Hip, Hip, Hooray! It's An Art Day

Following the previous, gloomy post, I though readers deserved some more upbeat news so here it is. Since moving towns a couple of years ago, I've been looking for something sociable to do. I considered joining the local Am-Dram society, as it's only a ten minute walk from home, but I have nothing to offer (I can't act, sing, dance or anything) and they have ample contributors of all ages. I also considered the 'horticultural group' because I like to potter around the garden in the warmer months (I'm still considering it). 

First, though, I volunteered to help with a local group in the village because they seemed desperate but meeting once a year for an AGM doesn't tick the social box.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, someone on the local Facebook group asked if there was any interest in starting a fortnightly art group. It's nothing formal, just people getting together, making time to paint, with breaks for coffee and some chatting. I put my name down and our first 'taster' session is next week. 

Update: I drove to the venue, couldn't find anywhere to park and come home again, mission aborted.

Dinosaur Days & The NHS

Without wishing to promote negativity and hopelessness in a bleak, dystopian future (good start), this post refers to life in the 21st century.

Mid-20th century people are getting old. Most worked hard to enjoy their retirement, not realising that that particular dream was akin to the promise of heaven (i.e. it probably doesn't exist). So, is today's world better than yesterday?

crocodinosaurs

The dinosaurs don't think so. Theirs was a simpler world. They learned to cope with the occasional dangers and continued to wander the beautiful green earth, ignorant of disasters of a global scale, such as the ice age, a world-wide epidemic or the rise of advanced technology. Were there dinosaurs that foresaw the changes? For example, crocodiles seemed to survive the freeze and, more recently, prophets like Isaac Asimov tried to warn us about the future.

falling... 

Is anyone happy right now? Maybe half of us but, according to mind.org.uk, 25% of the UK population is currently experiencing mental health issues. It's not just young people, although they are less likely to have the appropriate experience to fool themselves that things will return to 'normal'. They won't - because 'normal' changes. Today's dinosaurs have the luxury of knowing that their short future is most likely a descent into dementia, care home and death. Wow, that's heavy.

But, a hundred years ago, our however-many-great-grandparents were weary from a harsh war that ended only five years earlier and the industrial evolution continued. War takes a financial toll and, far from being a Utopia, there were hardships, unlike any experienced by Brits today. Power for warmth and light relied heavily on fossil fuels as (mainly Welsh or northern) men toiled in mines, suffering all kinds of illness - and there was no national health system at that time.

Ironically, this post was intended to include a rant about trying to see a GP, so, here goes.

Why is it so hard to book a GP appointment?

Not having had to see a GP for many years, I was shocked at how difficult it is! According to the surgery's website, the 'best' way to get an appointment is to use the e-consult form. I tried this four times with the same result - closed for the day, try again tomorrow. Returning to the website for guidance... it suggests that, alternatively, I could pop in to reception to book an appointment. I did this and was told that I should try e-consult again, at 8am sharp. Thanks, but not very helpful. 

So I did this, too. I went online at 8am and worked through the form. The first few pages were geared to encouraging me to call 111 or some alternative NHS service (which I chose to ignore) and continued with the form (which took 35 minutes) to be told, at the end, that I should find another way to contact the surgery. No! I went back a few pages and changed some of my responses until the form was completed and I received confirmation that I should receive a response within the next couple of days. This had taken an hour.

I had a missed call three hours later, asking me to call the surgery. I did this. the first message said that they were busy and I should fill out an e-consult form. Aaaaaaaarghhhh! At the end of the message, I was given the option of being put through to a receptionist. I duly pressed the required button and the next message said that they were busy and I could try again later (no way) or request a call-back, which I did. To be fair, they called an hour later and an appointment was made for three weeks' time. It was the first available appointment, not with the GP that I wanted to see, but with his apprentice, which I accepted anyway. Better than nothing, I guess.

The post should also cover the way our lives have been significantly altered by the covid epidemic but, quite honestly, I've worn myself out with this one. Maybe another time. 

David Mitchell: Comedian, Author, Actor.

I've watched two TV series starring David Mitchell as the lead actor. The first was Upstart Crow, a comedy set around the time of Shakespeare, in which there were funny moments but, overall, I wasn't bothered about it. I much prefer his story-telling, rants and banter with Lee Mack on 'WILTY'.

The other series, which was the recently aired Ludwig, is described as a 'Comedy drama, Detective, Mystery' - which I did enjoy. Here is a link to the official trailer from the BBC for Ludwig.

I have a couple of books written by David Mitchell. They're a bit exhausting, in my opinion. The short rants that make me smile on TV don't transfer well into long, rambling book form. But, if you appreciate well crafted rants on general topics of life, you really need to visit David Mitchell's Soapbox. Here's an example:

In conclusion, his quick thinking interaction on WILTY (would I lie to you) are top class, his characters on TV can be good but his books are a bit too much for me.

What, Free?

The voice of Danny Bhoy performing live in Toronto - national symbols (flowers). Paramount Global (INTL) has blocked the full video in the UK on copyright grounds so someone has kindly created a video to accompany the audio of this part of his performance.

(ends at 3 minutes)

There is a selection of  Danny Bhoy videos on YouTube.

Not an Athlete!

The Paris 2024 Olympics are nearing an end and, once again, the events that have me most glued to the TV coverage are the Park Skateboarding - both women's and men's.

Sky Brown won a bronze medal - again - for Team GB but our only hope in the men's event, Andrew MacDonald (Andy Mac) didn't qualify for the finals because, despite two (almost three) perfect performances, the judges' scores were not high enough to place him in the top eight. To be fair, the standards were very high.

Andy MacDonald and Tony Hawk go way back - see this clip of their 'doubles' routine. 

I'm older than Tony Hawk and I'm not an athlete so skateboarding was never a sport for me to try - although I did regularly go roller-skating when I was a teen. Loved it but was never particularly good at it.

Not an Assassin, either!

Skateboarding aside, the event I'd really like to see included is Parkour. Knowing the way the Olympics is years behind the mood of the people, this won't happen for a while but the perfect debut would have been the Paris games. Indeed, their open ceremony paid tribute to it.

Parkour to be included in the Olympic Games?

Finally, back to skateboarding, kids who enjoy it should have more encouragement. Domed indoor facilities would facilitate year-round practice. There are quite a few outdoor parks (many neglected, mostly unsupervised) but these are only useful for the three months of fair weather we have in the UK. It's no wonder that Australia picked up this year's gold medals and that our Olympic-standard Brits are from America! Check out this UK skate park website.

Stephen King - Fairy Tale - Review

A short review, not a synopsis. There are many reviews of this fantasy novel already on the internet (none of which I've yet read) but here goes with mine, anyway.

The story of a teenage boy from Illinois. An ordinary boy who lost his mother at an early age and all but lost his father at the same time, because the pain of losing his wife led Dad to alcohol dependency and, as a consequence, he lost his job. The boy, Charlie, had to grow up fast. Not a happy beginning to a novel. 

One day, Charlie was walking home from school when he heard a dog frantically barking; he rushed to investigate and his intervention saved an old man's life. He was used to looking after his dad from an early age so he volunteered to look after the neighbour and his dog. After getting to know the old man, Charlie's life took a different turn, from ordinary to surreal.

Most of the book is a fairy tale setting, often 'grim' but with a happy ending.

So what did I think of Fairy Tale? As usual, with a Stephen King novel, the story has significant detail and the characters, although many, are described well. There was a bit in the middle when I wished he'd get on with it but you have to persevere as it may be revealed to be important later in the book.

Tip! You may want to keep a pencil and paper to hand. There were a few pages containing loads of uncommon words, most of which meant nothing to me - and I should have made a note of them to look up afterwards.

There were some grammatical faux-pas for which the proof-reader(s) should be held responsible. These include 'compare to' and a couple of others, which are no doubt mentioned elsewhere in this blog in some grammar rants. Incorrect grammar momentarily disrupts my reading enjoyment but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority.

Another nice detail at the end of the book was that the author included a section that tidies up loose ends. 

Reacher Series - books 3, 4, 5.

Having reviewed the first book - Killing Floor - and the second book - Die Trying - I thought I should continue with the next three books in the Reacher series by Lee Child. 

Book 3: Tripwire

The book begins with Jack Reacher in Florida Keys but events lead him north to the New York area, where he has an unexpected reunion at the funeral of a friend with whom he worked in book 2. Also, Reacher falls in love.

As usual, Reacher becomes embroiled in dealing with criminals and their gratuitously violent tortures. Other than that, the book is a page turner and the story telling is more fluent plus there's a nice plot twist reveal towards the end of the book. 

Book 4: The Visitor

The murders in this book are less graphically violent, more chilling, indicating a different kind of killer rather than organised crime. Reacher is staying with his girlfriend from the previous book when approached by the FBI to assist with identifying and catching a serial killer which, eventually, he does.

Not sure if I liked the story but, once again, it was compelling reading.

Book 5: Echo Burning

I think that this is the best of the books, so far, in that it deals with the story and leaves out the unnecessary torture and love-making details that I previously found wearing. Reacher's on the road again and this adventure finds him in Texas. 

There are several murders but without the graphic violence from earlier books. The way the author brings together the many elements of the story is excellent. Of the likely suspects, I'd narrowed it down to two until near the end when the person behind these will become obvious.

Conclusion: I always felt that Texas was a place I would never want to live (although I have visited once and I know a couple of 'normal' people who live there). This book brings home how vast the state is and confirms that I would not be comfortable living there.

About the Author.

Lee Child is a Brit, born James Dover Grant in the midlands, almost 70 years ago. He worked in TV from 1977 until 1995 when he was made redundant and began writing. Both he and his younger brother, Andrew, also an author, live in the U.S.A. with their American wives.

I found this interesting (Wikipedia): "In January 2020, Child announced that he would be retiring from writing the Jack Reacher series and handing it to his brother Andrew Grant, who would write further books of the series under the surname Child. He intended to write the next few books together with Grant before passing the series entirely over to him." Andrew Grant writes under the name Andrew Child.

Note:

p.s. Please bear in mind that these are my opinions of how good I feel the books are and are not meant to be a synopsis of the stories. As such, feel free to agree/disagree in the comments.