A short post tonight, but I just spotted this quote on a messageboard I visit regularly, as the signature of one of the posters. The quote is as follows:
"There’s only two possibilities: There is life out there in the universe which is smarter than we are, or we’re the most intelligent life in the universe. Either way, it’s a mighty sobering thought." - Porkypine in Walt Kelly's Pogo.
Just thought I'd share that with you, sure made me stop and think.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Monday, June 26, 2006
Elfsong: A Book Review
Right one more book after this one to review and then I'm all caught up on these. Elfsong by Elaine Cunningham is a Forgotten Realms novel and is the sequel to her earlier book Elfshadow. As with that earlier book, this one is part of the Harpers series of stories that focuses on the agents of that semi-secret organisation. In this case the Harper agent is Danilo Thann, a nobleman and dandy of Waterdeep and both amateur wizard and bard. This is his story and his partner from the first novel (Arilyn Moonblade) makes only the briefest of appearances near the start of the book.
Danilo is called upon by his uncle Khelben 'Blackstaff' Arunsun, Archmage of Waterdeep and a senior Harper to investigate why the bards of the northlands are suddenly telling tales that are wrong and even ones of events that have never happened at all! Danilo is joined in this quest by the elf bard Wyn and a dwarven artist named Morgalla. Together they set out to confront the green dragon Grimnoshtadrano, as one of the new tales that has suddenly appeared in the minds of the bards is clearly intended to lure people to the dragons lair for a riddle challenge.
Deciding that having a riddlemaster with them would be very wise, Danilo seeks to hire one Vartain of Calimport, only to find that he is already employed in the service of one of Danilo's worst enemies, the rogue elf Elaith Craulnober. Elaith is searching for the Morninglark Harp, an ancient elven instrument of great power which is reputed to be in the green dragons possession. Meeting up and on the brink of fighting each other, the two groups (Elaith has a half dozen mercenaries with him too), are attacked by a large band of harpies which they barely fend off. Agreeing to travel together for mutual protection the group head for the dragon's lair.
What neither of them know is that the harp isn't there anymore, having been given by the dragon to the bard Garnet in return for the song that will lure bards to him. Garnet seeks revenge on Khelben for what has happened to the Harpers, a group originally founded to preserve the history and lore of the world but now almost exclusively concerned with furthering the political aims of its leaders. Garnet seeks to use the power of the harp and song in general to teach the world a lesson that it ignores history at its peril.
Further complicating matters are the Knights of the Shield, a group of ruthless southern merchant lords with an eye on taking control of Waterdeep itself. Waterdeep is ruled by the masked Lords, all but one of them anonymous to the general public. But anonymity can be as much a hindrance as a help if the right rumours are started, especially as Garnet's influence in altering the songs helps to undermine the legitimacy of Waterdeep's unknown rulers.
The book is very well written as I would usually expect from Elaine Cunningham, one of the best loved authors of the Realms (just don't get me started on her awful Counsellors & Kings trilogy!), with truly wonderful repartee between Elaith and Danilo, two men who despise each other and yet have a mutual grudging respect for one another. This is very much their book, though all the secondary characters get plenty of moments to shine. Elaine writes very good ensemble stories and this is no exception.
There is a lot of humour too, mostly provided by Danilo, who acts the fop and dandy, but in truth is anything but. Morgalla has a wonderful sense of wit too (especially in her satirical portraits), and also Laeral, Khelben's long suffering wife who has a mischievous streak a mile long! The plot twists and turns, and covers a great deal of the northlands too before it is done. I'm going to award this novel 4/5 though, as while it is very good, Danilo as a character does work best when he has Arilyn to complement him, a role that Elaith, Morgalla and Wyn just cannot completely fill in her absence.
Danilo is called upon by his uncle Khelben 'Blackstaff' Arunsun, Archmage of Waterdeep and a senior Harper to investigate why the bards of the northlands are suddenly telling tales that are wrong and even ones of events that have never happened at all! Danilo is joined in this quest by the elf bard Wyn and a dwarven artist named Morgalla. Together they set out to confront the green dragon Grimnoshtadrano, as one of the new tales that has suddenly appeared in the minds of the bards is clearly intended to lure people to the dragons lair for a riddle challenge.
Deciding that having a riddlemaster with them would be very wise, Danilo seeks to hire one Vartain of Calimport, only to find that he is already employed in the service of one of Danilo's worst enemies, the rogue elf Elaith Craulnober. Elaith is searching for the Morninglark Harp, an ancient elven instrument of great power which is reputed to be in the green dragons possession. Meeting up and on the brink of fighting each other, the two groups (Elaith has a half dozen mercenaries with him too), are attacked by a large band of harpies which they barely fend off. Agreeing to travel together for mutual protection the group head for the dragon's lair.
What neither of them know is that the harp isn't there anymore, having been given by the dragon to the bard Garnet in return for the song that will lure bards to him. Garnet seeks revenge on Khelben for what has happened to the Harpers, a group originally founded to preserve the history and lore of the world but now almost exclusively concerned with furthering the political aims of its leaders. Garnet seeks to use the power of the harp and song in general to teach the world a lesson that it ignores history at its peril.
Further complicating matters are the Knights of the Shield, a group of ruthless southern merchant lords with an eye on taking control of Waterdeep itself. Waterdeep is ruled by the masked Lords, all but one of them anonymous to the general public. But anonymity can be as much a hindrance as a help if the right rumours are started, especially as Garnet's influence in altering the songs helps to undermine the legitimacy of Waterdeep's unknown rulers.
The book is very well written as I would usually expect from Elaine Cunningham, one of the best loved authors of the Realms (just don't get me started on her awful Counsellors & Kings trilogy!), with truly wonderful repartee between Elaith and Danilo, two men who despise each other and yet have a mutual grudging respect for one another. This is very much their book, though all the secondary characters get plenty of moments to shine. Elaine writes very good ensemble stories and this is no exception.
There is a lot of humour too, mostly provided by Danilo, who acts the fop and dandy, but in truth is anything but. Morgalla has a wonderful sense of wit too (especially in her satirical portraits), and also Laeral, Khelben's long suffering wife who has a mischievous streak a mile long! The plot twists and turns, and covers a great deal of the northlands too before it is done. I'm going to award this novel 4/5 though, as while it is very good, Danilo as a character does work best when he has Arilyn to complement him, a role that Elaith, Morgalla and Wyn just cannot completely fill in her absence.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Realms Of The Deep: A Book Review
Considering that I finished this book a couple weeks back (and have read a couple others since), it is well past time that I wrote up this review of it. Realms of the Deep is an anthology of short stories, set in the world of the Forgotten Realms. As with the other Realms anthologies such as Realms of the Elves, the stories within its covers have a common theme, in this case they are set around the events of the Threat From The Sea trilogy of novels, which detailed a great war under the seas around Faerun, which at times spilled over onto the lands that had shorelines along those seas.
The stories in this anthology are as follows:
As well, at the back of the book is a small appendix detailing the Calendar of Harptos, which is how the world of the Forgotten Realms measures its years. Too there are a few pages giving a paragraph of infomation on each of the authors.
All in all this is a pretty decent collection of stories, with a couple stand out tales from Troy Denning and Mel Odom, and a surprisingly good story from Ed Greenwood (whose stories I normally can't stand). I've not read the trilogy that this anthology supports as yet, as I'm having a hard time finding a copy of the second book, but after reading this book I am much more keen to do so.
The stories in this anthology are as follows:
- Hard Choices by Lynn Abbey. Where a malenti (a sahaugin that looks like a sea elf), must decide whether his allegiance lies with the people he was born too, or those he resembles. 3/5.
- Fire Is Fire by Elaine Cunningham. A young wizard who dreams of glory gets a harsh lesson in reality during the sahaugin's siege of Waterdeep. 4/5.
- Messenger to Seros by Peter Archer. A merman is sent to bring warning to the peoples of the Inner Sea of the growing war and befriends an orphaned girl in his strange voyage. 2/5.
- The Place Where Guards Snore At Their Posts by Ed Greenwood. An apprentice wizard on the Isle of Mintarn with a fondness for practical jokes, becomes the unlikely saviour of the island's ruler (and his lovely daughter). 4/5.
- Lost Cause by Richard Lee Byers. A knight sent to lead a militia unit gets a lesson in honour & duty in the process of defending a village from attacks by Crabmen. 4/5.
- Forged In Fire by Clayton Emery. A pirate captain only out for himself is reluctantly drawn into the growing conflict with the creatures of the sea, and meets his match in the form of Belinda Destine, a nigh unstoppable Imperial Marine of Calimshan. 4/5.
- One Who Swims With Sekolah by Mel Odom. Laaqueel, a malenti priestess bears witness as her king Iakhovas, the instigator of the undersea war, seeks an artifact and then uses it to shatter the Sharksbane Wall, freeing the sahaugin to raid and pillage the Inner Sea. 5/5.
- The Crystal Reef by Troy Denning. A pauper Reef Giant is caught between the forces of Calimshan's navy, and those of the undersea races when they fight over the worthless island that is his beloved home, neither side willing to concede the island to the other, their battle destroying it in the process! 5/5.
- The Patrol by Larry Hobbs. A rookie guardsman earns the respect of his colleagues in the Cimbar city watch whilst hunting down a malenti assassin. 3/5.
- Star Of Tethyr by Thomas M. Reid. A young sailor gets his first taste of duty when he is called upon to replace a fallen crewmate during an attack by the undersea races on Tethyr's shipyards. 3/5.
- Persana's Blade by Steven E. Schend. A young triton gets more than he ever thought he would from life, when he becomes bonded to a magical weapon during a devastating attack by morkoth's on his city. 2/5.
- And The Dark Tide Rises by Keith Francis Strohm. Morgan Kevlynson must undertake a perilous journey to an island to pass on a warning on behalf of a badly injured sea elf who cannot make the trip there herself. 3/5.
As well, at the back of the book is a small appendix detailing the Calendar of Harptos, which is how the world of the Forgotten Realms measures its years. Too there are a few pages giving a paragraph of infomation on each of the authors.
All in all this is a pretty decent collection of stories, with a couple stand out tales from Troy Denning and Mel Odom, and a surprisingly good story from Ed Greenwood (whose stories I normally can't stand). I've not read the trilogy that this anthology supports as yet, as I'm having a hard time finding a copy of the second book, but after reading this book I am much more keen to do so.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Photobucket
If you're viewing this page at around about the same time I'm writing this post, then you'll have noticed that the wonderful picture that this site is named for (as well as my photo) are missing. Fear not, I'm not getting rid of them or anything like that. It is simply that they are not housed on blogspot's servers, but rather at a free image hosting service called www.photobucket.com.
And it would seem that photobucket are having a few problems right now, as those images can't be accessed and neither can the picture I use in the chatrooms I roleplay in (which is how I discovered that photobucket wasn't working right, when that picture wouldn't load up in the room). Hopefully everything will be back to normal in a few hours and this site will again be looking as I like it too.
Ohh and for the record, this is the 300th post since I started this blog!
And it would seem that photobucket are having a few problems right now, as those images can't be accessed and neither can the picture I use in the chatrooms I roleplay in (which is how I discovered that photobucket wasn't working right, when that picture wouldn't load up in the room). Hopefully everything will be back to normal in a few hours and this site will again be looking as I like it too.
Ohh and for the record, this is the 300th post since I started this blog!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
I'm Back... Miss Me?
It sure is nice to be back on the net after an absence of a few days. Okay, so I grabbed an hour of surfing on the computers in the town library yesterday, but those things take forever to load webpages, when compared to the broadband connection that I am used too. So I'm not counting that. We've not had an internet connection in the house since late last week though, as our broadband provider decided that we hadn't paid our monthly fee (despite it being set up for them to take the money) and cut off our access.
Cue a weekend of Tony growling at them down the phone to get their act together and re-connect us and them giving all the usual tried and tested excuses, resulting in the past weekend being spent without acce3ss to my favourite webpages such as the dozen or so webcomics I follow, the roleplay chatrooms I hang out in, the message boards I frequent and comment on and of course this blog. Sure is nice to be back!
Cue a weekend of Tony growling at them down the phone to get their act together and re-connect us and them giving all the usual tried and tested excuses, resulting in the past weekend being spent without acce3ss to my favourite webpages such as the dozen or so webcomics I follow, the roleplay chatrooms I hang out in, the message boards I frequent and comment on and of course this blog. Sure is nice to be back!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Forty Nine Questions
I got an email yesterday from a good friend. The letter contained 49 questions, and said to fill them out and then forward the mail both to the sender and to several friends. The idea being that those friends would then fill out their own responses to those questions and I'd get back their answers and perhaps learn a few things about them I didn't know before. I'm not really a fan of chain letters though, I tend to delete them, most often without reading them at all. Still the idea of this intrigued me. So I'm going to post the questions and my answers to them here instead. If you want to do the same, feel free to post your answers in a comment.
1. FIRST NAME? Robert
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My father's middle name is Robert, so I was partially named after him.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? The last time I watched the movie Deep Impact. It always gets me.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, except when I try to write fast.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Corned Beef
6. KIDS? No
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Doubt it
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes , you're reading it now.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Sometimes.
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No!
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? No Added Sugar Alpen Muesli
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? White Vanilla
15. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE STRONG? Not really
16. SHOE SIZE? 9 (UK sizing)
17. RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My eyebrows
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My friends from University
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Not sending it to anyone.
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black trousers and navy blue slippers.
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? A Hazy Shade Of Winter - The Bangles
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue
25. SMELL? Lynx Africa
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My Mum
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Hair
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON THAT SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes I do!
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Diet Coke
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Football (Man Utd supporter)
31. EYE COLOR? Blue
32. HAT SIZE? No idea!
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I wear spectacles
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Lasagne
35. SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING? Neither
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIES? Mission Impossible III
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Ice Cream
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No-one
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No-one
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Forgotten Realms novels
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Germany v Poland in the World Cup
46. FAVORITE SOUND? Don't have one really.
47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Both are equally crap
48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Northern Italy
49. WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATION? Cake Shop Assistant
1. FIRST NAME? Robert
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? My father's middle name is Robert, so I was partially named after him.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? The last time I watched the movie Deep Impact. It always gets me.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes, except when I try to write fast.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Corned Beef
6. KIDS? No
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Doubt it
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes , you're reading it now.
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Sometimes.
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No!
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? No Added Sugar Alpen Muesli
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes
14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? White Vanilla
15. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE STRONG? Not really
16. SHOE SIZE? 9 (UK sizing)
17. RED OR PINK? Red
18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My eyebrows
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My friends from University
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Not sending it to anyone.
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Black trousers and navy blue slippers.
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? A Hazy Shade Of Winter - The Bangles
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue
25. SMELL? Lynx Africa
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My Mum
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Hair
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON THAT SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes I do!
29. FAVORITE DRINK? Diet Coke
30. FAVORITE SPORT? Football (Man Utd supporter)
31. EYE COLOR? Blue
32. HAT SIZE? No idea!
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? I wear spectacles
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Lasagne
35. SCARY MOVIE OR HAPPY ENDING? Neither
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIES? Mission Impossible III
37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? White
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Winter
39. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Ice Cream
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No-one
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No-one
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Forgotten Realms novels
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Germany v Poland in the World Cup
46. FAVORITE SOUND? Don't have one really.
47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Both are equally crap
48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Northern Italy
49. WHAT IS YOUR PRESENT OCCUPATION? Cake Shop Assistant
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Baa Baa Banned Sheep!
It never fails to amaze me that every time I think this world cannot get any stranger, somehow it always manages to do just that. This time it is nursery rhymes that have been banned from schools in India for being, get this... unpatriotic! I mean what the fuck?? This is the sort of news that when I hear it, I have to check the date to make sure that it isn't April 1st somehow. But nope, this is the honest truth.
As detailed in this article on the BBC News website, the Indian government has banned the teaching of british nursery rhymes in schools because it wants children to learn Indian rhymes to "infuse patriotism and reduce Western influence on children". I thought we had it bad in this country with politically correct jobsworth assholes who come up with bright ideas like abolishing Sports Day at schools because "it is unfair to make the children compete". Bollocks is it unfair to make them compete, life is competition after all. They will have to compete for everything they ever get (or almost everything anyway), so they might as well get used too it.
Without competition there is no ambition, no drive to exceed and excel. There is just complacency and averages. But seriously, banning nursery rhymes is just ridiculous. It's not like the kids aren't going to recite them out of school anyway. Also this reducing Western influence is a load of crap. There are 1 BILLION Indian people. All put together, the entire populations of the European Union, USA and Canada come to less than that, and they're worried about our effect on their culture?
Just another sign (as if one was needed) that this world is going to hell in a handbasket!
As detailed in this article on the BBC News website, the Indian government has banned the teaching of british nursery rhymes in schools because it wants children to learn Indian rhymes to "infuse patriotism and reduce Western influence on children". I thought we had it bad in this country with politically correct jobsworth assholes who come up with bright ideas like abolishing Sports Day at schools because "it is unfair to make the children compete". Bollocks is it unfair to make them compete, life is competition after all. They will have to compete for everything they ever get (or almost everything anyway), so they might as well get used too it.
Without competition there is no ambition, no drive to exceed and excel. There is just complacency and averages. But seriously, banning nursery rhymes is just ridiculous. It's not like the kids aren't going to recite them out of school anyway. Also this reducing Western influence is a load of crap. There are 1 BILLION Indian people. All put together, the entire populations of the European Union, USA and Canada come to less than that, and they're worried about our effect on their culture?
Just another sign (as if one was needed) that this world is going to hell in a handbasket!
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
In These Arms
There are many Bon Jovi songs that I like, but none more so than this one. There is a real sense of need, of desperation almost, about the lyrics. It is a song I can identify with, that ache to have and to hold. I've listened to this song in anger, and in tears, and sometimes both at once. I could say more about this song, but I'm going to shut up and just let the lyrics speak for themselves.
In These Arms by Bon Jovi
You want commitment
Take a look into these eyes
They burn as fire (yeah)
Until the end of time
I would do anything (baby)
I'd beg, I'd steal, I'd die
To have you in these arms tonight
Baby I want you
Like the roses want the rain
You know I need you
Like a poet needs the pain
I would give anything
My blood, my love, my life
If you were in these arms tonight
I'd hold you
I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you
I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'll never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
We stared at the sun
And we made a promise
A promise this world would never blind us
These were our words
Our words were our songs
Our songs are our prayers
These prayers keep me strong
And I still believe
If you were in these arms
I'd hold you
I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you
I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
Your clothes are still scattered
All over our room
This old place still smells
Like your cheap perfume
Everything here reminds me of you
There's nothing I wouldn't do...
And these were our words
They keep me strong...baby
I'd hold you
I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you
I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms...baby
(Fading)
Like the roses need the rain
Like the singles need to change
Like the poets need the pain
I need you
In these arms tonight
In These Arms by Bon Jovi
You want commitment
Take a look into these eyes
They burn as fire (yeah)
Until the end of time
I would do anything (baby)
I'd beg, I'd steal, I'd die
To have you in these arms tonight
Baby I want you
Like the roses want the rain
You know I need you
Like a poet needs the pain
I would give anything
My blood, my love, my life
If you were in these arms tonight
I'd hold you
I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you
I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'll never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
We stared at the sun
And we made a promise
A promise this world would never blind us
These were our words
Our words were our songs
Our songs are our prayers
These prayers keep me strong
And I still believe
If you were in these arms
I'd hold you
I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you
I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
Your clothes are still scattered
All over our room
This old place still smells
Like your cheap perfume
Everything here reminds me of you
There's nothing I wouldn't do...
And these were our words
They keep me strong...baby
I'd hold you
I'd need you
I'd get down on my knees for you
And make everything alright
If you were in these arms
I'd love you
I'd please you
I'd tell you that I'd never leave you
And love you 'til the end of time
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms tonight
If you were in these arms...baby
(Fading)
Like the roses need the rain
Like the singles need to change
Like the poets need the pain
I need you
In these arms tonight
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Why Do Bears Climb Trees?
To escape cats apparently! As another in an irregular series of strange animal related articles, I bring you a link to this story on the BBC News website, in which a black bear was twice chased up a tree by a 15lb housecat! I've heard of wolverines taking on bears before (even though bears are like 10 times the size of a wolverine) and winning, but this takes the piss frankly. My faith in bears being these awesome fierce creatures is shaken by this that's for sure. Have a read and have a laugh, I know I did.
A Disappointing Start
So the World Cup began yesterday. For the next couple weeks, there will be a game at 2pm, 5pm and 8pm every day. Some I am eagerly looking forward to watching, others not so much and only a very few not at all. I'll watch as many as I can though regardless. After all, this only happens every four years, so it is something to savour. Plus, pretty much all the conversation for the next month is going to revolve around this tournament, so I if I want to to be able to take part in conversations, I'd better study up.
As to the title of this piece, it is not referring to the first match yesterday where Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in a pretty entertaining match by all accounts (though I only got to see the first 25 mins of it). No, the title refers to England's first match at 2pm today, where they won 1-0 against Paraguay. I got to watch the whole first half in the canteen at work, thanks to the TV that the company have allowed us to put there for the duration of the tournament. The first half was... it was okay I guess. Beckham's free kick went in off the goalkeepers hand for an own goal and that was it for the scoring.
Everyone I've spoken too who watched the second half have been replete with comments to the tune of "Paraguay were all over us" etc. In short, England did their usual trick of defending on a 1 goal lead. This blindingly stupid tactic is what they tried doing against Brazil in the last World Cup and as a result were soundly beaten. You'd think they'd learn. The rest of the first half, I honestly thought they had. Sure they were still passing the ball backwards way too much (their goal is in the other direction guys, that's where you should be sending the ball), but they were doing plenty of attacking. For a team that is rated second favourites to win the World Cup, they looked distinctly average at best.
Which certainly cannot be said about either Argentina (boo hiss) or Ivory Coast, who Tony, Gareth and I have just watched playing each other. A 2-1 win to the Argies unfortunately, but a really good game, fast paced and furious. Both teams playing with the idea that the best defence is offense, which makes for blinding runs and very nifty midfield footwork. I have no work tomorrow so that'll be me, downstairs in our lounge, watching all 3 games. Monday I have a LOT of parcels from my recent wave of Ebay auctions to send out, but I'm sure if I get up early I can have that all done by midday and thus free my time for another trio of matches.
One thing is for sure, I'm going to be spending a lot less time sat at this computer for the next few weeks. Which is probably a good thing, unless you happen to be someone I chat with a lot on MSN or Yahoo. To those people I'll say only this: If you live in my town I have a 28" widescreen TV and plenty of chairs in the lounge. Just bring your own drinks and snacks. If you don't live in Taunton then sorry, but I don't watch much football, but I do watch the World Cup. I'm sure you'll all get along fine without me for a while.
As to the title of this piece, it is not referring to the first match yesterday where Germany beat Costa Rica 4-2 in a pretty entertaining match by all accounts (though I only got to see the first 25 mins of it). No, the title refers to England's first match at 2pm today, where they won 1-0 against Paraguay. I got to watch the whole first half in the canteen at work, thanks to the TV that the company have allowed us to put there for the duration of the tournament. The first half was... it was okay I guess. Beckham's free kick went in off the goalkeepers hand for an own goal and that was it for the scoring.
Everyone I've spoken too who watched the second half have been replete with comments to the tune of "Paraguay were all over us" etc. In short, England did their usual trick of defending on a 1 goal lead. This blindingly stupid tactic is what they tried doing against Brazil in the last World Cup and as a result were soundly beaten. You'd think they'd learn. The rest of the first half, I honestly thought they had. Sure they were still passing the ball backwards way too much (their goal is in the other direction guys, that's where you should be sending the ball), but they were doing plenty of attacking. For a team that is rated second favourites to win the World Cup, they looked distinctly average at best.
Which certainly cannot be said about either Argentina (boo hiss) or Ivory Coast, who Tony, Gareth and I have just watched playing each other. A 2-1 win to the Argies unfortunately, but a really good game, fast paced and furious. Both teams playing with the idea that the best defence is offense, which makes for blinding runs and very nifty midfield footwork. I have no work tomorrow so that'll be me, downstairs in our lounge, watching all 3 games. Monday I have a LOT of parcels from my recent wave of Ebay auctions to send out, but I'm sure if I get up early I can have that all done by midday and thus free my time for another trio of matches.
One thing is for sure, I'm going to be spending a lot less time sat at this computer for the next few weeks. Which is probably a good thing, unless you happen to be someone I chat with a lot on MSN or Yahoo. To those people I'll say only this: If you live in my town I have a 28" widescreen TV and plenty of chairs in the lounge. Just bring your own drinks and snacks. If you don't live in Taunton then sorry, but I don't watch much football, but I do watch the World Cup. I'm sure you'll all get along fine without me for a while.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The Jewel Of Turmish: A Book Review
I meant to write up this book review a few days back, still better late than never I suppose. The Jewel of Turmish by Mel Odom is a Forgotten Realms novel and the third book in the four part The Cities series. Each of the four novels is set in one of the great cities of Faerun, in this case the city of Alaghon, capital of the realm of Turmish. I've read all four of the series now and posted a review a while back of one of them, The City of Ravens, the other two I'd read before starting this blog.
The main character of this story is a young male druid by the name of Haarn Brightoak, a defender of the forests and wild lands of Turmish and a servant of the Emerald Enclave, an organisation of druids and rangers, determined to blance the growth of civilisation with the preservation of the wilds. A fantasy version of Greenpeace or the National Trust, only armed with spells and blades! We encounter him as he is following a band of mercenaries who have come into his protected woods to hunt wolves, having been offered gold to bring back wolf scalps by a farmer whose children were attacked.
With the mercenaries is Druz Talimsir, a striking young woman who left her family home in Cormyr to see the world and have adventures. When Haarn catches up to the group she is travelling with, she manages to defuse the potentially violent encounter and then accompanies Haarn as he takes up the hunt for the wolfpack, determined to stop them from preying on humans, knowing that their actions will only serve to bring more hunters into the woodland, hunters that will not be picky about which wolves (and other animals for that matter) they are killing.
Meanwhile in Alaghon itself ,a group of children make a terrible mistake and accidentally wake a long slumbering evil, the mohrg wizard Borran Klosk. As for what a mohrg is, words fail me, so have a look at this picture instead! Now picture that, only with spells as well. As for the name, is it just me or does the name Borran Klosk sound like some eastern european actor from an old Hammer Horror movie? It sure did to me. Anyway, it can use that hideous tongue as a weapon and the book is replete with many mentions of it smashing through heads and ribcages with ease.
To my mind there are two problems with this book. The first is that despite the book ostensibly being about Alaghon, the city doesn't really feature that strongly and certainly is not brought to life by the narrative. In the other books in the series (The City of Ravens, Temple Hill and The City of Splendors), the city itself has seemed as much a character as the people in the story. Not so in this case. the second problem is how long this book takes to really get going. As an example, it is not until page 263 that Haarn and Druz even enter Alaghon, spending far too long in the wilderness hunting a scarred old wolf. Were this a story about a druid in the wild, that would be all fine and good, it is certainly well written, but it is a story about a city. For that city to barely feature is inexcusable.
Actually, while I'm on the topic of things that are wrong, I'll add a third item that annoyed me about this book. The author had previously written the Threat From The Sea Trilogy, which I have not, as yet anyway, read. This novel takes place not long after the end of the trilogy and while I would expect recent events to be mentioned, I would not expect them to be mentioned, repeatedly, in every chapter (and at times it felt like every sodding page). In particular the destruction of The Whamite Isles. Yes they were destroyed, yes the population that lived there is now mindless undead. I got that the first couple times you wrote it Mr. Odom, it really wasn't neccessary to beat me over the head by mentioning it another 50 times!
This book suffers from a loooong drawn out beginning and a rushed finale. At 311 pages, for the main characters to not even enter the setting for which the book is named until page 263 is just wrong. Also the villain of the piece could really have used a better name, I felt like laughing every time I read Borran Klosk on the page (and did laugh whenever some civilian or other would scream something like: "It's Borran Klosk!! Run for your lives!!"). See? You're probably grinning too.
I'm going to award this book 2/5 and it gets that second point solely on the basis of the good writing in the wilderness chapters. Druz and Haarn are good characters, I enjoyed reading about them in the wild and their burgeoning respect and affection for each other. If the book had been 311 pages of that, I'd likely be awarding it 4/5 instead.
The main character of this story is a young male druid by the name of Haarn Brightoak, a defender of the forests and wild lands of Turmish and a servant of the Emerald Enclave, an organisation of druids and rangers, determined to blance the growth of civilisation with the preservation of the wilds. A fantasy version of Greenpeace or the National Trust, only armed with spells and blades! We encounter him as he is following a band of mercenaries who have come into his protected woods to hunt wolves, having been offered gold to bring back wolf scalps by a farmer whose children were attacked.
With the mercenaries is Druz Talimsir, a striking young woman who left her family home in Cormyr to see the world and have adventures. When Haarn catches up to the group she is travelling with, she manages to defuse the potentially violent encounter and then accompanies Haarn as he takes up the hunt for the wolfpack, determined to stop them from preying on humans, knowing that their actions will only serve to bring more hunters into the woodland, hunters that will not be picky about which wolves (and other animals for that matter) they are killing.
Meanwhile in Alaghon itself ,a group of children make a terrible mistake and accidentally wake a long slumbering evil, the mohrg wizard Borran Klosk. As for what a mohrg is, words fail me, so have a look at this picture instead! Now picture that, only with spells as well. As for the name, is it just me or does the name Borran Klosk sound like some eastern european actor from an old Hammer Horror movie? It sure did to me. Anyway, it can use that hideous tongue as a weapon and the book is replete with many mentions of it smashing through heads and ribcages with ease.
To my mind there are two problems with this book. The first is that despite the book ostensibly being about Alaghon, the city doesn't really feature that strongly and certainly is not brought to life by the narrative. In the other books in the series (The City of Ravens, Temple Hill and The City of Splendors), the city itself has seemed as much a character as the people in the story. Not so in this case. the second problem is how long this book takes to really get going. As an example, it is not until page 263 that Haarn and Druz even enter Alaghon, spending far too long in the wilderness hunting a scarred old wolf. Were this a story about a druid in the wild, that would be all fine and good, it is certainly well written, but it is a story about a city. For that city to barely feature is inexcusable.
Actually, while I'm on the topic of things that are wrong, I'll add a third item that annoyed me about this book. The author had previously written the Threat From The Sea Trilogy, which I have not, as yet anyway, read. This novel takes place not long after the end of the trilogy and while I would expect recent events to be mentioned, I would not expect them to be mentioned, repeatedly, in every chapter (and at times it felt like every sodding page). In particular the destruction of The Whamite Isles. Yes they were destroyed, yes the population that lived there is now mindless undead. I got that the first couple times you wrote it Mr. Odom, it really wasn't neccessary to beat me over the head by mentioning it another 50 times!
This book suffers from a loooong drawn out beginning and a rushed finale. At 311 pages, for the main characters to not even enter the setting for which the book is named until page 263 is just wrong. Also the villain of the piece could really have used a better name, I felt like laughing every time I read Borran Klosk on the page (and did laugh whenever some civilian or other would scream something like: "It's Borran Klosk!! Run for your lives!!"). See? You're probably grinning too.
I'm going to award this book 2/5 and it gets that second point solely on the basis of the good writing in the wilderness chapters. Druz and Haarn are good characters, I enjoyed reading about them in the wild and their burgeoning respect and affection for each other. If the book had been 311 pages of that, I'd likely be awarding it 4/5 instead.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Hectic
That is the best word I can think of to describe being at work today. I guessed walking to work this morning that we were in for a busy day, as the sun was out and it was already hot out, and this was at 8:15am! Past experience has taught me that hot weather = high sales on cream cakes. Today was no exception, and so myself and my Cake Shop colleague John Punch found ourselves struggling at times to keep the cream cake cabinet filled up due to the demand.
What surprised us both, was the number of the larger desserts we sold. While things like fresh cream filled sponges are always good sellers, we sold a half dozen gateau's today and more than that number of fruit flans, much to John's surprise/annoyance, as he was the one making those products, while I concentrated on the smaller items like doughnuts, iced buns, scones and sundaes. When he left at 3pm he'd made a good number of flans for the backstock fridge. I think he might be a bit disapointed when he gets into work tomorrow to find them all gone!
I'm not in work now until 7am Tuesday, so right now I'm staying up late, drinking coffee and chatting online. Doctor Who was good earlier tonight and I'm very much looking forward to next weeks episode which will resolve one nasty cliffhanger ending! After the rushing around of this morning and afternoon, the laid back calm of this evening has been very welcome.
What surprised us both, was the number of the larger desserts we sold. While things like fresh cream filled sponges are always good sellers, we sold a half dozen gateau's today and more than that number of fruit flans, much to John's surprise/annoyance, as he was the one making those products, while I concentrated on the smaller items like doughnuts, iced buns, scones and sundaes. When he left at 3pm he'd made a good number of flans for the backstock fridge. I think he might be a bit disapointed when he gets into work tomorrow to find them all gone!
I'm not in work now until 7am Tuesday, so right now I'm staying up late, drinking coffee and chatting online. Doctor Who was good earlier tonight and I'm very much looking forward to next weeks episode which will resolve one nasty cliffhanger ending! After the rushing around of this morning and afternoon, the laid back calm of this evening has been very welcome.
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