A New Perspective

I took a walk on the wild side the other night. I walked on the opposite side of the road from where I live. I thought that this would give me a new perspective on life, or at least see what the neighbours were up to. I didn’t learn much. All I saw was that one neighbour had a twisted pillar in his porch roof made of brick, while the other had their front garden made smaller than the last time I visited the house. This was when my school chums used to live in the road. It’s amazing how some things change and some remain the same. I bet my neighbours don’t even know the amount of times I’ve been in their houses and yards before they’ve lived there. It would be interesting to see what changes the new neighbours have made; but that would involve getting to know them.

Revolutions Back 2 Life at Bromsgrove Beer Festival 2017

Occasionally in life you’ll get stuck. You plod along with nowhere to go and get trapped in a routine. Then suddenly, you’ll have a revolution and you’re able to get back on track. I’m still trapped in my vicious circle. I’m still waiting for my revolution. I’ve had family members pass away; I’ve been for interviews several times for promotions unsuccessfully; and I’m exhausted trying to do anything else. I just need to find a new source of energy to keep me going to try something new. I’m waiting for my revolution. If I can just catch up and focus, then maybe I’ll have a little more time. But the antics of my day job shatters me so often that I don’t have the energy much to look after myself much less the jobs of anyone else that needs doing. I have a few weeks off without the home obligations; though I have to make up for it by fulfilling their chores while they’re away.

The Downfall of Digital Downloads

I’m getting a bit annoyed with digital downloads; in particular with movies. You’d think that because you’re buying the movie through the internet and there’s no physical product to carry you’re saving money as there’s no disc to produce or case. But you’d be wrong. Shops often sell DVDs much cheaper than their online counterparts, and you also get access to extras, bonus features and commentaries that you don’t get through a streaming service. You’re paying to saving the environment and save space in your home; but you’re missing out at the same time. You get less entertainment for more price. In effect, you’re paying a different distributor. But am I missing something here? Is there another feature that you need to download? Or is it part of an impulse ‘I want it now’ culture? Digital retailers need to offer better deals and options if it’s the way forward; otherwise it’s back to plastic for most of us. And that will really piss off the Greenies.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The first half of this book was absolutely great. I really enjoyed exploring Karou’s world and watching it come to life while blending into today’s modern society complete with friends and a modern purpose. The idea that she’s pulled away from her life to complete tasks for the mysterious Brimstone is fantastic and it blends well into her lifestyle. Then just as she’s about to discover everything about her mysterious past as the main antagonist arrives onto the scene; the atmosphere of the whole novel is snatched away as we are fed a backstory of forbidden love between two other beings which takes up the rest of the novel. If Taylor had referenced the current storyline within this backstory; then this would have been an absolutely gripping tale. Perhaps she could have used a plotline in which the characters are trying to achieve a goal between flashbacks. Instead, the reader feels cheated as the first half of the plot is abandoned and we’re forced to buy the second instalment to discover more.

View all my reviews

Get Smart

I enjoyed this film but it could have been a lot funnier. The trouble is that the main protagonist was already portrayed as an intelligent yet inexperienced creature; so dumbing him down for comical situations should have been out of the question. It would have been great to see some of the experienced agents in action too. There were some good gags like stealing the car out of the museum but they could have been stretched out a lot further. And they could have done a lot more funny scenes with the faulty steel doors that they use as they enter their headquarters. Agent 99 could have been developed a bit more. We don’t even learn her name. They must have had a lot of fun making it, but the comic side isn’t passed onto the audience. The secret exit from the flight to Russia was very novel, but other than that there’s little that hasn’t already been done before.

One for the Pope

So what does the Pope drink? There’s no doubt that he’s had more than his fair share of communion wine, but does he have his favourite tipple? Is there a special blend of Christ’s blood that he just can’t say no to? There’s more than enough beers out there that are church-themed. And of course, there’s still active monasteries out there that brew their own beer. I wonder if they send in a barrel every now and again when their Peter’s Pence bill is due. Or maybe they send in their barrels for a blessing after a papal tasting. There may even be a secret brewery deep within the Vatican with its own secret recipe. Perhaps there’s even a minibar within his chambers. But I doubt his morning assistant will find his room full of empty beer cans. You wouldn’t want to get fired for having a hangover and stagger through Mass on Sunday morning.   

A Multi-Charger to the Rescue!

Travelling with your gadgets can be such a hassle. Each item needs its own charger, and then you’ve got to worry that there’ll be somewhere to charge them all. If you’re travelling overseas then it’s likely you’ll need an adapter for your destination country too. Suddenly I realised that all my devices charge through a standard USB socket. While some places have started to include USB charging points as standard, I couldn’t guarantee it for the hotels that I would be staying in. So I searched for a USB charger for the USA, and that’s when I came across this clever little beauty. It comes with adapters for Europe, USA, and Australia; and lets you charge six USB devices through one socket. It also lights up bright blue which looks quite cool but can sometimes be distracting at night. I was also worried about it getting it through customs but it went through unscathed.

Hop Craft Lucifer Juice at Bromsgrove Beer Festival 2017

Lava. When it reaches over 1000°C, it has the power to melt anything on Earth. Yyet amazingly, our whole planet floats on top of it. Occasionally, it escapes through a weak point in the earth’s crust, forming a volcano. It’s as if the beast within is trying to escape. When lava reaches the earth’s surface it causes devastation, and only the earth’s water can dissolve it. Occasionally, this lava can emerge in a single spot in smaller quantities with a much higher concentration of evil, known as Lucifer Juice. It’s the devil’s cum. This can cause people to act irrationally as they pass over these spots if they are weak-minded enough. But what if someone lived there? What if this someone discovered the effects of Lucifer Juice? How would they get it to spread? How about an underground network of tunnels in a major city? There could even be a carriage to hell itself…  

Just Eat Local

We tried Just Eat the other day. I wasn’t impressed. Once we’d placed an order for a couple of kebabs and some onion rings, the restaurant added an extra ten minutes to the delivery charge. So no tip when they arrived within their time frame and not the original time promised on Just Eat. The following day we were on the train and decided to order a pizza for collection. We ordered and paid online but when we got to the shop we were told that they haven’t started to cook the order yet. We also noticed that there was a buy one and get one free offer on collection which wasn’t on the app and we couldn’t change it because we’d already paid. So if you know the area or can get to the outlet then the best thing to do is to go local and organise it yourself. And if you can’t get through on the phone then you’re better off going somewhere else anyway.

The Invitation

It’s great to win an award. But what happen if you’ve got no-one to give the award to? Usually you get one of your co-hosts to accept the award on their behalf. There might be a bit of confusion in the crowd as they don’t recognise the receiver, but it allows you to move things on a bit. But more importantly, what do you do if you can’t be there to accept your award? F It certainly doesn’t do your business any good when your name’s read out and no-one materialises to collect your prize. It suggests that you feel that it’s not important as you’re away attending other things, and people might think that you have the same attitude to running your business too. With a bit of effort you may be able to send your apologies and maybe even an acceptance speech to truly convey your regrets. But to ignore an invitation of honour is very rude indeed.

The Girl Next Door

This film was very unrealistic. In short, it’s just aimed at horny teenagers. Its main star was way too young and immature compared to his peers, who are all constantly jacked-up rioters. There weren’t many comic moments and it took its high school message way too seriously. The only decent run-along joke was the mispronunciation of the Cambodian’s student’s name. Matthew also managed to successfully gain entry into many adult-only venues; portraying anyone in authority as idiotic. The plot at the end was very weak and I couldn’t work out why he was trying to help out everyone; even the producer. I also couldn’t work out why they needed to make a porn at the prom, and that a simple arrest on the producer would restore the money. I often wonder if Eli grew up to be Shia LaBeouf. It would have been even more fun if Danielle had used her house for filming rather than somewhere for a break. And why would an adult star want to go out with a teen? There’s lots of questions here that do not make sense.

The Other Doctor and the Girl that Ran Away by Dave Matthews

The Other Doctor And The Girl Who Ran Away by Dave Matthews
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book is a bit scarce. Matthews (who maybe should stick to his music) tries to tie in too many characters from other universes and pass them off as his own. There’s also not much of a story as hardly anything gets solved or explained. It just raises more questions to be answered in a later book in the series and it takes the focus away from the book having a standalone adventure. We learn very little about The Other Doctor and his time-travelling companion. These characters seem to be listeners rather than actual characters, as not a lot happens as they spend more time narrating about the past than conversing in the present. That would make sense in a full time-travelling adventure, but not one where the whole story still has a mystery to solve. The book just seemed to be written in a rushed state on the way to the printers without stopping to check for errors. Anyway, now it’s time for me to run away…

View all my reviews

Waiting for Tryouts

‘Do or do not. There is no try.’ Yoda

‘Who’s the little green fella?’

Yoda sighed. All he wanted to do was to teach the way of the force. If he had to start by teaching the youngest Padawans to be taken seriously, then so be it. But first, he had to get his foot in the door. He’d been sat outside for an hour waiting to be accepted in this human world. If it was on his home world, it’d be a different story. But his planet was destroyed while he was out exploring the galaxy; and he had yet to meet another of his own kind while on his travels. So after using Jedi mind tricks to trick various captains to ferry him across the galaxy, he’d finally arrived on Coruscant. Waiting outside the Grand Master’s Hall to be called in to demonstrate his powers had taken a great deal of patience, not to mention a few enduring glances and stares.

Bathams Bitter at the Swan, Chaddesley Corbett

This multi-roomed pub has a twist of the modern blended in with the past. It’s on the main high street of the village and its car park is probably one of the busiest areas of the village. The bar is very traditional and just has a few tables and chairs alongside barstools and a long perch facing the bar. Two real ales are available; but if you’re lucky the Christmas beer might be on sale. Then there’s a large high ceiling lounge with a raised stage area at the rear and two TVs to show live sport. Two smaller rooms at the left lead to private dining rooms, and all these are linked in by separate corridors. Finally, there’s a large outdoor beer garden which overlooks a small brook, and on the other side are perfect views of the Worcestershire countryside and surrounding hills. The locals are friendly here, and there’s a large mix of old and young clientele.

Happy as Halfords

I desperately needed an MOT. Somehow, I’d managed to let it expire by about a week. I’m used to going to the dealer but it’s getting way too expensive to keep up with what these flash boys want. My local independent is just up the road but they caused a fault with my Aunt’s car and it took a while to fix. I looked around for discounts through work but their garages were all too far away. I settled on Halfords as it was a chain close to me. After I’d booked online, I pulled in which was a bit of a mean feat in itself as I’d partly forgotten the way and missed a turn. Fortunately, I still managed to check in on time for my morning appointment. There was a dedicated reception with seating and once I’d confirmed what I was booked in for and signed in I was all set to go. The receptionist nearly forgot to take the key off me but asked about the log book and wheel nut keys which I keep in the glove box. So off I went for the rest of the day wandering how soon they’d phone me. I didn’t want to phone them to interrupt them. I went to the gym, did some shopping, had a coffee ten walked home but still no phone call. It was only when I started to walk back to the garage that I remembered that I could have checked on the DVLA website. Nevertheless, they did the job and gave me the friendly independent advice that I needed.

Holden's Black Country Mild at the Weighbridge, Alvechurch

Found on a quiet corner of the village, the Weighbridge is a gateway to many an adventure. It’s not just a pub, it’s an embarking point for many people who set off on canal boat journeys. The pub itself is quite small. It used to be a post office then got converted into private offices for the boatyard staff before being opened as a private club and then as a public house. Misleadingly, its entrance is around the back of the pub, so if you’re arriving by foot from the road then the bar staff know you’re coming! There’s an outdoor area which offers an extension to the main pubs for large groups but this area can be changed accordingly. A small corridor leads inside past the kitchen and into its rooms. There’s a large lounge to the left and a smaller cosier lounge at the bottom right with a cosy snug. All this is served by a tiny bar in the corner.

Black Panther

I didn’t like this film. It was way too long for an origin story, and it didn’t have the humour that the other Marvel movies do; apart from the Rhinos charging to the General in the final group fight scene. The action scenes were blurred as the camera struggled to keep up; especially with the group fight scenes. It was nice to keep the actors’ accent genuinely African but sometimes this made it difficult to understand them. I’m not sure about Martin Freeman’s American accent either. I really enjoyed seeing Klaue as a villain and felt it was a shame that they killed this character off. The final battle was a bit difficult and I guessed straight away that we had to wait for three trains to pass through the mine before the battle reached its conclusion. That said, there were a lot of traditional African dress and drums. Seeing Forest Whittaker as an advisor was also a nice surprise.

Wye Valley HPA at the Hop Pole, Droitwich

The Hop Pole is a lovely merchant’s pub which sits at the end of one of Droitwich’s oldest streets. As you enter, you come in reach of a corner bar. To the right is a pool room, while on the left is a variety of small seating by the window surrounding the fireplace. There’s also an upstairs balcony that offers a more secluded area. Then there’s one long wooden oak bar which is unsurprisingly decorated with hops. There’s a small nest by a fruit machine with a small overhead TV for those who like to keep their eyes on live events. At the end of the bar is the cosy with plush seating and a piano if it takes your fancy. Little is known about the upstairs area of the pub. There’s an outside decking area for smoking followed by a large beer garden which leads out into the street beyond. The pub serves great value home-cooked lunches during the week.

Virgin mucks up the Media

We’ve been trundling along with Virgin for a while now. We’ve got the basic broadband, TV and free evening calls package. And then, just like that, they offer us a free upgrade to the latest equipment. We get a free TiVo box and upgraded modem that lets them expand their wireless network. But it’s muggins here that installs it. It arrived in one impressive switchover kit that would take just an hour to set up. It took me the whole evening. I called them up to activate the account which was very quick and easy. Because I was using the same phone that we were subscribed to; I didn’t need any account numbers. Then the grand unplugging began. The first snag was when I couldn’t find the cable spanner that lets me disconnect the old modem. It was hidden deep within the TiVo box and not the modem as the guide suggested. Once the modem was set up, I had to reconfigure all our wireless devices to the new signal. Then it was onto the TV. This took a little longer as it crashed the first time around and it had to start again. But once it was up and running, there was very little difference other than a new menu. But the most frustrating part was searching for the remote code to use on the TV, which was pointless anyway as it doesn’t turn the TV off. But rather than list the codes with the manufacturer models; it just gave brand names and a list of suggested codes to try. So apart from that it all works except the modem fails occasionally and the help page doesn't load. That's when we pull the plug. Lucky for them, it comes back on again.

Downton Apple Blossom at Clent Club, Clent

This cosy club is hidden at the back of a road hidden behind the local’s houses. It’s a large brick building found alongside the local allotments, and a dirt track has been extended down the hill to act as a car park.  Inside, a corridor leaves to a large back room, passing a snooker room on the right and a small meeting room on the left. There’s a good cross-mix of both old and young clientele here. The bar is light and airy with lots of room to perch up and view the beers on offer. There’s a large variety of seating as well as a dance floor and a raised platform that acts as a stage. To the left is a large TV which can be quite distracting for the atmosphere of the bar. Outside, there’s a balcony with decking, then the car park slopes downhill to a beer garden at the bottom.

My Fitbit won't Fit!

I’ve owned a Fitbit for some time now, and the strap has started to peel away from the screen. At first I thought this would be covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee; but I missed the window to get a new one fitted. I bought a shop strap ready to replace it but it turned out it was the wrong one and the manufacturer doesn’t supply my strap directly. Then the strap broke completely, and I had to get one off a third party through Amazon. It arrived complete with a mini screwdriver set but no instructions. Instead there was a link to a YouTube video. There was a lot of pausing and fast-forwarding in the video as the demonstrator was struggling himself. It would have been a lot better with some close-ups shots. I finally decided that the edges of the unit were too damaged to be re-aligned into the new strap. At any rate, it was a very tight squeeze.

Wythall is so close to another win

It’s hard work always being second best. That’s constantly the issue here for Alan and his team as they enjoy a night out to accept an award for 2^nd place in our beer club’s annual competition. But being on the border of the branch, it’s not an area that I get to very often. I’ve only visited as part of the judging panel and again during their beer festival; and I usually end up having to drive. I know there’s a variety of clubs but I couldn’t say for certain what they are. And if they’re not letting us know what’s on, there’s less of an incentive for me to visit there; especially when I’m not a member or a local resident. In truth, they probably only want me there for my lolla and to spread the good word about what they do there. But if they don’t let me know what’s going on then it’s hard for me to support them.

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is getting to be so slow lately. It’s one of the last programs that wants to start up on my computer. I’ve got no idea if it’s registered my click or not, so often it loads up about three times. Even when I start typing, it has to have a think and not respond, and usually forgets the second half of the sentence that I’m typing. And then there’s the red squigglies. They’re so distracting. And when you know that you’ve made a mistake, it takes ages for the dictionary to load up to find the correct word. It’s much quicker to go back and correct the damn thing yourself. The final thing is the new read aloud function. When you’re typing normally, this function doesn’t appear at all. But as soon as you’ve typed that one mistake, it springs up to tell you that the text is unreadable.

Purity Ubu at Aston Fields Social Club

This busy club serves a large housing district for local people, and as such its car park is confusing. You mount the kerb and park at a strange angle to get in. Getting into the club itself is also a bit of a hassle as you have to press the intercom to be admitted. The club itself has a large long bar with plenty of space for barstools, all of which are usually occupied by locals waiting for the barman to conjure up pints of Guinness. The barman is used to this so he takes an order ahead of pouring another, and he’s got a good memory for keeping up with orders but not necessarily who is served next. Upstairs is a very large function room with tables, lots of plush chairs and wall-mounted seating, a stage and a dance floor. There’s also a kitchen and the club also runs a curry night on Thursdays. Expect lots of chips.

Ready Player One

Speilberg’s latest blockbuster is all about computer games and it’s set in the future. It’s a shame as his own stories are excellent and are usually set in the 1980s, but perhaps he wanted to distance himself from Tron and similar early science fiction films. But what it does do is allow him to reference as many culturally ‘pop’ icons as possible. It’s almost as if someone’s made a bet with him to include all his past works in one future film. There’s probably an avatar wandering around as E.T if you look hard enough. The film gives a great chase at the beginning, but it falls flat towards the end and gets confusing. The outside characters are suddenly conveniently placed to assist each other which somewhat discredits the story. What are the chances of finding someone that you’re looking for when you’re driving around? That said, it’s not to say that it’s not fun. There’s plenty of bangs and explosions to experience as well as some surprising performances from Simon Pegg and the super gay bloke from Will & Grace alongside a love story that just about slides in.

Trouble at the Rocklands

The Rocklands has been a social club since the 1950’s and was originally called the Rooklands because of the adjacent road. A simple spelling name at the printers gave the club its present name which has stuck ever since. But now there are rumours to turn the club into private housing. With its function room and large car park, the club occupies a fair bit of land. The club itself is being run by a fairly tight committee who have been known to save the club money as much as possible; so this is quite a worrying time for the members who invest in its facilities. Many questions have been asked that haven’t been resolved such as the treatment of abusive members. All the members want is a meeting to be reassured that the club is still catering for its members and that there’s no other ownership of the building. But for all we know, it could be the ramblings of a drunken lunatic. It certainly sounds like it.

The Courtyard #GC03

‘So are these all your treasured belongings?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Which one’s the heaviest?’

‘Here.’ Lizzie slid a large case full of clothes over. ‘Is it far to the courtyard?’

‘The courtyard? No, it’s in this very building.’ Reuben led her down a corridor and through a set of glass double doors and they were there. The courtyard was divided into quarters, each with its own manicured lawn. In the centre was a fountain trickling slowly.

‘So you’ve chosen to stay in one of the oldest buildings on campus. I hope the ghost doesn’t get you.’

‘The what?’

‘I’m sorry, I’m studying English. I also run a ghost club, where a bunch of people get together to solve made-up murder mysteries.’

‘That sounds fun.’

‘It is. You can come and meet the team on Sunday at the Fresher’s Fayre. And what are you studying?’

Oh, me? I love history.’

‘Well, you’ll have great fun here. There’s plenty of history to explore both in the town and on campus. Now let’s get you settled in. Which one’s yours?’

‘Room 46.’

‘Ah, you’re upstairs. Well, you go ahead and get the door unlocked and I’ll start lugging cases.’

‘Thank you very much.’

The Goodbye

And so the day came that we were dreading. It started early with a phone call to say that Dad had been resuscitated but was still unconscious and that it would be cruel to repeat it a second time. We drove to the hospital and parked then I took Mum’s hand and we walked up to the ward together. There were a small group of nurses who took us to a private room and told us that the best thing to happen would be to let him go. Then we held his hand as the nurses slowly started to silence all the equipment. Within half an hour, it was done. The passing had taken place, and the next thing we needed to do was to let the family know. We drove to my aunt’s and I left Mum there while I went to pick up my brother who was having breakfast with his family. Then we set about planning to let everyone else know.

Calendar Man

A long time ago I used Vistaprint to produce some stickers for a marketing scheme at our beer club’s event. The stickers arrived a week later than promised. I challenged this with the company, pointing out the promised delivery date when I first ordered them. The stickers were in effect useless since the event had been and gone, and so they gave me a full refund. I’ve since used them to produce personalised photo calendars. The first calendar was a Christmas present to my mother which had some very special photos and it also included personalised dates. It worked very well apart from the top as there’s no hook, only a hole for a pin to go through. The weight of the calendar doesn’t always hold, maybe it’s the amount of invitations pinned inside. I’ve ordered a second one for myself which shows beautiful landscapes of places that I’ve visited. So far, mine’s holding up.

Charnwood Liska at the Victoria Hotel, Beeston

We’ve been visiting some Nottinghamshire pubs and we decided to end our tour with a visit to Beeston. It’s the first stop on the train back home, so we catch an earlier one to visit this famous pub that’s in CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide. The pub backs onto the platform but we can’t find the way in, so we leave the station via the road and walk the long way round. It’s only when we leave that we find that the exit through the rear is via the beer garden. The pub itself is quite busy as there’s a beer festival and many other people are making their way home the long way round too. There’s a chalk board above the door with a list of beers alongside a display of mobile phones nailed through their screens into the wall. Evidently this pub landlord likes his conversations to be local, as there’s no music either. There’s a second room full of pub awards and memorabilia, and this room too is full of diners. We reach the outside beer tent which is a shed with a large marquee and many picnic tables for us to enjoy our beer.