Most of my recent posts have been on a specific subject, and sort of like reviews. It's been good, because I've found that kind of thing gets my blog loads more hits. I chose a new template last week too, and redid all the colours. Again, more appealing, more hits. I like to know people are reading. It was really cool to get a comment on the Big Cat post from someone from the BBC.
Anyway, what's new? I'm in week 2 in my house, and I love it here. It's not like being away from home at all. This is my home now. I'm pretty bored this week though. So far I've spent most of it on my PC or watching TV, and most of the TV is on my PC anyway. I do little things everyday to make sure I'm not being totally useless, like today I did my washing and went into town to get some keys cut, but that doesn't take up much time. I guess really I should make the most of my last week of freedom from work, but really I just want to get started.
Another thing I wanted to mention in this post relates to my earlier post about getting the new Oasis album. I had some problems getting it from iTunes, and I can't be arsed to explain the situation, but there were complications and I'm still owed a bonus track. iTunes have been fantastic about it though. I've never known customer support to be so good. I get regular emails to say they haven't forgotten me, and every communication has been personal and detailed. They even gave me 2 free store credits to make up for the delay. I decided to spend the first on an Oasis bside, a really chilled track called Sitting Here In Silence (On My Own), and then the second on Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie. This song came up on a Last FM radio a few months ago, and I've really got into it. I'm not a huge fan of the band, but this song is something else. It's not something I'd think to buy without a free credit, so I think it was a good use of it. I then went on to buy another song, since I've also got into some Sigur Ros on Last FM, and really really wanted Hoppipolla. I thought it was beautiful as the theme to Planet Earth, and when I heard the full song, I had to get it.
Anyway, I'll probably post my usual list of watch TV I've been watching tomorrow. Some good stuff on lately.
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Now playing: Sigur Rós - Hoppípolla
via FoxyTunes
Wednesday 15 October 2008
Monday 13 October 2008
Oasis in Sheffield
Wow. The setlist was exactly like the one I found on another blog a few days ago, making it the best setlist I've ever heard them play, and this was the 5th time I've seen them. Liam's voice has definitely improved, as shown by I'm Outta Time. Noel's acoustic Don't Look Back in Anger was just fantastic, as that song always is live anyway. There's nothing better than thousands of people singing the same song, and in an arena, it's totally different to an outdoor stadium in the way it sounds. It was cool to hear how he wrote it 14 years ago in the dressing room at in Sheffield too...and expected a different reception this time he played it.
Other highlights include The Masterplan, which is always good to hear live, and then most definitely Slide Away. I never, ever thought I'd hear my favourite song played live. This is a Definitely Maybe song which was never even a single. Popular yes, but not one you'd think they'd put back into a live set 6 albums later. I'm so glad they did, and so is every other person in there who sung every word. Most Oasis fans will recognise Slide Away as one of their greatest songs.
The only fault in the Oasis set was Liam stumbling on I Am The Walrus. He missed his cue, but it totally did not matter at all. Liam Gallagher can get away with that on stage, and no one cared. The fault in the whole evening though was a bit bigger, and that was Twisted Wheel. We decided that they were somewhere between The Coral and The Arctic Monkeys, and nowhere near as good as either. The Coral might be boring, and it might be funny that I keep seeing them as a consequence of seeing better bands, but I missed them last night when Twisted Wheel were on. The were pretty crap.
Still, once again, I think I can say that last night was the best I've ever seen Oasis play, and the best setlist I've seen the play. Not as close to the front as I was in Cardiff in 2005, but every gig is a different experience.
Edited to add the full setlist, since a few people have been Googling it, coming here, and then not finding it:
Fuckin' In The Bushes
Rock N Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes And Alcohol
Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain't Got Nothin'!
The Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
Don't Look Back In Anger (acoustic)
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus
Other highlights include The Masterplan, which is always good to hear live, and then most definitely Slide Away. I never, ever thought I'd hear my favourite song played live. This is a Definitely Maybe song which was never even a single. Popular yes, but not one you'd think they'd put back into a live set 6 albums later. I'm so glad they did, and so is every other person in there who sung every word. Most Oasis fans will recognise Slide Away as one of their greatest songs.
The only fault in the Oasis set was Liam stumbling on I Am The Walrus. He missed his cue, but it totally did not matter at all. Liam Gallagher can get away with that on stage, and no one cared. The fault in the whole evening though was a bit bigger, and that was Twisted Wheel. We decided that they were somewhere between The Coral and The Arctic Monkeys, and nowhere near as good as either. The Coral might be boring, and it might be funny that I keep seeing them as a consequence of seeing better bands, but I missed them last night when Twisted Wheel were on. The were pretty crap.
Still, once again, I think I can say that last night was the best I've ever seen Oasis play, and the best setlist I've seen the play. Not as close to the front as I was in Cardiff in 2005, but every gig is a different experience.
Edited to add the full setlist, since a few people have been Googling it, coming here, and then not finding it:
Fuckin' In The Bushes
Rock N Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes And Alcohol
Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain't Got Nothin'!
The Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
Don't Look Back In Anger (acoustic)
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus
Thursday 9 October 2008
Big Cat Live 2008
I've been a fan of Big Cat Diary since it started in 1996, when I was just 10 years old. I watched it every two years after that, and I've watched repeats of it on whatever cable channel played it over and over. I've watched the newer, one week format since it started too. When I first read about Big Cat Live, I was definitely excited. Now I've seen most of it, the word amazing doesn't even nearly cover what I think of it.
I think it's hard to amaze people with television these days. You get the feeling that everything has been done, and there isn't much new for us to see. Of course that isn't true, but that's how it can feel. Planet Earth was an exception to that. That series filmed animals hardly ever seen on camera before, and the stories of how long it had taken to get a few short clips were amazing. I think what Big Cat Live are doing now is even more exciting. To see live shots of the animals on air in between showing recorded films taken in the couple of weeks in the run up to the show is one thing, but to be able to then turn on your computer and continue to watch live animals in Kenya's Masai Mara on webcam really is something else.
The show itself is as good as it ever was. It's great to catch up with the Marsh Pride, and I love that we know that these adult females are the cubs attacked by the buffalo in 1998. To have such continuity in the cats they follow really is a great thing, and one of the reasons I keep watching. It was great to be able to see Bella again too, even though she's looking really old now. I love how they follow the leopard families, although it would be really nice to see if Shadow was still around. Whatever happened to Safi too? The new cheetah family is so good to watch. I've always loved watching cheetah mothers raise their cubs, and being able to do it in real time knowing that this is what's going on now, rather than what happened months ago when filming ended, is really special.
Jackson Looseyia has been an awesome addition to the team. This man is a Masai who has grown up in this environment. He knows and understands the land and the wildlife in it, and he gives a perspective that they haven't had before. To hear someone who has seen this for his entire life still talking about it with so much enthusiasm is inspiring, and makes me want to go over there and see it all for myself even more.
As I said earlier, the really amazing thing about this series has been seeing those live images online. Right now I'm watching infra-red video of the Marsh Pride lions. Before that, I was watching them on the thermal imaging cameras. Before that I was watching a hippo feeding right next to the camera. Earlier today, jackal cubs and hyena cubs. At the risk of overusing the word, it truly is amazing. For those of you viewing this blog in the UK, the link to the site where you can watch all this is here. I'll include a view images of what we get for those of you not in the UK. On the left is the four webcams available half an hour ago when I took the screenshot. In the upper left quadrant, thermal images of lions. Upper right, a hyena is just poking his head out of the den. Lo
wer left, I think that's just a camera focussed on the river. Lower right, and that's sleeping jackal cubs. The image on the right shows the thermal image of the lions on it's own. It truly is impressive, especially when you think about the fact that it's all live, and happening right now in Kenya.
I'm hoping, at some point, to see a live lion hunt. Everytime they look like they're going to do it, they just...don't. There has been one shown live, but I missed it. The Big Cat team think it's the first time this has ever been shown live on the internet. It's on YouTube, for those of you outside the UK who can't see it on the website, and is shown below:
When you think about it, this series has been a major risk. What if they hadn't found what they were looking for when they went out there? So many things could have gone wrong with doing this kind of thing live. They've succeeded in showing people in this country a totally different world, in a way they never have before. I don't think the BBC can be beaten for wildlife television, and I hope they do this again next year.
I think it's hard to amaze people with television these days. You get the feeling that everything has been done, and there isn't much new for us to see. Of course that isn't true, but that's how it can feel. Planet Earth was an exception to that. That series filmed animals hardly ever seen on camera before, and the stories of how long it had taken to get a few short clips were amazing. I think what Big Cat Live are doing now is even more exciting. To see live shots of the animals on air in between showing recorded films taken in the couple of weeks in the run up to the show is one thing, but to be able to then turn on your computer and continue to watch live animals in Kenya's Masai Mara on webcam really is something else.
The show itself is as good as it ever was. It's great to catch up with the Marsh Pride, and I love that we know that these adult females are the cubs attacked by the buffalo in 1998. To have such continuity in the cats they follow really is a great thing, and one of the reasons I keep watching. It was great to be able to see Bella again too, even though she's looking really old now. I love how they follow the leopard families, although it would be really nice to see if Shadow was still around. Whatever happened to Safi too? The new cheetah family is so good to watch. I've always loved watching cheetah mothers raise their cubs, and being able to do it in real time knowing that this is what's going on now, rather than what happened months ago when filming ended, is really special.
Jackson Looseyia has been an awesome addition to the team. This man is a Masai who has grown up in this environment. He knows and understands the land and the wildlife in it, and he gives a perspective that they haven't had before. To hear someone who has seen this for his entire life still talking about it with so much enthusiasm is inspiring, and makes me want to go over there and see it all for myself even more.
As I said earlier, the really amazing thing about this series has been seeing those live images online. Right now I'm watching infra-red video of the Marsh Pride lions. Before that, I was watching them on the thermal imaging cameras. Before that I was watching a hippo feeding right next to the camera. Earlier today, jackal cubs and hyena cubs. At the risk of overusing the word, it truly is amazing. For those of you viewing this blog in the UK, the link to the site where you can watch all this is here. I'll include a view images of what we get for those of you not in the UK. On the left is the four webcams available half an hour ago when I took the screenshot. In the upper left quadrant, thermal images of lions. Upper right, a hyena is just poking his head out of the den. Lo
wer left, I think that's just a camera focussed on the river. Lower right, and that's sleeping jackal cubs. The image on the right shows the thermal image of the lions on it's own. It truly is impressive, especially when you think about the fact that it's all live, and happening right now in Kenya.I'm hoping, at some point, to see a live lion hunt. Everytime they look like they're going to do it, they just...don't. There has been one shown live, but I missed it. The Big Cat team think it's the first time this has ever been shown live on the internet. It's on YouTube, for those of you outside the UK who can't see it on the website, and is shown below:
When you think about it, this series has been a major risk. What if they hadn't found what they were looking for when they went out there? So many things could have gone wrong with doing this kind of thing live. They've succeeded in showing people in this country a totally different world, in a way they never have before. I don't think the BBC can be beaten for wildlife television, and I hope they do this again next year.
Tuesday 7 October 2008
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
I have so much to say at the moment. I moved out at the weekend, and I now have a house to myself. It's great, but it's not what this post is about. Maybe I'll talk about it more later, but to be honest it's more the sort of thing I'll talk about if asked than what I want to do a blog post on. No, this post is a sort of review of the new Oasis album =D
Before I talk about any of the songs, I should mention that this is completely biased. After so many years of liking Oasis, I think it'd be very hard for them to bring out an album I totally hated. Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is weak compared to the others, and has some less than good songs. Be Here Now has some epic songs, and I'd describe some of them as my top few Oasis songs, but every song goes on for a couple of minutes too long, and the whole process was obviously fueled by drugs. Still, I like both of those albums, so as I said, it'd be hard for them to release something I wouldn't like.
Not only did they release something I couldn't hate, I'd go as far as to say I love Dig Out Your Soul, already, after just two days of owning it. It's very different from Don't Believe The Truth. More psychedelic influence, but they still sound like Oasis.
Track 1 is Bag It Up. The first time I heard this, I wasn't that bothered by it. Album track I might skip to get to the good ones. I still don't think it's particularly memorable, but it's grown on me. It's no Rock and Roll Star, Hello, Do You Know What I Mean, The Hindu Times, Fuckin' in The Bushes or Turn Up The Sun as far as opening tracks go, but it's still a good song. I saw some review making a Pink Floyd comparison, but I don't know what that's about.
Next it's The Turning. This has also grown on me since I first heard it on Myspace. Slow start, with a fantastic chorus. I think this song shows that Liam's vocals have improved since the last album. Definitely a great song, and I can imagine this one being good live. I think it would have been a better opener than Bag It Up too.
Waiting For The Rapture. I love the dirty guitar. This has a great beat. Some of the guitar in it reminds me of Cold Turkey by John Lennon, but that's no bad thing. I like this song a lot.
The first single, and so the first song I heard, was Shock Of The Lightening. Now this song really sounds like Oasis. This is the Lyla, or the Go Let It Out, or the Hindu Times. A rock song made for stadium gigs, and an obvious first single. Typical Oasis in that there are lyrics only there because they rhyme, but long time fans like me love that stuff.
Next, I'm Out Of Time. Some songs you aren't bothered about at first, but they really grow on you, and you come to love them. Some songs you like at first, but don't truly realise how brilliant they are until months down the line. Some songs just blow you away from the first time you play them. This song falls into the last category. Imagine my surprise when I found out Liam Gallagher wrote it. Now I know Liam has written some great songs, including Born on a Different Cloud, and Love Like a Bomb, but I'm Out of Time blows them all out of the water. This song is beautiful, and one of my favourites for best on the album. I read in another review that Liam wrote this to prove to Noel that he can still sing. Liam wins.
(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady is a good song, but definitely an album track. Bit crushed (I think that's the term?) vocal, which is interesting on an Oasis album, but I don't think the song is anything special.
I said earlier that I'm Out of Time was one of the favourites for best on album. This is the other. Falling Down is one of the best songs Noel has ever written. The lyrics are fantastic, the drums are great, and this is a perfect one for Noel to sing. Not only one of my favourites on Dig Out Your Soul, but up there with my favourite Oasis songs.
To Be Where There's Life is a Gem Archer song, and it's just alright, as other songs by him usually are. Nothing spectacular, but I don't think I'd skip it as I'm going through.
Ain't Got Nothing is another Liam song, and unlike his previous contribution on this album, this one is so obviously not a Noel song. Again, it's not bad, but it's an album track. I bet they'll play this live though. To me, it just sounds like it's not quite Meaning of Soul.
The Nature of Reality has got fairly bad reviews, from what I've seen. This is an Andy Bell song, and it's worth remembering that he wrote one of my favourite Oasis songs in Keep the Dream Alive. This doesn't compare to that, but I still love the lyrics. Short and uncomplicated, while questioning the meaning of everything. "Belief does not existence make"...I wonder if the Christian Liam Gallagher realises what he's singing. Great beat on this song too.
Soldier On is the last song, and another Liam song. Perhaps not the best finisher. I think I'm Out of Time or Falling Down should have had this position on the album. This is a good song though. I can't put my finger on what other band it reminds me of. Blur's Tender comes to mind, but I know there's something else. I do really like the song though, and I wouldn't have guessed that Liam wrote it.
Around the internet, I've seen reviews saying that this will only appeal to hardcore fans, and then some saying this is the best they've done since Definitely Maybe. Well I know that's wrong, since obviously they forgot What's the Story. I'm not sure it tops Don't Believe the Truth, simply because it's not got so much you can sing along to in a field of strangers. There's a possibility I might change my opinion on that, and it's not that I mind that Oasis have moved on from stadium anthems, but I do enjoy having songs like Lyla on an album.
In conclusion, I'm not disappointed. This was worth waiting for, and it's a brilliant album. Buy it, if you haven't already, then go get some tickets to one of the live shows. I'll be in Sheffield next Saturday, standing.
Before I talk about any of the songs, I should mention that this is completely biased. After so many years of liking Oasis, I think it'd be very hard for them to bring out an album I totally hated. Standing on the Shoulder of Giants is weak compared to the others, and has some less than good songs. Be Here Now has some epic songs, and I'd describe some of them as my top few Oasis songs, but every song goes on for a couple of minutes too long, and the whole process was obviously fueled by drugs. Still, I like both of those albums, so as I said, it'd be hard for them to release something I wouldn't like.
Not only did they release something I couldn't hate, I'd go as far as to say I love Dig Out Your Soul, already, after just two days of owning it. It's very different from Don't Believe The Truth. More psychedelic influence, but they still sound like Oasis.
Track 1 is Bag It Up. The first time I heard this, I wasn't that bothered by it. Album track I might skip to get to the good ones. I still don't think it's particularly memorable, but it's grown on me. It's no Rock and Roll Star, Hello, Do You Know What I Mean, The Hindu Times, Fuckin' in The Bushes or Turn Up The Sun as far as opening tracks go, but it's still a good song. I saw some review making a Pink Floyd comparison, but I don't know what that's about.
Next it's The Turning. This has also grown on me since I first heard it on Myspace. Slow start, with a fantastic chorus. I think this song shows that Liam's vocals have improved since the last album. Definitely a great song, and I can imagine this one being good live. I think it would have been a better opener than Bag It Up too.
Waiting For The Rapture. I love the dirty guitar. This has a great beat. Some of the guitar in it reminds me of Cold Turkey by John Lennon, but that's no bad thing. I like this song a lot.
The first single, and so the first song I heard, was Shock Of The Lightening. Now this song really sounds like Oasis. This is the Lyla, or the Go Let It Out, or the Hindu Times. A rock song made for stadium gigs, and an obvious first single. Typical Oasis in that there are lyrics only there because they rhyme, but long time fans like me love that stuff.
Next, I'm Out Of Time. Some songs you aren't bothered about at first, but they really grow on you, and you come to love them. Some songs you like at first, but don't truly realise how brilliant they are until months down the line. Some songs just blow you away from the first time you play them. This song falls into the last category. Imagine my surprise when I found out Liam Gallagher wrote it. Now I know Liam has written some great songs, including Born on a Different Cloud, and Love Like a Bomb, but I'm Out of Time blows them all out of the water. This song is beautiful, and one of my favourites for best on the album. I read in another review that Liam wrote this to prove to Noel that he can still sing. Liam wins.
(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady is a good song, but definitely an album track. Bit crushed (I think that's the term?) vocal, which is interesting on an Oasis album, but I don't think the song is anything special.
I said earlier that I'm Out of Time was one of the favourites for best on album. This is the other. Falling Down is one of the best songs Noel has ever written. The lyrics are fantastic, the drums are great, and this is a perfect one for Noel to sing. Not only one of my favourites on Dig Out Your Soul, but up there with my favourite Oasis songs.
To Be Where There's Life is a Gem Archer song, and it's just alright, as other songs by him usually are. Nothing spectacular, but I don't think I'd skip it as I'm going through.
Ain't Got Nothing is another Liam song, and unlike his previous contribution on this album, this one is so obviously not a Noel song. Again, it's not bad, but it's an album track. I bet they'll play this live though. To me, it just sounds like it's not quite Meaning of Soul.
The Nature of Reality has got fairly bad reviews, from what I've seen. This is an Andy Bell song, and it's worth remembering that he wrote one of my favourite Oasis songs in Keep the Dream Alive. This doesn't compare to that, but I still love the lyrics. Short and uncomplicated, while questioning the meaning of everything. "Belief does not existence make"...I wonder if the Christian Liam Gallagher realises what he's singing. Great beat on this song too.
Soldier On is the last song, and another Liam song. Perhaps not the best finisher. I think I'm Out of Time or Falling Down should have had this position on the album. This is a good song though. I can't put my finger on what other band it reminds me of. Blur's Tender comes to mind, but I know there's something else. I do really like the song though, and I wouldn't have guessed that Liam wrote it.
Around the internet, I've seen reviews saying that this will only appeal to hardcore fans, and then some saying this is the best they've done since Definitely Maybe. Well I know that's wrong, since obviously they forgot What's the Story. I'm not sure it tops Don't Believe the Truth, simply because it's not got so much you can sing along to in a field of strangers. There's a possibility I might change my opinion on that, and it's not that I mind that Oasis have moved on from stadium anthems, but I do enjoy having songs like Lyla on an album.
In conclusion, I'm not disappointed. This was worth waiting for, and it's a brilliant album. Buy it, if you haven't already, then go get some tickets to one of the live shows. I'll be in Sheffield next Saturday, standing.
Friday 3 October 2008
Children of Dune
Tonight I watched the final part of the Children of Dune miniseries, having watched the Dune miniseries beforehand. I was really impressed with Dune. Bits were missed out, but it felt closer to the story than the 80s film. I wasn't keen on how Paul was portrayed as being moody and immature at the beginning, but other than that I thought the part was well cast. Jessica...not so much. She just never seemed sure of herself. She just was not like Jessica the Bene Gesserit.
The first part of Children of Dune was really good. Dune Messiah is an odd book, in that it takes a while to know where it's going. On TV, it was summarised well enough, covering everything, and it really felt like it was how the book should have been. Alice Krige should have been cast as Jessica from the start, and that guy who played Atherton in Firefly should have played Duncan Idaho from the start. I'm not too keen on the woman who played Alia, or how she was portrayed throughout Children of Dune. She seemed like a stroppy kid at times, and I don't think she's a great actress. Possibly chosen more for her appearance? The Atreides twins were well cast. James McAvoy was the stand out actor of the whole thing. However, while I understand why they decided to change the kids ages to young adults rather than 9 year olds, they might have done the same with the rest of the cast. Irulan didn't look any older than Ghanima. Alia hadn't aged a day in however many years it's supposed to have been, and neither had other young looking characters.
While part one was really great, and part two was pretty good, part three just didn't do the job. If I hadn't read the book, I'm not sure I'd really get what was going on with Leto at the end. The sand trout symbiosis thing wasn't well explained, and didn't look as it should have done. I sometimes wish they had a slightly bigger effects budget for things like that. I think the book has a weird end anyway, and it's certainly the weakest of the trilogy, but it was easier to understand what was going on than the film.
Farad'n wasn't as I thought he should have been. He was portrayed as week, up until he landed on Arrakis. That's not how I saw him. He was more intelligent than his mother, but naive. When he worked out what was going on, he bided his time, and made his move when he needed to. In the book that is, because TV Farad'n was a bit of a wimp until he realised he could do the Weirding stuff. Another thing I wasn't too happy with was Duncan's death. I think it was harder to understand why on TV. To be honest, the whole episode in the book was odd, and seemed a bit sudden, but it was more so on screen. That was a shame, because Duncan is one of my favourite characters.
In conclusion, the miniseries were both were watching, and the trilogy was worth reading. Dune was probably my favourite book, and although I can see that it wasn't finished and needed continuing, I think the story got progressively worse. Messiah was really interesting, Children of Dune started off really exciting, and then became even more complicated than it had been previously, and finished in a weird way.
The first part of Children of Dune was really good. Dune Messiah is an odd book, in that it takes a while to know where it's going. On TV, it was summarised well enough, covering everything, and it really felt like it was how the book should have been. Alice Krige should have been cast as Jessica from the start, and that guy who played Atherton in Firefly should have played Duncan Idaho from the start. I'm not too keen on the woman who played Alia, or how she was portrayed throughout Children of Dune. She seemed like a stroppy kid at times, and I don't think she's a great actress. Possibly chosen more for her appearance? The Atreides twins were well cast. James McAvoy was the stand out actor of the whole thing. However, while I understand why they decided to change the kids ages to young adults rather than 9 year olds, they might have done the same with the rest of the cast. Irulan didn't look any older than Ghanima. Alia hadn't aged a day in however many years it's supposed to have been, and neither had other young looking characters.
While part one was really great, and part two was pretty good, part three just didn't do the job. If I hadn't read the book, I'm not sure I'd really get what was going on with Leto at the end. The sand trout symbiosis thing wasn't well explained, and didn't look as it should have done. I sometimes wish they had a slightly bigger effects budget for things like that. I think the book has a weird end anyway, and it's certainly the weakest of the trilogy, but it was easier to understand what was going on than the film.
Farad'n wasn't as I thought he should have been. He was portrayed as week, up until he landed on Arrakis. That's not how I saw him. He was more intelligent than his mother, but naive. When he worked out what was going on, he bided his time, and made his move when he needed to. In the book that is, because TV Farad'n was a bit of a wimp until he realised he could do the Weirding stuff. Another thing I wasn't too happy with was Duncan's death. I think it was harder to understand why on TV. To be honest, the whole episode in the book was odd, and seemed a bit sudden, but it was more so on screen. That was a shame, because Duncan is one of my favourite characters.
In conclusion, the miniseries were both were watching, and the trilogy was worth reading. Dune was probably my favourite book, and although I can see that it wasn't finished and needed continuing, I think the story got progressively worse. Messiah was really interesting, Children of Dune started off really exciting, and then became even more complicated than it had been previously, and finished in a weird way.
Thursday 2 October 2008
Messing with the blog
I can't decide what to do with it. I've put up some ads, and moved the labels list under the SayBox, but I can't seem to decide on where I want everything to go, and whether to change the template completely. I don't think I like many of the other templates Blogspot provides, but I can't be bothered with the hassle of doing any serious editing of the HTML. I'm sick of the current colour, and although I like the blue version of what I've already got, I'm not sure I want to keen the design either.
One problem with the current design is the layout of the sidebar, and the fact that I don't know what to do with it. I can't decide whether the archive or labels are more important. The SayBox takes up too much space. I considered using a popup link for it, but then it'd get even fewer posts than it already does.
I'm tired. I'll think about it again another day :P
One problem with the current design is the layout of the sidebar, and the fact that I don't know what to do with it. I can't decide whether the archive or labels are more important. The SayBox takes up too much space. I considered using a popup link for it, but then it'd get even fewer posts than it already does.
I'm tired. I'll think about it again another day :P
Wednesday 1 October 2008
Stumbling around the internet
I started typing up a post about books I've been reading and tv I've been watching, but I so can't be bothered with that right now. Instead, here are some sites I like, based on what's on my StumbleUpon profile. StumbleUpon is one of the greatest inventions since the internet, by the way.
Jeff Russells Starship Dimensions
This is a site where you compare spaceships, basically. Great for scifi nerds like me. It's best viewed in IE, because that allows you to drag stuff around for better comparison. Ever wanted to know how big the Enterprise is in relation to Moya? Or Serenity? Or the Cloverfield monster? If so, this site is a great way to avoid doing your dissertation.
Guess the Google
I'm guessing that most people with access to this blog have heard of this game already, but it's still worth a mention. Basically, the game shows a load of images, and you have to type in the word Googled to get those images. It's a simple game that's actually really fun to play. For a while. Obviously these things do get old, but it's worth a mention.
Questionable Content
I discovered this webcomic a couple of years ago. I wasn't really into webcomics, then a PBS thread came up where people were listing their favourites, and I thought I'd check some out. QC was mentioned a lot, so it was one of the first I looked at. I realised that I'd have to start from the beginning to get it, and although at first I wasn't sure I'd be interested, I ended up reading every one and getting right up to date. The comic can be really funny at times, and the plot is usually interesting enough to make you want to know what happens next. I think my only problem with it is how obvious it is that it's written by a man sometimes, and the fact that he writes things into the female characters that just don't seem to fit. I'd still recommend this as one of my favourite webcomics though.
eFestivals
The only site UK festival goers need for all the latest festival news. I live by this site when line ups start to get rumoured early in the year, and check it regularly after I buy tickets for any changes.
Digital Spy
This site is every trashy magazine I hate, but I love it still. I mostly go there for TV and soap news. The premiere list is useful, and I usually like checking up on the cult section. I use the soaps section to see if I'm missing anything major in Hollyoaks if I haven't seen it, so I can go 4oD it if it's something important. Also good for Big Brother, X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing news. One thing I don't like about it is Gay Spy. That part of the site seems to assume that gay men are only interested in thinking about which celebrity pretty boy looks best without his shirt on.
Scientists for Better PCR (song video)
This is brilliant. Just brilliant. It's actually an advertisement for Bio-Rad, who make scientific equipment, but it's still great. For those who don't know, polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) is a method of amplifying DNA for analysis. The thermal cycler Bio-Rad make is a machine that can do this. Anyone who does get it will find this song hilarious. It's funnier because it's made to look serious.
A Dog's Breakfast Movie (+ David Hewlett's site)
If you haven't seen this film, go and buy it. It's so funny, and I can tell David Hewlett has a pretty similar sense of humour to me. If you don't know, he plays McKay on Stargate Atlantis, and quite a few Stargate actors pop up in the film. The site includes his blog and twitter, and so also updates on what he's doing on Atlantis.
Book a Minute (SF/F)
This is the sci-fi/fantasy section of Book a Minute. Basically, it sums up popular books in a few sentences, and usually in a funny way. As an example:
Frank Herbert's Children of Dune: "(People do stuff that is OUT OF CHARACTER. People do stuff that makes NO SENSE. Cool arabic-type words and names are said, making Frank Herbert look SMART and COOL.)"
Too true, haha.
Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog
I believe I've spoken about this in a TV or film related post, so I won't dwell, but it's still as brilliant as when I first saw it. You can't see it on the site anymore, but there are lyrics and stuff there, so it's worth a look.
Television Tropes
This site is one of the greatest sites ever. I like TV. I like overanalysis of TV. I like it even more when done in a humourous way. This site does just that, and includes some awesome comical analysis of my favourite shows, and the patterns and cliches in them. One of my favourite trope labels is "Magnificent Bastard". Obviously this includes Scorpius, who has to be the best character mentioned. The Master, from Dr Who, is another good example. Anyway, this site is easy (for me at least) to lose hours in. I already spent longer on this paragraph than any other so far, since I started looking at the site.
Treesize Free from JAM Software
Even though I could give out more sites, I'm going to end it here for tonight. I'll finish with some free software Google told me about the other day. Have you ever wondered where all the space is going on your hard drive? I know I did. I only have 80GB, and when I couldn't work out how why I was always nearly out of space, I decided I needed a way to find out where I could stand to lose stuff. This tells you exactly where on your hard drive most memory is being used. It made it so much easier to clear things up. Definitely worth a look.
Jeff Russells Starship Dimensions
This is a site where you compare spaceships, basically. Great for scifi nerds like me. It's best viewed in IE, because that allows you to drag stuff around for better comparison. Ever wanted to know how big the Enterprise is in relation to Moya? Or Serenity? Or the Cloverfield monster? If so, this site is a great way to avoid doing your dissertation.
Guess the Google
I'm guessing that most people with access to this blog have heard of this game already, but it's still worth a mention. Basically, the game shows a load of images, and you have to type in the word Googled to get those images. It's a simple game that's actually really fun to play. For a while. Obviously these things do get old, but it's worth a mention.
Questionable Content
I discovered this webcomic a couple of years ago. I wasn't really into webcomics, then a PBS thread came up where people were listing their favourites, and I thought I'd check some out. QC was mentioned a lot, so it was one of the first I looked at. I realised that I'd have to start from the beginning to get it, and although at first I wasn't sure I'd be interested, I ended up reading every one and getting right up to date. The comic can be really funny at times, and the plot is usually interesting enough to make you want to know what happens next. I think my only problem with it is how obvious it is that it's written by a man sometimes, and the fact that he writes things into the female characters that just don't seem to fit. I'd still recommend this as one of my favourite webcomics though.
eFestivals
The only site UK festival goers need for all the latest festival news. I live by this site when line ups start to get rumoured early in the year, and check it regularly after I buy tickets for any changes.
Digital Spy
This site is every trashy magazine I hate, but I love it still. I mostly go there for TV and soap news. The premiere list is useful, and I usually like checking up on the cult section. I use the soaps section to see if I'm missing anything major in Hollyoaks if I haven't seen it, so I can go 4oD it if it's something important. Also good for Big Brother, X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing news. One thing I don't like about it is Gay Spy. That part of the site seems to assume that gay men are only interested in thinking about which celebrity pretty boy looks best without his shirt on.
Scientists for Better PCR (song video)
This is brilliant. Just brilliant. It's actually an advertisement for Bio-Rad, who make scientific equipment, but it's still great. For those who don't know, polymerase chain reaction (or PCR) is a method of amplifying DNA for analysis. The thermal cycler Bio-Rad make is a machine that can do this. Anyone who does get it will find this song hilarious. It's funnier because it's made to look serious.
A Dog's Breakfast Movie (+ David Hewlett's site)
If you haven't seen this film, go and buy it. It's so funny, and I can tell David Hewlett has a pretty similar sense of humour to me. If you don't know, he plays McKay on Stargate Atlantis, and quite a few Stargate actors pop up in the film. The site includes his blog and twitter, and so also updates on what he's doing on Atlantis.
Book a Minute (SF/F)
This is the sci-fi/fantasy section of Book a Minute. Basically, it sums up popular books in a few sentences, and usually in a funny way. As an example:
Frank Herbert's Children of Dune: "(People do stuff that is OUT OF CHARACTER. People do stuff that makes NO SENSE. Cool arabic-type words and names are said, making Frank Herbert look SMART and COOL.)"
Too true, haha.
Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog
I believe I've spoken about this in a TV or film related post, so I won't dwell, but it's still as brilliant as when I first saw it. You can't see it on the site anymore, but there are lyrics and stuff there, so it's worth a look.
Television Tropes
This site is one of the greatest sites ever. I like TV. I like overanalysis of TV. I like it even more when done in a humourous way. This site does just that, and includes some awesome comical analysis of my favourite shows, and the patterns and cliches in them. One of my favourite trope labels is "Magnificent Bastard". Obviously this includes Scorpius, who has to be the best character mentioned. The Master, from Dr Who, is another good example. Anyway, this site is easy (for me at least) to lose hours in. I already spent longer on this paragraph than any other so far, since I started looking at the site.
Treesize Free from JAM Software
Even though I could give out more sites, I'm going to end it here for tonight. I'll finish with some free software Google told me about the other day. Have you ever wondered where all the space is going on your hard drive? I know I did. I only have 80GB, and when I couldn't work out how why I was always nearly out of space, I decided I needed a way to find out where I could stand to lose stuff. This tells you exactly where on your hard drive most memory is being used. It made it so much easier to clear things up. Definitely worth a look.
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