The day before the challenge is always a slightly surreal one. I compare it to the last few minutes before you go into an exam; you have pretty much done everything you can, it is going to happen whether you want it to or not and it's all about getting in the right frame of mind.
The one on the way in about 21 hours is Challenge #13 and it will be a break from the "recent-norm". My last 3 challenges have been various mud runs and before that it had been mainly 5km runs since September. But tomorrow it is back to the triathlons, my third overall and first since August 2013.
Now admittedly it is only a Super Sprint triathlon (200m swim, 20km bike, 2.5km run) but there is still a nervousness which I always get before these events. How will I sleep tonight? Will I wake up with any twinges? What do I need to pack for the event? Have I got everything I need?
But there is also a buzz too at this stage, particularly when it is a new event that I haven't done yet. There is the sense of expectation and excitement too that comes with knowing that I am lucky enough to be able to do these things for fun and that I am able to set myself targets and hit them like this. It is not quite a "kid before Christmas" scenario but there is an element of that in it.
The one down side of the day before is that, when you get to this point, you really just want to get on with it. I don't start until 12:45pm tomorrow so there is still quite a bit of waiting around before we get underway and on with the business of getting round the course.
I'm very fortunate too in that I am able to undertake these Challenges for such a fantastic cause, that really gives me a huge sense of purpose and inspiration - no mention the boost it gives me when something gets tough. As does the support I get, both on the day and through the fantastic donations and best wishes that are always forthcoming.
With that in mind, if anyone wants to come down to Barony Park in Nantwich tomorrow then there is loads going on for all the family, plus some high quality triathloning will be taking place. Check out the link here for all the information and hopefully see some of you around.
Till next time,
DT
Saturday, 31 May 2014
Thursday, 29 May 2014
REVIEW: Retribution Falls (Ketty Jay Tales #1) by Chris Wooding
"Firefly in novel form".
That is how Retribution Falls was pitched to me on the shelves of Waterstones and that just about sold it to me. There will be others out there like me who fondly remember Joss Whedon's seminal and thoroughly too short-lived TV series Firefly. Anything that reminds me of this is a good thing in my book and I was keen to give this a whirl.
Retribution Falls is the first in a series of (so-far) four books detailing the adventures of Darian Frey and his crew aboard the Ketty Jay. The setting is very similar to Whedon's series and it is obvious where Wooding has got at least some of his inspiration. For those who aren't familiar with Firefly here goes; it is a steampunk-type setting with flying vehicles, a similar level of technological advancement as our world (guns, computers, and a hint of mystery and magic thrown in for good measure.
The world described is typical of this genre; a slightly over-bearing government, some evidence of religious skull-duggery, the majority of people just trying to live day-to-day and a seemingly endless collection of towns and cities with names like "Scarwater" where the more nefarious members of society live. It feels like a sci-fi version of the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy and, in fact, the story embraces these piratical elements wholeheartedly.
Wooding does manage to create an interesting framework in which to introduce the characters and the background detail he brings to the world shows that he has more to divulge in later tales. There is a fair amount of showing you the bigger picture (or at least hinting) and certainly there is plenty more going on for us to want to explore beyond this book.
Frey and his crew are similarly typical of this type of setting. Well meaning mostly but morally ambiguous at times, everyone has their own story and their own reasons for being where they are. Trust is in short supply and it is generally your classic ragtag bunch of misfits who manage to come together when needed for the common good. Again there are striking parallels between Wooding's characters here and some of Whedon's Firefly creations but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as manages to give them a sense of depth and gritty realism. No-one feels particularly underused or there for reasons which don't seem to fit and he has pieced the element together nicely.
The story itself is nothing too original but has its moments and it works very nicely within the setting. It clips along at a decent rate, I cracked through this book in a weekend which usually tells you that I was engrossed and desperate to keep finding out more about the characters and the world they inhabit.
Verdict
This was as advertised. If you like Firefly then I think you will LOVE this book. If you haven't seen Firefly but enjoy "space adventures" then you will still really enjoy this I think. Well written, excellently paced and with interesting and well developed characters - I'll definitely be following up with the further adventures of the Ketty Jay soon.
4.5 stars out of 5
Note: I'm aware that most of my reviews recently have been 4.5 stars! This isn't deliberate, or unimaginative, on my behalf - I've just had a really good run of books lately but none of them have been quite good enough for a 5 star rating. Keep the faith, the next one won't be 4.5 stars. Probably.
Till next time,
DT
Monday, 26 May 2014
REVIEW: Way of Kings Part 1 (Stormlight Archive #1) by Brandon Sanderson
My love of all things Brandon Sanderson is probably quite well established on here by now. I've read pretty much of everything of his so far and am usually enthralled, captivated and enchanted by his storytelling and his world-building skills. Way of Kings is no exception, a "swords and battles" epic with a hint of magic and a ton of depth.
Free from the need to get the Wheel of Time series tied up and neatly packaged away Sanderson is planning to devote more time to his own epic series, The Stormlight Archive. Way of Kings is the first of a planned 10 book series and this review actually only covers the first part of the first book, which was published in two halves due to its sheer volume.
Sanderson really is in the middle of something monumental here, and I don't just mean with the Stormlight Archive. A vast majority of his books all take place somewhere called the "Cosmere" and with each new book he is adding another layer on top. The series are completely stand-alone but with an overall arc that will be revealed as we go along.
Way of Kings is comfortably his grandest work so far. It is rich, deep and huge in scope. Unlike the Mistborn Series and his stand-alone novels such as Warbreaker and Elantris (which won't be stand-alone for much longer as he has sequels planned) this just feels bigger.
There are numerous plotlines going on throughout that you know will intersect and interweave but right now feel isolated. The scale of the book allows Sanderson to run both the main story and a backstory together (a trick he employed to great effect in Mistborn). It also allows him to introduce and bed in a good few handfuls of characters, though nothing like the numbers George R. R. Martin is fond of!
The magic system is brought in slowly and subtly and there is no doubt that the surface has barely been scratched in this regard. And the world Sanderson is creating is epic, this is on the scale of Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire and Malazan Book of the Fallen in terms of sheer size and complexity of the world and environment in which the events take place.
Overall I look at Way of Kings as a "leader", it is setting the scene for what is to come whilst at the same time still providing a story line with enough to keep you interested in the here and now.
The only problem I have is that reading this book generates a huge investment by the reader. You can't read this as a single book and not make the massive commitment to finish the series. Well I guess you can but it would seem like a waste. This is not something to start lightly, you might be reading for years!
Verdict
It is quite hard to get a handle on this in terms of a rating as it feels akin to rating a movie from the first ten minutes or a TV series from just the pilot. It is grand and epic and looks like the start of something massive. If that is what you like then go for it, you will not be disappointed. If you like your fantasy novels to be stand-alone and finished in one go, then this won't be your cup of tea as there is too much here and very few questions are answered.
4.5 stars out of 5
Till next time,
DT
Free from the need to get the Wheel of Time series tied up and neatly packaged away Sanderson is planning to devote more time to his own epic series, The Stormlight Archive. Way of Kings is the first of a planned 10 book series and this review actually only covers the first part of the first book, which was published in two halves due to its sheer volume.
Sanderson really is in the middle of something monumental here, and I don't just mean with the Stormlight Archive. A vast majority of his books all take place somewhere called the "Cosmere" and with each new book he is adding another layer on top. The series are completely stand-alone but with an overall arc that will be revealed as we go along.
Way of Kings is comfortably his grandest work so far. It is rich, deep and huge in scope. Unlike the Mistborn Series and his stand-alone novels such as Warbreaker and Elantris (which won't be stand-alone for much longer as he has sequels planned) this just feels bigger.
There are numerous plotlines going on throughout that you know will intersect and interweave but right now feel isolated. The scale of the book allows Sanderson to run both the main story and a backstory together (a trick he employed to great effect in Mistborn). It also allows him to introduce and bed in a good few handfuls of characters, though nothing like the numbers George R. R. Martin is fond of!
The magic system is brought in slowly and subtly and there is no doubt that the surface has barely been scratched in this regard. And the world Sanderson is creating is epic, this is on the scale of Wheel of Time, Song of Ice and Fire and Malazan Book of the Fallen in terms of sheer size and complexity of the world and environment in which the events take place.
Overall I look at Way of Kings as a "leader", it is setting the scene for what is to come whilst at the same time still providing a story line with enough to keep you interested in the here and now.
The only problem I have is that reading this book generates a huge investment by the reader. You can't read this as a single book and not make the massive commitment to finish the series. Well I guess you can but it would seem like a waste. This is not something to start lightly, you might be reading for years!
Verdict
It is quite hard to get a handle on this in terms of a rating as it feels akin to rating a movie from the first ten minutes or a TV series from just the pilot. It is grand and epic and looks like the start of something massive. If that is what you like then go for it, you will not be disappointed. If you like your fantasy novels to be stand-alone and finished in one go, then this won't be your cup of tea as there is too much here and very few questions are answered.
4.5 stars out of 5
Till next time,
DT
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
It is often "who" not "what" that matters
I firmly believe that life is about experiences and creating memories. When all is said and done, your life essentially IS the sum of those experiences and memories you have gathered over the years. It is not the sum total of the possessions you own but rather the cumulative total of all the things you have seen and done. And that includes the good ones and the not-so-good ones equally.
A huge part of these experiences and memories for me is the people that you choose to do these things with. The greatest experiences that I can look back on combine these elements of not just "what" but "who". After all it is other people and our interactions with them which drive most of our day-to-day lives. Whether it is people you work with, people you spend time with or people you glimpse into the lives other (both fictional and non-fictional).
I can be personally guilty of being very insular and particular isolated sometimes. I'm not going to lie, some days I don't want to see another single human being. It is not necessarily because I don't like other people but simply that occasionally it is OK to do things on your own. A big part of my life recently has been working out what things I would like to share with people and which things I would prefer to keep to myself. Then it is simply a case of finding the "who" to go with the "what".
And it won't always be the same person, I think that is quite an important point. Sure you might do the majority of things with a particular person but everyone needs space and time to make their experiences and memories in the way that feels right to them.
Every day gives us the opportunity to enrich our lives and to add another "notch" to the belt of life experiences. They are the things which I think life is truly about when all is said and done. And you probably have less time than you realise right now to go and make those things happen.
So tomorrow pick something you want to do, and someone to do it with, and go generate those memories.
Till next time,
DT
Monday, 19 May 2014
Friends of Serenity Challenges - First Year Review
A slight lull in my Friends of Serenity Challenges since April. Not deliberately of course, a combination of medical treatments and not being able to find the "right" challenge to do - I've still managed one a month though, just about.
Next weekend however will mark 365 days since Challenge #1 (The 2013 Great Manchester Run) so I thought I'd do a little nostalgia trip and take you through the 11 successful Challenges to date if you'll indulge me. The zipline IS coming I promise, but for now we have 11 very enjoyable but very different days to look back on.
Challenge #1 - May 2013
Great Manchester Run (10 km road run)
Absolutely sweltering hot this one. My first big participation event and the atmosphere was spectacular. People were lining the streets cheering anybody and everybody on and there was a real sense of camaraderie and togetherness. To be honest, if this hadn't been so much fun I would probably have stopped at just the one! But it was and I'm glad I didn't stop.
Challenge #2 - June 2013
Great Manchester Cycle (26 mile road cycle)
If you get the chance to do this, then I would seriously recommend it. Closed roads, nice wide open spaces and a very enjoyable course. Again it was another warm day the course isn't too tricky and again there are loads of people lining the roads to cheer you on.
Challenge #3 - July 2013
Great Manchester Swim (1 mile open water)
The final leg of the "Great Manchester" triumvirate was definitely the hardest. Granted I'd been in Portugal for a week drinking but even so I found this one tough. There was nothing in the tank left at the end and I really suffered for a week or two after.
Challenge #4 - August 2013
Salford Sprint Triathlon(750 m open water swim, 20 km road cycle, 5km road run)
Set in and around Salford Quays this was another step up in terms of effort and difficulty. Putting the three disciplines together hurts and is unlike anything else I've tried before or since. The sense of achievement at the end was just as elevate too though.
Challenge #5 - September 2013
Macc 5k (5 km road run)
Didn't feel so good for this one but it was great to have my brother-in-law Gareth alongside me. I struggled but Gareth did a cracking job and my nephew Charlie was a star in the Fun Run alongside one of Friends of Serenity's founders Jo.
Challenge #6 - October 2013
Snowdon Zipline (1 mile zipline over a quarry)
Postponed three times - but it is coming.
Challenge #7 - November 2013
Manchester Men's Health (10 km obstacle run)
First real team effort with 6 of us taking on the obstacles and canals in and around the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. We'll ignore the torn calf muscle, the lost team members and the apocalyptic weather and just say, hey, I got round just about.
Challenge #8 - December 2013
Liverpool Santa Dash (5 km fun run)
Blue Santa suit? Check. Stupid scratchy beard? Check. Really hot felt Santa hat? Check. Another great mass participation challenge despite the slightly dodgy weather that day. Good fun, great organisation and a special "bluenose" medal for us Toffees in blue suits! Brilliant.
Challenge #9 - January 2014
Great Winter Run (5 km road run)
Lovely course up and around Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh. Its fair to say that the weather was bracing and there were a lot of us around so it took a while to get going. Did this one dressed as a giant eyeball, regretted that decision most of the way around :-D
Challenge #10 - February 2014
Pandemonium ICED (6 km obstacle run)
Lots of mud, lots of very cold water and the occasional zombie thrown in for good measure. Really small, new event in the Warwickshire countryside but Rick and I had a fantastic time doing this one, probably the catalyst for us signing up for tons more on the back of it!
Challenge #11 - March 2014
Mighty Deerstalker (16 km obstacle run)
Ow. Still brings flashbacks and some pretty haunting memories as a result of falling of the same bit of hill twice. Mentally the most exhausting and painful thing I have ever accomplished in my life, the physical side of things was just as bad. We did start as a team of 4 but various fates conspired to ensure this was another one done basically on my own. Oh did I mention it was IN THE DARK?!?
Challenge #12 - April 2014
Yorkshire Warrior (16 km obstacle run)
Another one attacked by me and Rick with what was something approaching gusto, This is a seriously fun event, very good spacing between the obstacles and some interesting things to challenge you. I would recommend this one as probably the best we have done so far.
So there you have it. A full 12 months of challenges pretty much. If you'll forgive me some smugness here I have got to admit to feeling very proud. I didn't think I'd manage half of what I have done and to be raising money for such an amazing cause makes every little tweak of pain or moment of exhaustion worthwhile.
Coming Up
Well check out my website to see what is to come this year. The next five challenges are booked and ready to roll and we have a huge chunk of next year pencilled in too. Not to mention the zipline and a few other "off the beaten track ideas". Come join us if you live local, or if not a simple message of best wishes might not seem much but goes a LONG LONG way.
But most importantly, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE tell everyone and anyone you can about our wonderful charity and the work that it does raising money, but also awareness for Trisomy disorders.
We are only small and have barely been going for a year so every little bit of exposure is worth it's weight in gold. It is truly on honour and a privilege to be a trustee of Friends of Serenity and I am delighted to be able to contribute in some small way. Thank you so much for your generosity so far and in the future,
Take care all.
Till next time,
DT
Thursday, 15 May 2014
Ideas aplenty
I'm not sure how this works, but I seem to be at once both physically exhausted and mentally invigorated. I can barely sleep more than two or three hours a night but I am chock full of ideas for stories, new challenges, fundraising concepts and numerous other things that I am not 100% sure are actually my thoughts. It is a classic chicken and egg; am I tired because I am mentally overworking myself or is my mind on overdrive to compensate for the physical exhaustion. And why can't the two parts get together and agree some kind of ceasefire?!
The more physically drained I get the more impossible it seems to be to turn my brain off. I have seriously cut down on my late-day caffeine intake yet I seemed more wired than ever. My evenings are much less "thought intensive" yet I seem to be more occupied with things than I was before. I've restarted exercising but all that is doing is energizing my brain completely (my body is essentially a write off so no real change there!)
It is just very very bizarre. They did say it might be a function of my multiple conditions but I'm marginally confused by exactly the effect it is having on things. In some respects it is great as I'm at an all-time high in productivity levels (both outside and inside work). I've redoubled my efforts to get these kids books off the ground and I'm finding my creative ideas are bouncing around like crazy in my head.
But it is shattering. It then becomes a touch frustrating because I know I am exhausted but I don't sleep. I guess part of it is sub-concious as I know there is a big decision coming up medically and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at least partly on my mind. How do people manage like this, is is just something that you become accustomed to and it eventually becomes the norm!?
It is probably a good job I've managed to find some outlets as I can imagine this causing me to burst if it didn't. I now kind of understand why I used to "blow up" needlessly in the past sometimes. I'm putting it down to the fact that I had all this mentally and nervous energy and somehow wasn't able to find the right outlets for it, even if they are just a silly blog and some short stories that have a very small change of seeing the light of day!!
It is an exciting, invigorating and sometimes overwhelming existence but it could be worse. Things could always be worse so I'll take my chances with this for now thanks.
Till next time,
DT
The more physically drained I get the more impossible it seems to be to turn my brain off. I have seriously cut down on my late-day caffeine intake yet I seemed more wired than ever. My evenings are much less "thought intensive" yet I seem to be more occupied with things than I was before. I've restarted exercising but all that is doing is energizing my brain completely (my body is essentially a write off so no real change there!)
It is just very very bizarre. They did say it might be a function of my multiple conditions but I'm marginally confused by exactly the effect it is having on things. In some respects it is great as I'm at an all-time high in productivity levels (both outside and inside work). I've redoubled my efforts to get these kids books off the ground and I'm finding my creative ideas are bouncing around like crazy in my head.
But it is shattering. It then becomes a touch frustrating because I know I am exhausted but I don't sleep. I guess part of it is sub-concious as I know there is a big decision coming up medically and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't at least partly on my mind. How do people manage like this, is is just something that you become accustomed to and it eventually becomes the norm!?
It is probably a good job I've managed to find some outlets as I can imagine this causing me to burst if it didn't. I now kind of understand why I used to "blow up" needlessly in the past sometimes. I'm putting it down to the fact that I had all this mentally and nervous energy and somehow wasn't able to find the right outlets for it, even if they are just a silly blog and some short stories that have a very small change of seeing the light of day!!
It is an exciting, invigorating and sometimes overwhelming existence but it could be worse. Things could always be worse so I'll take my chances with this for now thanks.
Till next time,
DT
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
Bring on the doggy paddle
Open Water season is upon us. For those unfamiliar with it, that means swimming around outside in various bodies of water while people look at you and wonder when you lost your senses! It is actually not as bad as you might imagine though.
If you swim somewhere "official" then I've generally found that the water is a damn sight cleaner than your average swimming baths. Not to mention it is a bit more liberating than having to file upon and down in a line, endlessly changing direction every 25m. Throw in the fact that most pools tend to get pretty crowded these days and it is a recipe for disaster sometimes.
Open water swimming is definitely one of those things where I can see people wondering if I'm right in the head when I talk about it (I unfortunately have a lot of topics that illicit that response in people but I put it down to me being simply too cool for school). People often enquire, politely of course, why on earth I swim outside in what is perceived as cold, dirty water when there are perfectly good pools all over the place!!
But it is the sense of something different and "outside the norm" which is exciting though. Trying a new twist can often rekindle a love of an activity or a topic that has fallen by the wayside. I've definitely found that the open water swimming aspect of the triathlon training has been the most enjoyable over the months, which I would not have thought would be the case when I first started out.
So tomorrow why don't you try and rekindle a passion or an enjoyment of something you used to love doing? And if you can throw in a new twist on it, you might find that you discover a whole new way to enjoy it!
Website of the day: My next Friends of Serenity challenge on 1st June, the Go Green Cheshire Triathlon (Super Sprint distance). Any support would be more than welcome, I'd even take hecking and jeering to be honest with you - http://www.uktriathlon.co.uk/events/cheshire-triathlon/
Till next time,
DT
Monday, 12 May 2014
Broken clock
Is there any way of getting my body clock repaired so it is working properly again?!
My typical day consists of waking up at 4am, 5am and 6am, but then sleeping through till about 8am. I then realise it is pointless leaving for work as I'll get stuck in traffic so I eventually rock up about 9am if I'm lucky. The morning passes reasonably quickly until about 11:30 when the day begins to drag. The next hour takes three hours and then the lunch hour takes 25 minutes.
Post lunch drags horribly until about 4pm, usually with some vague attempt by body to get me to go for a nap. Around 4pm I'm suddenly ridiculously productive and the next three hours whizz by in a haze of "getting loads done" before I get turfed out of the building around 7pm. I then usually having something planned in the evening so generally by the time I have done that and eaten it is around 10pm.
I have a massive yawn and then, once again, my body has another injection of energy and I lie in my bed until about 2am trying various methods of making myself go to sleep such as reading, writing blogs and counting small fluffy clouds with legs. About 2am I finally drift off only to be woken again at 4am - and the cycle begins again.
THIS IS NOT NORMAL!!!!! Please help :-D
Till next time,
DT
Sunday, 11 May 2014
When the lights go out
So yesterday's blog didn't happen. I had a pretty rubbish one written actually but before I got a chance to submit it we lost power in the house. It didn't come back till after midnight and I basically couldn't be bothered booting my laptop up to upload it. Yep, I'm THAT lazy sometimes. On the plus side it gave me some more material which has saved you from having to read about the recent proliferation science fiction movies (or something similar I think).
I realised very quickly over that short blackout period just why the world's energy resources are depleting quite rapidly. I also realised precisely how overly dependent we in the developed world have become on electricity and the various "solutions" it provides. Internet, lights, ability to charge various devices, "mobile" entertainment (i.e. TV and games) and quick, warm food are all lost to us when we don't have power.
Yet a staggering 1.3 billion people in the world have NO access to electricity, never mind the figure we can add to that who have an unreliable electricity source. I suppose it is another example of the divide between the haves and the have-nots in this world but I seem to have become so dependent for everything (both essential and non-essential) on a resource that a huge number of people can only dream about accessing. It is not a situation that sits particularly well with me if I am honest.
Climate change from excessive carbon dioxide emission is a hot topic (pardon the pun) but I want to make it clear that I am not approaching this from that particular angle. There already plenty of movements and actions around the world which exist to highlight the potential problems of carbon over-use and climate change and I applaud their attempts to raise awareness of the issues.
This is more of a personal thing, more of an acknowledgement that sometimes I take things for granted in this life that other people do not have - often as a simple consequence of where in the world they were born. Like I said, that doesn't sit right with me. I feel I have lost a bit of a sense of perspective on some things and it worries me. It is very easy to become insular and self-concerned (and it is not always a bad thing mind you) but I'm feeling that I have lost my way somewhat.
So I have started a new initiative myself. For one hour every single day, I intend to disconnect ALL electricity that I practically can from my life - so that is laptops, phones, TV, radio, microwave etc.. Yes it is not much, and you might argue it is not the same as living without a fridge or without heating and so on but I don't currently own my own place so practicalities do have to come into it somewhat. You might also sarcastically say, "oh well done, living without luxuries for one hour a day, that must be so hard". Again, it is a good point, this is hardly the ultimate sacrifice and I'm not planning on accepting a Nobel Prize or anything like that soon.
But for me I just think something like this might help me to get a bit more balance in my life, might help me to understand how fortunate I really am in the grand scheme of things and hopefully will help me to get a better sense of proportion and appreciation for those things which I do undoubtedly do take for granted every single day.
You are welcome to join me.
Till next time,
DT
I realised very quickly over that short blackout period just why the world's energy resources are depleting quite rapidly. I also realised precisely how overly dependent we in the developed world have become on electricity and the various "solutions" it provides. Internet, lights, ability to charge various devices, "mobile" entertainment (i.e. TV and games) and quick, warm food are all lost to us when we don't have power.
Yet a staggering 1.3 billion people in the world have NO access to electricity, never mind the figure we can add to that who have an unreliable electricity source. I suppose it is another example of the divide between the haves and the have-nots in this world but I seem to have become so dependent for everything (both essential and non-essential) on a resource that a huge number of people can only dream about accessing. It is not a situation that sits particularly well with me if I am honest.
Climate change from excessive carbon dioxide emission is a hot topic (pardon the pun) but I want to make it clear that I am not approaching this from that particular angle. There already plenty of movements and actions around the world which exist to highlight the potential problems of carbon over-use and climate change and I applaud their attempts to raise awareness of the issues.
This is more of a personal thing, more of an acknowledgement that sometimes I take things for granted in this life that other people do not have - often as a simple consequence of where in the world they were born. Like I said, that doesn't sit right with me. I feel I have lost a bit of a sense of perspective on some things and it worries me. It is very easy to become insular and self-concerned (and it is not always a bad thing mind you) but I'm feeling that I have lost my way somewhat.
So I have started a new initiative myself. For one hour every single day, I intend to disconnect ALL electricity that I practically can from my life - so that is laptops, phones, TV, radio, microwave etc.. Yes it is not much, and you might argue it is not the same as living without a fridge or without heating and so on but I don't currently own my own place so practicalities do have to come into it somewhat. You might also sarcastically say, "oh well done, living without luxuries for one hour a day, that must be so hard". Again, it is a good point, this is hardly the ultimate sacrifice and I'm not planning on accepting a Nobel Prize or anything like that soon.
But for me I just think something like this might help me to get a bit more balance in my life, might help me to understand how fortunate I really am in the grand scheme of things and hopefully will help me to get a better sense of proportion and appreciation for those things which I do undoubtedly do take for granted every single day.
You are welcome to join me.
Till next time,
DT
Friday, 9 May 2014
Exercising my democratic right
So today was postal vote day here in the Owens household. As a member of a democratic society with free elections and at least some choice on who I vote for, it would be remiss of me to complain too much. But I will have a little bit of gripe though!
It is fair to say today's options felt pretty limited when staring at the paper. Having Huey, Dewey and Louie as my top three options would have probably given me more confidence than the shower being presented for perusal today. The European election list was even worse, with 11 options to choose from including 7 various forms of "Take the UK out of Europe" and a Pirate Party!
Unfortunately the situation I find myself in is that I just don't have any faith that those who want to run the country actually have any idea HOW to run the country should they be given that chance. Now I appreciate that I am generalising here but I'm afraid it all drags me back somewhat to Douglas Adams' famous quote regarding the Presidency of the Universe, "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves elected President should on no account be allowed to do the job".
The problem for me comes from the fact that there appears to be a massive disconnect here between wanting to run the country for the good of the country and wanting to run the country because you get loads of perks for being an MP and it looks like jolly good fun. And I suspect that most of those who have the "big" roles are fully aware that nothing ever happens in Government except trying to make the last lot look bad.
It is a real travesty that in the Western developed world we have a system that allows people to have some say in who is in charge, only for our options to represent Moe, Larry and Curly (and not in a good way). There are some people in this world who will NEVER experience true freedom of choice, never experience democracy - even though the form which we see feels slightly stunted sometimes!
But despite all of this, in fact BECAUSE of this it is still vitally important to vote. Freedom can disappear in an instant, and even a freedom that isn't quite as far-reaching as we would hope is surely better than none at all. Not everyone is afforded the luxury of having a say in how their lives are run, we are lucky that we have the option of Moe, Larry and Curly - others are stuck with what they are given.
Till next time,
DT
It is fair to say today's options felt pretty limited when staring at the paper. Having Huey, Dewey and Louie as my top three options would have probably given me more confidence than the shower being presented for perusal today. The European election list was even worse, with 11 options to choose from including 7 various forms of "Take the UK out of Europe" and a Pirate Party!
Unfortunately the situation I find myself in is that I just don't have any faith that those who want to run the country actually have any idea HOW to run the country should they be given that chance. Now I appreciate that I am generalising here but I'm afraid it all drags me back somewhat to Douglas Adams' famous quote regarding the Presidency of the Universe, "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves elected President should on no account be allowed to do the job".
The problem for me comes from the fact that there appears to be a massive disconnect here between wanting to run the country for the good of the country and wanting to run the country because you get loads of perks for being an MP and it looks like jolly good fun. And I suspect that most of those who have the "big" roles are fully aware that nothing ever happens in Government except trying to make the last lot look bad.
It is a real travesty that in the Western developed world we have a system that allows people to have some say in who is in charge, only for our options to represent Moe, Larry and Curly (and not in a good way). There are some people in this world who will NEVER experience true freedom of choice, never experience democracy - even though the form which we see feels slightly stunted sometimes!
But despite all of this, in fact BECAUSE of this it is still vitally important to vote. Freedom can disappear in an instant, and even a freedom that isn't quite as far-reaching as we would hope is surely better than none at all. Not everyone is afforded the luxury of having a say in how their lives are run, we are lucky that we have the option of Moe, Larry and Curly - others are stuck with what they are given.
Till next time,
DT
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Time just keeps ticking
It's a weird thing - time. Douglas Adams' creation Ford Prefect once remarked "Time is an illusion, lunchtime doubly so". I think he might have the first part spot on.
Time can seem to pass too slowly or too quickly and, very occasionally, at precisely the right speed. Sometimes it dilutes things and makes them less intense as it passes. There is no doubt some situations are improved somewhat by a bit of time passing. Yet for other things all it does is serve to concentrate and intensify what was already there. In these cases, no matter how much time passes, the situation isn't rectified by simple time alone. If anything time just sharpens those emotions and feelings which were there originally. Time really is one of the greatest mysteries of life.
Einstein once famously said "I never think about the future. It comes soon enough". And you can see his point. We seem to spend so much of our lives worrying about not having enough time for this but then conversely time seems to be passing too slowly for that. Sometimes we rely on time to fix things but then can be just as quick to lament the fact that time hasn't solved whatever needed solving. We curse the passage of time yet often make no attempt to fit things into the time that is actually available to us.
The only thing we seem to grasp about time is that it is uncontrollable, unpredictable and, ultimately, finite. And even that is a partial "grasp" in most cases. However, I do believe it is our duty to make the most of that time which is presented to us. And as Einstein rightly implies, if we take care of the present and make sure we spend our time wisely, then the future will take care of itself to some degree.
So tomorrow try and do something you have been putting off, something that you "never seem to have the time" for.
"Time waits for no man" they say, well it might be about time to put that properly to the test.
Till next time,
DT
Time can seem to pass too slowly or too quickly and, very occasionally, at precisely the right speed. Sometimes it dilutes things and makes them less intense as it passes. There is no doubt some situations are improved somewhat by a bit of time passing. Yet for other things all it does is serve to concentrate and intensify what was already there. In these cases, no matter how much time passes, the situation isn't rectified by simple time alone. If anything time just sharpens those emotions and feelings which were there originally. Time really is one of the greatest mysteries of life.
Einstein once famously said "I never think about the future. It comes soon enough". And you can see his point. We seem to spend so much of our lives worrying about not having enough time for this but then conversely time seems to be passing too slowly for that. Sometimes we rely on time to fix things but then can be just as quick to lament the fact that time hasn't solved whatever needed solving. We curse the passage of time yet often make no attempt to fit things into the time that is actually available to us.
The only thing we seem to grasp about time is that it is uncontrollable, unpredictable and, ultimately, finite. And even that is a partial "grasp" in most cases. However, I do believe it is our duty to make the most of that time which is presented to us. And as Einstein rightly implies, if we take care of the present and make sure we spend our time wisely, then the future will take care of itself to some degree.
So tomorrow try and do something you have been putting off, something that you "never seem to have the time" for.
"Time waits for no man" they say, well it might be about time to put that properly to the test.
Till next time,
DT
Monday, 5 May 2014
REVIEW: Captain America - The Winter Soldier (movie)
Part 2 of my Marvel-athon was the second offering from Captain America. This is part of Marvel's overarching "cinematic universe" including Iron Man, Avengers, Thor, Hulk etc. so it has plenty of in-jokes and cross references which are gold-dust for a nerd like me but for the uninitiated will leave you, not confused exactly, but with a less rich experience.
Review
First of all, your pinch of salt to take with this review. It would have to be a phenomenally bad Marvel film for me to slate it so don't be surprised that I really enjoyed this one! It really is a Golden Age for superhero movies and I'm pleased and relieved that some of our most interesting and important comic book characters are being faithfully brought to life on the big screen.
In a similar way to Spider-Man 2, a big part of the success of this movie for me is the casting and the dynamics between the cast members. Chris Evans brings a real sense of honour and duty to Captain America (Steve Rogers) which is excellently counteracted by some of the "greyer" areas that the more modern characters inhabit. Rogers is always trying to balance the way the modern day (and the people in it) works against the world he knew. I think Evans manages to portray that conflict very well indeed and you find yourself wishing there were more people around with his way of doing things.
The rest of the ensemble cast is once again fantastic, Samuel L Jackson and Scarlett Johansson particularly though it is good to see Robert Redford back at the top of a bill again. There is often in an interesting dynamic to be struck here. The good guys return to these movies again and again (occasionally adding someone new) whereas the bad guys generally get defeated at the end of the previous movie and so we have to start all over again. That always leads to a slight imbalance in the movies whereby we can move much quicker into the storyline on the "good" side of the divide but it often takes some time for the baddies to catch up. I thought the balance here was well struck and the pace of the movie feels right.
Plot wise there is nothing too unusual or too inventive here. You know what you get with a Marvel movie, exactly what you got with the comics. That is, bad guys trying to take over the world and the good guys saving the day whilst learning something along the way. The set-pieces are well constructed and your usual fare; blowing things up and last minute rescues. If anything the plot was guilty of getting a bit too convoluted in the middle section when it was trying not to give too much away whilst also positioning the pieces for the "grand denouement". But this is a minor criticism and I don't think it takes away from the movie as a whole.
Overall then, this is exactly what we have come to expect from the very professional and slick Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings. The ensemble casts are growing into their roles movie-by-movie and there is plenty in here for both your die-hard comic fans and newcomers who enjoy big blockbusters.
I'd thoroughly recommend this to all, it won't win any Oscars but then again it isn't trying to!
Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5
Review
First of all, your pinch of salt to take with this review. It would have to be a phenomenally bad Marvel film for me to slate it so don't be surprised that I really enjoyed this one! It really is a Golden Age for superhero movies and I'm pleased and relieved that some of our most interesting and important comic book characters are being faithfully brought to life on the big screen.
In a similar way to Spider-Man 2, a big part of the success of this movie for me is the casting and the dynamics between the cast members. Chris Evans brings a real sense of honour and duty to Captain America (Steve Rogers) which is excellently counteracted by some of the "greyer" areas that the more modern characters inhabit. Rogers is always trying to balance the way the modern day (and the people in it) works against the world he knew. I think Evans manages to portray that conflict very well indeed and you find yourself wishing there were more people around with his way of doing things.
The rest of the ensemble cast is once again fantastic, Samuel L Jackson and Scarlett Johansson particularly though it is good to see Robert Redford back at the top of a bill again. There is often in an interesting dynamic to be struck here. The good guys return to these movies again and again (occasionally adding someone new) whereas the bad guys generally get defeated at the end of the previous movie and so we have to start all over again. That always leads to a slight imbalance in the movies whereby we can move much quicker into the storyline on the "good" side of the divide but it often takes some time for the baddies to catch up. I thought the balance here was well struck and the pace of the movie feels right.
Plot wise there is nothing too unusual or too inventive here. You know what you get with a Marvel movie, exactly what you got with the comics. That is, bad guys trying to take over the world and the good guys saving the day whilst learning something along the way. The set-pieces are well constructed and your usual fare; blowing things up and last minute rescues. If anything the plot was guilty of getting a bit too convoluted in the middle section when it was trying not to give too much away whilst also positioning the pieces for the "grand denouement". But this is a minor criticism and I don't think it takes away from the movie as a whole.
Overall then, this is exactly what we have come to expect from the very professional and slick Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings. The ensemble casts are growing into their roles movie-by-movie and there is plenty in here for both your die-hard comic fans and newcomers who enjoy big blockbusters.
I'd thoroughly recommend this to all, it won't win any Oscars but then again it isn't trying to!
Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5
Sunday, 4 May 2014
REVIEW: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (movie)
Part of a Sunday double header for me. I haven't been to the cinema in probably 6 months which is a shame as I love a good movie. Dragged myself along to the Odeon and treated myself to a couple of movies and a bit of Yo! Sushi too, all in all a pretty decent Sunday actually.
I am an unashamed fan of comic books and their various big screen incarnations. Spider-Man has always been a particular favourite of mine, I'm not sure why. I feel like I've always been drawn to the interesting dynamic between Peter Parker and his alter ego.
Parker is an introverted person, more at home with science and experiments than with people. I can identify with that and it has certainly taken me an appreciable amount of time to feel comfortable with who I am and my place in things. You sense Parker is always struggling with this too, and his release has always been this mask he has been able to hide behind. I think when I was younger I envied that a bit, I certainly can understand and empathise with that even now.
Verdict
Anyway, enough introspection - was this movie any good?
Well, yes it was very good actually.
Probably the best of the recent Spider-Man offerings and I certainly think the reboot has been good for the franchise. I never found Tobey Maguire's performances particularly convincing in the first "recent" trilogy and the dynamic between him and Kirsten Dunst felt forced.
Andrew Garfield on the other hand is excellent throughout. For me he really captures the duplicity of Spider-Man's situation without overplaying it. He is tormented, troubled and awkward (a typical high school kid really) as Peter and his attempts to come to terms with who he is and what has happened in his past are well portrayed. On top of that he is able to become the more assertive and dominant Spider-Man in a much more convincing and organic way than Maguire, who I felt never mastered this side of the character.
Spider-Man is cocky, funny and can be brash at times. Garfield captures these elements perfectly with losing the vulnerability of the character and I think it is a really impressive performance. He is helped by having more character development time than normal in a superhero movie, this is not all set-pieces and blowing things up (though when they do blow stuff up it stays blown up).
Another element that works wonderfully for me is the dynamic between Peter and Gwen. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are a couple in real-life and it shows. They have a natural relationship that feels completely organic. These are two people who are very comfortable together and the result is really impressive. We'll ignore the rather major crush I have on her too!
The movie is much more about these two characters and their interactions, torments and decisions than being a simple "superhero vs. villain" story. And it is so much better for it in my opinion. These two are given time and space to operate together and develop something that works fantastically well and brings more depth than your average Marvel blockbuster.
This decision to make the movie more about these two (whether conscious or not) does lead to possibly the only criticism I have of the film. I was slightly disappointed in the "villains". For a start, they seem secondary to the actual film. However as I said above this allows the Gwen-Peter dynamic, and the Peter-Spidey dynamic too, so I can overlook that.
But, I also felt that the villains are a bit too cliched, even for a Marvel superhero movie. The stories behind the villains and how they become who they are would not win any awards for originality. You find yourself feeling really sorry for the misunderstood guy at the start of the film, he has an accident and in not too long a time he is trying to destroy the world and get back at everyone. He gets stopped and it looks like the world returns to normal until the next bad guy decides to have a pop.
Meh. It's not bad but it doesn't really add anything to the film, especially as by the end of this one I was more concerned with the Peter-Gwen story arc than whether Spider-Man saved the day or not!
So generally I did really enjoy this, but not for the reasons I expected too. Maybe I've become a bit more aware of the dynamics and such-like of relationships after what has happened to me but I really identified with this part of the story; the anguish and the ecstasy which can arise from these relationships and the dichotomy between the two. Also the internal struggle and battle to find who you are and to then be comfortable and happy with that; these are things I have been working through recently so it is probably no surprise I found myself drawn to these.
Overall verdict then.
This is a very good movie. It is funny, touching and sad in places but there are also plenty of good action scenes, nifty gadgets and a real sense of wonder throughout. A couple of really good performances topped it off and I for one would love to see where they take the characters next.
Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5
Friday, 2 May 2014
So what do you know? On second thoughts....
So I've started my latest MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) called Start Writing Fiction. It's a free course hosted by the Open University so I'm very excited to see what it is all about and hopefully get some hints and tips for my own writing exploits.
I've always found writing to be a very difficult art form and I am often in awe of people who do it well. We had an assignment today to write two short paragraphs; one with 3 facts and 1 fiction element, the other with 3 fiction and 1 fact. It turns out that writing the factual one and keeping it interesting is a damn sight harder than it seems. They often say "write what you know" so I tried that.
Well it turns out I know a lot of very, very uninteresting things which sound even more boring when written down and articulated! Thankfully my imagination still seems to be working wonders but wow I hadn't realised how thoroughly tedious some of the things I know are. I feel I should apologise profoundly to anyone who has had to endure some of my fun facts and interesting tidbits.
You see, even this blog about how boring factual stuff can be compared to the blank canvas and wonder that is made-up things has proven to be staggeringly boring itself. I think that counts as irony but I've never been 100% sure what irony actually is since Alanis Morissette had what I shall describe as a pretty shoddy attempt at explaining it.
So with that in mind I shall waste no more of your time today. I'm off to try and find some genuinely interesting things to try and incorporate (a) into my next story and (b) into my next human conversation!!
OK the ACTUAL truth is that I can't be bothered doing the "daily" stuff every day as it was starting to feel like a chore. I will do it if I find something worthwhile but not just for the sake of it. I'm still trying to blog every day but I've got plenty of my mind to keep me busy so we'll see how we go from now. I've lasted longer than I expected so yey to me!
Till next time,
DT
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