My Top 8 books read in 2014

In no particular order. 

The Climb - Chris Froome

The autobiography of the 2013 Tour de France winner is an excellent read. A lot of detail on his childhood and formative years before he turned pro. An intelligent, thoughtful and enjoyable book. 

The Litigators - John Grisham

One of the masters of the legal thriller, my exposure to Grisham is limited to one previous book - The King of Torts. That particular book didn't blow me away but The Litigators was a welcome surprise. 

Interesting characters, snappy dialogue and a fast-paced plot all add upto a really enjoyable read. 

The Moaning of Life - Karl Pilkington

Excellent. Read this after watching the series on Sky 1 and it was just as funny. In many ways the book is better than the tv series as Karl has more time to expand his ideas and lay down his "out there" views. 

I love a good travel book and you couldn't wish for a better narrator than Karl. Put him in any situation and he will always surprise you with what he does and how he thinks. 

Nice one. 

Blood on the Altar - Tobias Young

True crime story of an Italian man who murdered a 16 year girl.  Years later he moved to England and murdered another woman. 

Intersting crime case spanning 20 years.

Beyond the Horizon - Richard Parks

I rated this book 5 out of 5 on Goodreads.com.

Richard Parks is a remarkable extreme-environment athlete, and the humility of the man is laid bare on every page of this incredible narrative. 
What a guy. Total admiration.

Too Much Information - Dave Gorman

One of my favourite authors, this book sees Dave on fine form as he casts his discerning eye over advertising and social media. 

Fun, frivolity & high jinks all round. 

A la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France - Ian Moore

Easy to read memoir of an English stand-up comedian who moves to live in France. It's middle of the road fare but there's enough warm-hearted humour to keep you entertained. 

Three Sheets To The Wind: One Man's Quest For The Meaning Of Beer - Pete Brown

A travel book about beer taking in countries such as America, Belgium, Japan & Germany.  It's a great book to dip in-and-out of. 

Honourable mentions:

Oasis: The Truth - Tony McCarroll

The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia - Michael Booth

A Tap on the Window - Linwood Barclay 

Get Her Off the Pitch!: How Sport Took  Over My Life - Lynne Truss

 

14 games deleted in 21 days

Quick review of the 14 ios games I've deleted since 18 August. 

80 Days. Completed on first play. No desire to replay game.

Swing Copters. Insane difficulty.

Bike Baron. Boring

Wordrix. Boring

Star Realms. Text, graphics much too small for iphone. Too much luck.

Micromon. Like Pokemon without the good bits.

Motorsport Manager. Bored to bits. Didn't even complete 1 race. 

The King of Fighters '98. Virtual controls obscure action. 

Boxpop. Nice game. For about 30 minutes. 

Hextris. See game above.

Epic Eric. One dimensional puzzle action game. Hopeless. 

Glue Knight. Annoyingly difficult. Too difficult. Not fun. It was fun deleting the game.

The Quest Lite. Should have given it more than 10 minutes but got bored.

Starbase Orion. Cost £5.49. Gave it 3 hrs play. 4X games not for me. 

Lost Yeti - Step to it.

Tips for the Step Challenge. 

Lost Yeti is fantastic puzzle game on ios created by Gionathan Pesaresi. If you're reading this then chances are you have already played the game. If not get onto the App Store to check it out. Or head to metacritic to read the glowing reviews. 

The reason for writing these tips is to encourage players to embrace and attempt the step challenge. I'm currently ranked no.1 player in the World across all three chapters. It's not because I'm some super-skilled player; it's down to simple practice. And a lack of challengers, which is hardly surprising when there are 1000s of ios games all vying for our time and attention. 

After completing all 60 levels and obtaining all the ice lollies I was keen to test my skills on the step challenge.

The step challenge is all about completing each level in the shortest number of steps or Perfect Run. The combined number of steps in each of the 20 levels for each chapter give you a ranking on the Game Center leaderboard. 

1. Nowhere to run

There are essentially 2 types of level in Lost Yeti. The first is the "free runner" whereby the Yeti will continue to move until he dies or reaches the exit.

The second is the "blockable" where the Yeti can be blocked so he can't move or has limited movement. 

It is generally a good idea to block in the Yeti as soon as possible to stop him moving. Then the path to the exit can be created ready for when the Yeti is released. 

2. A to B 

The shortest route or Perfect Run to the exit is more often the most obvious one. If it looks like the level can be done in 8 steps then it probably can. 

3. Broken Lines

When you select an object within a slidable row or column broken white lines will appear until you de-select or move the object. The Yeti will turn or stop if it hits a broken line. The same applies to the monsters. 

Effective use of the "broken line" is crucial to achieving good and Perfect runs on a lot of levels. 

This can be important on "free runner" levels when instead of letting Yeti run it's course and hit walls, you can shorten the run with smart slider movement. 

4. Flying Start 

The first second of a level will often determine whether you get a good run or a bad run. Whether it be blocking in your Yeti or setting up the exit strategy a fast start is crucial. 

A good example is level 20 of Snowy Hills . The first time I completed this level it took me about 100+ steps, and to be honest I think I fluked the level. My current record is 23 steps - which isn't no fluke. As a "free runner" level it's crucial to get a fast start. 

5. Block them monsters

The route to the exit is often made more perilous by those pesky monsters. Blocking them off so they can't move or are a trapped in an area can create routes for good runs. 

It's not always necessary or even possible to do this but moving monsters introduce timing issues - which can be a real headache. Ratini on Gloomy Cave is the master of upsetting best laid plans. 

6. A Clockwork Yeti

A Flying Start (4) is usually just the first of a series of careful moves that must be made to get a good run. The monsters all behave in a predictable manner and if they can't be blocked you'll have to perfect your timing. Don't wait for clear routes to appear. Anticipate when a clear route will occur. This usually involves setting your Yeti on a route towards a monster with the knowledge the monster will turn out of the Yeti's path (or won't be there when Yeti arrives). 

Anticipating clear routes is probably the most advanced tip here. 

A good example is level 12 of Mighty Glacier. Yeti starts off blocked into a space but he's still moving and racking up the steps. The level has 2 monsters and a corridor design. Blocking off the monsters and anticipating the clear route is key to getting a good run. 

Summary 

As you can see from my tips there's nothing particular super-skillful about what I've done to top the rankings. 

It's just about being focused, trying to get the perfect run on every level and practice. Try, try and try again and someday you could be the World's Best. 

I reckon I've done the perfect run on 80% of the game, so there's plenty of room for Step improvement. 

Armed with these tips you should be able to get less than 300 steps on Snowy Hills.

Less than 250 steps will take some more dedication. 

Less than 200 steps on Snowy Hills is a challenge. Do that and you become a Lost Yeti Step Master. 

Good luck on the Snowy Hills, in the Gloomy Cave and on the Mighty Glacier. 

Michael

twitter: parsley76

<update> On 12 March 2014 a landmark moment in Lost Yeti history. Achieved less than 200 steps on all 3 chapters. 

My Top 8 books read in 2013

In no particular order.

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Contains one of the undoubted highlights of my reading year. Half way through the story there comes a "big grin" moment when I had to put the book down and mutter "damn, this is good". 

Sadly the last third of the book drops off and it's not quite the big bang ending I was hoping for. Still an unmissable thriller though. 

The Real Great Escape - Guy Walters

Anyone with any interest in WW2 or Prisioner of War true stories should read this. Well researched and fascinating to compare what really happened to the famous Great Escape hollywood film. 

The Gods of Guilt - Michael Connelly

The consistent high standard of this author's work is what draws millions of fans back to his novels. I've read over 20 of his books and it's only "The Overlook" that was a disappointment. 

This latest offering is Connelly at his best. The master of police and courtroom procedural thrillers. 

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

Like alot of readers I use the Goodreads website (via the iPhone app) to keep track of the books I've read. The website allows you to rate the books you've read (out of 5 stars). I'm probably quite a harsh critic as I only rated one 5 star book this year; Mr Cline's debut novel. 

Nuff said.

Trust Your Eyes - Linwood Barclay

Been meaning to read one of his books for a few years but never got round to it. 

Interesting premise hooked me and I was impressed with the engaging style which walks the fine line between realism and entertainment. 

Fine book and an author I will be keen to read more from. 

Cold Storage - Don Lasseter

A true-crime story of a missing young woman and a terrible murder. Incredibly compassionate and well researched. 

Leviathan Wakes - James S.A. Corey

Every now and again I like to dive into a big sci-fi Space Opera. Book one of a trilogy, Leviathan delivers on alot of fronts; intriguing characters, cool action, sinister plot, multiple viewpoints, engaging dialogue and interesting Worlds and technology. Very promising and should be fun to see how the trilogy unfolds. 

Becoming Johnny Vegas - Johnny Vegas

Candid and revealing insight into the real person behind the Johnny Vegas alter-ego. Really enjoyed this book. Johnny writes with warmth, humanity and surprising tenderness as he lays bare his struggles; body image, girls, what to do with life, to name a few. 

Not many autobiographies really change the way I think about someone. This was one of them. 

Honourable mentions:

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter - Tom Franklin.

American on Purpose - Craig Ferguson.

The Story of The Streets - Mike Skinner.

Wool - Hugh Howey

Some highlights of 2013 Road Race season

8 clips showing some of my highlights from the 2013 Road Race season. (away from the Grand Tours)

Dwars Door Vlaanderen 2013. Thomas Vockler goes on a solo attack with 7km to go and is agonisingly caught in the last 25m.  Would probably have made it if Ian Stannard had not done a massive turn with 1km to go,

Cracking early season win for Geraint Thomas at the Tour down Under.

Peter Sagan wins Brabantse Pijl.  One of my favourite parcour.

Tour of Oman. Stage 5. Cracking early season battle between J-Rod, Contador and Froome.

Tour of Poland. Stage 6. Enjoyable and chaotic last 10 km. Particulary enjoyed Riblon's aggressive ride.

GP Wallonie. Picked this for 3 reasons. 1 - Thomas Voeckler. 2 - Jan Bakelants. One of the riders who really impressed me this year. His win here shows what a strong and canny rider he is. 3- The commentary of Carlton Kirby. Always entertaining. Loved his talk of Voeckler.

Couldn't do a list without including one of Cosmo Catalano's insightful race summaries. This is the
Milan-Sanremo recap.

GP Quebec. Great win for Robert Gesink and an exciting conclusion to this one day race.

January cycling review

The Tour Down Under was the first big race of the year. Andre Griepel collected 3 stage wins and Simon Gerrans won GC. The real story for me was the impressive showing of the local UniSA team. They picked up a super breakaway victory for Will Clarke on stage 2 and their rider Rohan Dennis won the Mountain & Youth classification.

Elsewhere there was another stage race in Argentina which I didn't follow: Tour de San Luis won by Levi Leipheimer.
The European season kicked off with the GP la Marseillaise. This was the first outing for my favorite Europcar team. They managed to ride a solid race and new rider Davide Malacarne finished 5th.
Team Europcar also relaunched their website, which was most welcome, as it now features an official shop.

Complimenting the new season I also joined the fantasy cycling game on the road.cc website. It looks more interesting than the other fantasy sport (football, cricket) games I've played before. There's an overall competition as well as separate prizes for each stage race throughout the season.

In other news a date has been announced for the verdict on the Contador doping case. February 6th will hopefully reveal the news the cycling world has been waiting for. If cheating has occurred I hope the punishment fits the crime. As a cycling fan I'd rather see Contador emerge free to ride after the verdict. He is arguably the best stage race rider in the world and certainly one of the best climbers. A stage race would be poorer without his presence. For me, at last years Tour de France, he made the attack of the whole tour. After struggling in stage 18, he made a ridiculously early attack on the next days stage. This attack resulted in the best stage of the tour and a stage that will live long in the memory. It put everyone on the back foot and forced a huge tactical error from Thomas Voeckler as he set off to chase Contador, which ultimately may have cost the Frenchman a place on the podium. Voeckler was the big loser that day, but it produced some epic road racing that day.
I have a feeling that Contador will be cleared of doping charges. The length of time this case has gone on would seem to suggest a favorable verdict for him. Then the world of cycling can move on to the next doping scandal. (step forward Marcel Kittel)

Early 6 Nations Preview

The 6 Nations after a World Cup year is usually a good time for countries to bring in new changes. England, France and Italy all have new coaches. I expect a very open tournament with plenty of exciting games. Here's a look at the prospects of each nation.

Ireland
The Irish regions are in very good form at the moment and I think Ireland will start as joint favorites for the Championship with France. Two things initially stand-out, no O'Driscoll for the tournament; and will there be a hangover from their disappointing World Cup exit?
I expect Ireland to be the most consistent team of the tournament, and with the strength in their experienced forwards they will be difficult to beat. Ominously for the other nations both 10s, Sexton and O'Gara are in good form at the moment. Ireland to win a very close championship.
Predicted finish: 1st

France
The World Cup runners-up have Philippe Saint-Andre as their new coach. Predicting the form of France is a fruit-less task, though it's safe to expect the unexpected. Saint-Andre hasn't picked many new faces from the squad that played in the World Cup. In recent years the biggest flaw in the French team was having an unsettled first 15. If the new coach can give key players, such as Trinh-Duc, a run of games, then France can more successfully develop their brand of total rugby.
France may get off to a slow start in the tournament but I expect them to win most of their games.
Predicted finish: 2nd

England
The only way is up for the men in white after a nightmare last few months for the national team. A new coach, in Stuart Lancaster, though likely to just be an interim solution. As such, I expect England to really roll the dice (by their own standards) and blood some young players in key positions. Farrell at 10 and Ben Morgan at 8 should definitely get at least two starts. The main problem with England is their lack of creativity. Their backs in general don't have the natural flair or creativity compared to other teams. (France, Wales). That said, England always possess a strong set of forwards which ensures they are a match for any team.
With Toby Flood injured for the opening game the selectors have called up Charlie Hodgson, which amazes me. Charlie has had so many poor games for England that his international career should be truly over by now. How many chances does a player need to prove he's not international class? I don't care if Charlie's club form is excellent, he'll never the cut the mustard in my eyes.
Predicted finish: 3rd

Wales
Arguably the best performing 6 Nations team at the World Cup. Though this translated in Wales dropping 2 positions in the IRB rankings - how strange. Wales have struggled in the last 20 years to string together two consecutive good seasons. Which means the Welsh will have a disappointing year in 2012. Pundits may point towards a fresh crop of exciting young talent, North, Priestland, Faletau et al but that doesn't necessarily create a successful team.
It is worth highlighting the enormous talent of Dragons number 8 Toby Faletau. Still only 19 and one of the stand-out players of the World Cup, this kid should be one of the stars of the tournament. It will be fascinating to see how he responds to being a marked man. I'm sure he'll rise to the challenge.
So why have I only predicted a 4th place finish for my beloved Wales? Simple - the fixture list. England and Ireland away, two defeats. I'm actually a bit worried about the Irish backlash. I think the margin of victory will be over 20 points. Wales have France at home in March and by that stage Les Bleus should be too good for the men in red.
My one hope for the tournament is that Jason Tovey gets selected ahead of Dan Biggar in the squad.
Predicted finish: 4th

Scotland
Must be slightly depressing to be a Scotland supporter. A lack of world class players over the last 10 years means it's all about the "team" performance. Coach Andy Robinson is making steady progress with the talent available and in lock Richie Gray they have a potential Lions pick for 2013.
I was a fan of Nick De Luca when burst onto the scene but he hasn't really caught fire at International level.
Scotland will be competitive but they lack that bit of class to break into the top 3.
Predicted finish: 5th

Italy
Former Perpginan coach, Jacques Brunel, is the new man in charge of Italy. I think Italy are still years off regularly recording two wins in the championship. Difficult to know what difference Brunel can make in his first season. The Wooden Spoon beckons again.
Predicted finish: 6th

The Olympics. A to W of Events

Last month I read an excellent book by David Goldblatt and Johnny Acton called How to Watch the Olympics. I can recommend it as essential reading before London 2012 begins.
Here are some things I learnt about the 29 sports that will be contested over 17 days.

Archery
If you hear someone shouting 'Fast!' it is not an attempt to increase the pace of shooting but to stop it.

Athletics
The women's discus record is longer than the men's - uniquely in Olympic sport. The women throw a discus half the weight.

Badminton
Shuttlecocks have been recorded at speeds in excess of 260km an hour.

Basketball
First full appearance in 1936.

Boxing
For men Super Heavyweight is the top weight division at 91kg plus.

Canoeing
16 Golds up for grabs.

Cycling
The Keirin is a track cycling event invented in Japan in the late 1940s.

Diving
The take-off is of equal importance to the flight and entry.

Equestrianism
In 1956 it achieved the unique feat of becoming the only Olympic event to have been held, in total, in a different country from the rest of the games. Australia's strict quarantine laws resulted in Stockholm being used as the venue.

Fencing
3 types of weapon. The épée duel is closest in style to classical dueling.

Football
The men's event is essentially an under 23s tournament, with 3 older players allowed.

Gymnastics
Trampoline has been at the Olympics since 2000.

Handball
Matches are officiated by two referees.

Hockey
The J-shaped sticks are all right-handed.

Judo
Cuba's women have done well in modern times to challenge the dominance of Japan and China.

Modern Pentathlon
The only sport specifically created for the Olympics.

Rowing
The lanes, though marked by buoys, are optional. Crews can take any course they like as long as they don't interfere with others.

Sailing
Great Britain tops the all-time Gold tally with 24. Hooray!

Shooting
Live pigeon shooting made a one-off appearance at the Paris 1900 games. Nearly 300 pigeons were killed.

Swimming
Michael Phelps is the greatest swimmer ever with a total of 14 Gold medals.

Synchronised swimming
The Russians are the swimmers to beat.

Table Tennis
Early versions of the game had names such as 'Whiff Waff' and 'Flim Flam'.

Taekwondo
Means 'the way of the foot and the fist'.

Tennis
Steffi Graff won a Golden Slam in 1988. The Olympic title and her Grand Slam.

Triathlon
The UK's Alistair Brownlee is one of the favorites for the men's event.

Volleyball
Indoor and Beach. In indoor volleyball the libero is a specialist position. They can only play in the back row and are not allowed to serve or spike the ball.

Water Polo
Olympic Presence: Men since 1900. Women since 2000.

Weightlifting
China is likely to dominate the women's event.

Wrestling
The competition for each weight division takes place on a single day.

Pre Season build up

On Boxing day I ordered a souvenir gift set from the Tour De France official store. It arrived today and so begins my official countdown to the 2012 tour. I've actually started writing a blog about how I became hooked on road race cycling this year, which I need to finish sometime. This blog is to kick start a series (hopefully) of scribblings on my first year following the cycling road race season. The season runs from January to October so there should be plenty of opportunity to share my views on my new found passion.

Now would be a good time to declare my interest in the Europcar cycling team. I will be closely following the exploits of this French team, and in particular their star rider Thomas Voeckler. Also it will be interesting to see how Pierre Rolland matures after his fantastic White Jersey win in the Tour De France. Rolland rode tirelessly in support of Voeckler during the tour and managed to finish 11th overall as well. His win on Alpe-d'Huez was a brilliant achievement and hopefully will give Rolland the confidence to challenge in the GC in stage races.

In 2012, Looking forward to:

1. Watching the Spring classics. As I only got into cycling in July 2011 I missed an incredible early season. Will Gilbert dominate again?

2. The Giro. The one Grand Tour I missed in the 2011 season. The route for 2012 is more rider friendly and Contador is not likely to go, so it could be a really open tour. Team Sky may even send Chris Froome to have a crack at GC. That would be great for the British cycling fans to watch.

3. Mark Cavendish vs. the Rest
The split up of HTC and the emergence of Marcel Kittel as the next big thing will provide fresh tests for Cav. The Manx Missile will now be facing tough competition from former HTC team mates Mark Renshaw and Matt Goss. If anyone knows how to beat Cav surely it's those two. Most interestingly for me is the match-up with Kittel. This German wunderkid is by all accounts the real deal. I'm really looking forward to a true rivalry developing between these two.

4. Going to the Tour de France.
Hotel is booked and I'm off to see stage 3, the first stage in France, which finishes in Boulogne. The precise details of the route won't be released till closer to July, but I don't think I want to be at the finish. Somewhere in the last third of the route would be ideal. It will be my first trip to the Tour.

5. Tour de France
Watching as much as I can live on tv. This years tour was my tv highlight of the year. Beating even Wales' super win against Ireland in the Rugby World Cup.
The Tour is great sporting drama and because it's played out over 20 odd stages in 3 weeks, the tension & excitement just builds. I was very lucky this year to watch a vintage tour as my first one. I'm optimistic that the 2012 route will serve up some great racing. Impossible for Voeckler to repeat his heroics again, but I can see him getting some podiums. It would be good to see Andy Schleck win the Yellow Jersey, purely to reward his climbing talent. My gut instinct at the moment is to go with Contador. He's skipping the Giro to be fresh for the tour and I think he'll be back to best.

6. Olympic road race
Cav could win GB's first gold medal of the London Olympics. Would be a nice symmetry to it as Nicole Cooke won Team GB's first gold in Beijing.

The above points were just a few specifics but in the truth I'm looking forward to the whole season; all the UCI World Tour events and any other live cycling that finds it's way onto tv.

Roll on 2012.

Hello again

A quick note. First test blog using the blogger IOS app.

Memories of a casual gamer - Part 1

It all started in 1986 when I was 10. My Dad bought me my first computer, an Amstrad CPC 464. Games were loaded via cassette and some games could take nearly 30 minutes to load. Imagine that. The computer also came with a monitor, the legendary green screen monitor. Everything was displayed in different shades of green. Lovely.

Games such as Harrier Attack, Oh Mummy and Roland in the Caves soon became favourites. Jet Set Willy was also played alot. What a strange little game. It had the advantage of being a very quick game to load. And then there was The Bard’s Tale. A classic RPG of it’s day. The number of enemies I killed with a fire horn - unbelievable. (you had to be there) I can still remember some of the music from that game. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Amiga

In 1990 I got an Amiga computer. This was a big step-up from my Amstrad and was capable of real good graphics and sound. The Amiga turned out to be a real high point for gamers in the early 1990s and produced a long line of classic games, many of which still survive in some format today. Some of my favourites included Lemmings, Cannon Fodder, Bloodwych, Double Dragon, Sensible Soccer, Sim City, James Pond, Railroad Tycoon, Hired Guns, Secret of Monkey Island and Dune 2.

The game that probably took up the most time was a turn-based strategy affair called Warlords. It was simple to learn with modest game rules but required real commitment and planning to master. I enjoyed the challenge of starting off from a small base and expanding your armies and influences through strategic play. It was a cleverly designed game and allowed the player to adopt a variety of tactics. The game had plenty of re-play value for me and will always be regarded as one of my all-time favourites.

1990 to 1995 were the Amiga years and it would be remiss of me not to mention the excellent Amiga Power. This was a magazine published by Future Publishing that became the number 1 gaming magazine for the Amiga. Reading AP every month was a pure joy. Check out the AP wikipedia site to understand why it was so great.

John Dickson Carr

Reading the books of John Dickson Carr has become a passion of mine in recent years. So far I have read 21 of his books. Not a bad start, though considering he wrote about 70 books I’ve still got a way to go. He’s probably an author you’ve never heard. A writer from the Golden Age of Detective fiction (Agatha Christie’s era), he is known for his impossible crime stories and locked-room murder mysteries. I first became aware of him whilst reading a list of essential crime fiction published in the Guardian newspaper a few years ago. They recommended his book “The Hollow Man”. Thankfully this was of his books still in print. I read it and loved every bit of it. It was fantastic story telling and a masterful plot. Since that point I’ve been hooked on Carr books.

Half the fun of reading his books is collecting them in the first place. There are less than half a dozen of his books still in print. It will be a real challenge to gather together all his books and read them. And hopefully an enjoyable challenge. In my first year of reading Carr I went to the famous book town Hay-on-Wye to hunt down some books. I found one Carr and left with a fresh appreciation of how difficult it could be to build my collection. Websites like ebay and amazon market place have plenty of Carr books available but I know as my collection grows it will become increasing difficult to find those rarer books. And to make it even more fun there are the different versions of his books to collect, namely the English and American editions. As a sign of my passion for Carr I was in France in summer last year and bought three second hand copies of his books in French. Needless to say I can’t read French, but it’s pretty cool to have them in my Carr collection.

So 2011. A simple aim. To read 9 more Carr books to take the total upto 30. I already have five unread books to get on with. Actually six come to think of it. Though the sixth is a non-fiction work, a biography on the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

I now present a list of my Top 10 John Dickson Carr books. It will be interesting to see if there is much change to this list by the end of this year.

1. The Hollow Man
2. The Judas Window
3. Papa La-Bas
4. The Emperor’s Snuff Box
5. It Walks by Night
6. The Seat of the Scornful
7. The Crooked Hinge
8. Fire, Burn
9. Captain Cuthroat
10. He Who Whispers

Twitter

I think micro-blogging is the way forward, for now at least. Most things can be said within the 140 character limit on Twitter. And if you have something more to say you can always put a link into a blog. Also people haven't got the time to read blogs. Micro-blogging is the ideal solution.
I joined Twitter over a year ago but didn't really get into it. I tried again recently and have found it to be a useful and enjoyable website. I went off Facebook a long time ago, too full of clutter and too slow. Twitter, for now at least, is quick and simple to use, though I read that adverts may be coming to the site. This may take the edge off its appeal.

This is me: http://twitter.com/parsley76

John Dickson Carr

My first 10 John Dickson Carr books in order of preference:

1. The Hollow Man
2. The Judas Window
3. Papa La-Bas
4. The Emperor's Snuff Box
5. It Walks by Night
6. Fire, Burn
7. Captain Cutthroat
8. The Case of the Constant Suicides
9. The Corpse in the Waxworks
10. The Demoniacs

My Favourite Film

Double Indemnity

I first saw this film during my University studies. I was doing a Film Noir module at the time and our lecturer played this film for us.

It's my favourite film because;
1. Mostly importantly, it's a great film.
2. I was a captive viewer dosed up on Film Noir theory.

These two factors combined to have a lasting impression on me. I simply adore everything about the film. Double Indemnity is your archetypal film noir. A story of greed and deception set in the urban sprawl of 1940s Los Angles. The tone is wonderfully down-beat in keeping with the ambiguous morality of the genre. The story is told in flashback and revolves around an elaborate insurance fraud. Barbara Stanwyck is sensational as the Femme Fatale. The film is a masterpiece in many ways.

My top three highlights:

1. The phenomenal dialogue
2. The intricate plot
3. The knock-out performances from the 3 leading stars; Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck & Edward G. Robinson.

The following quote was one of 400 nominated quotes in the American Film Institute's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes list of the best film quotes in American film history:

Phyllis (Stanwyck): There's a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. 45 miles an hour.
Walter: How fast was I going, officer?
Phyllis: I'd say around 90.
Walter: Suppose you get down off your motorcycle and give me a ticket.
Phyllis: Suppose I let you off with a warning this time.
Walter: Suppose it doesn't take.
Phyllis: Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles.
Walter: Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder.
Phyllis: Suppose you try putting it on my husband's shoulder.
Walter: That tears it...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Indemnity_%28film%29 copy

---

Originally posted at: http://iq.lycos.co.uk/qa/show/57681/?id=57681&aid=176017&withNeutral=

What makes me feel good?

Watching rugby union, listening to Stereolab, drinking red wine, having a hot bath, starting a book, sight of snow falling, squirrels running about, red sunsets, being indoors during a thunder storm, eating cauliflower cheese, waterfalls, the colour yellow, twenty minutes on my exercise-bike, waking-up in the middle of the night and thinking you have to go to work soon then realising it's Sunday morning, crisps, receiving a text message from a friend, taking clear photographs, not having to iron, Bank holidays, baby wipes, serotonin, Glamorgan winning at cricket, when the price of petrol drops, reading The Guardian, spelling difficult words correctly, answering questions on Mastermind, the shipping forecast, watching Q.I., recieiving no junk e-mail, quiet aisles in the supermarket, peace of mind, good health for my family …

---

Originally posted at:

http://iq.lycos.co.uk/qa/show/69157/What+makes+you+feel+good%3F/

Rugby and all that

The domestic rugby season starts this weekend. Hasn't the summer gone quickly? When I say summer, in Britain it was just a few weeks in May. The kids had a very poor summer for their school holidays.

It's a Lions season this year and players will be busting a gut to try and get noticed for the squad selection. I expect to a see a great season of domestic rugby. It will be an interesting season for Wales' two big exports to the Guinness Premiership, Dwayne Peel and Michael Owen. Sale have snapped up the services of Dwayne and his increased exposure to an English audience will enhance his claims for Lions selection. If he has a good season I think he will be in with the mix for selection along with Mike Phillips, Mike Blair, Danny Care and Harry Elllis.

Michael Owen's move to Saracens was a surprise when it was announced last year. As a former Newport Dragons player Michael has been one of my favourite Welsh players for many years. For a forward he has great handling abilities and is a prominent player when the game is open and loose. His biggest failing, and it's a very big failing for a forward, is that he is too soft. He's one of the least aggressive forwards I've ever seen. For a man of size, approx 6ft 4ins, he's way too soft. He doesn't hit rucks and mauls with enough power and when carrying the ball he's not dynamic enough. Compare him with someone like James Haskell of Wasps and you can see the difference.

The Guinness Premeirship is more brutal than the Magners league and it will be interesting to see how Michael copes with the increased intensity. I've noticed Saracens have given him his debut this Saturday at number 8. I would have used him as a lock.
Good luck Dwayne and Michael.

More rugby on my rugby blog:
http://blogsaway-parsley1976.blogspot.com/

Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

Well done to Team GB. The most succesful games for over 100 years - 19 Gold medals. Yes 19! In Atlanta 1996 we only won 1 Gold Medal.
The Olympics has been my favourite sporting event since Seoul 1988 - the first one I watched alot of. Foolishly I booked my summer holiday in April without checking the dates the Games were on. I ended up missing last the ten days. I was at work for the amazing Opening ceremony but was back home for the closing ceremony. Out of 19 British Gold Medals I saw only one live on television. Luckily it was the first one, Nicole Cooke's Gold in the road race. This Gold gave me the most pleasure. Nicole is a Welsh girl and has been a big star in Wales for at least the last five years. She was tipped to do well in Athens but crashed and could only finish 5th.
I watched the last hour of the Olympic race. It was raining buckets in Beijing. Awful conditions for a road race. It all came down to the last 250 metres. Rounding the last bend Nicole had slipped dramatically off the leading 3 riders. With only an uphill stretch to go it looked like her chances of a medal were over. I thought she had really blown it. Incredibly she dug deep and made up the gap and went on to forge ahead of the other riders to cross the line as the Olympic champion. Just awesome. Although the camera angle (head on) in the final straight was a joke as you couldn't tell who was in the lead. A terrible mistake by the tv broadcaster.

I did manage to keep upto date with the Beijing Olympic news while away by listening to Radio 5 live. It's not the same though is it?
Michael Phelps deserves a mention I suppose. So there it was. And Usain Bolt. He set a new World Record in the 200m - 19.30 seconds. 2 hundreths faster than Michael Johnson's old record. I remember that World Record in Atlanta 1996 like it was yesterday. A truly astonishing piece of sprinting. Michael Johnson has been one of my sporting heroes since. A peculiar upright style of sprinting that I've never seen since. And such a great guy as well. He does alot of work for BBC Sport and is always intelligent, articulate, passionate and insightful. A true legend. I can't say enough good things about him. So well done Usain for beating my hero's old record.
Thankfully the BBC Sport website has excellent video clips so I can watch all the highlights again.

My abiding memory of these Games well be Nicole Cooke's Gold. I must remember not to go on holiday for the next Olympic Games.

My Greatest addiction is...

Drinking mineral water.
It started when I was in University in 1996. I wanted a drink in a bottle that I could sip and re-seal. I've never been a big fan of fizzy drinks as I don't like the residual aftertaste of all those sugars and sweetners. I remember buying a brand called Ballygowan mineral water. I soon developed a taste for bottled water. I've never understood how people can say tap water and mineral water tastes the same. I can always pick up the flourides in tap water and it's a taste I don't like.

Starting to drink mineral water was one of the best things I ever did at University. I can't remember the last day I didn't have a glass of mineral water.
I've tried all of the major brands and there's not much difference in taste. Volvic is the most bitter tasting to me. I usally drink Brecon Carreg, Buxton or Highland Spring. Whichever is on special offer. Either £2.00 for 6 x 1.5 litre bottles or £1.18 for a 5 litre bottle of Buxton.
I take 1 litre of bottled water to work every day. I don't drink hot drinks at work. And I always keep a bottle of water beside my bed to sip during the night.

The one thing I think all hotel rooms should have is a "free" 1 litre bottle of mineral water.

When not drinking mineral water I drink fruit juices and the odd Coke or 7-Up. I find all fruit juices too sweet so I'll always add some mineral water to the juice - about 1 part water to 4 parts fruit juice. Tip: put the water in the glass first so that when the fruit juice goes in it mixes better.

Mineral water is my constant companion and I wouldn't want to live without it.
I'm so passionate about drinking water that I regularly support the chairty Wateraid. I know the money I donate makes a difference to people's lives. In the future I may look towards giving my time and energy to help hands-on with an overseas project.

Drinking mineral water is my greatest addcition. I love it!

---

Originally posted at:
http://iq.lycos.co.uk/qa/show/61824/What+is+your+greatest+addiction+%3F/?#a192854

Do you wish you had paid more attention to any particular subject at school?

Yes. French. I've become a Francophile in recent years. I was okay at reading and writing but could not get to grips with the speaking. I dropped French to concentrate on German.
(Any country that has Carli Bruni as the President's wife is a winner)

My biggest educational crossroad occurred between GCSE and A-level. My two best subjects at GCSE were Maths and History. Unfortunately, in alot of schools you cannot combine and study certain subjects. I was unable to take Maths and History at A-level and was forced to make a painful choice. I took the longview and choose the subject which I thought would benefit me; maths. I don't really regret the decision I made though I think I would have enjoyed History A-level more. I've always thought that you can blag your way through History without really fully understanding the content. Not so easy to bluff your way through calculus and coordinate geometry.

---

Originally posted at:

http://iq.lycos.co.uk/qa/show/63426/Do+you+wish+you+had+paid+more+attention+to+any+particular+subject+at+school%3F/?#a197938