he keeps the pace up, and fills it with enough exciting events to distract you from the vapid nonsense involved. And so everything happens at a hundred miles an hour (even the endless chapters talking about art or science). There are people running here and there, revelations on every page, secrets and lies, things being hinted at and not revealed until later...
It's exciting.
The problem is, I do have a brain, and it doesn't just switch off. And in both "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons", the idiocy reached a level that I couldn't just ignore.
As I've mentioned before, I don't like it when people in the church start talking about science. As a rule, they don't have the grounding to know what they're talking about, or if they do then they over-simplify things for their audience to a point where it stops being anything like real science.
I also don't like it when scientists start talking religion (e.g. Dawkins). Again, they too often don't really understand their topic, or perhaps deliberately get things wrong for effect (more on this later). Basically, if you're going to talk about both, you really need to understand a fair amount about both, and very few people do.
Dan Brown's works are filled with endless expositions on art, science, religion and history. But it's bad art, bad science, bad religion and bad history.
The scene that first brought this to the fore was in "Da Vinci...", where Langdon has gone to see his colleague Leigh Teabing to discuss the Holy Grail. Whereupon about three quarters of the plot of the book is laid out in a huge chunk of exposition. (Actually, about 100 pages of exposition - I'm amazed he got away with it.)
Anyway, we proceed to have these two supposed high-end academics laying out the secret history of Jesus' wife and children, the vilification of Mary Magdalene, her line marrying into the French royal line, and then becoming extinct, and the Holy Grail being a vagina, and...
And as we go, we repeatedly have these experts saying, "Of course, X and Y and Z..."
But the thing is, X is just wrong, Y is a lie, and Z is maybe true if you really stretch the known facts.
But because these are 'experts' (even if they're fictional characters, and even if at least one of them is an expert in an entirely fictional field), people who don't know better will simply believe them. After all, if an expert says it, it must be true, right? And he couldn't put it in his novel if it wasn't true, could he?
Or, better still, how about the scene in "Angels..." in which Langdon is told about an experiment that 'proves' Genesis could be possible. (Of course, that itself is a nonsense - if you assume an all-powerful creator God, then of course it is possible; if there is no such creator God then Genesis is irrelevant anyway.)
Anyway, to prove Genesis is possible, our scientist has created "something out of nothing". Fair enough.
So, he took a particle stream (um, isn't that 'matter'), and fired it along a particle accelerator at speed (um, isn't that 'energy'), and then fired another particle stream along the accelerator in the other direction (more 'matter' and 'energy'), and proceeded to collide them (more 'energy'). And the result was... matter was created.
Something out of nothing? Um, no. That would be "something out of something else". Which is well-understood scientific principle: E = mc^2, and all that. ("Angels & Demons" even gets the science wrong in the 'fact' section preceding the novel itself. At least "The Da Vinci Code" didn't manage to annoy me until the first word of the novel proper.)
Then there's the logic failure: a key part of the plot of "Da Vinci..." revolves aroung the search for the "sacred feminine", the female counterpart to God. Fair enough. It also posits that Jesus was just a man (albeit a prophet), who had children by Mary Magdalene. Also fair enough.
But then, when Langdon finds the bones of Mary Magdelene at the end of the book, he feels compelled to kneel and pray at the feet of the goddess.
Um, what?
Surely, if Jesus was just a man, then Mary was just a woman, and their children would be... well, children. And wondrous as all that is, where exactly is this supposed goddess?
Bit of a failure on the 'logic' front, there, I think.
And so it goes. On the surface, these books are a quick read, they're exciting, and they have a bit of 'smarts' to them. It's just that as soon as you scratch the surface that you find that, well, it's all surface.
At least "Revenge of the Fallen" only takes two and a half hours to get through.
700th post
I just noticed that the previous post was #699. Which makes this the 700th post to this blog.
Of course, one number is basically the same as any other, so it's a largely meaningless milestone, but still...
Much-belated edit: Again, no it isn't - this is post 699!
Of course, one number is basically the same as any other, so it's a largely meaningless milestone, but still...
Much-belated edit: Again, no it isn't - this is post 699!
House Gets Nasty
I should warn you in advance - this post contains spoilers for the most recent episode of "House" (or, at least, the one most recently broadcast on Sky).
I watch "House" every week, but I'm not really a huge fan. As far as I can tell, it's largely a mystery show that the audience simply has no basis on which to participate - if the medicine is accurate (which I very much doubt), then you can only guess what's going on if you yourself are an expert in obscure medical conditions; if the medicine is not accurate, then nobody can take part. Of course, there's the 'fun' of watching House bully and insult his staff, and the interactions between the characters, and... you know, I just don't get it - those things really aren't as compelling as I'm told.
Still, it's entertaining enough, I guess.
However, like many other shows, "House" has a number of recurring themes - Foreman is arrogant about something until House slaps him down (although... isn't Foreman supposed to be the boss these days?), Chase has loads of women after him, Taob is cheating on his wife or she's cheating on him or not...
And this week, we had a recurrence of my least favourite, the one I call "poke the fundies" - a religious patient comes in, House proceeds to belittle and mock his faith, and forces him to reject some part of his beliefs, and then the disease is cured.
Now, here's the thing: I have absolutely no problem with challenges to my beliefs. My reasoning is that if my beliefs are sound, then they will survive whatever challenges are put to them; if they are not sound, then I'm better off without them.
But there's a big difference between 'challenge' and 'mockery'. If you simple ridicule and mock, there is no discourse there, and there's no meaningful response possible. Take something out of context, point and laugh hard enough, and you can make anything look ridiculous, whether it is or not.
This week, "House" crossed the line. Our patient is first shown at the start of the show being crucified. He starts vomiting blood, and you hear someone say, "Get him down from there."
It transpires that the character's daughter had cancer, and he made a deal with God - every year she lives, he will nail himself to a cross. (I'll not start on that particular bit of madness.)
They then short-circuit the usual diagnostic process, and quickly determine that there is one treatment, which of course involves the use of embrionic stem cells. So, naturally, the patient refuses - his beliefs don't allow him to use such a treatment, due to the connection with abortion.
So House tries to mock the patient into giving up his beliefs, then he tries to use his bully pulpit to get the patient to take the treatment anyway, and then finally he lies to the patient, telling him his daughter isn't cured, that God lied, and that therefore the character should take the treatment.
So he does.
Yay, House!
But here's my problem: there's nothing there. It's just assumed that House is right. There's no discussion whatsoever of the ethics of the treatment, which are very definitely not clear-cut*. There's absolutely no character growth. The patient doesn't decide whether his life is more important than his faith - he's lied to and tricked into making a choice he probably wouldn't otherwise have made. House learned nothing, the other characters learned nothing, and we learn nothing.
Except perhaps that this is a show I don't care to watch any more.
* Incidentally, I say that despite believing that we should proceed with the development of such treatments. But it's a very complex issue, and simply dismissing any concerns as being irrelevant is unacceptably dismissive, at least as far as I'm concerned.
I watch "House" every week, but I'm not really a huge fan. As far as I can tell, it's largely a mystery show that the audience simply has no basis on which to participate - if the medicine is accurate (which I very much doubt), then you can only guess what's going on if you yourself are an expert in obscure medical conditions; if the medicine is not accurate, then nobody can take part. Of course, there's the 'fun' of watching House bully and insult his staff, and the interactions between the characters, and... you know, I just don't get it - those things really aren't as compelling as I'm told.
Still, it's entertaining enough, I guess.
However, like many other shows, "House" has a number of recurring themes - Foreman is arrogant about something until House slaps him down (although... isn't Foreman supposed to be the boss these days?), Chase has loads of women after him, Taob is cheating on his wife or she's cheating on him or not...
And this week, we had a recurrence of my least favourite, the one I call "poke the fundies" - a religious patient comes in, House proceeds to belittle and mock his faith, and forces him to reject some part of his beliefs, and then the disease is cured.
Now, here's the thing: I have absolutely no problem with challenges to my beliefs. My reasoning is that if my beliefs are sound, then they will survive whatever challenges are put to them; if they are not sound, then I'm better off without them.
But there's a big difference between 'challenge' and 'mockery'. If you simple ridicule and mock, there is no discourse there, and there's no meaningful response possible. Take something out of context, point and laugh hard enough, and you can make anything look ridiculous, whether it is or not.
This week, "House" crossed the line. Our patient is first shown at the start of the show being crucified. He starts vomiting blood, and you hear someone say, "Get him down from there."
It transpires that the character's daughter had cancer, and he made a deal with God - every year she lives, he will nail himself to a cross. (I'll not start on that particular bit of madness.)
They then short-circuit the usual diagnostic process, and quickly determine that there is one treatment, which of course involves the use of embrionic stem cells. So, naturally, the patient refuses - his beliefs don't allow him to use such a treatment, due to the connection with abortion.
So House tries to mock the patient into giving up his beliefs, then he tries to use his bully pulpit to get the patient to take the treatment anyway, and then finally he lies to the patient, telling him his daughter isn't cured, that God lied, and that therefore the character should take the treatment.
So he does.
Yay, House!
But here's my problem: there's nothing there. It's just assumed that House is right. There's no discussion whatsoever of the ethics of the treatment, which are very definitely not clear-cut*. There's absolutely no character growth. The patient doesn't decide whether his life is more important than his faith - he's lied to and tricked into making a choice he probably wouldn't otherwise have made. House learned nothing, the other characters learned nothing, and we learn nothing.
Except perhaps that this is a show I don't care to watch any more.
* Incidentally, I say that despite believing that we should proceed with the development of such treatments. But it's a very complex issue, and simply dismissing any concerns as being irrelevant is unacceptably dismissive, at least as far as I'm concerned.
Snow Day 2
Yesterday was an awesome day. After my initial guilt at not getting to work, I spent the day painting, reading, cleaning, and generally getting caught up on things. I also took a wander up to the doctor's to put in a repeat prescription (nothing serious - mostly just stocking up just in case). En route, I helped a couple of people get their cars out.
All in all, I was really happy with my day, went to bed nice and early, ready to get back to work today.
Six inches of snow fell overnight, and I had exactly two chances of getting my car out: fat chance and nae chance. It's especially annoying, since the next street over was cleared for the buses, and my car is about fifteen feet from it, but is completely stuck.
And lots more snow is falling. I don't know when I'll be able to get back, and until then the work just keeps piling up.
Today is not going to be such a good day, I fear.
#91: "Smoke and Mirrors", by Neil Gaiman
All in all, I was really happy with my day, went to bed nice and early, ready to get back to work today.
Six inches of snow fell overnight, and I had exactly two chances of getting my car out: fat chance and nae chance. It's especially annoying, since the next street over was cleared for the buses, and my car is about fifteen feet from it, but is completely stuck.
And lots more snow is falling. I don't know when I'll be able to get back, and until then the work just keeps piling up.
Today is not going to be such a good day, I fear.
#91: "Smoke and Mirrors", by Neil Gaiman
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Snow Day!
The view outside my window right now is absolutely amazing. Falkirk is a veritable winter wonderland.
On the other hand, I missed half a day of work yesterday, didn't make it in at all today, and am looking doubtful for tomorrow. Far from the overtime I had expected to clock up, it looks like this week I'm barely going to do half my normal hours. Fortunately, the company are reasonable about such things - they understand that if I could be there, I would. Unfortunately, the work doesn't get itself done, but rather just stacks up waiting for when I get back.
#87: "Eberron: Dragonmarked", by Keith Baker, Michelle Lyons, and C.A. Suleiman
#88: "Pathfinder: City of Seven Spears", by James Jacobs, Kevin Kulp, and Rob McCreary
#89: "Into a Dark Realm", by Raymond E. Feist
#90: "Eberron: Secrets of Sarlona", by Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Glenn McDonald, and Chris Sims
On the other hand, I missed half a day of work yesterday, didn't make it in at all today, and am looking doubtful for tomorrow. Far from the overtime I had expected to clock up, it looks like this week I'm barely going to do half my normal hours. Fortunately, the company are reasonable about such things - they understand that if I could be there, I would. Unfortunately, the work doesn't get itself done, but rather just stacks up waiting for when I get back.
#87: "Eberron: Dragonmarked", by Keith Baker, Michelle Lyons, and C.A. Suleiman
#88: "Pathfinder: City of Seven Spears", by James Jacobs, Kevin Kulp, and Rob McCreary
#89: "Into a Dark Realm", by Raymond E. Feist
#90: "Eberron: Secrets of Sarlona", by Keith Baker, Scott Fitzgerald Gray, Glenn McDonald, and Chris Sims
Friday, November 19, 2010
We Have a New Winner!
#84: "The Handmaid's Tale", by Margaret Atwood. (Book seventeen from The List. Very good book, and really quite disturbing.)
#85: "Flight of the Nighthawks", by Raymond E. Feist
#86: "Angels and Demons", by Dan Brown (Book eighteen from The List, and the new worst book of the year so far. On the plus side, since he wrote this one before "The Da Vinci Code", he's actually getting better.)
#85: "Flight of the Nighthawks", by Raymond E. Feist
#86: "Angels and Demons", by Dan Brown (Book eighteen from The List, and the new worst book of the year so far. On the plus side, since he wrote this one before "The Da Vinci Code", he's actually getting better.)
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Lack of Updates
I really need to blog more. The monthly updates to the list of books are getting ridiculous, not least since it gets increasingly difficult to remember the order in which the books should be listed.
However, the problem is one of time. Because I'm attempting to get to 100 books, almost all my time is taken up with other things, which doesn't leave me time for blogging.
Of course, I've resolved to blog more several times this year already!
However, the problem is one of time. Because I'm attempting to get to 100 books, almost all my time is taken up with other things, which doesn't leave me time for blogging.
Of course, I've resolved to blog more several times this year already!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Argh! Hurty Brain!
I'm now halfway through my third Spanish course. It's really hard going - the level is just much higher, I've managed to forget a depressing amount, and there seem to be some gaps in what we should have covered last time.
And now, while listening to the accompanying podcast for last week, I find myself distinctly remembering a segment of the podcast. Only I'm absolutely certain I haven't already listened to it. Which leads me to doubt myself - did I forget that I listened to it, or am I imagining that I've heard this before?
Good thing I'm mad already, or else this could really break my head!
(I think this is going to be my last Spanish course. Truth be told, I'm not enjoying this one as much as the previous two, and I have less time now to dedicate to it than I did then, so I'm getting less from it. Also, I really need to spend some time speaking the language in a real-world scenario to fix it in my mind, and I'm not going to get that in a classroom environment.)
#77: "Faiths of Eberron", by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell and C.A. Suleiman
#78: "Birdsong", by Sebastian Faulks (book fifteen from The List)
#79: "Pathfinder: Racing to Ruin", by Tim Hitchcock
#80: "Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition", from Pinnacle Entertainment Group
#81: "King of Foxes", by Raymond E. Feist
#82: "The Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown (book sixteen from The List, and also the worst book of the year so far. Oh, the posts I could write about its awfulness!)
#83: "Exile's Return", by Raymond E. Feist
And now, while listening to the accompanying podcast for last week, I find myself distinctly remembering a segment of the podcast. Only I'm absolutely certain I haven't already listened to it. Which leads me to doubt myself - did I forget that I listened to it, or am I imagining that I've heard this before?
Good thing I'm mad already, or else this could really break my head!
(I think this is going to be my last Spanish course. Truth be told, I'm not enjoying this one as much as the previous two, and I have less time now to dedicate to it than I did then, so I'm getting less from it. Also, I really need to spend some time speaking the language in a real-world scenario to fix it in my mind, and I'm not going to get that in a classroom environment.)
#77: "Faiths of Eberron", by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Ari Marmell and C.A. Suleiman
#78: "Birdsong", by Sebastian Faulks (book fifteen from The List)
#79: "Pathfinder: Racing to Ruin", by Tim Hitchcock
#80: "Savage Worlds Explorer's Edition", from Pinnacle Entertainment Group
#81: "King of Foxes", by Raymond E. Feist
#82: "The Da Vinci Code", by Dan Brown (book sixteen from The List, and also the worst book of the year so far. Oh, the posts I could write about its awfulness!)
#83: "Exile's Return", by Raymond E. Feist
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Calling It
A couple of months back, after the Liechtenstein match, I had intended to post an update here stating that I now felt there was no chance of Scotland qualifying for the Euros in 2012. After a poor 0-0 draw against Lithuania (a match we needed to win), and then an extremely narrow victory (in the 97th minute!) against Liechtenstein, it really seemed there was no chance.
Still, a win was a win, it was pointed out to me. So, perhaps a little hope could be maintained? And then, all week the radio pundits had been saying that the Czech Republic weren't the force they had been, so maybe...?
Then came the news that our manager had decided to drop our in-form striker and instead go with a relative unknown, in an ultra-defensive 4-2-2-2 formation.
"What is he thinking?" I immediately asked. And then, "well, he's the manager. He must know what he's doing."
Yeah, I was right the first time. One heroic 1-0 defeat later, and we now get the excitement of facing Spain next.
So, yeah, I'm returning to my original prediction: Scotland won't qualify for the Euros in 2012. In fact, we won't qualify for the next World Cup, or the Euros in 2016 either.
So, the question is this: where do we go from here. Unfortunately, the answer is 'nowhere'.
See, it's not the players. This is the best squad of players we've had in more than a decade, and the best squad we're likely to have for more than a decade. As far as the manager is concerned, well, on paper, the four best candidates for the job are Walter Smith, Alex McLeish, George Burley and Craig Levein. Unless we can somehow persuade Sir Alex Ferguson or Martin O'Neill to take the job, we're not going to get anyone better.
So, if we can't improve the players, and we can't improve the manager, what can we do?
My radical solution is this: We should start lobbying for the dissolution of the Scottish national side and the Scottish Leagues, and press for an amalgamation with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Let's have a Team GB, and go from there. It's pretty much the only way we're going to see the finals of any major tournament any time soon.
(Of course, this week one of the English news outlets decided to poison that idea for me, by assembling 'their' Team GB. Naturally, they insisted on starting with the English team, and smugly asking "well, who can then break in from the other nations?" They also proved sublimely blinkered - as we all know, England have massive weaknesses in goal. The one area where Scotland is very gifted is in goalkeepers, where we have at least two world-class keepers. So, of their four choices for keeper, how many were English? Three. And where did the Scottish pick come in their order of preference? Fourth.)
(Still, despite that sort of idiocy, I think it's a good idea, for us at least, and I think it's probably time. Otherwise, we're not going anywhere.)
#76: "Eberron: Secrets of Xen'drik", by Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn and Amber Scott
Still, a win was a win, it was pointed out to me. So, perhaps a little hope could be maintained? And then, all week the radio pundits had been saying that the Czech Republic weren't the force they had been, so maybe...?
Then came the news that our manager had decided to drop our in-form striker and instead go with a relative unknown, in an ultra-defensive 4-2-2-2 formation.
"What is he thinking?" I immediately asked. And then, "well, he's the manager. He must know what he's doing."
Yeah, I was right the first time. One heroic 1-0 defeat later, and we now get the excitement of facing Spain next.
So, yeah, I'm returning to my original prediction: Scotland won't qualify for the Euros in 2012. In fact, we won't qualify for the next World Cup, or the Euros in 2016 either.
So, the question is this: where do we go from here. Unfortunately, the answer is 'nowhere'.
See, it's not the players. This is the best squad of players we've had in more than a decade, and the best squad we're likely to have for more than a decade. As far as the manager is concerned, well, on paper, the four best candidates for the job are Walter Smith, Alex McLeish, George Burley and Craig Levein. Unless we can somehow persuade Sir Alex Ferguson or Martin O'Neill to take the job, we're not going to get anyone better.
So, if we can't improve the players, and we can't improve the manager, what can we do?
My radical solution is this: We should start lobbying for the dissolution of the Scottish national side and the Scottish Leagues, and press for an amalgamation with England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Let's have a Team GB, and go from there. It's pretty much the only way we're going to see the finals of any major tournament any time soon.
(Of course, this week one of the English news outlets decided to poison that idea for me, by assembling 'their' Team GB. Naturally, they insisted on starting with the English team, and smugly asking "well, who can then break in from the other nations?" They also proved sublimely blinkered - as we all know, England have massive weaknesses in goal. The one area where Scotland is very gifted is in goalkeepers, where we have at least two world-class keepers. So, of their four choices for keeper, how many were English? Three. And where did the Scottish pick come in their order of preference? Fourth.)
(Still, despite that sort of idiocy, I think it's a good idea, for us at least, and I think it's probably time. Otherwise, we're not going anywhere.)
#76: "Eberron: Secrets of Xen'drik", by Keith Baker, Jason Bulmahn and Amber Scott
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Just catching up on the books...
I finished book 75 on the 30th of September, just before midnight.
This means that in the first quarter of the year I managed to get through 25 books, in the second I read 19, and in the third I read 31. The race is now on to read through 25 by the end of the year, and thus reach the threshold of 100.
Frankly, it's doubtful. What is certain, however, is that I am never doing this again.
#66: "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley (book twelve from The List)
#67: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", by C.S. Lewis (book thirteen from The List)
#68: "Eberron: Five Nations", by Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan and Christopher Perkins
#69: "Confessions of a Shopaholic", by Sophie Kinsela (book fourteen from The List)
#70: "Eberron: Explorer's Handbook", by David Noonan, Frank Brunner and Rich Burlew
#71: "Jimmy the Hand", by Raymond E. Feist and Steve Stirling
#72: "The Colour of Magic", by Terry Pratchett
#73: "Magic of Eberron", by Bruce R. Cordell, Stephen Schubert and Chris Thomasson
#74: "Player's Guide to Eberron", by James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson and STAN!
#75: "Talon of the Silver Hawk", by Raymond E. Feist
This means that in the first quarter of the year I managed to get through 25 books, in the second I read 19, and in the third I read 31. The race is now on to read through 25 by the end of the year, and thus reach the threshold of 100.
Frankly, it's doubtful. What is certain, however, is that I am never doing this again.
#66: "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley (book twelve from The List)
#67: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", by C.S. Lewis (book thirteen from The List)
#68: "Eberron: Five Nations", by Bill Slavicsek, David Noonan and Christopher Perkins
#69: "Confessions of a Shopaholic", by Sophie Kinsela (book fourteen from The List)
#70: "Eberron: Explorer's Handbook", by David Noonan, Frank Brunner and Rich Burlew
#71: "Jimmy the Hand", by Raymond E. Feist and Steve Stirling
#72: "The Colour of Magic", by Terry Pratchett
#73: "Magic of Eberron", by Bruce R. Cordell, Stephen Schubert and Chris Thomasson
#74: "Player's Guide to Eberron", by James Wyatt, Keith Baker, Luke Johnson and STAN!
#75: "Talon of the Silver Hawk", by Raymond E. Feist
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)