Wednesday 12 December 2012
The Mother We Share
My newest song obsession. A little more electronica-ey than most of the stuff I've been listening to lately, but still really good.
Tuesday 11 December 2012
Books
Once again it's time to tell you about some of the books I've been reading! to start off, The Qi Book of General Ignorance. It's the first book published by the makers of the TV show Qi (which I love, by the way!) It takes well-known bits of general knowledge and tells you that everything you know is wrong. It's a non-fiction book, written in the style of questions and answers. I loved this book! Really loved it. So interesting! It made me feel very clever and very stupid simultaneously. Clever because I was learning cool new facts, and stupid because so much of what I thought I knew is apparently wrong. There's a foreword by Stephen Fry, and Four Words by Alan Davies. They read as follows: Will this do, Stephen? I'd like also to share with you a more interesting extract:
Q: What's the loudest thing in the ocean?
A: Shrimps. Though the blue whale produces the loudest noise of any individual animal in the sea or on land, the loudest natural nosie of all is made by shrimps. The sound of the "shrimp layer" is the only natural noise than can "white out" a submarine's sonar, deafening the operators through their headphones. Below the layer they can hear nothing above it and vice versa. Hearing from below can only be accomplished by raising a mast up through it. The nosie of the collected shrimps amounts to an ear-splitting 246 decibels, which even adjusting for the fact that sound travels five times faster in water, equates to about 160 decibels in air; considerably louder than a jet taking off (140 dB) or the human threshold of pain. Some observers have compared to everyone in the world frying bacon at the same time. The nosie is caused by trillions of shrimps snapping their single oversized claw all at once. Snapping shrimps, members of the various Alpheus and Synalpheus species, are found in shallow tropical and subtrpoical waters. But it's even more interesting than it sounds. Video shot at 40,000 frames per second shows clearly that the noise occurs 700 microseconds after the claw has snapped shut. The noise comes from burst bubbles - not the shutting of the claw itself - an effect known as "cavitation". It works like this. A small bump on one side of the claw fits neatly into a groove on the other side. The claw is shut so rapidly that a jet of water travelling at 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour squirts out, fast enough to create expanding bubbles of water vapour. When the water slows down and normal pressure is restored the bubbles collapse creating intense heat (as high as 20,000 degrees C), a loud pop and light - this last being a very rare phenomenon called sonoluminescence, where sound generates light. Shrimps use this nosie to stun prey, communicate and find mates. As well as ruining sonar, the sharp, hot intense noise makes dents in ships' propellors.
Isn't that just so cool? Science rules! I might share some more extracts in the future, cos it really is brilliant.
And now, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Yes, I know, I know, how can I not have read this before? I think I must be just about the only person in the world who didn't do this book at school, but nevermind. It's read now. And it was very good. Cynical, but sweet, wordy and wistful. It was somehow very joyful and very sad at the same time. It vividly conjured up a world that's gone and the twist at the end was a big surprise. A very well written book.
And finally, All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. Another great book. It's about two boys who saddle their horses and ride South into Mexico and have lots of misadventures. I found it a bit of a contradiction, because it's seemingly very rough and ready, and yet also very sophisticated. The simplicity and sparsity of the dialogue contrasts highly with the wordiness and fluidity of the narration. It's earthy and polished at the same time. I loved it, but I will admit it took me a while to get through it. It's not a light read. There is quite a bit of violence in it. It's also largely not in English. A fair amount of it is in Spanish, so a working knowledge of the language is beneficial to the reader!
Q: What's the loudest thing in the ocean?
A: Shrimps. Though the blue whale produces the loudest noise of any individual animal in the sea or on land, the loudest natural nosie of all is made by shrimps. The sound of the "shrimp layer" is the only natural noise than can "white out" a submarine's sonar, deafening the operators through their headphones. Below the layer they can hear nothing above it and vice versa. Hearing from below can only be accomplished by raising a mast up through it. The nosie of the collected shrimps amounts to an ear-splitting 246 decibels, which even adjusting for the fact that sound travels five times faster in water, equates to about 160 decibels in air; considerably louder than a jet taking off (140 dB) or the human threshold of pain. Some observers have compared to everyone in the world frying bacon at the same time. The nosie is caused by trillions of shrimps snapping their single oversized claw all at once. Snapping shrimps, members of the various Alpheus and Synalpheus species, are found in shallow tropical and subtrpoical waters. But it's even more interesting than it sounds. Video shot at 40,000 frames per second shows clearly that the noise occurs 700 microseconds after the claw has snapped shut. The noise comes from burst bubbles - not the shutting of the claw itself - an effect known as "cavitation". It works like this. A small bump on one side of the claw fits neatly into a groove on the other side. The claw is shut so rapidly that a jet of water travelling at 100 kilometres (62 miles) per hour squirts out, fast enough to create expanding bubbles of water vapour. When the water slows down and normal pressure is restored the bubbles collapse creating intense heat (as high as 20,000 degrees C), a loud pop and light - this last being a very rare phenomenon called sonoluminescence, where sound generates light. Shrimps use this nosie to stun prey, communicate and find mates. As well as ruining sonar, the sharp, hot intense noise makes dents in ships' propellors.
Isn't that just so cool? Science rules! I might share some more extracts in the future, cos it really is brilliant.
And now, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Yes, I know, I know, how can I not have read this before? I think I must be just about the only person in the world who didn't do this book at school, but nevermind. It's read now. And it was very good. Cynical, but sweet, wordy and wistful. It was somehow very joyful and very sad at the same time. It vividly conjured up a world that's gone and the twist at the end was a big surprise. A very well written book.
And finally, All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy. Another great book. It's about two boys who saddle their horses and ride South into Mexico and have lots of misadventures. I found it a bit of a contradiction, because it's seemingly very rough and ready, and yet also very sophisticated. The simplicity and sparsity of the dialogue contrasts highly with the wordiness and fluidity of the narration. It's earthy and polished at the same time. I loved it, but I will admit it took me a while to get through it. It's not a light read. There is quite a bit of violence in it. It's also largely not in English. A fair amount of it is in Spanish, so a working knowledge of the language is beneficial to the reader!
Sunday 2 December 2012
Sunday 25 November 2012
Top 10 Sugary Girly Drinks
I'm not a girly girl. But I am an incredibly girly girl when it comes to my drinks! I like fruity, tasty, sugary things a lot! Here are some of my favourites:
Pecheresse
A sweet, fruity Belgian beer. I'm a huge fan of all things peach, and this really does it for me. Not the easiest thing to find in the UK, but the hunt is worth it! Also not the cheapest, but again, worth it! I know, I know, peach and beer sounds like a very peculiar combination, but it really does work! At 30% peach juice it hardly tastes of beer at all. Just sweet, fruity goodness. Summer in a bottle!
Lindisfarne Mead
Yum yum yum! Very sweet, very dangerous. Syrupy, warming, alcoholly goodness. This comes from the island of Lindisfarne, and is not a mead in the strictest sense, because it contains grape juice as well as honey. Either way it's delicious, if again, a bit hard to get hold of.
Sloe Gin
Sweet fruitiness set off perfectly by the bitterness of gin and the sloe. And a lovely colour too. Lovely over ice, and I think it goes very well in lots of cocktails and high balls too.
Ginger Wine
Sweet, warm, fiery. Tastes like Christmas! I love ginger, and whoever decided to combine it with alcohol was a genius. Strangely enough out of all the brands I've tried I really do like the bog standard Sainbury's own brand the best. It's just a bit more raw and spicey than the others, in my opinion.
Moscato D'Asti
Again, another one that's very hard to get hold of in the UK. I tend to just buy it in Italy and bring it back. Light, fizzy, sweet. A really yummy dessert wine. Serve cold. Goes very well with meringue cake.
Pantelleria Moscato Liquoroso
Another Italian one. A little like the Moscato d'Asti, only stronger and not fizzy. A bit like sherry perhaps, only with a lighter flavour. Sweet and very drunkening.
Plum Wine
Sweet, fruity and a touch of the exotic. Available in Chinese supermarkets. Great over ice.
Gallo Family White Zinfandel
Fresh, light and fruity. This stuff is great! A really nice rose wine that hardly feels like drinking. It doesn't keep very well though, so once the bottle is open you have to drink it all. What a shame!
Thistly Cross
A really yummy cider, that is very skilled at bringing on drunkeness very fast. The one I like is the Strong and Scottish one that's 7.2%. Very fruity and very drinkable. Perfect!
Pecheresse
A sweet, fruity Belgian beer. I'm a huge fan of all things peach, and this really does it for me. Not the easiest thing to find in the UK, but the hunt is worth it! Also not the cheapest, but again, worth it! I know, I know, peach and beer sounds like a very peculiar combination, but it really does work! At 30% peach juice it hardly tastes of beer at all. Just sweet, fruity goodness. Summer in a bottle!
Lindisfarne Mead
Yum yum yum! Very sweet, very dangerous. Syrupy, warming, alcoholly goodness. This comes from the island of Lindisfarne, and is not a mead in the strictest sense, because it contains grape juice as well as honey. Either way it's delicious, if again, a bit hard to get hold of.
Sloe Gin
Sweet fruitiness set off perfectly by the bitterness of gin and the sloe. And a lovely colour too. Lovely over ice, and I think it goes very well in lots of cocktails and high balls too.
Ginger Wine
Sweet, warm, fiery. Tastes like Christmas! I love ginger, and whoever decided to combine it with alcohol was a genius. Strangely enough out of all the brands I've tried I really do like the bog standard Sainbury's own brand the best. It's just a bit more raw and spicey than the others, in my opinion.
Moscato D'Asti
Again, another one that's very hard to get hold of in the UK. I tend to just buy it in Italy and bring it back. Light, fizzy, sweet. A really yummy dessert wine. Serve cold. Goes very well with meringue cake.
Pantelleria Moscato Liquoroso
Another Italian one. A little like the Moscato d'Asti, only stronger and not fizzy. A bit like sherry perhaps, only with a lighter flavour. Sweet and very drunkening.
Plum Wine
Sweet, fruity and a touch of the exotic. Available in Chinese supermarkets. Great over ice.
Gallo Family White Zinfandel
Fresh, light and fruity. This stuff is great! A really nice rose wine that hardly feels like drinking. It doesn't keep very well though, so once the bottle is open you have to drink it all. What a shame!
Thistly Cross
A really yummy cider, that is very skilled at bringing on drunkeness very fast. The one I like is the Strong and Scottish one that's 7.2%. Very fruity and very drinkable. Perfect!
Saturday 24 November 2012
Eye Surgery
Ok, so every photographer has taken pictures of eyes, including me, so I wanted to capture something a bit more original. So when a friend had eye surgery I asked to photograph the stitches afterwards. He kindly agreed to model for me and this was my favorite shot:
I used my macro lens and the camera's built-in flash. Obviously the eye was still quite sensitive after surgery so I couldn't take too many shots. If I'd been able to take more I could probably have come up with something better, but I still think this is an interesting take on a classic photo.
I used my macro lens and the camera's built-in flash. Obviously the eye was still quite sensitive after surgery so I couldn't take too many shots. If I'd been able to take more I could probably have come up with something better, but I still think this is an interesting take on a classic photo.
Sunday 18 November 2012
Fringe Shows
Today I thought I'd share with you my thoughts on some of the Fringe shows I went to see this summer. To start with, the Makropulos Case. It's a Czech opera, and was part of the International Festival. The story was a bit odd. There's an ongoing legal battle about an inheritence, and a woman turns up, who knew a strangely large amount about the case. She offers to tell people where the will is in exchange for a document kept with it. It's all very mysterious, but in the end it comes out that the document is the formula for the elixir of life. She needs it to make herself some more because the dose she took many years ago is wearing off. But in the end she doesn't, and grows old and dies onstage. Now odd stories are fine if they're done right, but what really bothered me about this opera was the translation. It was so clumsy! It distracted me all the way through. Very jarring. Would have much rather seen it in Czech! It also struck me as odd that there were no arias at all. It was all cantanta. Having said all that the music was gorgeous. I think I would have really enjoyed it if it wasn't for the awful translation.
Next, Gilbert and Sullivan in Brief(s). This was a brief introduction to all 14 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. There were four people on stage, playing the parts of the four main characters that Gilbert and Sullivan operettas always have. Amid much clowning about on stage, they delivered a summary of the story and history of each operetta and performed a song or two from them. It was educational, the singing was excellent, and it was a very entertaining show. For me though, it was too brief! It missed out lots of my favorite songs. Could have done with being a bit longer I thought. But I did enjoy it.
And finally, Irish Shorts 2. This was one of two shows put on by the same theatre company. It was two different short Irish plays by Sean O'Casey: Bedtime Story and A Pound on Demand. The first starred one of my friends as an Irish boy the morning after a one night stand, full of remorse and fear, trying to persuade the girl to leave quickly and quietly. It was very atmospheric and funny, and the cast were great. The second was also very funny. It was about two drunk and uneducated Irishmen trying to withdraw a pound from one of them's post office account for more alcohol. This proved to be easier said than done. The cast of this one were also fantastic. A very entertaining show. I can't find a picture specific to the show, but this is the logo of Theatre Alba, the company who put it on.
Next, Gilbert and Sullivan in Brief(s). This was a brief introduction to all 14 Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. There were four people on stage, playing the parts of the four main characters that Gilbert and Sullivan operettas always have. Amid much clowning about on stage, they delivered a summary of the story and history of each operetta and performed a song or two from them. It was educational, the singing was excellent, and it was a very entertaining show. For me though, it was too brief! It missed out lots of my favorite songs. Could have done with being a bit longer I thought. But I did enjoy it.
And finally, Irish Shorts 2. This was one of two shows put on by the same theatre company. It was two different short Irish plays by Sean O'Casey: Bedtime Story and A Pound on Demand. The first starred one of my friends as an Irish boy the morning after a one night stand, full of remorse and fear, trying to persuade the girl to leave quickly and quietly. It was very atmospheric and funny, and the cast were great. The second was also very funny. It was about two drunk and uneducated Irishmen trying to withdraw a pound from one of them's post office account for more alcohol. This proved to be easier said than done. The cast of this one were also fantastic. A very entertaining show. I can't find a picture specific to the show, but this is the logo of Theatre Alba, the company who put it on.
Monday 12 November 2012
The Amazing World of Youtube
Isn't youtube amazing? So many amazing videos created by people with too much time on their hands. I'm going to share some of the gems I've found over the years. This one is an old one that I'm sure a lot of people have ever seen. It's called Shoes and it's silly and funny.
Sunday 4 November 2012
Films
A couple more film reviews for you. The first is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. I really enjoyed this. It's set in India but has a quintessentially British feel to it. It's about a group of British pensioners who, for various reasons, all decide to go and live in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India. Each character has their own story, but all the stories are interwoven. Some of them feel right at home in India and others can't cope. It stars all the people you would expect it to, like Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Bill Nighy. It's the performances, rather than the story that make the film for me. Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson and Celia Imrie were all great, but Dev Patel as Sonny, the eternally optimistic manager of the hotel was especially brilliantly funny. A funny film that leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
And now, Brave, the latest offering from Pixar. All of Scotland is going mad for it, because it's set in Scotland, and I must confess I'm no exception. It makes Scotland look so pretty! It's about a feisty young princess called Merida who doesn't want to get married, so she turns her mother into a bear. As you do. She then spends the rest of the film mending the damage. Again, there aren't really any surprises in the casting. Kelly McDonald, Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane etc. It's a great film. Cute and moving and very funny. It's also really easy to watch. I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but it felt like the film doesn't expect too much of the audience. It makes you feel like you to watch it you don't have to be clever or "normal". Like being you is fine. It's a very accepting film. Yes, I am a weirdo...
And finally, Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate). It's a very odd, but very good Mexican film. It's about a young girl called Tita who is forbidden to marry the man she loves. She starts expressing herself through her cooking, and this has very strange consequences on all those who eat it. Plenty of magic, plenty of mystery, plenty of Old Mexico and some really excellent performances. A really unique film!
And now, Brave, the latest offering from Pixar. All of Scotland is going mad for it, because it's set in Scotland, and I must confess I'm no exception. It makes Scotland look so pretty! It's about a feisty young princess called Merida who doesn't want to get married, so she turns her mother into a bear. As you do. She then spends the rest of the film mending the damage. Again, there aren't really any surprises in the casting. Kelly McDonald, Billy Connolly, Robbie Coltrane etc. It's a great film. Cute and moving and very funny. It's also really easy to watch. I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but it felt like the film doesn't expect too much of the audience. It makes you feel like you to watch it you don't have to be clever or "normal". Like being you is fine. It's a very accepting film. Yes, I am a weirdo...
And finally, Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate). It's a very odd, but very good Mexican film. It's about a young girl called Tita who is forbidden to marry the man she loves. She starts expressing herself through her cooking, and this has very strange consequences on all those who eat it. Plenty of magic, plenty of mystery, plenty of Old Mexico and some really excellent performances. A really unique film!
Monday 29 October 2012
Jar of Hearts
Can't stop playing this song this week! I'm not really sure why, as it's not really that good a song, and some of the lyrics are quite silly. It's also not a new song for me, so I'm not really sure why I've suddenly decided now that I love it. Ah well. There's obviously just something about it!
Edinburgh Castle by Night
Two of my good friends have an absolutely fantastic view of Edinburgh Castle from their living room window, so a little while ago I went to photograph it, by night. I took my camera, tripod, remote release and spirit level and changed shutter speeds and aperture until I found an exposure I liked. Once I'd done that I opened the living room window and took my final shots. I wanted to get as much right as I could with the window closed because it was a cold night! The castle is always beautifully lit up at night and I manged to get a shot I really like. Here it is:
Tuesday 23 October 2012
Books
As previously mentioned I like to re-read old childhood favorites. I've been working my way through the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and the latest one was By the Shores of Silver Lake. I really enjoyed re-reading this. I love her writing style with its little, intimate details, and I'm always so impressed by the ingenuity, self-sufficiency and determination people had back then. In this one Laura and her family leave Plum Creek and head out West again. When they first arrive at their destination there's nothing there. But then the town appears, pretty much in the space of two weeks. Amazing! Development in action. The wild birds and wolves leave. How sad. Laura also describes going to see the railroad being built. Wow. It's very impressive stuff. Bit of a change going from agricultural ingenuity to industrial ingenuity. A very enjoyable and interesting read, and a testament to the achievements of man.
Next, The English Patient, by Michael Ondaajte. I decided to read this because I'd enjoyed the film and thought I'd enjoy the book, and I have to say that I really did. The writing style reminds me of Louis de Bernieres, only not funny. It's extremely beautiful in places. It's about a young Canadian nurse, Hana, at the end of the second world war who is taking care of a mysterious patient with no identity in war torn Italy, because he's too ill to be moved. The two of them are joined by Kip, a young Indian sapper and Caravaggio, a fellow Canadian and friend of Hana's father's. The English patient is not all he seems, in fact he's not even English. Gradually his story comes out and he tells the young nurse about his time spent in the Sahara desert, and the woman he loved, and how he came to be so badly burned. Mostly I loved this book. The story is original, and I love the writing style. However, the end is fairly unsatisfactory, in that there isn't really a proper end, and there are a few bits of the book that I just found silly and self indulgent, such as Hana talking to Kip and then she pours milk on his arm. What? That's just silly. Unless there's something deeply symbolic I'm missing here? Or when Caravaggion commits a robbery in the nude. Why on Earth would he do that? Or when Hana helps Kip dismantle a mine and then decides she wants to have a nap on his chest. Well that's not exactly realistic, is it? There'd be far too much adrenaline for napping. Still, despite the odd bits, it's a thought-provoking and beautiful book.
And finally, Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett. This is the 31st book in the Discworld series, of which I am a big fan. It's about a young girl called Polly who disguises herself as a boy so she can join the army and search for her brother. She slowly discovers that all the other recruits in her regiment are also all women, who have disguised themselves as men and run away for various reasons. She also discovers that her country is losing the war she believed they were winning. Eventually, of course, her regiment is victorious, with the help of a minor goddess, and peace breaks out. She and her fellow troops are also found out, but her Sergeant saves them from trouble by revealing that several of the military's top officials are also women in disguise. I don't read Terry Pratchett for the plot, but more for the larger-than-life characters and the hilarious writing style, and this one didn't disappoint in that sense. The plot was a bit dodgy in places, such as discovering a band of dead zombie generals in the basement of the fort, but the writing style was brilliant. And I always love the little, clever touches he puts into his books, such as naming the main character Polly, and her male alter-ego Oliver (as in the song about sweet Polly Oliver), and calling the book Monstrous Regiment, as in John Knox's tract The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Montrous Regimen of Women. Very clever. Another hit from Mr. Pratchett.
Next, The English Patient, by Michael Ondaajte. I decided to read this because I'd enjoyed the film and thought I'd enjoy the book, and I have to say that I really did. The writing style reminds me of Louis de Bernieres, only not funny. It's extremely beautiful in places. It's about a young Canadian nurse, Hana, at the end of the second world war who is taking care of a mysterious patient with no identity in war torn Italy, because he's too ill to be moved. The two of them are joined by Kip, a young Indian sapper and Caravaggio, a fellow Canadian and friend of Hana's father's. The English patient is not all he seems, in fact he's not even English. Gradually his story comes out and he tells the young nurse about his time spent in the Sahara desert, and the woman he loved, and how he came to be so badly burned. Mostly I loved this book. The story is original, and I love the writing style. However, the end is fairly unsatisfactory, in that there isn't really a proper end, and there are a few bits of the book that I just found silly and self indulgent, such as Hana talking to Kip and then she pours milk on his arm. What? That's just silly. Unless there's something deeply symbolic I'm missing here? Or when Caravaggion commits a robbery in the nude. Why on Earth would he do that? Or when Hana helps Kip dismantle a mine and then decides she wants to have a nap on his chest. Well that's not exactly realistic, is it? There'd be far too much adrenaline for napping. Still, despite the odd bits, it's a thought-provoking and beautiful book.
And finally, Monstrous Regiment, by Terry Pratchett. This is the 31st book in the Discworld series, of which I am a big fan. It's about a young girl called Polly who disguises herself as a boy so she can join the army and search for her brother. She slowly discovers that all the other recruits in her regiment are also all women, who have disguised themselves as men and run away for various reasons. She also discovers that her country is losing the war she believed they were winning. Eventually, of course, her regiment is victorious, with the help of a minor goddess, and peace breaks out. She and her fellow troops are also found out, but her Sergeant saves them from trouble by revealing that several of the military's top officials are also women in disguise. I don't read Terry Pratchett for the plot, but more for the larger-than-life characters and the hilarious writing style, and this one didn't disappoint in that sense. The plot was a bit dodgy in places, such as discovering a band of dead zombie generals in the basement of the fort, but the writing style was brilliant. And I always love the little, clever touches he puts into his books, such as naming the main character Polly, and her male alter-ego Oliver (as in the song about sweet Polly Oliver), and calling the book Monstrous Regiment, as in John Knox's tract The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Montrous Regimen of Women. Very clever. Another hit from Mr. Pratchett.
Childhood Favorites
Recently I've been watching kids' films that I used to love but hadn't seen in a while. I'd like to share my thoughts on them. First up, The King and I.
This is one of those films that just about everyone watches at school, and then we all have to sing the songs from it. I hadn't seen it since then. It's the film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which was based on the Margaret Landon novel, Anna and the King of Siam, which in turn was based on Anna Leonowens' memoirs. The film stars Deborrah Kerr, as Anna Leonowens, the school teacher to the children of the King of Siam, and Yul Brynner as the King. It's a good musical, the story is interesting and the portrait of the Siamese court is rich but what really made the film for me was Yul Brynner's performance. His Oscar-winning portrayal of the King is so appealing. I did find the ending a bit weak though. Anna is mean to the King so he gets ill and dies, the end. But a good film, all in all.
Next, Return to Oz. Weird 80s kids' films are my favorites! So I was always going to love this. Rather than being a sequel to the 1939 film, it looks completely different. It's based on an amalgamation of the later Oz books by L. Frank Baum, of which I was a fan when I was younger. It sees Dorothy return to the land of Oz but everything has changed. The Nome king has stolen the ruby slippers, taken over Oz and turned everyone to stone. Dorothy has to defeat him and the evil witch Mombi and save the day, while making lots of new friends on the way. It's a very imaginative and well-made film, with some genuinely scary characters and moments. Love it!
And finally, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Is it just me, or were films far more imaginative back in the 80s? It's about an eccentric inventor whose machine accidently shrinks his children to tiny sizes. They get swept up and thrown away, and have to make their way back across the garden, dodging all sorts of obstacles that would have presented no problem at all if they were their normal size, such as ants, bees, the lawnmower and very small puddles or water. The film is very well done and enjoyable and brings back fond memories of playing in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at the MGM studios in Florida when I was little.
This is one of those films that just about everyone watches at school, and then we all have to sing the songs from it. I hadn't seen it since then. It's the film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which was based on the Margaret Landon novel, Anna and the King of Siam, which in turn was based on Anna Leonowens' memoirs. The film stars Deborrah Kerr, as Anna Leonowens, the school teacher to the children of the King of Siam, and Yul Brynner as the King. It's a good musical, the story is interesting and the portrait of the Siamese court is rich but what really made the film for me was Yul Brynner's performance. His Oscar-winning portrayal of the King is so appealing. I did find the ending a bit weak though. Anna is mean to the King so he gets ill and dies, the end. But a good film, all in all.
Next, Return to Oz. Weird 80s kids' films are my favorites! So I was always going to love this. Rather than being a sequel to the 1939 film, it looks completely different. It's based on an amalgamation of the later Oz books by L. Frank Baum, of which I was a fan when I was younger. It sees Dorothy return to the land of Oz but everything has changed. The Nome king has stolen the ruby slippers, taken over Oz and turned everyone to stone. Dorothy has to defeat him and the evil witch Mombi and save the day, while making lots of new friends on the way. It's a very imaginative and well-made film, with some genuinely scary characters and moments. Love it!
And finally, Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Is it just me, or were films far more imaginative back in the 80s? It's about an eccentric inventor whose machine accidently shrinks his children to tiny sizes. They get swept up and thrown away, and have to make their way back across the garden, dodging all sorts of obstacles that would have presented no problem at all if they were their normal size, such as ants, bees, the lawnmower and very small puddles or water. The film is very well done and enjoyable and brings back fond memories of playing in the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground at the MGM studios in Florida when I was little.
Tuesday 9 October 2012
St. Andrews
I went to St. Andrews for a look around and to take a few pictures. I had a very nice time looking round the pretty town and had a very nice lunch. The wintery light was quite harsh, but I managed to get a few shots of the sea that I liked. I didn't really do anything special to get these, just used an ND grad filter to keep some of the colour in the sky.
Taken on the beach, with the town behind
See the seagulls sitting on the darker rock behind?
Saturday 6 October 2012
My Favorite Android Games
The idea for this entry was inspired by (Ok, blatantly stolen from) my good friend Graeme, who has his blog here. He reviews his favorite Android games in this this entry. So I thought I'd do mine too! In no particular order, let's dive right in.
Firstly, Angry Birds. Yes, ok, this is a very obvious choice, but I can't help it! I love it. It's a great game. You get to catapult cute little birds that make funny noises at green pigs. You get to knock down buildings and smash lots of glass. It's clever, challenging and entertaining. Ok, some parts of it get a bit repetitive, but mostly they keep bringing in enough new ideas to keep me interested. And when you do finish it there are other newer versions to keep you going, like Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Space.
Next up, Doodlejump. Again, another fairly obvious choice that I'm sure most people will have played by now. Basically you control a doodled little creature thing and make it climb up the screen by jumping and using little platforms as steps. There are various items to catch that give you height bonuses, and various enemies and obstacles to shoot and avoid. It's controlled entirely by tilting the phone. I don't know about anyone else, but playing this it blows my mind at how sensitive my phone is. Amazing! Very simple game, very cute and highly addictive!
Next, Temple Run. Another popular one. You control an Indiana Jones type character, running away from enemies along crumbly temple walls. You make your explorer jump, duck, turn and balance by a combination of tilting the phone and swiping your finger, and there are coins to collect along the way as well. The game also gives you different objectives to reach as you go along, such as running a certain distance, or collecting a certain number of coins. Again, a simple game and highly addictive! The only issue I have with this one is that the controls could do with being more sensitive. It's very irritating when you die because you tried to jump and the phone thinks you were turning.
Next up, Unblock me. A more intellectual game here. You're given some wooden blocks laid either vertically or horizontally. There is also a red block. The object is to move the red block the hole in the wall on one side of the board. In order to do that you need to move the other blocks out of the way. The vertical blocks can only be moved up and down and the horizontal blocks can only be moved from side to side. Hours of fun! Some of the levels are really hard! It's a great work-out for the brain. Mine needs one sometimes.
And now, Ninjump. This is a great one. Again, very simple and very addictive. You control a little ninja who's climbing up the space between two buildings. There are various enemies to watch out for, either jumping out of their way onto the opposite building, or jumping into them to kill them. If you kill the same type of enemy three times in a row you get a height bonus. It's all controlled by finger taps and just like Doodlejump, the aim is to get as high as you can. Again simple and addictive. I quite like how the rise of smart phones has amde simple games popular again. Most of the other video games you see these days and so complex.
And finally, Quell Reflect. This is the only game Graeme and I have in common as a favorite, and in fact I discovered it after reading his blog entry. It's a great game. A real brain challenge. Sadly it's not free but it's worth it! The music and look of the game are just beautiful and it's a real brain challenge. When playing through it I sometimes took three days over one puzzle. You move a drop of water around the scren trying to collect pearls and avoid obstacles. All the levels are pretty unique. There seems to be a different new type of obstacle or aid in every level. The only thing I have against it is that's too small! Only took me a couple of months to complete.
GAME ON! ;)
Firstly, Angry Birds. Yes, ok, this is a very obvious choice, but I can't help it! I love it. It's a great game. You get to catapult cute little birds that make funny noises at green pigs. You get to knock down buildings and smash lots of glass. It's clever, challenging and entertaining. Ok, some parts of it get a bit repetitive, but mostly they keep bringing in enough new ideas to keep me interested. And when you do finish it there are other newer versions to keep you going, like Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Space.
Next up, Doodlejump. Again, another fairly obvious choice that I'm sure most people will have played by now. Basically you control a doodled little creature thing and make it climb up the screen by jumping and using little platforms as steps. There are various items to catch that give you height bonuses, and various enemies and obstacles to shoot and avoid. It's controlled entirely by tilting the phone. I don't know about anyone else, but playing this it blows my mind at how sensitive my phone is. Amazing! Very simple game, very cute and highly addictive!
Next, Temple Run. Another popular one. You control an Indiana Jones type character, running away from enemies along crumbly temple walls. You make your explorer jump, duck, turn and balance by a combination of tilting the phone and swiping your finger, and there are coins to collect along the way as well. The game also gives you different objectives to reach as you go along, such as running a certain distance, or collecting a certain number of coins. Again, a simple game and highly addictive! The only issue I have with this one is that the controls could do with being more sensitive. It's very irritating when you die because you tried to jump and the phone thinks you were turning.
Next up, Unblock me. A more intellectual game here. You're given some wooden blocks laid either vertically or horizontally. There is also a red block. The object is to move the red block the hole in the wall on one side of the board. In order to do that you need to move the other blocks out of the way. The vertical blocks can only be moved up and down and the horizontal blocks can only be moved from side to side. Hours of fun! Some of the levels are really hard! It's a great work-out for the brain. Mine needs one sometimes.
And now, Ninjump. This is a great one. Again, very simple and very addictive. You control a little ninja who's climbing up the space between two buildings. There are various enemies to watch out for, either jumping out of their way onto the opposite building, or jumping into them to kill them. If you kill the same type of enemy three times in a row you get a height bonus. It's all controlled by finger taps and just like Doodlejump, the aim is to get as high as you can. Again simple and addictive. I quite like how the rise of smart phones has amde simple games popular again. Most of the other video games you see these days and so complex.
And finally, Quell Reflect. This is the only game Graeme and I have in common as a favorite, and in fact I discovered it after reading his blog entry. It's a great game. A real brain challenge. Sadly it's not free but it's worth it! The music and look of the game are just beautiful and it's a real brain challenge. When playing through it I sometimes took three days over one puzzle. You move a drop of water around the scren trying to collect pearls and avoid obstacles. All the levels are pretty unique. There seems to be a different new type of obstacle or aid in every level. The only thing I have against it is that's too small! Only took me a couple of months to complete.
GAME ON! ;)
Saturday 29 September 2012
Things you wouldn't usually put in your beauty products
Ok, ok, so I'm just about the last person in the world who ought to be giving beauty tips, but I've recently come across a couple of interesting additions you can make to beauty products and I thought I'd share these with you.
The first is distinctly unusual. I had some old saffron kicking around. And by old, I mean really old. Over a decade old. It had gone rather mouldy and was no longer any good for cooking. But me being me, and it being such expensive stuff I didn't really want to throw it away.
And then I remembered something I'd seen on QI (God, I love QI!). Alexander the Great, having very expensive and all, used to use saffron shampoo to keep his hair a lovely reddy blonde colour. Well, I like having reddy blonde hair, so I added the old saffron to my shampoo. I tried adding to my conditioner, but it just didn't mix in properly.
So it turned my shampoo bright yellow, but what did it do to my hair? Well, it did indeed turn it a lovely reddy blonde colour. I was a bit worried it might stain my skin, but it didn't at all. Obviously it's much gentler than an artificial dye and the effect also fades pretty quick when the yellow shampoo runs out. Sadly it doesn't do a lot for dark roots, but it does sort of blur the edges of them so that they're less obvious. So yes, interesting trick and a good way of using up really old spices!
The other one is slightly more conventional and one you may well have heard before, but it worked so well for me I thought I'd pass it on! This tip was one that I found on my friend MsIzzyness 's blog in this entry . She recommends making homemade aspirin toner. But already having a toner I like I decided to just dump some aspirin into it. Well the aspirin dissolved really quickly and I honestly can't believe the difference it's made! I've never had a great skin, but just adding the aspirin has made made my skin so soft! I wouldn't go so far as to say it's perfect now, but it really is a vast improvement!
Aspirin sinks to the bottom. Does need to be shaken before use!
The first is distinctly unusual. I had some old saffron kicking around. And by old, I mean really old. Over a decade old. It had gone rather mouldy and was no longer any good for cooking. But me being me, and it being such expensive stuff I didn't really want to throw it away.
And then I remembered something I'd seen on QI (God, I love QI!). Alexander the Great, having very expensive and all, used to use saffron shampoo to keep his hair a lovely reddy blonde colour. Well, I like having reddy blonde hair, so I added the old saffron to my shampoo. I tried adding to my conditioner, but it just didn't mix in properly.
So it turned my shampoo bright yellow, but what did it do to my hair? Well, it did indeed turn it a lovely reddy blonde colour. I was a bit worried it might stain my skin, but it didn't at all. Obviously it's much gentler than an artificial dye and the effect also fades pretty quick when the yellow shampoo runs out. Sadly it doesn't do a lot for dark roots, but it does sort of blur the edges of them so that they're less obvious. So yes, interesting trick and a good way of using up really old spices!
The other one is slightly more conventional and one you may well have heard before, but it worked so well for me I thought I'd pass it on! This tip was one that I found on my friend MsIzzyness 's blog in this entry . She recommends making homemade aspirin toner. But already having a toner I like I decided to just dump some aspirin into it. Well the aspirin dissolved really quickly and I honestly can't believe the difference it's made! I've never had a great skin, but just adding the aspirin has made made my skin so soft! I wouldn't go so far as to say it's perfect now, but it really is a vast improvement!
Wednesday 26 September 2012
My latest song obsession
This week, I can't get enough of this:
It's a cover of the 1959 original by Bourvil. It's just so cheerful and catchy. Sorry I couldn't find a decent video though!
It's a cover of the 1959 original by Bourvil. It's just so cheerful and catchy. Sorry I couldn't find a decent video though!
Friday 21 September 2012
German Market
Every year at Christmas time a German market comes to town, and everyone goes out to do their Christmas shopping, drilled mulled wine and eat waffles. It's a beautiful market, so naturally I went along with my camera and macro lens. Here are a few of my favorite shots from that night:
Blurry, I know. It's an attempt at artiness.
They also have rides at the Christmas market. Here are a couple of shots of the rides:
It was cold taking those! Very very cold! I highly recommend a pair of silk gloves. They're thin enough for you to operate your equipment without getting cold burns from touching cold metal tripods.
They also have rides at the Christmas market. Here are a couple of shots of the rides:
It was cold taking those! Very very cold! I highly recommend a pair of silk gloves. They're thin enough for you to operate your equipment without getting cold burns from touching cold metal tripods.
Monday 17 September 2012
Soda Bread
Yes, I know there have been a lot of food-related posts lately. This is the last one for a while, promise. Anyway, inspired by my recent to Northern Ireland I decided to try my hand at soda bread. I used:
300g wholemeal flour
250ml buttermilk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
I mixed it altogether and put it in the oven at 200 degrees for 40 minutes. Simples! And also yummy!
Ok, it doesn't look that tasty. The photo doesn't do it justice!
One thing I learned though was to NOT bake it on greaseproof paper. It stuck and wouldn't come off. Next time I'll put it straight into the loaf tin. Recommended warm with butter. Enjoy!
300g wholemeal flour
250ml buttermilk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
I mixed it altogether and put it in the oven at 200 degrees for 40 minutes. Simples! And also yummy!
One thing I learned though was to NOT bake it on greaseproof paper. It stuck and wouldn't come off. Next time I'll put it straight into the loaf tin. Recommended warm with butter. Enjoy!
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