Having just completed his “Last Eternal” series of books ….
…. I am just embarking on Jacob Peppers “Seven Virtues” series…..
…. I decided to skip “The Silent Blade” and dive straight in to “A Sellsword’s Compassion”.
I stumbled across Jacob Peppers work after finishing the latest Lindsay Buroker offering. I was trawling the Kindle library looking for a suitable read. Something in the synopsis for “The Wandering Sword” piqued my curiosity.
It turned out to be a good choice, and before long, I had devoured the whole series, so far ! And, having been left hanging by “City of Steel and Shadow,” wanting more, I decided to take a run at the “Seven Virtues.”
Jacob Peppers writing can be a bit gritty and, at times, little verbose, but I think the story lines are great.
So, if you like a little sword and sorcery, a bit of sci-fantasy, then these books are for you.
Well not quite true, I did listen to one once. I heard it trailed on BBC Radio 2. The subject was the pros and cons of that recent fad, air fryers.
So I fathom’d out how to stream the relevant podcast, listened to it in its entirety. Found I was no nearer to determining if there were any real benefits to owning an air fryer.
Net result I didn’t buy one and I haven’t listened to another podcast since.
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
The most expensive personal item I ever purchased has to be my digital SLR and lens. It was, is, a Canon 7D Mk II purchased to replace my ageing Canon 10D. I think the 7D cost around £1500. And I agonised for weeks before I ordered it. Putting up many arguments against buying it.
I think there is always an element of guilt, that this money is truly being spent on me, for my personal use and I know my wife isn’t going to be using it. All other major purchases are inevitably for the home, for the benefit of both me and my wife.
Which is why I am applying the same logic/guilt to buying the big lens that I want. It will cost probably twice the price of the initial camera purchase and that is why I have been ruminating for the last eight years
My favourite pastime is listening to music, preferably, live music.
I believe you can’t beat a live performance for moving your soul, rousing emotions, and even reducing you to tears.
Over the last fifty or so years I have been lucky enough to see many live performances.
My first exposure to live music was at Claverham County Secondary School. The “school dance”, held for those pupils leaving to begin their working lives, featured “The Equals” ! The band had just hit the UK charts with their single “Baby, Come Back”. Little did we know that a member of that band would go on to have a successful solo career. That was “Eddie Grant”.
After I left school, I did a brief stint at Battle Engineering before starting an apprenticeship at HM Royal Dockyard, Portsmouth. This was to be the start of my musical education.
I was in digs at the time when one of my co-residents invited me to a concert at Portsmouth Guildhall. On stage that night were “Led Zeppelin” supported by “Blodwyn Pig.”
After that, there was no holding me back. Almost every week, I would attend performances on South Parade Pier, Kimbels Ballroom, and Portsmouth Guildhall. Back in those days, you would have up to five bands perform in a single evening.
During those heady days I saw Black Sabbath, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Roy Harper, Van de Graff Generator, Caravan, Hawkwind, and many many more.
Back then I was into Prog Rock, but I did venture into other genres. Thanks to Joan, my landlady at the time, I saw Tony Bennett, Manitas de Plata, Roy Orbison, Dionne Warwick, and many, many more.
As time has moved on, my musical tastes have changed. I still love my prog rock, but I have learnt to appreciate all kinds of music, as long as it is performed well. Highlights have been Carmina Burana at the O2 and a classical concert, at the Royal Albert Hall, that closed with the 1812 Overture complete with the live firing of canon and musket.
Nowadays ticket pricing places restraints on how many shows I can get to. Thankfully there is vinyl, CDs and the Internet for streaming music. Much to my wife’s disgust I turn on the music most mornings and get a couple of hours listening in.
And then the TV, courtesy of Sky Arts, broadcast so many great shows. Just last night I was watching a documentary following The Grateful Dead. Pure gold.
Please excuse the misquote, but, “If music be the food of life play on”
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
Life without my computer !
No more blogging
Shock horror, I’d have to revert back to keeping a diary/journal
Or perhaps writing to people I know.
No more photo preparation
I take 1000’s of photos every year. That would come to a grinding halt. Perhaps I would revert to film and take up processing my own prints. I’m not sure my pension could support such a transition.
No more emails
I remember work life before email was invented. Communicating via telex and fax as well as good old hand written notes/letters
Emails were the bain of my life during my latter work years. Just too many to deal with each day.
No more social media
I think this might be a good thing. No more photos of people’s food or tiresome cat videos.
Also a positive thing, more letter writing. We recently received a letter from family in Australia. Amazing the joy it brought.
No more online retail therapy
I would be forced to go out to the shops ! I was ever the reluctant shopper before computers and the Internet. Especially while still working, when shopping was compressed into the weekend or even just a Saturday. I hated it.
Would we ever see a doctor again ?
Ever since the pandemic, access to doctors has become severely restricted. At least things like repeat prescriptions can currently be managed online. And there are econsults to bridge the gap when you can’t get an appointment. I dread to think what would happen without computers.
I have never understood the lemming like devotion that some people seem to have for wearing clothes with a particular brand.
In my mind, it’s like wearing a uniform.
After all, those people are paying for the privilege of advertising the brand.
Similarly I bear no allegiance to motor brands. Some folks are fixated on brands such as Audi, BMW or Mercedes. But for many years I could not afford to be so picky.
Any vehicle I bought was on the basis of value for money. Consequently, I learnt that the logo is meaningless. As long as it remained reliable, my £1200 Peugeot was just as good as any vehicle bearing a luxury brand logo. My pug got me from A to B in comfort, warm and dry. And, bonus, I didn’t have to worry about car park dings and supermarket trolly scrapes.
My first response is “On The Threshold Of A Dream” by The Moody Blues first released in 1969. I certainly play this a lot so much so that I am on my 2nd vinyl copy, the first having worn out. I still listen to the album, but these days, I stream, using Tidal or Spotify.
A more considered response leads me to offer up “Foxtrot” by Genesis first released in 1972. I still have my original vinyl version but also have it on CD. Genesis are a band that I used to see live every time they visited Portsmouth. Pretty much an annual event, either at Portsmouth Guildhall or South Parade Pier.
Many other albums are jostling for that favourite spot. Amongst them, some of the great classics. “Dark Side Of The Moon” and “Echoes” by Pink Floyd, “Led Zeppelin II” and “IV”, “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull, “Tapestry” by Carole King, and the list goes on and on.
So to truly answer the question, I think “Foxtrot” by Genesis take the honour, but only just.
Music is such an emotive subject, and to nominate a favourite will always be coloured by how one is feeling, ones mood at any given time.
I will be doing what I always do every evening. Preparing the evening meal for me and my wife.
This will be followed by our daily wordle challenge. My wife and I compete with each other to see who completes it in the least number of lines. It’s interesting to note that our thought processes are very different. When stuck, my wife will make up words to try, whereas I seem to be resolutely locked into my own limited vocabulary.
Following the wordle brain strain, we will settle down to watch a bit of TV. Our viewing will typically start with “House of Games,” so a bit more mental gymnastics before moving on to a mix of fly on the wall documentaries and crime drama.
In the fly on the wall category we are watching “Top Guns: Inside the RAF” whilst in the crime drama slot, we are currently hurtling towards the end of “Ozark”, which we will probably finish this evening
So, if you don’t mind, I’ll pop off to start the preparation of our evening meal.
WrAnTz 