blah blah blah
Monday, July 16, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
City of Bones - Michael Connelly
Well – a hat trick of Connelly’s! But by far the best. It’s probably that I like the Hieronymus Bosch books better than the rest. My dad had bought this for £1.00 somewhere and thought that I should read it before he did (because he had a lot of library books to wade though).
So I started last week and I’ve finished it now.
This must be the book that comes before the Narrows because at the end Harry resigns. Basically, they find some bones on a hillside which turn out to be those of a 12 year old boy who died about 20 years before. It’s quite a winding tale but ‘whodunnit?’ didn’t turn out to be who I thought – although she was involved!
So I started last week and I’ve finished it now.
This must be the book that comes before the Narrows because at the end Harry resigns. Basically, they find some bones on a hillside which turn out to be those of a 12 year old boy who died about 20 years before. It’s quite a winding tale but ‘whodunnit?’ didn’t turn out to be who I thought – although she was involved!
The Lincoln Lawyer - Michael Connelly
Well, I just had to prove to myself that Michael Connelly books were not all crap. So – because I had it anyway, I read The Lincoln Lawyer in April.
It had a much better plot that ‘Chasing the Dime’ and rattled on at a pace but there was something about it that didn’t quite settle me.
Nevertheless, this is one that I’ll probably come back to, to see if I can get some more out of it. Basically it’s the story of a guy who, instead of having an office – employs an ex-wife to take phone calls and do filing – whilst he works out of the back of his Lincoln. He’s hired to defend some rich guy who is seriously weird! Can’t remember much else (I have that skill with books like this – read ‘em and forget ‘em – which is why I should keep up to this blog!
It had a much better plot that ‘Chasing the Dime’ and rattled on at a pace but there was something about it that didn’t quite settle me.
Nevertheless, this is one that I’ll probably come back to, to see if I can get some more out of it. Basically it’s the story of a guy who, instead of having an office – employs an ex-wife to take phone calls and do filing – whilst he works out of the back of his Lincoln. He’s hired to defend some rich guy who is seriously weird! Can’t remember much else (I have that skill with books like this – read ‘em and forget ‘em – which is why I should keep up to this blog!
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Chasing the Dime
by Michael Connelly
It's a bit of a cheat this because I haven't quite finished reading yet. I bought the book because I usually like Michael Connelly’s [http://www.michaelconnelly.com/] books but this one is dire! I’m getting really frustrated reading it. I have The Lincoln Lawyer sat waiting - but this has put me off.
Previous books I’ve read by Connelly have been Harry Bosch books: The Narrows and The Closers (I think that I even read The Poet, but cannot remember the plot) and they have been fine. Reading books like this just to pass the time on a train, in a hotel or on the beach is great – there’s no pressure and a story line that is credible (ish) and goes at some pace helps me to relax.
All this is untrue of ‘Chasing the Dime’. The chief honcho of an advanced techno company (small company on the verge of big-time) is lured into a nightmare world of prostitution, porno web sites and killers simply because his new flat has the ex-number of a call girl/escort. Most of us would wait until the next opportunity (in this case ‘Monday’) to change the number and get on with our lives. But not this guy. Henry Pierce goes off on a crusade to find the girl and to ‘rescue’ her. He does the most unimaginably stupid things, even after having one of the best defence lawyers (yes he gets into bother with the police) secured for him. Things that you and I would not do – we would do ‘this’ or ‘that’ but never what this geek does. I’m at a point now (I will finish the book – I’m determined to see if I’ve missed a point somewhere) where Henry has found hidden keys to a storage facility and (as usual) instead of saying “hey Mrs. Lawyer woman – where do you think these came from?” – He goes up to the facility and opens the solitary freezer he finds there! Well, you can guess can’t you? The body of said call girl is in the freezer and he’s now shed all of his DNA/hair fibres/fingerprints etc. all over the place. He's been set up, but any normal person would have seen that coming.
It’s so frustrating that I’ve had to write this just to calm me down. If we’d been on holiday and I’d been reading this somewhere, I’d have had all the tea prepared by now (not usual when I’m reading).
David
It's a bit of a cheat this because I haven't quite finished reading yet. I bought the book because I usually like Michael Connelly’s [http://www.michaelconnelly.com/] books but this one is dire! I’m getting really frustrated reading it. I have The Lincoln Lawyer sat waiting - but this has put me off.
Previous books I’ve read by Connelly have been Harry Bosch books: The Narrows and The Closers (I think that I even read The Poet, but cannot remember the plot) and they have been fine. Reading books like this just to pass the time on a train, in a hotel or on the beach is great – there’s no pressure and a story line that is credible (ish) and goes at some pace helps me to relax.
All this is untrue of ‘Chasing the Dime’. The chief honcho of an advanced techno company (small company on the verge of big-time) is lured into a nightmare world of prostitution, porno web sites and killers simply because his new flat has the ex-number of a call girl/escort. Most of us would wait until the next opportunity (in this case ‘Monday’) to change the number and get on with our lives. But not this guy. Henry Pierce goes off on a crusade to find the girl and to ‘rescue’ her. He does the most unimaginably stupid things, even after having one of the best defence lawyers (yes he gets into bother with the police) secured for him. Things that you and I would not do – we would do ‘this’ or ‘that’ but never what this geek does. I’m at a point now (I will finish the book – I’m determined to see if I’ve missed a point somewhere) where Henry has found hidden keys to a storage facility and (as usual) instead of saying “hey Mrs. Lawyer woman – where do you think these came from?” – He goes up to the facility and opens the solitary freezer he finds there! Well, you can guess can’t you? The body of said call girl is in the freezer and he’s now shed all of his DNA/hair fibres/fingerprints etc. all over the place. He's been set up, but any normal person would have seen that coming.
It’s so frustrating that I’ve had to write this just to calm me down. If we’d been on holiday and I’d been reading this somewhere, I’d have had all the tea prepared by now (not usual when I’m reading).
David
Sunday, March 11, 2007
The Hard Way
The Hard Way by Lee Child - a Jack Reacher Thriller (!)
You'll have seen this, I was half way through the book when I noticed that it was one of the big Ads on the London Underground. So there’s big big promotion behind it.
I'd bought the book in Newcastle Station last week, to see me on my way back to Yorkshire on the train. I'd never heard of Lee Child or especially of Jack Reacher. However, as the book was on offer at W.H Smiths @ half price, I was tempted.
It's a rollicking read - if you don't want anything believable and you just want to suspend reality for a while. Jack Reacher is one of those men that just don't exist. He doesn't wear a watch (neither do I - so what?) but knows the exact time to the second - and how many times do we hear of this feat! He can remember details of people that pass him in the street - I can't remember details of people who live in my house! He is super-human in many ways, not least (we are told) in his sexual exploits, although in this book he managed to bed a private investigator ten years older than him (AND she used to be FBI).
Story?
Mercenary kills first wife, second wife wants out, mystery moves from New York to East Anglia. Mystery solved. Jack slopes off.
Includes all sorts of US special forces, UK SAS and Para! As I said above - it's a cracking no brainer.
David
You'll have seen this, I was half way through the book when I noticed that it was one of the big Ads on the London Underground. So there’s big big promotion behind it.
I'd bought the book in Newcastle Station last week, to see me on my way back to Yorkshire on the train. I'd never heard of Lee Child or especially of Jack Reacher. However, as the book was on offer at W.H Smiths @ half price, I was tempted.
It's a rollicking read - if you don't want anything believable and you just want to suspend reality for a while. Jack Reacher is one of those men that just don't exist. He doesn't wear a watch (neither do I - so what?) but knows the exact time to the second - and how many times do we hear of this feat! He can remember details of people that pass him in the street - I can't remember details of people who live in my house! He is super-human in many ways, not least (we are told) in his sexual exploits, although in this book he managed to bed a private investigator ten years older than him (AND she used to be FBI).
Story?
Mercenary kills first wife, second wife wants out, mystery moves from New York to East Anglia. Mystery solved. Jack slopes off.
Includes all sorts of US special forces, UK SAS and Para! As I said above - it's a cracking no brainer.
David
Sunday, March 04, 2007
AA Gill - Sunday Times 'Style' 04/03/07
For two weeks running now we’ve had reference to the ongoing Huddersfield joke in AA Gill’s ‘Table Talk’ (Sunday Times Style Magazine – 4th March 2007). Much as I and all my fellow Huddersfuddlians appreciate the recognition, more normally dolled out over intermittent periods, I must point out that this week’s historic and geographic references are not up to AA’s usual standards.
First of all Doncaster is in South Yorkshire and Huddersfield is in West Yorkshire. Whilst both towns are indeed in ‘God’s own county’ they are as far apart culturally and socially as Basques and Catalans – both easily recognisable as Spaniards but so very different.
Adrian spends more than half of his column comparing the origins of the Chinese-style New Year, recognising (no doubt correctly) that the Yorkshire beastly calendar came first. His forgivable historical inaccuracy is that this Yorkshire year is the year of the Yaffle. Lucky Stone: Coal, Lucky body part: cleft palette, Lucky car part: grease nipple, Spiritual word: bollocks! The year of the Yaffle (according to those East Yorkshire folk) is the year of clenched buttocks and tight smiles.
When it comes around, I’m certain that the year of the ferret (as predicted by AA) will cast a gilded glow of nicely nicely magic over Huddersfield – but until then we must abide within our dark and dank satanic Pennine valley.
;-)
First of all Doncaster is in South Yorkshire and Huddersfield is in West Yorkshire. Whilst both towns are indeed in ‘God’s own county’ they are as far apart culturally and socially as Basques and Catalans – both easily recognisable as Spaniards but so very different.
Adrian spends more than half of his column comparing the origins of the Chinese-style New Year, recognising (no doubt correctly) that the Yorkshire beastly calendar came first. His forgivable historical inaccuracy is that this Yorkshire year is the year of the Yaffle. Lucky Stone: Coal, Lucky body part: cleft palette, Lucky car part: grease nipple, Spiritual word: bollocks! The year of the Yaffle (according to those East Yorkshire folk) is the year of clenched buttocks and tight smiles.
When it comes around, I’m certain that the year of the ferret (as predicted by AA) will cast a gilded glow of nicely nicely magic over Huddersfield – but until then we must abide within our dark and dank satanic Pennine valley.
;-)
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Their Space
http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/theirspace
I realise that this is not a book, but it runs to over 80 pages and I enjoyed reading it, so I'm doing a review right here! The pamphlet is avaialble from the web page @ £10.00 but a .pdf file can be downloaded free of charge (guess which I did).
"Education for a digital generation draws on qualitative research with children and polling of parents to counter the myths obscuring the true value of digital media. "
It's well worth the time to sit and read this if you get the chance and if you are interested in moving the UK's Education system forward. The paper tends to echo what lies at the heart of everything I do. It pinpoints a real need for us all to understand the advances young people (from the very earliest cognitive age) are making. These are often seen but misunderstood - or not understood at all, in fact we often place barriers to the advances in their way.
Just looking beyond the titled subject matter for a minute - the document discusses young people and their ability (or capability, indeed social NEED) to change the world. The problem currently, is that teachers and lecturers have not yet faced this need and have not therefore adapted their style of teaching as necessary. The publication suggests that it is the 'system' that prevents these necessary changes - and I wholeheartedly agree but the system can be changed from within if enough teachers take up the mantle and adapt to suit their charges.
Unfortunately, there are no answers given or discussed to the knee-jerk reaction of most schools and colleges to 'inappropriate' use of 'the system'. The barriers mentioned earlier. Basically, kids using YouTube or MySpace scare adults and teachers who don't quite understand what is going on. Major shifts in learning (styles and capabilities) are taking place and our answer to this is to ban access to the sites. Oh, I know that young people shouldn't really be using institutional machines to view a variety of 'naughty' (or morally suspect - an example given to me was the early morning viewing of Saddam swinging from the rope) things, but they will always want to push boundaries of good taste and social mores. Instead of banning the use - why can't we implement those punishments the institution has in place. In colleges every student signs an acceptable use policy; beat them with it!
I’m told that the institutional fear is ‘Every Child Matters’ – which imposes a duty of care on all who work with ‘Children’.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/youngpeople/greenpaper.html
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/
Sadly, it seems that the re-training and re-skilling which is needed, is not high on the agenda of many college (or school) managements. Where it is, it is usually due to some external pressure. There is still a massive need for e-Learning staff development in this country and until the powers that be recognise this we'll get nowhere. I've heard all the glib answers, but coming from politicians so far removed from the classroom (or the social net-space!) they mean very little. When I can still go into a roomful of teachers, show them what CAN be done and simple ways of DOING it and come away leaving them enthused and motivated - it proves there is still a need. What those teachers then need is TIME to practice, to evaluate and to synthesise their learning, then to be supported and guided towards future devel0pment.
Rant over.
David
I realise that this is not a book, but it runs to over 80 pages and I enjoyed reading it, so I'm doing a review right here! The pamphlet is avaialble from the web page @ £10.00 but a .pdf file can be downloaded free of charge (guess which I did).
"Education for a digital generation draws on qualitative research with children and polling of parents to counter the myths obscuring the true value of digital media. "
It's well worth the time to sit and read this if you get the chance and if you are interested in moving the UK's Education system forward. The paper tends to echo what lies at the heart of everything I do. It pinpoints a real need for us all to understand the advances young people (from the very earliest cognitive age) are making. These are often seen but misunderstood - or not understood at all, in fact we often place barriers to the advances in their way.
Just looking beyond the titled subject matter for a minute - the document discusses young people and their ability (or capability, indeed social NEED) to change the world. The problem currently, is that teachers and lecturers have not yet faced this need and have not therefore adapted their style of teaching as necessary. The publication suggests that it is the 'system' that prevents these necessary changes - and I wholeheartedly agree but the system can be changed from within if enough teachers take up the mantle and adapt to suit their charges.
Unfortunately, there are no answers given or discussed to the knee-jerk reaction of most schools and colleges to 'inappropriate' use of 'the system'. The barriers mentioned earlier. Basically, kids using YouTube or MySpace scare adults and teachers who don't quite understand what is going on. Major shifts in learning (styles and capabilities) are taking place and our answer to this is to ban access to the sites. Oh, I know that young people shouldn't really be using institutional machines to view a variety of 'naughty' (or morally suspect - an example given to me was the early morning viewing of Saddam swinging from the rope) things, but they will always want to push boundaries of good taste and social mores. Instead of banning the use - why can't we implement those punishments the institution has in place. In colleges every student signs an acceptable use policy; beat them with it!
I’m told that the institutional fear is ‘Every Child Matters’ – which imposes a duty of care on all who work with ‘Children’.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/youngpeople/greenpaper.html
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/
Sadly, it seems that the re-training and re-skilling which is needed, is not high on the agenda of many college (or school) managements. Where it is, it is usually due to some external pressure. There is still a massive need for e-Learning staff development in this country and until the powers that be recognise this we'll get nowhere. I've heard all the glib answers, but coming from politicians so far removed from the classroom (or the social net-space!) they mean very little. When I can still go into a roomful of teachers, show them what CAN be done and simple ways of DOING it and come away leaving them enthused and motivated - it proves there is still a need. What those teachers then need is TIME to practice, to evaluate and to synthesise their learning, then to be supported and guided towards future devel0pment.
Rant over.
David
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
So, what HAVE I managed to read this last couple of weeks?
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
It took me a while to get started because I hadn’t much time to read more than a page or two to start with, but it eventually took over my every spare minute. It’s a cracking read. I thought it was a true story – the author’s – but it’s not, it’s fiction. However, I suspect that it is fiction based on a number of things that are true. I don’t read acknowledgements much (because those being thanked are always unknown to me and therefore have no relevance) but in this case I should, because when you do, it becomes obvious that the story is ‘made up’. That doesn’t detract from it though; it’s just that some tings are viewed slightly differently from a fact v fiction perspective. I resolved to read the acknowledgements and check when Amir the adult came face to face with his childhood foe (I hadn’t seen that coming!)
The story invokes an
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Keeping up
It seems such a long time since I put anything up here - but then it has been a busy period. Ben emailed me this morning and it reminded me that I should keep popping something up here from time to time.
Not that I have had much time to read anything since my last post – but I am almost through one book and have bought several more for later reading. More soon.
I am setting off for Beverley in East Yorkshire now – gotta rush …
David
Not that I have had much time to read anything since my last post – but I am almost through one book and have bought several more for later reading. More soon.
I am setting off for Beverley in East Yorkshire now – gotta rush …
David
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Greetings in Jesus Name
*****/10
Greetings in Jesus Name! - The scambaiter letters
Mike Berry (aka Shiver Metimbers)
This isn't a book I would have crossed the road to read. Yet having been bought it for Christmas, it took me about three days to get half way through it. It's a very easy read, if you can bring yourself to be interested in the subject matter. And what's that?
Well, all those of us who have email (I wonder what percentage of the population that is now?) will have received SPAM and will have come across one scam or another, usually originating in Nigeria. This book is the story of one valiant protector of the Innocent (Shiver Metimbers), a man who replies to the scammers with the intention of causing them just as much inconvenience and upset as they cause their prey.
It really is just a collection of emails showing how gullible and inept many of the scammers are. Mike Berry's website http://www.419eater.com/ is his main weapon in the fight against scammers - he publishes all his correspondences here: See the hall of shame.
The book itself, becaused of its post > reply > reply to post > etc. layout is a breeze to read and if you can stay interested long enough to finish one scam after another, its an entertaining read. As I say, easy to read - but only for interested parties.
David
Greetings in Jesus Name! - The scambaiter letters
Mike Berry (aka Shiver Metimbers)
This isn't a book I would have crossed the road to read. Yet having been bought it for Christmas, it took me about three days to get half way through it. It's a very easy read, if you can bring yourself to be interested in the subject matter. And what's that?
Well, all those of us who have email (I wonder what percentage of the population that is now?) will have received SPAM and will have come across one scam or another, usually originating in Nigeria. This book is the story of one valiant protector of the Innocent (Shiver Metimbers), a man who replies to the scammers with the intention of causing them just as much inconvenience and upset as they cause their prey.
It really is just a collection of emails showing how gullible and inept many of the scammers are. Mike Berry's website http://www.419eater.com/ is his main weapon in the fight against scammers - he publishes all his correspondences here: See the hall of shame.
The book itself, becaused of its post > reply > reply to post > etc. layout is a breeze to read and if you can stay interested long enough to finish one scam after another, its an entertaining read. As I say, easy to read - but only for interested parties.
David
From a Buick 8
Post Christmas Reading
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
Greetings in Jesus Name - The Scambaiter Letters by Mike Berry
The Social Life of Information by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid
All three books have been on the go now for a couple of weeks. Ben (son) and Shiv bought me the Scambaiter Letters for Christmas and the Seely Brown + Duguid book was on my Christmas wish list (bought by daughter Emma, for my birthday earlier in December). The Stephen King was one of three I bought when we were away in Reeth for the weekend towards the end of November. This was a £1 charity shop special.
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King ***/10
Anyone who has read much Stephen King will realise that his work can range from the plain weird right through to the downright scary and the quality of his writing can range from really poor to captivating and enthralling. This, another 'car' story is weird and the pace is quite slow. I have found that I got bored reading it for too long in one sitting (unlike Green Mile and the like) but not because the story is uninteresting (I'm nearly done and still don't know what the outcome, whodunit etc. will be) just because the pace is so languorous. Basically it's a car that comes from 'somewhere else' and tries to deliver alien babies (well - you know) all over a country police station. Bottom line? It's one of those Stephen Kings that you're glad you've read (to maintain your opinion that the man must have a really strange mind) but don't want to read again.
More about the other two later.
David
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King
Greetings in Jesus Name - The Scambaiter Letters by Mike Berry
The Social Life of Information by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid
All three books have been on the go now for a couple of weeks. Ben (son) and Shiv bought me the Scambaiter Letters for Christmas and the Seely Brown + Duguid book was on my Christmas wish list (bought by daughter Emma, for my birthday earlier in December). The Stephen King was one of three I bought when we were away in Reeth for the weekend towards the end of November. This was a £1 charity shop special.
From a Buick 8 by Stephen King ***/10
Anyone who has read much Stephen King will realise that his work can range from the plain weird right through to the downright scary and the quality of his writing can range from really poor to captivating and enthralling. This, another 'car' story is weird and the pace is quite slow. I have found that I got bored reading it for too long in one sitting (unlike Green Mile and the like) but not because the story is uninteresting (I'm nearly done and still don't know what the outcome, whodunit etc. will be) just because the pace is so languorous. Basically it's a car that comes from 'somewhere else' and tries to deliver alien babies (well - you know) all over a country police station. Bottom line? It's one of those Stephen Kings that you're glad you've read (to maintain your opinion that the man must have a really strange mind) but don't want to read again.
More about the other two later.
David
What I'm reading now
This is designed to supplement the main blog at http://www.village-e-learning.co.uk/blog.htm and will be link to from there.
I've just started adding a side-bar about the books I'm reading. This will change quickly or slowly, depending upon my workload.
Reading is my main form of relaxation, so when I'm on a 'relax' period, the books will turn over much quicker than at other times. For example, over Christmas, I was reading three books at once. I'm nearly done with one, almost finished another and have hardly started the third (because January came along beofre I could make any headway). Nevertheless, I will comment on them as I go along.
But first of all - why do this? Why would I think anyone is interested in what I have to say about any particular book? Well - I don't always remember the books I've read and it's becoming harder as each year passes, so I thought it would be a good idea to begin listing them somewhere accessible, mainly to remind myslef of the thoughts and feelings I had while reading (or not reading) them. I don't care if others see what I write, so I've made it a public blog - and if they (you?) find my thoughts useful, it's brilliant, a major bonus. But if you don't find it useful - never mind.
I've just started adding a side-bar about the books I'm reading. This will change quickly or slowly, depending upon my workload.
Reading is my main form of relaxation, so when I'm on a 'relax' period, the books will turn over much quicker than at other times. For example, over Christmas, I was reading three books at once. I'm nearly done with one, almost finished another and have hardly started the third (because January came along beofre I could make any headway). Nevertheless, I will comment on them as I go along.
But first of all - why do this? Why would I think anyone is interested in what I have to say about any particular book? Well - I don't always remember the books I've read and it's becoming harder as each year passes, so I thought it would be a good idea to begin listing them somewhere accessible, mainly to remind myslef of the thoughts and feelings I had while reading (or not reading) them. I don't care if others see what I write, so I've made it a public blog - and if they (you?) find my thoughts useful, it's brilliant, a major bonus. But if you don't find it useful - never mind.
Introduction
Hi,
Welcome to yet another attempt at making Blogger work for me. I'm hoping that now I have a purpose, I can spend the time required to aquaint myself with the interface. So far - so good. For my own record:
I've called the blog - David Sugden's Blogger Blog and the address is - (I think)
http://dsugblog.blogspot.com - we'll see.
I'm posting this now - and will then explain how i want to use the site shortly, in another post.
Welcome to yet another attempt at making Blogger work for me. I'm hoping that now I have a purpose, I can spend the time required to aquaint myself with the interface. So far - so good. For my own record:
I've called the blog - David Sugden's Blogger Blog and the address is - (I think)
http://dsugblog.blogspot.com - we'll see.
I'm posting this now - and will then explain how i want to use the site shortly, in another post.
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