To begin with ...... Well done to our quiz team and, in particular, Husband dearest. Unable to attend last night (all this rain does nothing for my joints), the quiz, we lost but the snowball, thanks to a certain individuals knowledge of the periodic table, we won - hurrah!!!!!!! That's another £100 towards our Christmas night out.
Want to see how many of these chemicals symbols you can identify? Answers tomorrow.
AL
CL
HG
MN
PO
And now for today's round-up of the newspapers.
Carrying on from yesterday's post about Christmas presents, Husband dearest (who I must say isn't half bad at buying gifts) found this article.
MAKE HER FEEL SPECIAL - WITH A CLOTHES LINE.
A garden centre chain has provoked anger among its female customers after suggesting that men make their wives "feel special this Christmas" by buying them a rotary clothes line as a present.
Equality campaigners criticised the store saying the advertisement was like something from the 1970s and promoted the idea that a woman's place was in the home.
The store admitted the 'joke' was ill advised.
- An edited version of an article in The Daily Telegraph. (For the full story, click HERE.)
Practical? I suppose so but it's hardly romantic, is it? Unlike this next Christmassy article that had me wanting to change my name.
A popular North eaterie is offering a freebie for special couples this Christmas.
In the true spirit of giving, couples called Mary and Joseph will get free grub at Tayburns in Newcastle, on Christmas Eve.
Couples and friends called Mary and Joseph can turn up in pairs, but photographic ID must be shown to prove your identities.
- An edited version of an article in the Sunday Sun.
Getting away from Christmas, you remember a while ago I did a post about the row over FENTIMANS lemonade? Well, a similar row has just erupted but this time it's Lucozade (another well known brand of soft drink here in the UK) that's causing the alarm.
Pupils aged 11 and 12 at a top private school got "high as a kite" - on Lucozade.
Four youngsters out of 25 assessed by paramedics had to be treated after having too many free samples of the brand's new Alert Plus energy drink which they were given on their way to school.
Now makers GlaxoSmith-Kline are probing how they got so much - as it's website says it is "designed to improve mental performance" but is "is not recommended for children with its caffeine content".
A source said "The teachers noticed they all seemed full of energy and their behaviour was different to normal.
"Some of the kids complained of feeling sick and so the teachers decided the best thing to do was dial 999. One kid had six bottles." (Hardly any wonder they were feeling sick then, is it?)
- An edited version of an article in the Daily Mirror.
And, whilst on the subject of drinks I couldn't help but have a chuckle at this article.
A shockwave passed through the organisation that champions traditional methods of beer production and the old-fashioned pub after an alarming incident at their Annual General Drink-in recently at the Old Beard And Sandals (now there's a name for a pub). Several delegates were caught on mobile-phone footage ordering (shock, horror...) bottles of alcopops at the bar.
"Things got rapidly out of hand," said a witness, who asked not to be identified for fear of beer-related reprisal. "One man even asked for a diet coke."
- An article by Jim White reporting in the Telegraph.
One last thing......
I knew it, just knew it. All of my stupid jokes do serve a purpose - apart from making people groan that is.
Telling jokes in the classroom can boost pupils' reading skills, according to researchers.
Children's grasp of comprehension is dramatically (not just slightly but dramatically) improved after being exposed to short gags and riddles, it was claimed. Jokes which revolve around word-play - such as "How do you make a sausage roll?" "Push it down the hill" - help expand young children's understanding of how English works. A study by York University, reported in THE TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT, tested four groups of eight and nine-year-olds over a year. One group, which focused solely on speaking and listening skills, including learning jokes, overtook their classmates in reading comprehension.
- An edited version of an article in the Guardian.
FOOTNOTE: As it is not always practical to post the complete version of an article, I will endeavour to provide a link to the full version wherever possible.
29 Nov 2009
BAH, HUMBUG...... 'TIS THE SEASON (AND ALL THAT).
Please excuse me for not bringing you the latest round-up of the newspapers, a post that will have to wait until tomorrow. Yesterday, instead of the Breakfast Club, we opted to visit our respective families so I haven't had much of a chance to peruse said papers yet.
But, feeling the need to post something, I thought I'd talk Christmas.
Today is the first Sunday in ADVENT, so in churches up and down the country (across the world, even) Christians will be holding special services and lighting the first candle on their Advent Wreath.
Which means for Husband dearest it is now time to officially bring out his 'Christmas Hat'. Not what you might be expecting, this seasonal hat is of the commonly seen Santa type but instead of the traditional red with white trim, husband dearest's hat is black with a white trim and sports the words 'Bah, Humbug'. Not that he objects to Christmas altogether (honestly he doesn't) - he just doesn't like celebrating too early.
Anyway, getting away from 'the' hat. Over the last few weeks, various family members have been asking what we'd like for Christmas (I say 'we', they've been asking me - knowing better than to ask Husband dearest) and over the week-end the pressure has really been on us. But, despite thanking them and saying book vouchers are always welcome or, for those with computer access, pointing them in the direction of our Amazon Wish Lists (what a brilliant service this is), people still seem determined that, this year, perhaps we'd like something other than books or DVD's, so .........
For Christmas this year, here is one present I'd dearly like to find under the tree and another I wouldn't be so keen on finding.
YES PLEASE: In China, physical trainer, Xiao Lin has begun a new sideline - he's renting himself out as a human punchbag for stressed women! So far the service at his gym in Shenyang has only attracted two customers, but he says they both looked much happier after a few minutes pummelling him. (I just bet they did. Not one for using physical violence, I could quite happily use his service - after all, this is a man's livelihood we are talking about.)
NO THANKS: Quite possibly the most depressing Christmas present ever devised, guaranteed to make you wish the giver had the imagination and sense of occasion to get you an ironing board cover: your loved ones can now defray the national debt on your behalf, by making a donation to the Treasury in your name.
Well, it's not something you'd do for yourself, is it? The 'Whittle Down The National Debt' initiative is being billed as a wonderful present for children and grandchildren with £20 being the suggested donation. It's certainly an affordable way to make someone feel as if they're not making a difference: estimates of the national debt level range from £8000 billion to £1,340 billion. Estimates of your personal share of this start at £13,000 and rocket upward. And when the government comes for it, it's unlikely they'll take your £20 gift certificate into account.
- An edited version of an article by Tim Dowling, reporting in the Guardian.
And finally, though now pet less ourselves, here are a few pressies that Whiskas or Rover might like to find under the tree.
For Rover, how about a PET STROLLER priced from £44.99?
For Whiskas, SANTA RUSTLE PANTS, at the much more affordable £7.99?
And, last but not least,
For Hammy, a CRITTER CRUISER, at £19.99?
But, feeling the need to post something, I thought I'd talk Christmas.
Today is the first Sunday in ADVENT, so in churches up and down the country (across the world, even) Christians will be holding special services and lighting the first candle on their Advent Wreath.
Which means for Husband dearest it is now time to officially bring out his 'Christmas Hat'. Not what you might be expecting, this seasonal hat is of the commonly seen Santa type but instead of the traditional red with white trim, husband dearest's hat is black with a white trim and sports the words 'Bah, Humbug'. Not that he objects to Christmas altogether (honestly he doesn't) - he just doesn't like celebrating too early.
Anyway, getting away from 'the' hat. Over the last few weeks, various family members have been asking what we'd like for Christmas (I say 'we', they've been asking me - knowing better than to ask Husband dearest) and over the week-end the pressure has really been on us. But, despite thanking them and saying book vouchers are always welcome or, for those with computer access, pointing them in the direction of our Amazon Wish Lists (what a brilliant service this is), people still seem determined that, this year, perhaps we'd like something other than books or DVD's, so .........
For Christmas this year, here is one present I'd dearly like to find under the tree and another I wouldn't be so keen on finding.
YES PLEASE: In China, physical trainer, Xiao Lin has begun a new sideline - he's renting himself out as a human punchbag for stressed women! So far the service at his gym in Shenyang has only attracted two customers, but he says they both looked much happier after a few minutes pummelling him. (I just bet they did. Not one for using physical violence, I could quite happily use his service - after all, this is a man's livelihood we are talking about.)
NO THANKS: Quite possibly the most depressing Christmas present ever devised, guaranteed to make you wish the giver had the imagination and sense of occasion to get you an ironing board cover: your loved ones can now defray the national debt on your behalf, by making a donation to the Treasury in your name.
Well, it's not something you'd do for yourself, is it? The 'Whittle Down The National Debt' initiative is being billed as a wonderful present for children and grandchildren with £20 being the suggested donation. It's certainly an affordable way to make someone feel as if they're not making a difference: estimates of the national debt level range from £8000 billion to £1,340 billion. Estimates of your personal share of this start at £13,000 and rocket upward. And when the government comes for it, it's unlikely they'll take your £20 gift certificate into account.
- An edited version of an article by Tim Dowling, reporting in the Guardian.
And finally, though now pet less ourselves, here are a few pressies that Whiskas or Rover might like to find under the tree.
For Rover, how about a PET STROLLER priced from £44.99?
For Whiskas, SANTA RUSTLE PANTS, at the much more affordable £7.99?
And, last but not least,
For Hammy, a CRITTER CRUISER, at £19.99?
28 Nov 2009
PERHAPS A LITTLE TOO GREEN.
Most of us are 'environmentally friendly' to one degree or another, whether that is just re-cycling our household waste or being more pro-active. Perhaps whoever came up with these ideas was going a little too far though.
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has come up with a plan to cut the nation's water shortage. He's asking people to stop singing in the shower. "People who sing stay in the shower longer then they need to. I only shower for three minutes, and I don't stink." he said.
While .....
In Taiwan, a city councillor has attacked plans by a mortuary in Taipei to convert the energy created by cremations into electricity. "It's too creepy. They'd be pumping air conditioning at mourners that's being powered by the deceased," the councillor complained.
In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez has come up with a plan to cut the nation's water shortage. He's asking people to stop singing in the shower. "People who sing stay in the shower longer then they need to. I only shower for three minutes, and I don't stink." he said.
While .....
In Taiwan, a city councillor has attacked plans by a mortuary in Taipei to convert the energy created by cremations into electricity. "It's too creepy. They'd be pumping air conditioning at mourners that's being powered by the deceased," the councillor complained.
27 Nov 2009
THE 19TH WIFE.
THE 19TH WIFE by David Ebershoff.
For the first time in six years, Jordan returns from California to Utah, to visit his mother - in jail. As a young boy he was expelled from his family's secretive polygamous Mormon sect. Now his father has been found shot dead in front of his computer, and one of his many wives - Jordan's mother - is accused of the crime.
Over a century earlier, Ann Eliza Young, nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, second Prophet of the Mormon Church, tells the sensational story of how she battled for her freedom from her powerful husband, to lead a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. Bold, shocking and gripping, The 19th Wife expertly weaves together these two narratives in an enthralling epic of love, family, murder and faith.
.... From the back cover.
First Sentence: In the one year since I renounced my Mormon faith, and set out to tell the nation the truth about American polygamy, many people have wondered why I ever agreed to become a plural wife.
Memorable Moment: It's funny, they call us the lost boys when we get kicked out, but really, we were lost the day we were born.
Almost two books for the price of one though why the author chose to write as he did has me puzzled. Either one of the two elements - the story of Ann Young or the story of Jordan and his mother -would have been superb reading in their own right but, put together, I'm not too sure it worked, so what should have been a book I rated four, possibly even five, out of five, I decided to rate as a three.
Jumping from the story of Ann to the much less lengthy story of Jordan, there were huge gaps in the narrative, so-much-so that the 'lesser' story often seemed to be neglected and the thread lost. That said, I quickly worked out the key to the mystery though as to 'who done it'? That came as a surprise, if not a good one as it was as if the author had run out of steam, realised his book was in danger of becoming too long and had opted for any old ending.
As for the parts of the story concerning Ann Young. This was especially fascinating and I learnt such a lot about the Mormons of the eighteen hundreds. However, as the author informs us "The 19th Wife follows Ann Eliza's basic biographical arc as she describes it, although often I fill in where she skips and I skip where she digresses. I continue past her conclusion and reinterpret where her point of view limits an understanding of her life and times. I also spend time on members of her family, about whom she has little meaningful to say." All very well and it could be argued that it's a sign of a good writer that fact and fiction were so seamless but I'm afraid I couldn't help but almost constantly wonder which bits were factual and which bits a figment of the author's imagination which was very distracting.
Reading this review back, it does seem as if I have little that is good to say about The 19th Wife but, as I say, it was fascinating and informative - the complex relationships between the characters well worth the reading.
MY RATING: 3 out of a possible 5.
For the first time in six years, Jordan returns from California to Utah, to visit his mother - in jail. As a young boy he was expelled from his family's secretive polygamous Mormon sect. Now his father has been found shot dead in front of his computer, and one of his many wives - Jordan's mother - is accused of the crime.
Over a century earlier, Ann Eliza Young, nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, second Prophet of the Mormon Church, tells the sensational story of how she battled for her freedom from her powerful husband, to lead a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. Bold, shocking and gripping, The 19th Wife expertly weaves together these two narratives in an enthralling epic of love, family, murder and faith.
.... From the back cover.
First Sentence: In the one year since I renounced my Mormon faith, and set out to tell the nation the truth about American polygamy, many people have wondered why I ever agreed to become a plural wife.
Memorable Moment: It's funny, they call us the lost boys when we get kicked out, but really, we were lost the day we were born.
Almost two books for the price of one though why the author chose to write as he did has me puzzled. Either one of the two elements - the story of Ann Young or the story of Jordan and his mother -would have been superb reading in their own right but, put together, I'm not too sure it worked, so what should have been a book I rated four, possibly even five, out of five, I decided to rate as a three.
Jumping from the story of Ann to the much less lengthy story of Jordan, there were huge gaps in the narrative, so-much-so that the 'lesser' story often seemed to be neglected and the thread lost. That said, I quickly worked out the key to the mystery though as to 'who done it'? That came as a surprise, if not a good one as it was as if the author had run out of steam, realised his book was in danger of becoming too long and had opted for any old ending.
As for the parts of the story concerning Ann Young. This was especially fascinating and I learnt such a lot about the Mormons of the eighteen hundreds. However, as the author informs us "The 19th Wife follows Ann Eliza's basic biographical arc as she describes it, although often I fill in where she skips and I skip where she digresses. I continue past her conclusion and reinterpret where her point of view limits an understanding of her life and times. I also spend time on members of her family, about whom she has little meaningful to say." All very well and it could be argued that it's a sign of a good writer that fact and fiction were so seamless but I'm afraid I couldn't help but almost constantly wonder which bits were factual and which bits a figment of the author's imagination which was very distracting.
Reading this review back, it does seem as if I have little that is good to say about The 19th Wife but, as I say, it was fascinating and informative - the complex relationships between the characters well worth the reading.
MY RATING: 3 out of a possible 5.
26 Nov 2009
HAPPY HOLIDAY.
As you can imagine lots of bloggers out there are posting about Thanksgiving. To be honest not an event I know a great deal about. Oh I know the basics about why they celebrate - the Pilgrim Fathers, the Mayflower, the turkey and the getting together of families, etc - you know the kind of stuff we, here in the UK, may have read about in books or, more likely, have seen portrayed in films. Time to Google then.
Ermm. Some very interesting sites out there, I've now learnt a lot more about the origins of Thanksgiving but, me being me, one of my favourite sites has to be this one which is dedicated to THANKSGIVING JOKES.
Ok, now I'm a little more educated about Thanksgiving, I'd like to share these with you.
Firstly over at Shellie's 'Layers Of Thought' I came across this Thanksgiving QUIZ. Then over at Grandmere Mimi's place 'Wounded Bird' I came across this wonderful Thanksgiving prayer.
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
and your pies take the prize
and may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs.
Thanks to Susankay for sharing that little gem with Grandmere who also had some wonderful Thanksgiving cartoons on her blog. Click HERE to view them.
And talking of cartoons, I particularly liked this image on ALEXIA'S BOOKS AND SUCH which showed a cat looking longingly at a cooked turkey, cooling on a table. Why did I find this so amusing? Well, it happened to us, not exactly, but something similar.
Picture the scene if you will. It was Sunday morning, Husband dearest and I hadn't been married that long and were living in an upstairs flat with our two cats Dotty and Phog. (If you scroll down on the right hand-side there is a slide-show of our beloved PETS. Dotty is the black and white cat and Phog is the grey.) Anyway, we were sitting there, noses, no doubt in a newspaper or book, when, up the back stairs, we heard a thud followed by another thud and another. "What the .....?" said Husband dearest getting up to investigate. Only to find Phog coming up the stairs, dragging a side of beef behind her. Obviously left to cool by an open door/window, Phog had helped herself to it and decided to make a gift of it - I suppose it beat the usual bird or mouse.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Ermm. Some very interesting sites out there, I've now learnt a lot more about the origins of Thanksgiving but, me being me, one of my favourite sites has to be this one which is dedicated to THANKSGIVING JOKES.
Ok, now I'm a little more educated about Thanksgiving, I'd like to share these with you.
Firstly over at Shellie's 'Layers Of Thought' I came across this Thanksgiving QUIZ. Then over at Grandmere Mimi's place 'Wounded Bird' I came across this wonderful Thanksgiving prayer.
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
and your pies take the prize
and may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs.
Thanks to Susankay for sharing that little gem with Grandmere who also had some wonderful Thanksgiving cartoons on her blog. Click HERE to view them.
And talking of cartoons, I particularly liked this image on ALEXIA'S BOOKS AND SUCH which showed a cat looking longingly at a cooked turkey, cooling on a table. Why did I find this so amusing? Well, it happened to us, not exactly, but something similar.
Picture the scene if you will. It was Sunday morning, Husband dearest and I hadn't been married that long and were living in an upstairs flat with our two cats Dotty and Phog. (If you scroll down on the right hand-side there is a slide-show of our beloved PETS. Dotty is the black and white cat and Phog is the grey.) Anyway, we were sitting there, noses, no doubt in a newspaper or book, when, up the back stairs, we heard a thud followed by another thud and another. "What the .....?" said Husband dearest getting up to investigate. Only to find Phog coming up the stairs, dragging a side of beef behind her. Obviously left to cool by an open door/window, Phog had helped herself to it and decided to make a gift of it - I suppose it beat the usual bird or mouse.
Happy Thanksgiving.
25 Nov 2009
A METRO TO FREEVERSE VIA WONDERLAND.
It's Wednesday which means I'm visiting Cara over at Ooh ... Books! for FREEVERSE.
But before getting on the metro, where I'll be reading some more poetry, I'm going to pop in and say hello to a blogger buddy of mine. You may have seen her name on the comment pages but for those of you who haven't met her yet, I'd like to introduce you to ALICE IN WONDERLAND who writes some amazing poetry, accompanied by some wonderful graphics. Go pay her a visit, I'm sure she'd be pleased to meet you all. (Just let her know you came from Pen And Paper so I can claim my fee. Haha)
Anyway, onto the metro and this weeks poems from another two talented Geordie bairns.
St. James's Park;
The fat men are crying
And the toon flags are burning
The black cats are happy
Happier than ever
The coaches are leaving
With police escorting
No one has more blues
Then Newcastle fans.
- Ellis, age 10.
Ode to the Angel.
In '94 Gurmley did reveal
a city lacked that 'completed' feel
sans a sculpture of colossal size
that was custom built to grab your eyes.
I speak of what stands at Low Fell,
a symbol, leaving us compelled,
ascending from the screening trees
to stay one legged in the breeze.
It bears a steel skin
dipped in molasses,
where wings are crinkled cut
for welcoming the masses.
Silently signifies the soul of the North East
and declares to every driver-by
"Though faceless, I perceive."
- Varun, age 16.
'Ode to the Angel' is, of course, a tribute to the ANGEL OF THE NORTH which, like Marmite, people seem to either love or hate. Overlooking the A1 motorway at Gateshead, the rather androgynous looking sculpture weighs in at 208 tonnes, and at 20 metres tall is higher than a five storey building. Please take a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.
But before getting on the metro, where I'll be reading some more poetry, I'm going to pop in and say hello to a blogger buddy of mine. You may have seen her name on the comment pages but for those of you who haven't met her yet, I'd like to introduce you to ALICE IN WONDERLAND who writes some amazing poetry, accompanied by some wonderful graphics. Go pay her a visit, I'm sure she'd be pleased to meet you all. (Just let her know you came from Pen And Paper so I can claim my fee. Haha)
Anyway, onto the metro and this weeks poems from another two talented Geordie bairns.
St. James's Park;
The fat men are crying
And the toon flags are burning
The black cats are happy
Happier than ever
The coaches are leaving
With police escorting
No one has more blues
Then Newcastle fans.
- Ellis, age 10.
Ode to the Angel.
In '94 Gurmley did reveal
a city lacked that 'completed' feel
sans a sculpture of colossal size
that was custom built to grab your eyes.
I speak of what stands at Low Fell,
a symbol, leaving us compelled,
ascending from the screening trees
to stay one legged in the breeze.
It bears a steel skin
dipped in molasses,
where wings are crinkled cut
for welcoming the masses.
Silently signifies the soul of the North East
and declares to every driver-by
"Though faceless, I perceive."
- Varun, age 16.
'Ode to the Angel' is, of course, a tribute to the ANGEL OF THE NORTH which, like Marmite, people seem to either love or hate. Overlooking the A1 motorway at Gateshead, the rather androgynous looking sculpture weighs in at 208 tonnes, and at 20 metres tall is higher than a five storey building. Please take a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.
24 Nov 2009
MEET THE REAL ME.
Amongst other things (but we won't go into those) I've been described as 'nauseatingly cheerful', 'smiley faced' and 'forever happy' - Husband dearest reckons 'neurotic' is closer to the mark - but who is the real me?
If FaceBook was to be believed, according to their 'tests':
* I'm the type of woman who is sensitive and calm
* If I were a teletubbie, I'd be Lala (the yellow one)
* If I were an ice-cream, I'd be vanilla flavoured (in other words boring)
* And my NAME MEANS.......
But not believing FaceBook is too accurate about these things, how on earth can it be when the average 'test' is only three questions long, I decided to try an alternative.
That alternative being a test I heard about on a BBC tv show I watched last night. I mean 'The' BBC, it had to be good, right?
So, having completed The Big Personality Test (click HERE to find out what kind of a personality you have), here are my results. But before I give them, you need to know that all personalities fall into five 'traits' though we are never only one of these but a mixture of them.
Openness. This trait is sometimes known as 'Openness to experience'.
MY SCORE: I scored low on this with 3.3 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours tend to have a less broad range of interests. They usually stick to what they know rather than being overly enthusiastic about trying new things.
Conscientiousness. This describes how dependable, organised and hard-working a person is likely to be.
MY SCORE: I scored high on this with 4.1 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours tend to be extremely dependable and organised. It's likely that your life is well-planned and you approach things in a thorough manner.
Extroversion. This is characterised by positive emotions and the tendency to seek out pleasure-stimulating or risk-taking activities.
MY SCORE: I scored low on this with 2.9 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours are likely to enjoy their time away from lots of people. Social activities may well leave you feeling drained rather than energised, and your quiet time is probably where you recharge your batteries.
Agreeableness. This measures how sympathetic and considerate a person is likely to be.
MY SCORE: I scored high on this with 4.6 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours are likely to find it very easy to get along with other people. You probably find that you are sensitive to the feelings of others and that people find it easy to warm to you.
Neuroticism. In the context of the Big 5 personality traits, the term 'neuroticism' relates to a person's response to threatening or stressful situations.
MY SCORE: I scored medium on this with 2.8 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours are likely to be comparatively level-headed about perceived threats, but you may find yourself worrying when faced with uncertainty or unfamiliar situations.
PETTY WITTER SAYS: My test results seem to be fairly accurate. I'm agreeable and conscientious but not extrovert - no big surprises there.
If FaceBook was to be believed, according to their 'tests':
* I'm the type of woman who is sensitive and calm
* If I were a teletubbie, I'd be Lala (the yellow one)
* If I were an ice-cream, I'd be vanilla flavoured (in other words boring)
* And my NAME MEANS.......
But not believing FaceBook is too accurate about these things, how on earth can it be when the average 'test' is only three questions long, I decided to try an alternative.
That alternative being a test I heard about on a BBC tv show I watched last night. I mean 'The' BBC, it had to be good, right?
So, having completed The Big Personality Test (click HERE to find out what kind of a personality you have), here are my results. But before I give them, you need to know that all personalities fall into five 'traits' though we are never only one of these but a mixture of them.
Openness. This trait is sometimes known as 'Openness to experience'.
MY SCORE: I scored low on this with 3.3 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours tend to have a less broad range of interests. They usually stick to what they know rather than being overly enthusiastic about trying new things.
Conscientiousness. This describes how dependable, organised and hard-working a person is likely to be.
MY SCORE: I scored high on this with 4.1 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours tend to be extremely dependable and organised. It's likely that your life is well-planned and you approach things in a thorough manner.
Extroversion. This is characterised by positive emotions and the tendency to seek out pleasure-stimulating or risk-taking activities.
MY SCORE: I scored low on this with 2.9 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours are likely to enjoy their time away from lots of people. Social activities may well leave you feeling drained rather than energised, and your quiet time is probably where you recharge your batteries.
Agreeableness. This measures how sympathetic and considerate a person is likely to be.
MY SCORE: I scored high on this with 4.6 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours are likely to find it very easy to get along with other people. You probably find that you are sensitive to the feelings of others and that people find it easy to warm to you.
Neuroticism. In the context of the Big 5 personality traits, the term 'neuroticism' relates to a person's response to threatening or stressful situations.
MY SCORE: I scored medium on this with 2.8 out of 5.
THE VERDICT: People with scores like yours are likely to be comparatively level-headed about perceived threats, but you may find yourself worrying when faced with uncertainty or unfamiliar situations.
PETTY WITTER SAYS: My test results seem to be fairly accurate. I'm agreeable and conscientious but not extrovert - no big surprises there.
23 Nov 2009
THE JUDAS FIELD - A NOVEL OF THE CIVIL WAR.
THE JUDAS FIELD - A NOVEL OF THE CIVIL WAR By Howard Bahr.
It's been twenty years since Cass Wakefield returned from the war to his hometown in Mississippi, but he is still haunted by battlefield memories. Now, one afternoon in 1885, he is presented with a chance to retrace his steps from the past and to face the truth behind the events that led to the deaths of so many friends and comrades.
The opportunity arrives in the form of Cass's childhood friend Alison, a dying woman who urges Cass to accompany her on a trip to Franklin, Tennessee, to recover the bodies of her father and brother. As they make their way north over the battlefields, they are joined by two of Cass's former brothers-in-arms, and his memories reemerge with overwhelming vividness. Before long the group has assembled on the haunted ground of Franklin, where past and present - the legacy of the war and the narrow hope of redemption - will draw each of them toward a painful confrontation.
..... From the inner, front cover.
FIRST SENTENCE: Cass Wakefield was born in a double-pen log cabin just at break of day, and before he was twenty minutes old, he was almost thrown out with the bed-clothes.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: "If you are having a crisis of faith, maybe I can help you. On the other hand, if you are merely being an ass, then I bid you good day."
A very poignant story of war and it's consequences. I found the whole book very moving and though the battle scenes were graphic in places, there was nothing gratuitous about the violence.
Well researched and written, with a small cast of main characters, all of them memorable apart from Alison who played no real part in the story which I thought was a pity as it would have been interesting to see more of the events from a female perspective
The Judas Field could have been a book all about war but the author ceased the opportunity and explored so many other issues - faith, the nature of fear, and friendship being amongst them.
I particularly liked the character of Lucian, an orphan originally named Lucifer, who, not quite 13, finds himself on the battlefield. A wonderful character who brings out the fatherly side of the men, injecting some real warmth and compassion into the story.
MY RATING: 3 out of 5.
It's been twenty years since Cass Wakefield returned from the war to his hometown in Mississippi, but he is still haunted by battlefield memories. Now, one afternoon in 1885, he is presented with a chance to retrace his steps from the past and to face the truth behind the events that led to the deaths of so many friends and comrades.
The opportunity arrives in the form of Cass's childhood friend Alison, a dying woman who urges Cass to accompany her on a trip to Franklin, Tennessee, to recover the bodies of her father and brother. As they make their way north over the battlefields, they are joined by two of Cass's former brothers-in-arms, and his memories reemerge with overwhelming vividness. Before long the group has assembled on the haunted ground of Franklin, where past and present - the legacy of the war and the narrow hope of redemption - will draw each of them toward a painful confrontation.
..... From the inner, front cover.
FIRST SENTENCE: Cass Wakefield was born in a double-pen log cabin just at break of day, and before he was twenty minutes old, he was almost thrown out with the bed-clothes.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: "If you are having a crisis of faith, maybe I can help you. On the other hand, if you are merely being an ass, then I bid you good day."
A very poignant story of war and it's consequences. I found the whole book very moving and though the battle scenes were graphic in places, there was nothing gratuitous about the violence.
Well researched and written, with a small cast of main characters, all of them memorable apart from Alison who played no real part in the story which I thought was a pity as it would have been interesting to see more of the events from a female perspective
The Judas Field could have been a book all about war but the author ceased the opportunity and explored so many other issues - faith, the nature of fear, and friendship being amongst them.
I particularly liked the character of Lucian, an orphan originally named Lucifer, who, not quite 13, finds himself on the battlefield. A wonderful character who brings out the fatherly side of the men, injecting some real warmth and compassion into the story.
MY RATING: 3 out of 5.
22 Nov 2009
ABC.
Before I start my weekly round-up of newspaper reports, I must say a big thank you to Sharon of SHARON'S GARDEN OF BOOK REVIEWS who did me the honour of sending me an Honest Scrap Award, the second I've received this week so please excuse me for not doing another post listing 10 things you didn't know about me but rather re-posting the list from earlier (click HERE to view). Thanks again, Sharon.
And now for this weeks newspapers, Petty Witter style.
A is for:
ADVERTISEMENT - Keepers are appealing for a new boyfriend for lonely hippopotamus Mimi after her old partner Carlo died at Rome zoo.
- The Mirror.
ALLOWED - The inhabitants of a small Italian town where 8,000 residents share the same sur-name have won a legal battle to use their nicknames, including "Fat", "Mad", and "Peasant", on all official documents.
For more than 200 years, the people of Chiogggia near Venice, have used the nicknames to distinguish between distantly related families, but they were never officially recognised.
Now, following a decree from the interior ministry, families in the town will be allowed to adopt their nicknames as a second official surname.
In many small Italian towns where local families have stayed put down the centuries, the entire population often shares just a few names. Chioggia, at the south end of the Venice lagoon, is an extreme case, with 8,000 Boscolos and 5,00 Tiozzos out of 52,000 people.
- Tom Kington, The Guardian. (Click HERE for full report).
Very sensible I say. I mean can you, for instance, imagine the calling of the school register without it? Teacher calls out "Tiozzo" and at least 10 children reply "Here, Miss".
B is for:
BURKA BARBIE - I never had a Barbie as a child - altogether "aah". Not that I was deprived or anything as, instead of Barbie, I had the altogether more British Sindy. Anyway, just when it seemed that the world had every possible version of Barbie from Beach Fun Barbie through to Barbie Island Princess to name but two (and believe me there are hundreds) marketing came up with a new Barbie - BURKA BARBIE - that's right, Burka Barbie.
These Barbie dolls are true cover-up girls in burkas. They were on show in Florence, Italy, for a charity auction in Barbie's 50th anniversary year. (You've got to hand it to her, at 50, Barbie isn't looking too bad.) The UK's biggest collector, Angela Ellis, 35, said "I think it's great."
- the Daily Mirror.
BYCYCLES - Surely a case for 'don't try to teach your granny to suck eggs' - a saying, believed to be of Scottish origin, meaning people shouldn't try to teach someone who has experience or is an expert in that area. Goodness only knows where this one came from, not even the web-sites can agree but this instruction Manuel must take the biscuit as far as eggs and grannies go.
Brochure of the week was the one telling cops how to ride a bike.
Thousands of pounds have been spent on the 93 page tome, produced for the Association Of British Police Officers, which has advice on how to balance on two wheels without falling off, how to brake, approach a junction, and warns of the perils of (wait for it ........) going up a kerb.
Undercover bike cops are also told how to carry out a risk assessment before removing their helmet, while another priceless bit of advice was the one that told officers to eat and drink before they went on patrol so they wouldn't go hungry.
- the Sunday Sun.
I only hope that there is also some mention of going to the loo before they start off. Seriously though, it's a frightening thought that someone out there believes our police men and women may not have the common sense to work these things out for themselves.
C is for -
CAKE - To hear of a couple divorcing is usually a sad affair and perhaps we shouldn't have laughed at this article ...... but we did.
An enterprising baker has started making Divorce Cakes for couples celebrating their break-up.
Fay Millar, 31, said "Divorce parties have been popular in the States for some time. Now they are taking off over here"
Since deciding to branch out from wedding cakes she has had many inquiries, mainly from ex-wives.
One popular design shows a blonde stabbing her husband in the back above a pool of blood-red icing. (This is my favourite.)
Another depicts a man booting his wife off the cake with the caption: Free at last! (You would have thought this was a favourite with the men. Surprisingly it wasn't. Though depicted in another newspaper, they seemed to favour the one illustrated HERE for some reason or other.)
Fay, who lives with her partner Lawrence and their two children in Brighton, said "Divorce can be horrible but I would like to think a comical cake can lighten the mood." (And make a lot of money when fewer people then ever are getting married or is that me being horribly cynical?)
Footnote: Unless otherwise stated, I will report the full article. If for whatever reason I am unable to do so I will endeavour to find a link to the full story.
And now for this weeks newspapers, Petty Witter style.
A is for:
ADVERTISEMENT - Keepers are appealing for a new boyfriend for lonely hippopotamus Mimi after her old partner Carlo died at Rome zoo.
- The Mirror.
ALLOWED - The inhabitants of a small Italian town where 8,000 residents share the same sur-name have won a legal battle to use their nicknames, including "Fat", "Mad", and "Peasant", on all official documents.
For more than 200 years, the people of Chiogggia near Venice, have used the nicknames to distinguish between distantly related families, but they were never officially recognised.
Now, following a decree from the interior ministry, families in the town will be allowed to adopt their nicknames as a second official surname.
In many small Italian towns where local families have stayed put down the centuries, the entire population often shares just a few names. Chioggia, at the south end of the Venice lagoon, is an extreme case, with 8,000 Boscolos and 5,00 Tiozzos out of 52,000 people.
- Tom Kington, The Guardian. (Click HERE for full report).
Very sensible I say. I mean can you, for instance, imagine the calling of the school register without it? Teacher calls out "Tiozzo" and at least 10 children reply "Here, Miss".
B is for:
BURKA BARBIE - I never had a Barbie as a child - altogether "aah". Not that I was deprived or anything as, instead of Barbie, I had the altogether more British Sindy. Anyway, just when it seemed that the world had every possible version of Barbie from Beach Fun Barbie through to Barbie Island Princess to name but two (and believe me there are hundreds) marketing came up with a new Barbie - BURKA BARBIE - that's right, Burka Barbie.
These Barbie dolls are true cover-up girls in burkas. They were on show in Florence, Italy, for a charity auction in Barbie's 50th anniversary year. (You've got to hand it to her, at 50, Barbie isn't looking too bad.) The UK's biggest collector, Angela Ellis, 35, said "I think it's great."
- the Daily Mirror.
BYCYCLES - Surely a case for 'don't try to teach your granny to suck eggs' - a saying, believed to be of Scottish origin, meaning people shouldn't try to teach someone who has experience or is an expert in that area. Goodness only knows where this one came from, not even the web-sites can agree but this instruction Manuel must take the biscuit as far as eggs and grannies go.
Brochure of the week was the one telling cops how to ride a bike.
Thousands of pounds have been spent on the 93 page tome, produced for the Association Of British Police Officers, which has advice on how to balance on two wheels without falling off, how to brake, approach a junction, and warns of the perils of (wait for it ........) going up a kerb.
Undercover bike cops are also told how to carry out a risk assessment before removing their helmet, while another priceless bit of advice was the one that told officers to eat and drink before they went on patrol so they wouldn't go hungry.
- the Sunday Sun.
I only hope that there is also some mention of going to the loo before they start off. Seriously though, it's a frightening thought that someone out there believes our police men and women may not have the common sense to work these things out for themselves.
C is for -
CAKE - To hear of a couple divorcing is usually a sad affair and perhaps we shouldn't have laughed at this article ...... but we did.
An enterprising baker has started making Divorce Cakes for couples celebrating their break-up.
Fay Millar, 31, said "Divorce parties have been popular in the States for some time. Now they are taking off over here"
Since deciding to branch out from wedding cakes she has had many inquiries, mainly from ex-wives.
One popular design shows a blonde stabbing her husband in the back above a pool of blood-red icing. (This is my favourite.)
Another depicts a man booting his wife off the cake with the caption: Free at last! (You would have thought this was a favourite with the men. Surprisingly it wasn't. Though depicted in another newspaper, they seemed to favour the one illustrated HERE for some reason or other.)
Fay, who lives with her partner Lawrence and their two children in Brighton, said "Divorce can be horrible but I would like to think a comical cake can lighten the mood." (And make a lot of money when fewer people then ever are getting married or is that me being horribly cynical?)
Footnote: Unless otherwise stated, I will report the full article. If for whatever reason I am unable to do so I will endeavour to find a link to the full story.
21 Nov 2009
A DANGEROUS WEAPON, REALLY?
* Bank staff in Poland refused to hand over money to a robber who tried to hold up a branch ..... with a SPOON.
** Would-be robber Takashi Owada, 54, changed his mind after storming into a shop waving a stick and demanding money. When the cashier told him to "stop being so silly", he apologised and rang the police from his own mobile to report himself.
*** A customer, who had chilli sauce thrown in his face by a kebab shop owner after a row over the lack of napkins, called police when his eyes became bloodshot. Now he wants the sauce classified as a dangerous weapon so the owner can be charged with assault.
** Would-be robber Takashi Owada, 54, changed his mind after storming into a shop waving a stick and demanding money. When the cashier told him to "stop being so silly", he apologised and rang the police from his own mobile to report himself.
*** A customer, who had chilli sauce thrown in his face by a kebab shop owner after a row over the lack of napkins, called police when his eyes became bloodshot. Now he wants the sauce classified as a dangerous weapon so the owner can be charged with assault.
20 Nov 2009
A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR.
My, Husband dearest has been busy this last couple of days - busy finding articles for Pen And Paper it would seem. My thanks to him for the following.
Firstly he comes up with this gem of a video clip which shows the antics of an overly AFFECTIONATE KITTEN which is a little blurred in places but well worth watching.
Then there's this hilarious spoof from Newsbiscuit all about MARY POPPINS being banned from child-minding after she has been found wanting in several areas. A must read for anyone who has ever worked with children and knows of the bureaucracy involved.
And finally, there's this link to an amazing song all about Coming Home To Newcastle. Click HERE to listen and watch out for the lyrics on the site by scrolling down.
Firstly he comes up with this gem of a video clip which shows the antics of an overly AFFECTIONATE KITTEN which is a little blurred in places but well worth watching.
Then there's this hilarious spoof from Newsbiscuit all about MARY POPPINS being banned from child-minding after she has been found wanting in several areas. A must read for anyone who has ever worked with children and knows of the bureaucracy involved.
And finally, there's this link to an amazing song all about Coming Home To Newcastle. Click HERE to listen and watch out for the lyrics on the site by scrolling down.
A WEDDING ANNIVERSARY WISH FROM ME (AND THE GREMLIN).
It would appear that another gremlin is roaming around blogosphere causing havoc wherever it lands. Funny thing is, it only appears to be affecting certain blogs and, then, not the blogs themselves but the comment boxes. Oh well, these things happen I suppose and there will, no doubt, be a reason - just don't try to explain that reason, I won't understand it.
Anyway, just in case the problem takes a while to sort itself, I'd like to congratulate Sharon of SHARON'S GARDEN OF BOOK REVIEWS and her husband, Don, a Happy 27th Wedding Anniversary. My best wishes to you both.
UPDATE: Well, well. It seems as if I spoke too soon, the gremlin has just reared it's ugly head here at Pen And Paper, some gadget 'thingymebobs' have disappeared altogether whilst there are little boxes with crosses (x) in them appearing all over the place. I suppose I'd better invite him in (I'm presuming it's a him, no woman could cause this amount of chaos), give him a cuppa, maybe even a biscuit, and a 'right good' talking to - I mean, how dare he?
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: The gremlin has drunk his tea, ate his biscuit (a rich tea, no chocolate biccies for him) and promised to behave himself so hopefully services can now resume as normal. I just hope he hasn't found his way over to Farmville on Face Book where I'm off to see to my crops and animals. See you all later.
Anyway, just in case the problem takes a while to sort itself, I'd like to congratulate Sharon of SHARON'S GARDEN OF BOOK REVIEWS and her husband, Don, a Happy 27th Wedding Anniversary. My best wishes to you both.
UPDATE: Well, well. It seems as if I spoke too soon, the gremlin has just reared it's ugly head here at Pen And Paper, some gadget 'thingymebobs' have disappeared altogether whilst there are little boxes with crosses (x) in them appearing all over the place. I suppose I'd better invite him in (I'm presuming it's a him, no woman could cause this amount of chaos), give him a cuppa, maybe even a biscuit, and a 'right good' talking to - I mean, how dare he?
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: The gremlin has drunk his tea, ate his biscuit (a rich tea, no chocolate biccies for him) and promised to behave himself so hopefully services can now resume as normal. I just hope he hasn't found his way over to Farmville on Face Book where I'm off to see to my crops and animals. See you all later.
19 Nov 2009
MR TIMOTHY.
MR TIMOTHY by Louis Bayard.
"Not so tiny any more, that's a fact."
So begins Louis Bayard's enthralling tale of mischief and murder. The Tiny Tim of Dickens's A Christmas Carol has now grown up, has cast his crutches aside, and has just buried his father. Determined to shed his ties to his benevolent 'Uncle' Ebenezer, he lives by day in a house of ill repute and spends his nights dredging the Thames for dead bodies and the treasures in their pockets.
Suddenly Tim finds himself embroiled in a disturbing mystery. For he comes across the bodies of two dead girls, each seared with a cruel brand. Then he discovers another girl with a similar brand - but she is still alive. Tim immediately realises he must protect her, whatever the cost. With the support of a wonderful cast of characters from Colin the Melodious to Captain Gully, he embarks on a dangerous journey.
Tim's dark adventures take him from the murkiest parts of London's Victorian underworld to the upper echelons of aristocratic society. Through teeming markets, shadowy passages and thick brown fog.
..... From the front, inner cover.
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): Not so tiny anymore and that's a fact. Nearly five-eight, last I was measured, and closing in on eleven stone.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: Fifteen minutes after I set my head down, a boy with no shirt tried to pick my pocket; fifteen minutes later, he went for my hat; half an hour after that, I found him very calmly unlacing my shoes.
An interesting idea and one I couldn't resist - Tiny Tim, now aged 21, no longer tiny and minus his crutches. Hmm, where will the author take us with this one?
Very Dickens's in tone, this novel also takes place during Advent, the climax occurring on Christmas Eve. We even get to meet, albeit very briefly, 'Uncle' Ebenezer, now lovingly known as Uncle N.
I'm really not sure what I made of this book. Yes, I really enjoyed it but more so because of the nostalgic theme and the characters than the story itself which was interesting but slightly bizarre.
Bizarre? In places, very much so. I mean how else could I describe the scene in which Colin (the Melodious) decides it's a good idea, on being approached by a rather amorous peacock, to react in the following manner "Jumping backwards, he claws open his trousers and, with wildly scrabbling hands, drags out the nearest available evidence of his sex. Holds it there in his hand like a pickled eel, freshly wrapped." Aah but does it work? You'll have to read the book to find out.
No, the nostalgia and characters are definitely what makes this story what it is. We find out what became of Ebenezer Scrooge, whether or not he remained his jovial, Christmas loving self or reverted back to his old ways. Then there's Captain Gully, a truly wonderful character, who on loosing his hand in an accident, has it replaced by a rather different tool to the usual hook. AND Mrs Sharpe (I love the idea of Tiny Tim living in a house of ill repute) who hires Tim in the pretence of him "doing her books" when, in fact, he is there for a very different (totally innocent, I hasten to add) reason.
What is also nice about MR TIMOTHY is the letters that Tim sends to his dead father. They leave the reader with such a warm glow and, at times, a lump in the throat for as Tim explains the writing of these letters "Now I don't believe you can actually speak to them or touch them," (Them being the dead) "but if you can .... if you can convey to them that you're happy and everything's fine .... well then, they needn't worry about you, and they can .... they can rest, can't they? Finish their journey."
MY RATING: 3 out of a possible 5.
"Not so tiny any more, that's a fact."
So begins Louis Bayard's enthralling tale of mischief and murder. The Tiny Tim of Dickens's A Christmas Carol has now grown up, has cast his crutches aside, and has just buried his father. Determined to shed his ties to his benevolent 'Uncle' Ebenezer, he lives by day in a house of ill repute and spends his nights dredging the Thames for dead bodies and the treasures in their pockets.
Suddenly Tim finds himself embroiled in a disturbing mystery. For he comes across the bodies of two dead girls, each seared with a cruel brand. Then he discovers another girl with a similar brand - but she is still alive. Tim immediately realises he must protect her, whatever the cost. With the support of a wonderful cast of characters from Colin the Melodious to Captain Gully, he embarks on a dangerous journey.
Tim's dark adventures take him from the murkiest parts of London's Victorian underworld to the upper echelons of aristocratic society. Through teeming markets, shadowy passages and thick brown fog.
..... From the front, inner cover.
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): Not so tiny anymore and that's a fact. Nearly five-eight, last I was measured, and closing in on eleven stone.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: Fifteen minutes after I set my head down, a boy with no shirt tried to pick my pocket; fifteen minutes later, he went for my hat; half an hour after that, I found him very calmly unlacing my shoes.
An interesting idea and one I couldn't resist - Tiny Tim, now aged 21, no longer tiny and minus his crutches. Hmm, where will the author take us with this one?
Very Dickens's in tone, this novel also takes place during Advent, the climax occurring on Christmas Eve. We even get to meet, albeit very briefly, 'Uncle' Ebenezer, now lovingly known as Uncle N.
I'm really not sure what I made of this book. Yes, I really enjoyed it but more so because of the nostalgic theme and the characters than the story itself which was interesting but slightly bizarre.
Bizarre? In places, very much so. I mean how else could I describe the scene in which Colin (the Melodious) decides it's a good idea, on being approached by a rather amorous peacock, to react in the following manner "Jumping backwards, he claws open his trousers and, with wildly scrabbling hands, drags out the nearest available evidence of his sex. Holds it there in his hand like a pickled eel, freshly wrapped." Aah but does it work? You'll have to read the book to find out.
No, the nostalgia and characters are definitely what makes this story what it is. We find out what became of Ebenezer Scrooge, whether or not he remained his jovial, Christmas loving self or reverted back to his old ways. Then there's Captain Gully, a truly wonderful character, who on loosing his hand in an accident, has it replaced by a rather different tool to the usual hook. AND Mrs Sharpe (I love the idea of Tiny Tim living in a house of ill repute) who hires Tim in the pretence of him "doing her books" when, in fact, he is there for a very different (totally innocent, I hasten to add) reason.
What is also nice about MR TIMOTHY is the letters that Tim sends to his dead father. They leave the reader with such a warm glow and, at times, a lump in the throat for as Tim explains the writing of these letters "Now I don't believe you can actually speak to them or touch them," (Them being the dead) "but if you can .... if you can convey to them that you're happy and everything's fine .... well then, they needn't worry about you, and they can .... they can rest, can't they? Finish their journey."
MY RATING: 3 out of a possible 5.
18 Nov 2009
CANNY GOOD GRIEF, SHE'S USING AAL THOSE FUNNY WORDS AGYEN. WHAT'S SHEH TAAKIN ABOOT?
(GOOD GRIEF, SHE'S USING ALL THOSE FUNNY WORDS AGAIN. WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT?)
Having enjoyed mesel so much last week, learning yee aal some Geordie, Ah thowt I'd put me translator into canny use agyen and bring yee some more news from me port o the world. Ah then, wheyaye, thers another two poems as written bi lercal bairns as POETRY ON THE METRO.
(Having enjoyed myself so much last week, learning you all some Geordie, I thought I'd put my translator into good use again and bring you some more news from my part of the world. And then, of course, there's another two poems as written by local children as POETRY ON THE METRO.)
'SANTA' - Known for their generosity, Geordies are striding into action to take place in this years Santa Run, raising cash for the Chronicle's Sunshine Fund which "aims to enhance the lives of local disabled children and their families through the provision of essential equipment, learning aids and custom built apparatus." Sponsored by Northumbrian Water, this years 4km run takes place on December 6th in Newcastle's EXHIBITION PARK.
- An edited account of an article by Bob Pattinson reporting in the Chronicle.
'SCROOGE' (Or is it?) - Kiljoy bosses in a North city have topped a league table of those banning the use of social networking site, Facebook, among employees.
A new report from Microsoft claims that 70% of employees in Newcastle won't allow staff to surf the site during office hours ...... more than any other region in the UK.
Yet the study found Geordies are second most likely, behind Londoners, to regularly put the graft in out of working hours by organising meetings, taking work related phone calls and e-mailing clients from home. (Yes, as well as honest and generous, we are also hard-working. P.W)
- An edited account of an article by Lucy West reporting in the Sunday Sun.
And now, in conjunction with Cara's FREEVERSE over at OOH ... BOOKS!, this weeks POETRY ON THE METRO.
The sun rises as light slowly crawls through the snoozing city,
And rush hour floods the sleeping streets like a tornado.
My tired, young eyes struggle, but heave open
And I unwillingly dash to yet another week of school.
Jam-packed metros hastily tow diverse populations,
Back and forth on icy metro tracks.
The sky then awakens, delivering opaque drops of rain,
Umbrella unfastened, I pray for some shine.
This rain magnet city, is where I am flourishing,
Newcastle is a Centre for life.
- Shivani, age 14.
Running out the front door
Running down the street
Running past the closed-down mines
Across our mighty bridges.
Running past the Grey Street Bands
the metro at my feet.
Running past our Great Earl Grey,
the Sage and lit-up ships.
Running past the generations
of buildings in this city -
A city far from perfect but a city that's my home.
- Robert, age 11.
PETTY WITTER SAYS: I really enjoyed this weeks two poems, not least because they used places that do actually exist here in Newcastle. THE CENTRE FOR LIFE, Grey Street, GREAT EARL GREY (the monument which was built to commemorate Earl Grey of Earl grey tea fame), THE SAGE and, of course, Our Mighty Bridges - most famous of which is probably THE TYNE BRIDGE, a sign that says "I'm home" to many Geordies.
Having enjoyed mesel so much last week, learning yee aal some Geordie, Ah thowt I'd put me translator into canny use agyen and bring yee some more news from me port o the world. Ah then, wheyaye, thers another two poems as written bi lercal bairns as POETRY ON THE METRO.
(Having enjoyed myself so much last week, learning you all some Geordie, I thought I'd put my translator into good use again and bring you some more news from my part of the world. And then, of course, there's another two poems as written by local children as POETRY ON THE METRO.)
'SANTA' - Known for their generosity, Geordies are striding into action to take place in this years Santa Run, raising cash for the Chronicle's Sunshine Fund which "aims to enhance the lives of local disabled children and their families through the provision of essential equipment, learning aids and custom built apparatus." Sponsored by Northumbrian Water, this years 4km run takes place on December 6th in Newcastle's EXHIBITION PARK.
- An edited account of an article by Bob Pattinson reporting in the Chronicle.
'SCROOGE' (Or is it?) - Kiljoy bosses in a North city have topped a league table of those banning the use of social networking site, Facebook, among employees.
A new report from Microsoft claims that 70% of employees in Newcastle won't allow staff to surf the site during office hours ...... more than any other region in the UK.
Yet the study found Geordies are second most likely, behind Londoners, to regularly put the graft in out of working hours by organising meetings, taking work related phone calls and e-mailing clients from home. (Yes, as well as honest and generous, we are also hard-working. P.W)
- An edited account of an article by Lucy West reporting in the Sunday Sun.
And now, in conjunction with Cara's FREEVERSE over at OOH ... BOOKS!, this weeks POETRY ON THE METRO.
The sun rises as light slowly crawls through the snoozing city,
And rush hour floods the sleeping streets like a tornado.
My tired, young eyes struggle, but heave open
And I unwillingly dash to yet another week of school.
Jam-packed metros hastily tow diverse populations,
Back and forth on icy metro tracks.
The sky then awakens, delivering opaque drops of rain,
Umbrella unfastened, I pray for some shine.
This rain magnet city, is where I am flourishing,
Newcastle is a Centre for life.
- Shivani, age 14.
Running out the front door
Running down the street
Running past the closed-down mines
Across our mighty bridges.
Running past the Grey Street Bands
the metro at my feet.
Running past our Great Earl Grey,
the Sage and lit-up ships.
Running past the generations
of buildings in this city -
A city far from perfect but a city that's my home.
- Robert, age 11.
PETTY WITTER SAYS: I really enjoyed this weeks two poems, not least because they used places that do actually exist here in Newcastle. THE CENTRE FOR LIFE, Grey Street, GREAT EARL GREY (the monument which was built to commemorate Earl Grey of Earl grey tea fame), THE SAGE and, of course, Our Mighty Bridges - most famous of which is probably THE TYNE BRIDGE, a sign that says "I'm home" to many Geordies.
17 Nov 2009
YEAH!!!!!!!
Yes. Ever since the 3rd of October this year I've had a 'thingymebob' (get yours by clicking HERE) which records visitor numbers and I've just reached my 500th visitor. As far as I can tell, it was, you, Sheila at ONE PERSONS JOURNEY THROUGH A WORLD OF BOOKS (very apt when you view my last post, the first one of today). Now I know 500 isn't a lot of visitors when you compare it to some blogs but I'm quite happy with it. When I think I put off blogging for so long because I felt I had nothing to say, now, just as in real life, you can't shut me up. Thanks to all my blogger buddies and followers for getting me so far and here's to my 1000th visitor.
AN EARLY MORNING LIAISON.
Grief, it's good to be back - I had an awful day yesterday - an upset tummy, a sore throat, hot one moment and cold the next.
You know for a while now I've asked myself if its possible to become addicted to blogging and, I guess, I know now the answer - its YES. As well as all my blogger buddies, I've missed 'Pooter' himself. "Pooter? Who or what is Pooter?" I hear you ask - go on admit it, your curious. Pooter is the other man in my life, the computer. (See, its not just plants I give names to.) Honestly, since I starting blogging (apart from Husband dearest having to prise me away from Pooter and finding holes in the newspaper if he doesn't get there before me), I've gradually found myself (A) Being unable to simply read a book, I have to review it. (B) Cutting articles out of newspapers thinking we can discuss this. (C) Writing down jokes, that's funny, we'll laugh at that. Oh I could go on. My addiction, however, was confirmed when at 2.41 am on Monday morning, unable to sleep and having read for the last hour or so, I found myself thinking about having an early morning liaison and visiting Pooter - thankfully a temptation I, somehow, managed not to give into.
Anyway, to today's post.
Many thanks to Sheila over at ONE PERSONS JOURNEY THROUGH A WORLD OF BOOKS who awarded me an Honest Scrap Award - part of the conditions being I tell you 10, yes ten, things about myself. "Could I retell the SEVEN I've already told them?" I briefly ask myself. "Go on, they'll never notice" said my inner devil sitting on one shoulder, "No, they deserve better" said my inner angel sitting on the other shoulder. Needless to say, me being me, my inner angel won - so here goes
1. As a child I always wanted but never got a MR FROSTY ice making machine.
2. I had my nose pierced when I was 29 and still wear a small diamond stud.
3. I'm such a disaster in the kitchen that I once set fire to a microwave oven.
4. I talk in my sleep and occasionally sleep-walk.
5. I love bubble-wrap.
6. I can't say 'statistic'.
7. I never wear make-up but have my eye-lashes tinted blue/black.
8. The first time I flew (in my late 20's/early 30's) I was sick on the person I was travelling with.
9. I love the Christmas Markets in Germany - I particularly enjoyed COLOGNE.
10. I find church GARGOYLES fascinating.
And so onto another ten items of interest.
THE Times 100 Best Books Of The Decade have been announced of which I've read a measly eight. Here are the top 10, though you can view them all by clicking HERE.
1. The Road - Cormac McCarthy (2006).
2. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi (2003).
3. Dreams From My Father: A Story Of Race And Inheritance - Barack Obama (2004).
4. Masterworks Of The Classical Halda Mythtellers - translated by Robert Bringhurst (2002).
5. Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky (2006).
6. The Tipping point: how Little Things Can Make A Big Difference - Malcolm Gladwell (2000).
7. Life Of Pi - Yann Martell (2002).
8. Payback: Debt And The Shadow Side Of Wealth - Margaret Atwood (2008).
9. Atonement - Ian McEwan (2001).
10. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (2003).
PLEASE NOTE: The books highlighted in read are the books I have read. Along with the books in the top 10, I have also read these which are in the top 100 list - position on the list in brackets.
(17) Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows - J.K. Rowling (2007).
(25) The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time - Mark Haddon (2003).
(30) The Kite Runer - Khaled Hosseini (2003).
(90) TWILIGHT - Stephenie Meyer (2008).
And, just in case you are wondering, the top five WORST books are
1. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (2003).
2. The Secret - Rhonda Byrne (2006).
3. Being Jordan - Katie Price (2004).
4. Vernon God Little - D.B.C. Pierre (2003).
5. Dylan's Visions Of Sin - Christopher Ricks.
You know for a while now I've asked myself if its possible to become addicted to blogging and, I guess, I know now the answer - its YES. As well as all my blogger buddies, I've missed 'Pooter' himself. "Pooter? Who or what is Pooter?" I hear you ask - go on admit it, your curious. Pooter is the other man in my life, the computer. (See, its not just plants I give names to.) Honestly, since I starting blogging (apart from Husband dearest having to prise me away from Pooter and finding holes in the newspaper if he doesn't get there before me), I've gradually found myself (A) Being unable to simply read a book, I have to review it. (B) Cutting articles out of newspapers thinking we can discuss this. (C) Writing down jokes, that's funny, we'll laugh at that. Oh I could go on. My addiction, however, was confirmed when at 2.41 am on Monday morning, unable to sleep and having read for the last hour or so, I found myself thinking about having an early morning liaison and visiting Pooter - thankfully a temptation I, somehow, managed not to give into.
Anyway, to today's post.
Many thanks to Sheila over at ONE PERSONS JOURNEY THROUGH A WORLD OF BOOKS who awarded me an Honest Scrap Award - part of the conditions being I tell you 10, yes ten, things about myself. "Could I retell the SEVEN I've already told them?" I briefly ask myself. "Go on, they'll never notice" said my inner devil sitting on one shoulder, "No, they deserve better" said my inner angel sitting on the other shoulder. Needless to say, me being me, my inner angel won - so here goes
1. As a child I always wanted but never got a MR FROSTY ice making machine.
2. I had my nose pierced when I was 29 and still wear a small diamond stud.
3. I'm such a disaster in the kitchen that I once set fire to a microwave oven.
4. I talk in my sleep and occasionally sleep-walk.
5. I love bubble-wrap.
6. I can't say 'statistic'.
7. I never wear make-up but have my eye-lashes tinted blue/black.
8. The first time I flew (in my late 20's/early 30's) I was sick on the person I was travelling with.
9. I love the Christmas Markets in Germany - I particularly enjoyed COLOGNE.
10. I find church GARGOYLES fascinating.
And so onto another ten items of interest.
THE Times 100 Best Books Of The Decade have been announced of which I've read a measly eight. Here are the top 10, though you can view them all by clicking HERE.
1. The Road - Cormac McCarthy (2006).
2. Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi (2003).
3. Dreams From My Father: A Story Of Race And Inheritance - Barack Obama (2004).
4. Masterworks Of The Classical Halda Mythtellers - translated by Robert Bringhurst (2002).
5. Suite Francaise - Irene Nemirovsky (2006).
6. The Tipping point: how Little Things Can Make A Big Difference - Malcolm Gladwell (2000).
7. Life Of Pi - Yann Martell (2002).
8. Payback: Debt And The Shadow Side Of Wealth - Margaret Atwood (2008).
9. Atonement - Ian McEwan (2001).
10. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (2003).
PLEASE NOTE: The books highlighted in read are the books I have read. Along with the books in the top 10, I have also read these which are in the top 100 list - position on the list in brackets.
(17) Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows - J.K. Rowling (2007).
(25) The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time - Mark Haddon (2003).
(30) The Kite Runer - Khaled Hosseini (2003).
(90) TWILIGHT - Stephenie Meyer (2008).
And, just in case you are wondering, the top five WORST books are
1. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown (2003).
2. The Secret - Rhonda Byrne (2006).
3. Being Jordan - Katie Price (2004).
4. Vernon God Little - D.B.C. Pierre (2003).
5. Dylan's Visions Of Sin - Christopher Ricks.
15 Nov 2009
FROM PANTS TO A (DEAD) CAT(ASTOPHE).
All was well in the Petty Witter household yesterday and so, for the first time in a few weeks, we both made it to the breakfast club where, amongst several other articles, the following were discussed.
From The Guardian.
WHAT A MAN'S PANTS SAY ABOUT HIM.
A new survey from Debenhams (a large department store found in many British towns and shopping centres) claims to shed some light on men's underwear-buying habits. While the average 23-year-old allegedly buys up to 31 pairs a year "of all styles, tightness and colours", and even 40-year-olds manage a dozen pairs in as many months, once you reach 44 Debenhams reckon you give up the habit for life. Not because by then you have bought 284 pairs and never need to fork out for Y-fronts or tangas again, but because a woman is doing it for you. (So I've got another 8 or so months of Husband dearest being capable of buying his own before I have to do it - there's something to look forward to.)
"Even the most macho men delegate the duty of buying underpants to women as soon as they can" claims Rob Faucherand, the store's head of men's accessories buying.
There's obviously some truth in this (after all the survey never lies) but it does leave some questions unanswered. Firstly, what about men who love men? Who buys their smalls? (their mothers? Only an idea.) Just as importantly, what about all the single straight blokes out there? (definitely their mothers.)
- Phil Daoust.
SALT IN JAMIE OLIVER SAUCES A RECIPE FOR ILL-HEALTH.
I strongly dislike Jamie Oliver (aka the naked chef) - an English chef and so called 'media celebrity' who is well known for his food focused tv shows, perhaps the most popular being Jamie's School Dinners which saw him campaigning against the use of processed foods in national schools in favour of more nutritional, healthy, locally produced foods.
Surely this is a good thing, I hear you say. Yes, it is but it's the way the man went about it. So arrogant and full of his own self importance. He preached to the nation as if he was doing us all a huge favour - never once mentioning all of the money he was making from it.
Anyway, giving my dislike, I couldn't help but smile at this article.
According to Jamie Oliver, his range of pasta sauces is "all about offering exciting flavours, using great quality ingredients at decent prices. I want to get people excited about having pasta and sauce, to really get their tastebuds going." Unfortunately, he has been heavy-handed in using one particular ingredient: salt.
Despite taking school caterers to task for dishing up the likes of Turkey Twizzlers (a frozen product that is lucky if it contains any turkey at all. High in, you guessed it, salt) on the grounds that they were bad for children's health, Oliver has been accused of using more salt in his tomato-based pasta sauce than any other range.
According to research published by Consensus Action On Salt And Health (CASH), which examined the salt content of 190 jars, pots and packets of pasta, the highest salt product was in Jamie Oliver's olive and garlic sauce, with 3g per 100g, or 5.3g of salt per recommended 175g portion of sauce. That is equivalent to 88% of an adults recommended limit of 6g of salt a day in just one serving and roughly the same as eating more than 10 packets of ready salted crisps (put that way, it's an awful lot of salt.)
(Oliver's defence?) He claimed the sauces were designed to serve 4 to 6 people a jar, perhaps as a pizza topping or a pasta dressing, so the salt would be distributed more sparingly.
(And to prove it isn't just because I dislike him) Oliver wasn't the only celebrity chef to fall foul of CASH: Loyd Grossman's tomato-based sauces also contained high levels of salt.
- Jill Insley.
From The Daily Telegraph.
POOH AT CENTRE OF DISNEY LEGAL FIGHT.
Winnie-The-Pooh is at the centre of a legal storm over his adventures in Hundred Acre Wood.
Disney is being sued for unpaid royalties by a company whose founder helped to turn the bear into a global success after giving him a red T-shirt. (for the full article click HERE.)
And finally, From the Daily Mirror.
THATCHER DEAD.
The text message was starkly simple: "Thatcher is dead." (Cause for celebration amongst many, not least of which, many British miners who still hate her for the part she played in the MINERS STRIKE of 1984/5.) And word spread like wildfire among guests at a high-powered diplomatic do. Diplomats and dignitaries scrambled to pass on the historic information.
But tragic though it was, the news didn't quite merit such widespread claws, sorry cause, for concern.
Thatcher it turned out, was Canadian transport minister John Baird's beloved cat - named after his political heroine.
He sent out a text message about the 16-year-old tabby's demise and the news reached Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a black tie gala event attended by 1,700 luminaries in Toronto.
The after-dinner chat quickly turned to expressions of shock over 84-year-old Lady Thatcher's apparent demise. The dodgy rumour was only quashed as Harper's aide, Dimitri Soudas, was preparing an official statement. He rang puzzled officials at Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, only to be told former PM Baroness Thatcher was very much alive and well.
Soudas is reported to have said: "If that cat wasn't dead, I'd have killed it myself by now." (Not
really the cats fault though, was it? After all, it wasn't the cat who sent the text message.)
PLEASE NOTE: The first two articles, both from The Guardian, were edited for the purpose of this blog. Wherever possible, I will include links to the unedited version - unfortunately, I was unable to do so on this occasions.
From The Guardian.
WHAT A MAN'S PANTS SAY ABOUT HIM.
A new survey from Debenhams (a large department store found in many British towns and shopping centres) claims to shed some light on men's underwear-buying habits. While the average 23-year-old allegedly buys up to 31 pairs a year "of all styles, tightness and colours", and even 40-year-olds manage a dozen pairs in as many months, once you reach 44 Debenhams reckon you give up the habit for life. Not because by then you have bought 284 pairs and never need to fork out for Y-fronts or tangas again, but because a woman is doing it for you. (So I've got another 8 or so months of Husband dearest being capable of buying his own before I have to do it - there's something to look forward to.)
"Even the most macho men delegate the duty of buying underpants to women as soon as they can" claims Rob Faucherand, the store's head of men's accessories buying.
There's obviously some truth in this (after all the survey never lies) but it does leave some questions unanswered. Firstly, what about men who love men? Who buys their smalls? (their mothers? Only an idea.) Just as importantly, what about all the single straight blokes out there? (definitely their mothers.)
- Phil Daoust.
SALT IN JAMIE OLIVER SAUCES A RECIPE FOR ILL-HEALTH.
I strongly dislike Jamie Oliver (aka the naked chef) - an English chef and so called 'media celebrity' who is well known for his food focused tv shows, perhaps the most popular being Jamie's School Dinners which saw him campaigning against the use of processed foods in national schools in favour of more nutritional, healthy, locally produced foods.
Surely this is a good thing, I hear you say. Yes, it is but it's the way the man went about it. So arrogant and full of his own self importance. He preached to the nation as if he was doing us all a huge favour - never once mentioning all of the money he was making from it.
Anyway, giving my dislike, I couldn't help but smile at this article.
According to Jamie Oliver, his range of pasta sauces is "all about offering exciting flavours, using great quality ingredients at decent prices. I want to get people excited about having pasta and sauce, to really get their tastebuds going." Unfortunately, he has been heavy-handed in using one particular ingredient: salt.
Despite taking school caterers to task for dishing up the likes of Turkey Twizzlers (a frozen product that is lucky if it contains any turkey at all. High in, you guessed it, salt) on the grounds that they were bad for children's health, Oliver has been accused of using more salt in his tomato-based pasta sauce than any other range.
According to research published by Consensus Action On Salt And Health (CASH), which examined the salt content of 190 jars, pots and packets of pasta, the highest salt product was in Jamie Oliver's olive and garlic sauce, with 3g per 100g, or 5.3g of salt per recommended 175g portion of sauce. That is equivalent to 88% of an adults recommended limit of 6g of salt a day in just one serving and roughly the same as eating more than 10 packets of ready salted crisps (put that way, it's an awful lot of salt.)
(Oliver's defence?) He claimed the sauces were designed to serve 4 to 6 people a jar, perhaps as a pizza topping or a pasta dressing, so the salt would be distributed more sparingly.
(And to prove it isn't just because I dislike him) Oliver wasn't the only celebrity chef to fall foul of CASH: Loyd Grossman's tomato-based sauces also contained high levels of salt.
- Jill Insley.
From The Daily Telegraph.
POOH AT CENTRE OF DISNEY LEGAL FIGHT.
Winnie-The-Pooh is at the centre of a legal storm over his adventures in Hundred Acre Wood.
Disney is being sued for unpaid royalties by a company whose founder helped to turn the bear into a global success after giving him a red T-shirt. (for the full article click HERE.)
And finally, From the Daily Mirror.
THATCHER DEAD.
The text message was starkly simple: "Thatcher is dead." (Cause for celebration amongst many, not least of which, many British miners who still hate her for the part she played in the MINERS STRIKE of 1984/5.) And word spread like wildfire among guests at a high-powered diplomatic do. Diplomats and dignitaries scrambled to pass on the historic information.
But tragic though it was, the news didn't quite merit such widespread claws, sorry cause, for concern.
Thatcher it turned out, was Canadian transport minister John Baird's beloved cat - named after his political heroine.
He sent out a text message about the 16-year-old tabby's demise and the news reached Prime Minister Stephen Harper at a black tie gala event attended by 1,700 luminaries in Toronto.
The after-dinner chat quickly turned to expressions of shock over 84-year-old Lady Thatcher's apparent demise. The dodgy rumour was only quashed as Harper's aide, Dimitri Soudas, was preparing an official statement. He rang puzzled officials at Buckingham Palace and Downing Street, only to be told former PM Baroness Thatcher was very much alive and well.
Soudas is reported to have said: "If that cat wasn't dead, I'd have killed it myself by now." (Not
really the cats fault though, was it? After all, it wasn't the cat who sent the text message.)
PLEASE NOTE: The first two articles, both from The Guardian, were edited for the purpose of this blog. Wherever possible, I will include links to the unedited version - unfortunately, I was unable to do so on this occasions.
14 Nov 2009
MARRIAGE IS LIKE A PACK OF CARDS.
I just had to laugh at this 'joke' by Jack Dee - a British comic known for his somewhat dour, grumpy exterior.
Marriage is like a pack of cards, you need
A HEART to love him
A DIAMOND to marry him
A CLUB to hit him
A SPADE to bury him.
Marriage is like a pack of cards, you need
A HEART to love him
A DIAMOND to marry him
A CLUB to hit him
A SPADE to bury him.
13 Nov 2009
TEMPTING EVIL.
TEMPTING EVIL By Keri Arthur.
Half werewolf and half vampire Riley Jenson is now an agent with the DOR - the Dirctorate of Other Races. However, trusting her superiors and lovers barely more than she trusts her worst enemies, Riley plays by her own set of rules.
Her latest mission: to enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a criminal named Deshon Starr - a madman-scientist who's been messing around in the gene pool for decades. With two sexy men - a cool, seductive vampire and an irresistably hot werewolf - vying for her attention, Riley must keep focused. Because saving the world from Deshon Starr will mean saving herself from the trap that's closing in around her ...
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): Training sucked.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: If I wasn't so tired I might have laughed. The two of them sounded like a couple of squabbling teenagers. What made it even more laughable was the fact that one of them was actually well over twelve hundred years old and should have known better.
Firstly many thanks to my good friend K of Scarborough (perhaps she will also do a review and let us know her opinion of this book) who, being a fan of the author, thought of me and sent this copy of Tempting Evil.
Part three in a series (FULL MOON RISING and KISSING SIN being the first two offerings), this was an easy enough read in its own right but, I feel, I would have benefited from reading the first two as there were many references to events that had obviously occurred previously.
Did I enjoy the book? Yes and no.
Yes. Undoubtedly full of action, there were some extraordinary creatures involved which captured my imagination plus I learnt more about the habits of both werewolves and vampires AND found out about the differences between a shape shifter and a werewolf.
No. I didn't feel the characters were well particularly written and, as such, I didn't feel like I connected with any of them - apart from maybe Quinn, a vampire who, hopelessly in love with Riley, vows he will "have to remain by (her) side until (her) dreams turn to dust or (she) accepts what is meant to be." Surprisingly touching for this book, I thought.
There was far too much swearing (though totally approriate for her character) for my liking, the first half being particularly bad though it seemed to lessen in the second and, call me prudish, there was an abundance of sex scenes which were, once again, rife in the first half. Ok, we got the point "werewolves need sex just as they need air to breath" but for there to be so much of it? I just didn't see that it added anything to the story.
Very mixed feelings then. To be honest, I felt there were so many other avenues the author could have explored with this novel but it seemed, at times, that she chose the easy option which made the story somewhat predictable - but not always so as there were some totally unexpected moments just as there were some very touching ones.
Am I tempted to read parts one and two? Perhaps. Will I be reading part four (DANGEROUS GAMES)? No.
MY RATING: 2 out of a possible 5.
Half werewolf and half vampire Riley Jenson is now an agent with the DOR - the Dirctorate of Other Races. However, trusting her superiors and lovers barely more than she trusts her worst enemies, Riley plays by her own set of rules.
Her latest mission: to enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a criminal named Deshon Starr - a madman-scientist who's been messing around in the gene pool for decades. With two sexy men - a cool, seductive vampire and an irresistably hot werewolf - vying for her attention, Riley must keep focused. Because saving the world from Deshon Starr will mean saving herself from the trap that's closing in around her ...
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): Training sucked.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: If I wasn't so tired I might have laughed. The two of them sounded like a couple of squabbling teenagers. What made it even more laughable was the fact that one of them was actually well over twelve hundred years old and should have known better.
Firstly many thanks to my good friend K of Scarborough (perhaps she will also do a review and let us know her opinion of this book) who, being a fan of the author, thought of me and sent this copy of Tempting Evil.
Part three in a series (FULL MOON RISING and KISSING SIN being the first two offerings), this was an easy enough read in its own right but, I feel, I would have benefited from reading the first two as there were many references to events that had obviously occurred previously.
Did I enjoy the book? Yes and no.
Yes. Undoubtedly full of action, there were some extraordinary creatures involved which captured my imagination plus I learnt more about the habits of both werewolves and vampires AND found out about the differences between a shape shifter and a werewolf.
No. I didn't feel the characters were well particularly written and, as such, I didn't feel like I connected with any of them - apart from maybe Quinn, a vampire who, hopelessly in love with Riley, vows he will "have to remain by (her) side until (her) dreams turn to dust or (she) accepts what is meant to be." Surprisingly touching for this book, I thought.
There was far too much swearing (though totally approriate for her character) for my liking, the first half being particularly bad though it seemed to lessen in the second and, call me prudish, there was an abundance of sex scenes which were, once again, rife in the first half. Ok, we got the point "werewolves need sex just as they need air to breath" but for there to be so much of it? I just didn't see that it added anything to the story.
Very mixed feelings then. To be honest, I felt there were so many other avenues the author could have explored with this novel but it seemed, at times, that she chose the easy option which made the story somewhat predictable - but not always so as there were some totally unexpected moments just as there were some very touching ones.
Am I tempted to read parts one and two? Perhaps. Will I be reading part four (DANGEROUS GAMES)? No.
MY RATING: 2 out of a possible 5.
12 Nov 2009
TAR IN A JAR.
You either LOVE IT OR YOU HATE IT. Husband dearest loves it, I hate it. What is it?
MARMITE.
That horrible gooey brown-black substance that, ok, may well be full of vitamins but still tastes awful. And don't even begin to get me started on the texture - yuk.
However
Writer Maggie Hall is proud of her first book ....... even though half of all readers will probably hate it. (Yeah, we're getting the picture, Marmite - you either love it or hate it.)
That's because she's penned a dictionary devoted entirely to Marmite - the black goo we all either love or hate. (Here we go again.)
The former Fleet Street journalist, of Whitby, North Yorkshire, uncovered all manner of ridiculous facts about 'the tar in a jar' while writing the book.
Maggie, 68, said "I love Marmite ...... I'm not obsessed with it, although people will think I am now.
"The idea for the book has actually been in my mind for about 12 years, when I saw that one of the very first silver lids for a Marmite jar had sold for £65.
"Then when I started looking into it I learned all sorts. For instance, I had no idea it came from the waste yeast of the brewing industry.
"I've always had a feeling I had to get this book out - it haunted me a little bit that someone else might get there first." (I somehow doubt anyone else out there had such a burning desire to write a book on Marmite of all things but, then, you never know.)
The resulting book , THE MISH-MASH OF MARMITE: AN ANECDOTAL A-Z OF TAR IN A JAR, contains a mix of bizarre (never!!!!), fascinating, zany and amusing gems of information on the yeast treat which was first created in the 1900s."
SOURCE: An edited version of an article by Coreena Ford reporting in the Evening Chronicle.
MARMITE FACTS.
* The jar is brown because exposure to light destroys some of the vitamin B's that make Marmite a health-giving product.
* Ali Fearon got a BA 2:1 degree in history, from Lancaster University, after writing her dissertation on Marmite.
* Saltburn-born NASA astronaut Dr Nicholas Patrick took Marmite into space as his 'comfort' food.
* A back-packers' lodge in South Africa is collecting empty Marmite jars to build a garden wall.
* Marmite is reputed to have such health-giving properties that it was originally sold in chemists and advertised using images of doctors and nurses.
MARMITE.
That horrible gooey brown-black substance that, ok, may well be full of vitamins but still tastes awful. And don't even begin to get me started on the texture - yuk.
However
Writer Maggie Hall is proud of her first book ....... even though half of all readers will probably hate it. (Yeah, we're getting the picture, Marmite - you either love it or hate it.)
That's because she's penned a dictionary devoted entirely to Marmite - the black goo we all either love or hate. (Here we go again.)
The former Fleet Street journalist, of Whitby, North Yorkshire, uncovered all manner of ridiculous facts about 'the tar in a jar' while writing the book.
Maggie, 68, said "I love Marmite ...... I'm not obsessed with it, although people will think I am now.
"The idea for the book has actually been in my mind for about 12 years, when I saw that one of the very first silver lids for a Marmite jar had sold for £65.
"Then when I started looking into it I learned all sorts. For instance, I had no idea it came from the waste yeast of the brewing industry.
"I've always had a feeling I had to get this book out - it haunted me a little bit that someone else might get there first." (I somehow doubt anyone else out there had such a burning desire to write a book on Marmite of all things but, then, you never know.)
The resulting book , THE MISH-MASH OF MARMITE: AN ANECDOTAL A-Z OF TAR IN A JAR, contains a mix of bizarre (never!!!!), fascinating, zany and amusing gems of information on the yeast treat which was first created in the 1900s."
SOURCE: An edited version of an article by Coreena Ford reporting in the Evening Chronicle.
MARMITE FACTS.
* The jar is brown because exposure to light destroys some of the vitamin B's that make Marmite a health-giving product.
* Ali Fearon got a BA 2:1 degree in history, from Lancaster University, after writing her dissertation on Marmite.
* Saltburn-born NASA astronaut Dr Nicholas Patrick took Marmite into space as his 'comfort' food.
* A back-packers' lodge in South Africa is collecting empty Marmite jars to build a garden wall.
* Marmite is reputed to have such health-giving properties that it was originally sold in chemists and advertised using images of doctors and nurses.
11 Nov 2009
POETRY ON THE METRO.
To carry on with my REGIONAL theme which began yesterday and in conjunction with Cara over at Ooh ... Books! and her poetry meme FREEVERSE which this time looks at limericks, I thought I'd bring you POETRY ON THE METRO which as our local newspaper explains:
Travellers can now enjoy a series of poems by budding writers as they use the Metro.
Ten poems, which have been written by young people aged from nine to sixteen, have been mounted inside stations and carriages for a two-week festival called Poetry On The Metro which is part of the Juice Festival (now in its second year, it celebrates the creativity of children and young people with a series of events including workshops).
Based on the theme MY CITY, the project showcases the creative talents of youngsters.
Rachel Adam, artistic director of Newcastle-Gateshead Juice Festival said "The writers selected to have their poems exhibited on the Metro showed enormous talent, imagination and enthusiasm for the project."
SOURCE: the Evening Chronicle.
Today I thought I'd bring you two of these poems, with the remaining eight following over the coming weeks.
I am the city
The city is me.
My cries of magpies and angered voices,
St. James' Park - a hundred chances
My eye that keeps and waits and watches
I am the city
The city is me.
My mouthing river shouts to the sea
A slithering slug along my banks
My eye that keeps and waits and watches
I am the city
The city is me.
My magnificent metro chattering along
Carrying shoppers all day long
My eye that keeps and waits and watches.
- Max, age 11.
The escalator to cinema heaven
Popcorn exploding like shooting stars
Forbidden planet
Is like walking in another universe
When you venture in.
Full of strange animals
The River Tyne shining like the sun
Each shop is a ticket to a new world.
- Matthew, age 10.
Travellers can now enjoy a series of poems by budding writers as they use the Metro.
Ten poems, which have been written by young people aged from nine to sixteen, have been mounted inside stations and carriages for a two-week festival called Poetry On The Metro which is part of the Juice Festival (now in its second year, it celebrates the creativity of children and young people with a series of events including workshops).
Based on the theme MY CITY, the project showcases the creative talents of youngsters.
Rachel Adam, artistic director of Newcastle-Gateshead Juice Festival said "The writers selected to have their poems exhibited on the Metro showed enormous talent, imagination and enthusiasm for the project."
SOURCE: the Evening Chronicle.
Today I thought I'd bring you two of these poems, with the remaining eight following over the coming weeks.
I am the city
The city is me.
My cries of magpies and angered voices,
St. James' Park - a hundred chances
My eye that keeps and waits and watches
I am the city
The city is me.
My mouthing river shouts to the sea
A slithering slug along my banks
My eye that keeps and waits and watches
I am the city
The city is me.
My magnificent metro chattering along
Carrying shoppers all day long
My eye that keeps and waits and watches.
- Max, age 11.
The escalator to cinema heaven
Popcorn exploding like shooting stars
Forbidden planet
Is like walking in another universe
When you venture in.
Full of strange animals
The River Tyne shining like the sun
Each shop is a ticket to a new world.
- Matthew, age 10.
EXTRA SPECIAL REQUEST.
On checking on FaceBook this morning I came across this message from a friend asking for help.
Diana Harrison Biorkman has a 5 year old son in his last stages of a 2 1/2 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. They are celebrating Christmas next weekend and Noah loves Christmas cards. Please take a minute to send a card to:
NOAH BIORKMAN.
1141 FOUNTAIN VIEW CIRCLE,
SOUTH LYON,
MICHIGAN,
M1 48178,
AMERICA.
Thank you so much and please re-post on your blog/FaceBook/Twitter etc. Lets get a truck load of those cards to Noah.
Diana Harrison Biorkman has a 5 year old son in his last stages of a 2 1/2 year battle with Neuroblastoma Cancer. They are celebrating Christmas next weekend and Noah loves Christmas cards. Please take a minute to send a card to:
NOAH BIORKMAN.
1141 FOUNTAIN VIEW CIRCLE,
SOUTH LYON,
MICHIGAN,
M1 48178,
AMERICA.
Thank you so much and please re-post on your blog/FaceBook/Twitter etc. Lets get a truck load of those cards to Noah.
10 Nov 2009
ME AND MY REGION.
First things first - Thank you TheLittleFlower over at WORLD OF CHANCES who sent me an Awesome Blogger Award. Go over and say hi but be warned her blog is accompanied by music. The first time I visited, the sudden playing of a song caught me unawares and gave me quite a start - well, I'd never before encountered a blog that automatically played music at me.
Anyway, one of the conditions of getting this award is I let you know seven things about me that you didn't already know, so here goes:
1. I could sit on my hair until I was 11 years old when I had it cut into a 'bob'.
2. I have DYSCALCULIA, a mathematical disability akin to DYSLEXIA.
3. As a child, I wanted a tortoise as a pet.
4. My favourite perfume is NINA - as well as the smell I love the bottle which is shaped like a red apple.
5. I'm afraid of the dark.
6. I have a teddy called Bear Necessity who goes everywhere with me.
7. I name all our plants - there's 'Yak', 'Yak Jnr', 'Lucky', 'Willy' and 'Prickles' to name but a few.
I suppose I could name an 8th and let you know I love living here in the North East of England but most of you already know that. But why do I love living here and why am I proud to be a 'Geordie lass' - come to that, what is a Geordie? Well ...........
A Geordie is a regional nickname for those living in certain areas of Tyneside (some would argue Newcastle) OR the name of the dialect spoken by it's inhabitants. Press HERE to view an amazing site that will translate many words and sentences from English into Geordie, just key in your word/sentence and let the translator do the rest.
There are many different theories as to where the word Geordie ORIGINATED. Some say it comes from a term of endearment for those called George, once the most popular name for eldest sons here in Tyneside. Whilst others argue the term went back to the 1745 Jacobean Rebellion when the 'natives of Newcastle' supported King George II. And yet another, 3rd explanation, claims that the name has connections with the 'Geordie' safety lamp which was used in our mines as opposed to the 'Davy' lamp.
Anyway, to go back to my original question - why do I love living here?
1. The people. Known to be the friendliest of the regions, we have an reputation of having a good sense of humour and apparently have an accent that, surveys have found, inspires trust in others.
2. The scenery and other ATTRACTIONS. In Newcastle City Centre itself we have so many great buildings of architectural interest, both old and new. Then there's the shopping, the nightlife and, I have to mention it, St. James Park where football fans go to 'worship' come match days. Then regionally, we have so much beautiful scenery, wonderful coastlines and rugged countryside with award winning museums and so many other things to see and do.
I could go on and on but won't - apart from to leave you with this piece from our local newspaper.
Geordie's are among the most generous and romantic folk in the country, a survey has revealed.
And Northerners spend 15% more on gifts than Southerners, the poll carried out by ParcelGenie found.
The online business for sending real gifts on Facebook has studied 10,000 small gift transactions across the UK, to see if regional, gender and age stereotypes hold true.
The survey revealed a distinct North/South divide, showing the most generous region, by number of gifts sent, was the North East, and the top three cities for romantic gifts were Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham. (Nottingham being in the Midlands as opposed to the North East.)
SOURCE: An edited version of an article as reported in the Evening Chronicle.
Anyway, one of the conditions of getting this award is I let you know seven things about me that you didn't already know, so here goes:
1. I could sit on my hair until I was 11 years old when I had it cut into a 'bob'.
2. I have DYSCALCULIA, a mathematical disability akin to DYSLEXIA.
3. As a child, I wanted a tortoise as a pet.
4. My favourite perfume is NINA - as well as the smell I love the bottle which is shaped like a red apple.
5. I'm afraid of the dark.
6. I have a teddy called Bear Necessity who goes everywhere with me.
7. I name all our plants - there's 'Yak', 'Yak Jnr', 'Lucky', 'Willy' and 'Prickles' to name but a few.
I suppose I could name an 8th and let you know I love living here in the North East of England but most of you already know that. But why do I love living here and why am I proud to be a 'Geordie lass' - come to that, what is a Geordie? Well ...........
A Geordie is a regional nickname for those living in certain areas of Tyneside (some would argue Newcastle) OR the name of the dialect spoken by it's inhabitants. Press HERE to view an amazing site that will translate many words and sentences from English into Geordie, just key in your word/sentence and let the translator do the rest.
There are many different theories as to where the word Geordie ORIGINATED. Some say it comes from a term of endearment for those called George, once the most popular name for eldest sons here in Tyneside. Whilst others argue the term went back to the 1745 Jacobean Rebellion when the 'natives of Newcastle' supported King George II. And yet another, 3rd explanation, claims that the name has connections with the 'Geordie' safety lamp which was used in our mines as opposed to the 'Davy' lamp.
Anyway, to go back to my original question - why do I love living here?
1. The people. Known to be the friendliest of the regions, we have an reputation of having a good sense of humour and apparently have an accent that, surveys have found, inspires trust in others.
2. The scenery and other ATTRACTIONS. In Newcastle City Centre itself we have so many great buildings of architectural interest, both old and new. Then there's the shopping, the nightlife and, I have to mention it, St. James Park where football fans go to 'worship' come match days. Then regionally, we have so much beautiful scenery, wonderful coastlines and rugged countryside with award winning museums and so many other things to see and do.
I could go on and on but won't - apart from to leave you with this piece from our local newspaper.
Geordie's are among the most generous and romantic folk in the country, a survey has revealed.
And Northerners spend 15% more on gifts than Southerners, the poll carried out by ParcelGenie found.
The online business for sending real gifts on Facebook has studied 10,000 small gift transactions across the UK, to see if regional, gender and age stereotypes hold true.
The survey revealed a distinct North/South divide, showing the most generous region, by number of gifts sent, was the North East, and the top three cities for romantic gifts were Leeds, Newcastle and Nottingham. (Nottingham being in the Midlands as opposed to the North East.)
SOURCE: An edited version of an article as reported in the Evening Chronicle.
9 Nov 2009
THE EMBERS OF HEAVEN.
THE EMBERS OF HEAVEN by Alma Alexander.
A RICH, MAGICAL EPIC OF ROMANCE AND REVOLUTION.
The foundation of an empire once rested on the secret language of jin-shei and its customs. Connecting women from every walk of life, it empowered everyone who swore the oath. But four hundred years after the empire flourished, things in the land of Syai have changed beyond recognition.
Amais is a child of two worlds, born in a country far away from her ancestral land. She is taught the woman's language by her grandmother - but when circumstances take her back to Syai, she finds a vastly different world from the one she has always imagined.
Amais determines to reinvent the women's country and bring back the secrets of jin-shei. But just as her crusade begins, she is caught up in a storm of history - the whirlwind of the Golden Rising, a people's revolution that is fated to destroy much that was once valuable, gracious and beautiful - including the last remnants of the treasure Amais has sworn to restore to the world.
..... From the outer back cover.
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): There were only two questions that governed Amais's existence.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: It was extremely difficult to pinpoint that sprite's gender - its glossy black hair swung just below its ears, and parted in the middle, and its features were formed of equal parts a boy's firmness and a girl's vulnerability. Its mouth was still full and dewy with childhood, but its eyes ...... its eyes were were the eyes of the never-born and of the often-born, full of a sad, strange wisdom that touched me in places I had not known existed inside me.
A follow-up to the author's THE SECRETS OF JIN-SHEI which I have not read, The Embers of Heaven can also be read as a stand alone story.
Set in the land of Syai which, as the author reminds us, "Is NOT China", this novel is all about one woman's crusade to remind people of a time now gone - a time when jin-shei, "a pledged sisterhood of female friends who are not related by blood. Sworn sisters much closer to one another than their own blood kin, a lifetime commitment, binding and holy" whereby " if a sister asked anything of another in the name of the sisterhood, the request had to be honoured at all cost."
Multi-faceted, full of wonderful, memorable characters and rich in description. It is the story of Amais who finds herself living in a different era. It is the story of Iloh, revolutionary and leader of the People's Party, whose future was predicted many years ago by a blind girl, 'blessed' with the ability "to read faces." It is the story of three women groomed in the art of jin-shei and jin-ashu "once known as the female alphabet or the women's tongue, a secret language passed from mother to daughter". It is the story of a child who comes to Amais in her dreams, a child who, when it's identity is revealed, will leave you shocked and, somehow, pleasantly surprised. But most of all, it is a story of fate.
MY RATING: 4 out of a possible 5. It is a long time since a novel touched me quite as much. Further reading is highly recommended.
A RICH, MAGICAL EPIC OF ROMANCE AND REVOLUTION.
The foundation of an empire once rested on the secret language of jin-shei and its customs. Connecting women from every walk of life, it empowered everyone who swore the oath. But four hundred years after the empire flourished, things in the land of Syai have changed beyond recognition.
Amais is a child of two worlds, born in a country far away from her ancestral land. She is taught the woman's language by her grandmother - but when circumstances take her back to Syai, she finds a vastly different world from the one she has always imagined.
Amais determines to reinvent the women's country and bring back the secrets of jin-shei. But just as her crusade begins, she is caught up in a storm of history - the whirlwind of the Golden Rising, a people's revolution that is fated to destroy much that was once valuable, gracious and beautiful - including the last remnants of the treasure Amais has sworn to restore to the world.
..... From the outer back cover.
FIRST SENTENCE (Chapter 1): There were only two questions that governed Amais's existence.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: It was extremely difficult to pinpoint that sprite's gender - its glossy black hair swung just below its ears, and parted in the middle, and its features were formed of equal parts a boy's firmness and a girl's vulnerability. Its mouth was still full and dewy with childhood, but its eyes ...... its eyes were were the eyes of the never-born and of the often-born, full of a sad, strange wisdom that touched me in places I had not known existed inside me.
A follow-up to the author's THE SECRETS OF JIN-SHEI which I have not read, The Embers of Heaven can also be read as a stand alone story.
Set in the land of Syai which, as the author reminds us, "Is NOT China", this novel is all about one woman's crusade to remind people of a time now gone - a time when jin-shei, "a pledged sisterhood of female friends who are not related by blood. Sworn sisters much closer to one another than their own blood kin, a lifetime commitment, binding and holy" whereby " if a sister asked anything of another in the name of the sisterhood, the request had to be honoured at all cost."
Multi-faceted, full of wonderful, memorable characters and rich in description. It is the story of Amais who finds herself living in a different era. It is the story of Iloh, revolutionary and leader of the People's Party, whose future was predicted many years ago by a blind girl, 'blessed' with the ability "to read faces." It is the story of three women groomed in the art of jin-shei and jin-ashu "once known as the female alphabet or the women's tongue, a secret language passed from mother to daughter". It is the story of a child who comes to Amais in her dreams, a child who, when it's identity is revealed, will leave you shocked and, somehow, pleasantly surprised. But most of all, it is a story of fate.
MY RATING: 4 out of a possible 5. It is a long time since a novel touched me quite as much. Further reading is highly recommended.
8 Nov 2009
ONE LAST POST BEFORE I HIT THE SACK.
Is the expression 'Hit the sack' familiar to you all? Probably not. Just in case, translated it means 'before I get into bed'. Do you have any such sayings? My late nana had hundreds of them which I'm afraid/pleased to say I often use. Perhaps one of my favourites is 'When pussy was a kitten' - roughly meaning 'a long time ago'. Then, of course, there's 'Well, I'll go to the foot of our stairs' - a statement to indicate surprise.
But enough of that, my bed and the last 50 pages of my current read are calling so I'll make this a quick one that will hopefully have you laughing.
A bank robber's pet cat is banned from visiting him in jail even though he says it's his mum reincarnated.
And yes it is a true story, you couldn't make something like that up.
Sleep well all of you who, like me, are retiring for the night and good morning to those of you who have just begun their day.
But enough of that, my bed and the last 50 pages of my current read are calling so I'll make this a quick one that will hopefully have you laughing.
A bank robber's pet cat is banned from visiting him in jail even though he says it's his mum reincarnated.
And yes it is a true story, you couldn't make something like that up.
Sleep well all of you who, like me, are retiring for the night and good morning to those of you who have just begun their day.
SUSAN TEPPER INTERVIEW.
BRIZMUS BLOGS BOOKS has an interview with Susan Tepper, author of DEER AND OTHER STORIES over at her blog - to read this and enter a great giveaway press HERE.
BITTER ROW OVER LEGACY OF SWEDISH CRIME SENSATION.
As the author of three dark and violent crime novels, Steig Larsson was at home in a dysfunctional landscape of simmering resentments and rancorous family secrets. But the Swedish writer cannot have foreseen how, almost five years to the day after his death, the novels' success would lead to bitterness and paranoia in his own family.
In one of the most spectacular and unlikely ascents in recent literary history, Larsson, largely unknown before his sudden death at 50, has become one of the most successful writers in the world. Some 20 million of his books, the first of which was published in Britain as THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, have been sold to date in Europe alone. Last year he was the world's second best selling author after Khaled Hosseini, author of THE KITE RUNNER, and his estate is thought to be worth more than £20m.
But because he and the architect Eva Gabrielsson, his partner of 32 years, never married and he died without making a will, the proceeds have defaulted to his blood relations, provoking controversy in Sweden and displeasure from Gabrielsson.
In the latest episode of the acrimonious saga, Erland and Joakim Larsson, the author's father and brother, made Gabrielsson a public offer of £1.75m to settle the dispute, telling the Swedish paper Svenka Dagbladet, "We have to move on." Gabrielsson's response was curt: "You don't solve these things via media. It is so low. My lawyer will have to answer any further questions."
She has previously accused the Larsson family of seeking to "make money from someone who can't defend himself", saying it would make her partner "absolutely furious", and accusing Erland and Joakim of not being part of Steig's life while he was alive.
But Erland Larsson said it was he who had insisted that his son write "something commercial", and that the Millennium trilogy, the third title of which was published in Britain last month as THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, was the result. Gabrielsson, he said, had resisted moves to come to a settlement.
The acrimony over Larsson's estate surfaced a few months after his death from a heart attack in November 2004 while working as a dogged but comparatively obscure journalist, editing a Trotskyist periodical and an anti-fascist magazine, Expo, which he had funded. He had, it emerged, left the completed manuscripts for a series of three crime novels, the first of which was published the following year.
The surprise success of the novel has led, almost inevitably, to feverish interest from Hollywood, with rumours that George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Quentin Taratino and Martin Scorsese are among those interested in bringing the character of investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist to the screen.
Gabrielsson says she and Larsson never married because he had believed his anti-fascist work could have put her life at risk if there was a paper trail linking them legally or financially, but that he would have been dismayed to see anyone other than her in control of the estate.
Expo says that Larsson had wanted the proceeds of the Millennium Trilogy to go to anti-fascist and domestic violence charities. A will dating from 1977, which was unwitnessed and therefore non-binding, expressed a wish for his assets to be left to a local branch of the Communist Workers League.
Most intriguing remains Larsson's laptop computer, which according to Gabrielsson contains a sequel to the trilogy. In 2005 she refused an offer by the family to hand over the computer in exchange for the author's half of the flat they shared. There is speculation that sketched out-lines for six further novels are also contained in the laptop.
SOURCE: An edited article from the Guardian newspaper, for the unedited version, press HERE.
Please Note the second book in the Millennium trilogy is THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE.
In one of the most spectacular and unlikely ascents in recent literary history, Larsson, largely unknown before his sudden death at 50, has become one of the most successful writers in the world. Some 20 million of his books, the first of which was published in Britain as THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, have been sold to date in Europe alone. Last year he was the world's second best selling author after Khaled Hosseini, author of THE KITE RUNNER, and his estate is thought to be worth more than £20m.
But because he and the architect Eva Gabrielsson, his partner of 32 years, never married and he died without making a will, the proceeds have defaulted to his blood relations, provoking controversy in Sweden and displeasure from Gabrielsson.
In the latest episode of the acrimonious saga, Erland and Joakim Larsson, the author's father and brother, made Gabrielsson a public offer of £1.75m to settle the dispute, telling the Swedish paper Svenka Dagbladet, "We have to move on." Gabrielsson's response was curt: "You don't solve these things via media. It is so low. My lawyer will have to answer any further questions."
She has previously accused the Larsson family of seeking to "make money from someone who can't defend himself", saying it would make her partner "absolutely furious", and accusing Erland and Joakim of not being part of Steig's life while he was alive.
But Erland Larsson said it was he who had insisted that his son write "something commercial", and that the Millennium trilogy, the third title of which was published in Britain last month as THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, was the result. Gabrielsson, he said, had resisted moves to come to a settlement.
The acrimony over Larsson's estate surfaced a few months after his death from a heart attack in November 2004 while working as a dogged but comparatively obscure journalist, editing a Trotskyist periodical and an anti-fascist magazine, Expo, which he had funded. He had, it emerged, left the completed manuscripts for a series of three crime novels, the first of which was published the following year.
The surprise success of the novel has led, almost inevitably, to feverish interest from Hollywood, with rumours that George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Quentin Taratino and Martin Scorsese are among those interested in bringing the character of investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist to the screen.
Gabrielsson says she and Larsson never married because he had believed his anti-fascist work could have put her life at risk if there was a paper trail linking them legally or financially, but that he would have been dismayed to see anyone other than her in control of the estate.
Expo says that Larsson had wanted the proceeds of the Millennium Trilogy to go to anti-fascist and domestic violence charities. A will dating from 1977, which was unwitnessed and therefore non-binding, expressed a wish for his assets to be left to a local branch of the Communist Workers League.
Most intriguing remains Larsson's laptop computer, which according to Gabrielsson contains a sequel to the trilogy. In 2005 she refused an offer by the family to hand over the computer in exchange for the author's half of the flat they shared. There is speculation that sketched out-lines for six further novels are also contained in the laptop.
SOURCE: An edited article from the Guardian newspaper, for the unedited version, press HERE.
Please Note the second book in the Millennium trilogy is THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE.
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