It has been over a week since my last post. As you’ve probably guessed this is my excuses post. This time I at least have a bit more of an excuse than usual. I now have an improved situation at work. That is rather an archaic term isn’t it? Well I’ve been watching the series Dickensian – as such I may have taken on the lexicon of the series.
I can’t be the only one that this happens to. If its Dickens then I might speak in this fashion, if its TNG then I’ll tell people to make it so, and if it’s Stargate SG-1 I’ll tell them ‘You have a go.’
If I ever become a manager I’d probably annoy everyone – I’d probably end up speaking like Captain Picard, or General Hammond, though to look like them I’d need to loose a lot of hair.
I am now full time and so have less time to write. Hopefully I also have less time to get my flat in to a mess. (That statement might hold more water if I wasn’t sitting in a messy living room from sorting 28 years worth of accumulated papers)
I do have two blog posts in draft. I have other, non-blog related, drafts too. It is the nature of being a writer which is why I tell you to avoid it.
Well not really. I talked before about why I write. And if it is a compulsion for you as it is for me then not doing it is impossible.
More posts coming soon.
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
For me, in those seventeen days, I have utterly failed to go to the gym. So that’s one thing that hasn’t changed.
Writing though is going well. My long worked on novel is finally all coming together. The key, it seems, was to have a narrator. She is able to pull the threads together and tell the story. Plus she can act as an author surrogate and speak in a more colloquial fashion.
Today is Sunday and I have the day off. Outside my window it’s so misty I can hardly see the tops of the mountains. It may be 1339 here but I haven’t been up long. Last night I didn’t sleep well and on waking it took a while to get out of bed.
This is ramble in case you hadn’t noticed.
I’ve set myself the task of reading 52 books this year. So far I’ve read: Gaslight Carnival, The Hobbit, and The Five Orange Pips. The Hobbit I actually listened to and the other two are short stories but I’m still counting them. 52 books should be doable.
The version of The Hobbit I listened to was read by Rob Inglis and it was excellent. I remember being bored by the book when I was younger but this time it was very good.
I’m keeping up with leaning Welsh though I’m not sure how much of it is sinking in. I can’t write it here as I only know how to say it. Also if I can’t handle English gamma and spelling do you really think I could handle it for Welsh?
Yesterday I didn’t leave the flat, and may not again today, that’s okay though. I will create worlds, play Mario Kart, and try and tidy up a bit.
This is a strange post I know. I’d make it a poem if I knew how. Maybe that is something to work on.
I received notification of not having won a short story competition the other day. It’s the taking part that counts though. Someone read it which is good. It means I have something to submit to another magazine.
Hope your year is going well and I’ll be back soon.
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
Alan Rickman died yesterday. I wanted to say a few words here in tribute to him.
It is the role of Severus Snape that I know him for most. He was fantastic in all eight of the Harry Potter films. I would also like to mention Alexander Dane – Galaxy Quest is one of my favorite films.
Rickman was one of those actors with a wonderfully distinctive voice. We’ll be able to hear it again when his final film, Alice Through the Looking Glass, is released in May.
There isn’t really much else to say…
By Grabthar’s Hammer, you shall be avenged remembered!
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
This little fella sits atop my monitor. It came from an event at the RWCMD in which I discussed my writing goals. While I might dream of being a writer for Doctor Who, if I could only get my script beaten into shape, I set a more realistic goal of earning a living by writing by 2020.
As you can see this is the classic five year plan. In five years Captain Kirk set of to explore the galaxy – I am one year into this, well almost, and have made no progress.
I do think I’m generally happier though – so that is at least something.
I live alone and could be said to be the classic single man. Basically my flat can often be a mess. I maintain it’s the goblins but nobody believes me. I’ve been off work this week and the flat is looking good – even good enough for mum to come round.
With a tidy flat it’s a little easier to focus on writing. Otherwise I end up looking at the disaster area of the kitchen and have to clean all day. So yes this will be the year where things happen.
If you’ve found this blog interesting please tell your friends. I really want to try and grow it – and if you’re a blogger who has managed to grow yours I’d love any quick tips you may have in how to bring more people here.
Thank you for reading.
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the second book in the series. This post is a little overdue, I finished reading it back in November, but here it is finally…
Seven things about Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Imagine what people in our world would do with this capability. Actually don’t because I’m going to tell you and its… disturbing.
This comes to mind…
You wouldn’t need an invasive paparazzi trying to snap nude shots. Instead they’d just try and get hold of a few hairs, make up the potion, make some poor schlub in the office drink it, and then take photographs of them.
Not to mention what the porn industry would do. They’d acquire, which covers stealing or buying, hairs from celebrities and make sex tapes.
Now we know Hermione is an exceptional witch – but if the best at Hogwarts can make a successful polyjuice potion what does that mean for later life in the wizerding world.
I can imagine people giving gifts of their hair. You want to see someone naked? Well if you ask them nicely maybe they’ll give you a few hairs…
Have I thought too much about this? Quite possibly. And this is only covering Rule 34.
How would you guard against Polyjuice in banks and other secure places?
It is things like this that can be very interesting when reading a book or watching a film. The thinking of ‘if this then that’ – it can be easily missed. What I’m saying is that some things go hand in hand. Every technology we have has probably been misused at some point. It would surely be the same for magical spells. They are still human after all.
Two
Hogwarts Continues to be a Death Trap
I know I said this before but it needs repeating. In this book we have a massive snake in the castle!
This time its more forgivable, as nobody ‘good’ has brought this to the school. Nevertheless if I was a parent of a Hogwarts student I’d be considering another school.
Remember at the end of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone it is mentioned that the whole school knows about the incident with the stone – for some reason the risks at Hogwarts are accepted by everyone.
It should be obvious to everyone that Lockhart is an idiot. Okay maybe not everyone but certainly to Dumbledore.
The fact that Dumbledore allows Lockhart to teach at Hogwarts almost makes you believe that he must have lost a bet or something.
Answers on a postcard please.
Four
How big are the Hogwart’s Pipes?
This might be down to how it was shown in the film but the idea that the snake travels through the school through the pipes has always bothered me. The snake looks far too big, to me at least, to be getting around through the pipes.
Five
Was the Chamber too big?
This chamber has remained hidden for over a thousand years. I’m not really sure how. How would it stay hidden?
I know that comparing technology and magic doesn’t really work but again I’m forced to wonder if technology could have found it. That’s why I wonder if it was too big. A smaller space could’ve been missed but missing such a large space seems a little strange.
Six
Magical Limitations
“Mr Weasley took Harry’s glasses, gave them a tap of his wand and returned them, good as new.” [Loc 720 – Kindle Edition]
Just think for a few seconds what that spell is doing. The smashed glass reconnecting. Couldn’t Harry have the magical equivalent of contact lenses? That’s got to be easier than some of the tings that magic does in these books – doesn’t it?
Seven
The Floo Network and Magical Mishaps?
This one is admittedly a little subjective and I maybe clutching at straws. Sometimes clutching at straws is interesting – with the exception of when you’re cleaning out the Guinea pig cage.
Harry has never used the Floo network before. He’s naturally scared and misspeaks so he ends up in Borgin and Burkes – [To conveniently overhear something important but that’s another matter.] and emerges bruised. Now as I’m writing this I’m actually reconsidering this point. This could be a case of GIGO but it seems strange to me that this could happen. That a mispronunciation could lead to injury. At least google asks you ‘Did you mean…? It makes me wonder what would happy if they’d been going to the leisure centre and had had an American visitor. The word is pronounced differently in America – in British English it rhymes with pleasure.
Since magic doesn’t exist it is up to each author to determine how it works in their universe. In Harry Potter, as said above in point six, it seems to have strange limitations. It makes me wonder how new spells are devised and developed. Technology is the only reasonable parallel we have – which is obviously not perfect.
Maybe magic isn’t that different from technology. Things can go wrong no matter who’s at the controls, or saying the spell, and sometimes strange things happen.
I once watched a DVD where the blue and red had been switched, it took a while to notice, and we all know about how to fix an N64 carriage.
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
Christmas has come and gone for another year – and soon it will be a new year. Which means many of us will be making new year’s resolutions. And most of us will abandon them before February. I would give you advice on how to keep them if I had any to give.
I think Michael Mcintyre sums up Christmas quite well. For me it was very much like this.
There are many people who have to work on Christmas day itself. In my view this should be limited to essential services only. This doesn’t include a corner shop but there is a shop I know of that is open on Christmas day. I’m just glad I don’t work there.
For me Christmas isn’t important for religious reasons. I like it for the family time, the food, and the presents – giving and receiving. Its lovely to see someone smile as they receive their gift. I know that sounds a little hokey but its true. Nothing beats a smile.
While I’ve got you I’d just like to say there is no offence in saying Merry Christmas. I’m not a Christian but why would this offend me? Someone is wishing me well. Christmas is just the name for the thing. If anything I’m more offended by the ‘merry’ rather than the ‘Christmas’.
The time between Christmas and New Year is quite strange. Today was a bank holiday in the UK. Then we have two days of normality then it’s the end of the year. Then back to normality again.
Since I didn’t do so well with resolutions last year I probably won’t be making them officially this year.
Having said that I did get a shinny new notebook for Christmas, which will become my diary, so it would be good to have something to write on the first page.
I actually think the thing that would do me the most good is to try and relax a bit more. I set myself targets, mostly for writing, and feel guilty for not meeting them. Which is just silly as its only me that’s disappointed.
For New Year’s Eve I’ll be at mum and dad’s along with my brother and his wife – so a nice family gathering culminating in a countdown where nothing happens.
Happy New Year everyone. See you next year.
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
The pictures below have nothing to do with Star Wars. I’m placing them here to create a buffer so you can’t catch sight of anything below. I hate spoilers!
Nevertheless I am going to keep this spoiler free and try to only talk about things in broad terms.
Its bloody brilliant! I was very happy as I left the cinema. The prequels were a big disappointment but this film gives me high hopes for this knew trilogy.
Now that some time has passed, not yet four hours, I have slightly changed my mind. Its pretty damn good.
It’s really too early to form a proper opinion. At this moment I would say it is certainly better than the prequels – which is no great achievement – however it might even be better than the originals.
…
Maybe…
Was it flawless?
Hell no.
There is no such thing as a flawless film. Although I might give that to The Princess Bride – though as I right this I can think of a flaw.
To put my conclusion in simple terms I’ll say this:
The prequels failed because the characters seemed stupid. Rather than the Jedi being manipulated by an evil Sith, which was surely the intention, it feels more like they were stupid and didn’t follow a logical path to solve the problem.
In The Force Awakens the characters really pop. There is more chemistry here, I won’t say between which characters, than in all of the Anikin and Padma scenes. The characters follow a logical path but some of it feels a little contrived…
However it mostly stays on the good side of contrived – by that I mean coincidences and luck, or I suppose bad luck, are used to get characters into trouble more than they’re used to get them out of trouble.
I will post a full review of this at some point. That may have to wait for the DVD release so I can pause and make notes.
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
At the time this post goes live I’ll be sitting in the cinema ready to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I’m not putting a link as I don’t want to risk some muppet posting spoilers on Wikipedia.
I’ll be watching closely and saying, under my breath…
Doctor Who Series 9, or 35 if counting from the beginning, has now reached its conclusion. I’d planned to get this up before Hell Bent was broadcast but… oops.
I liked Clara but I feel that killing a companion now and again is a good idea.
Doctor Who has a fairly high body count so, from a writing point of view, it makes sense that sometimes they die. However in this instance I feel it was mishandled.
Face the Rave seems contrived to make sure Clara dies. Mayor Me says, at the end, that she never had any intention of letting Rigsy die. This begs the question: Why she gave him the real tattoo?
All that was needed was to set a trap for the Doctor. I would have thought that a tattoo counting down would be enough of a mystery. Put another way you can rob a shop with an unloaded gun – you only need for the other person to believe it is loaded. Yet Me, saying she meant no harm, gave Rigsy a real death mark.
Also when It came to the end of the episode I don’t feel like it was adequately explained why she couldn’t remove the mark from Clara. It sounded like it was a contract – i.e it was rules preventing it rather than it being impossible. I did however think that Clara starting to think of herself as being the Doctor was a good development for the character. When I first heard that Jenna Coleman was leaving I felt fairly sure Clara would die. Clara has been traveling with the Doctor on a part time bases. She frequently went back to her life. The only reason that would end was that she died.
When I first saw the opening of the episode I knew she was dead. I may even have said to myself ‘She is so dead.’ Clara and the Doctor were so happy in that opening scene. That seems to be a common thing in episodes where a character dies. I can think of three other examples where, in the episode where they die, a character is very happy about something. I’m sure you can think of some as well. I don’t want to give spoilers beyond Doctor Who.
The real problems with this episode is only visible in hindsight. We find out in Heaven Sent that it was the Time Lords that set the trap. However it all seems rather badly thought out. The Time Lords could’ve trapped the Doctor anywhere and any when – all they seem to have needed was to get a transport bracelet on him. Couldn’t they have just hired a couple of goons to restrain him?
Clara’s final words to the Doctor were very effective. However it was rather contrived that she died in such a way as to allow for final words in this manner.
Overall the ideas in this story could’ve worked but it was lacking in what actually happened. Clara was far too accepting of her death – she did take the tattoo believing she was invulnerable after all. Any normal person would have been swearing and angry – obviously there is a limit to what they can do in this regard on a family show.
(This episode was also a little funny for someone from Cardiff. At the beginning of the episode it’s very important to find a trap street in London. All I could think was ‘It might help if you actually went to London.’ I know Cardiff like the back of my hand. [Walks into low beam.])
Heaven Sent
This was a much better episode than its predecessor. I’ve long been interested in bottle shows and more broadly shows that do something different with the expected format. A clip show is the scourge of television drama and shows like Heaven Sent show what can be do with a good production team and an extremely capable actor – Capaldi is wonderful in this episode.
My one tiny nitpick is this: ‘Why doesn’t the wall reset?’ Also, in case you were wondering, breaking through a wall like that is possible. Give enough time you could probably destroy a small mountain.
One other problem is the question of the Hybrid. Maybe I’ve just not been paying enough attention but the question of the hybrid seems to have been so far in the background that I’ve almost not noticed it.
Hell Bent
This is a difficult episode to judge. This post is getting rather long so I’ll try and be succinct.
As I said above I don’t have a problem killing characters, although killing my own can be difficult, it seems though that Moffat does have a problem killing them.
Now Clara has ‘died’ before but, if I understood that story correctly, it was more a case of Clara fulfilling her mission to save the Doctor, in each incarnation, and the moving on. Maybe…
Wibbly wobbly timey wimey and all that.
This to me is certainly the case with Rory and why I feel that that story worked. Also I really liked the relationship between him and Amy but I’m getting off topic.
This episode didn’t say that Clara was brought through time the instant before her death it said that she was dead. Which doesn’t really work for me.
When I saw Clara plucked through time it made me even more annoyed by Face the Raven. I believe Clara’s death would’ve worked better with instant death. She was given a death sentence, by the writers I mean, so that she could have a last good by.
Imagine this though. Clara dies. It is sudden and heartbreaking. Then, in Hell Bent, she is plucked through time. This causes an imbalance in the time line and she the returns to that moment to save the universe. That way you get to have it both ways. You get the shocking death and the final goodbye.
Obviously that would only work the first time round but that’s always going to be the case. You can’t experience again, for instance, Darth Vader’s Bespin revelation.
However as it stands Clara is dead, or at least pulse-less, and is now traveling. So why was she killed anyway? (Again from a writing point of view) Why not just have it that she chooses to travel with Me instead of the Doctor? I’m sure there are many ways that that could work.
I liked the closing image of the diner and the police box heading away from each other. Although I do wonder at the designer of the chameleon circuit – another one broken. I think people are going to notice a diner a lot more than a police box.
The Doctor has used guns before but not in this way. And yes he says that it doesn’t really count as murder but surely the General is still loosing several years of life – perhaps decades.
I think that Moffat wanted to show that ideas of race and gender are irrelevant where Time Lords are concerned. That is a good idea but maybe not by having the Doctor shoot someone.
I wonder will the next Doctor will be a woman?
Why was it necessary to wipe the Doctor’s mind?
Maybe I need to watch the episode again but I really don’t understand the need, or benefit, of him forgetting Clara’s face.
These three episodes had their problems certainly but over all I enjoyed them. I saw one review that was very angry with Hell Bent in particular. While I can’t depute what is being said I don’t think it detracts from enjoyment. When it comes to stuff like Star Trek I’ve very interested in continuity but in Doctor Who not so much. It jumps about all over the place it would be nearly impossible to keep it all straight so I tend to view the episodes on their own merits.
Season 9 has been a very solid season over all. Sleep No More was my least favorite episode. It could have been great but sleep monsters were a little too far for me.
What did you think of season 9?
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I just wanted to say that I have checked this post. I really have. Unfortunately my particular combination of dyslexia and dyspraxia makes it really hard for me to spot typos. Please enjoy and I’ll try not to make too many errors.
That is rather an archaic term isn’t it? Well I’ve been watching the series Dickensian – as such I may have taken on the lexicon of the series.
Since I didn’t do so well with resolutions last year I probably won’t be making them officially this year.
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Face the Raven
Unstable Orbit 