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Dr. Peter Leithart
Ph.D., University of Cambridge
Theopolis Institute, Birmingham, AL, USA

First Things Magazine

“Is Kim Davis Breaking the Law?” From First Things Magazine (Blog) Sept. 5, 2015

From both left and right, critics of Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis have criticized her as a law-breaker. Supporters of same-sex marriage say that her religious scruples don’t give her the right to pick and choose what responsibilities she’ll fulfill. Critics from the right have said her stance is a threat to law-and-order.

Eugene Volokh shows in the Washington Post that the issue is more complicated, more complicatedlegally. After all, religious scruples are often accommodated in the workplace. In fact, under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act, they have to be. As Volokh summarizes, “both public and private employers have a duty to exempt religious employees from generally applicable work rules, so long as this won’t create an ‘undue hardship,’ meaning more than a modest cost, on the employer.”

So, nurses don’t have to be involved in abortions, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t have to raise flags, Muslims don’t have to drive trucks containing alcohol.

Volokh isn’t sure this is the best way to guarantee religious freedom: “The government is barred by the Free Exercise Clause from discriminating based on religion, but the government has no constitutional duty to give religious objectors special exemptions from generally applicable rules. Maybe it (and private employers) shouldn’t have such a statutory duty, either.” Regardless, it is the way the Civil Rights Act has been applied “for over 40 years.” Reasonable as it may sound, the rule has not accepted the “you don’t like the job requirements, so quit the job” argument.

That’s not a slam-dunk for Kim Davis, though, since . . . [read more]

“The Inequality Trap”
From First Things Magazine (Blog)
ept. 4, 2015

In a forthcoming book on The Inequality Trap, William Watson argues that the contemporary obsession with inequality is both an error and a trap.

An error because “inequality, unlike poverty, is not the problem it is so widely presumed to be. Inequality can be good, it can be bad, and it can be neither good nor bad but benign.” While we may need ways of addressing various kinds of inequality, “we do not need, and it would be a mistake to adopt a single perspective or policy for inequality writ large.” Ignoring the varieties inequality is not only lacks finesse, but can produce injustices: “A one-size-fits-all perspective or policy would involve us in meaningful and costly injustice, even, in the now ubiquitous but not always meaningful term social injustice” (xi).

Inequality is also a trap, one of our own making, because it “leads us to focus on the top end of the income distribution when our preoccupation should instead be the bottom, where the bulk of human misery almost certainly resides.” That qualified statement indicates Watson’s realistic recognition that “not everyone miserable is poor and not everyone poor is miserable.” Some currently poor people (medical students) are the future rich. Others are “stuck in poverty for the duration—for their duration, which may be shorter as a result of their poverty.” Their poverty doesn’t make it impossible for them to live good lives, but it does limit “their opportunities and in particular their chance to enjoy the fascinating and alluring gadgets, entertainments, and experiences, notably travel, that define modern affluence” (xi-xii).

Watson thinks that the more serious distraction is that obsession with inequality focuses on opposition to capitalism, which he describes as “the social system whose advent coincided (almost certainly not coincidentally) with what Princeton economist Angus Deaton has called ‘the great escape’” from low income and early death (xii).

Watson worries that “if we respond to growing inequality by increasingly fighting capitalism, our false enemy, rather than poverty, our true enemy, we may end up with more of both inequality and poverty and risk at least partly undoing the good accrued during these past, truly remarkable two and a half centuries” (xiii).

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Router troubles #Lesson 1 : Check the splitter and cables first

Since the past 3 days, the green 'internet' light on my Buffalo router has stopped glowing, and I have lived in an internet-less hell hole.

Troubleshooting proved to be in vain. The Buffalo router showed me the message 'internet cable not connected' but also helpfully added that 'any information may be displayed if your internet is down'. As this has proven to be true in the past, and all cables were securely connected, I ignored this message. It was easier to blame MTNL, especially with the stormy monsoon weather, for a cable fault. But I was not quite at ease doing this. I know from experience that the internet light fault usually reflects a hardware failure or hardware conflict at the user end, though it may also be that the DNS server is down. But this is a temporary issue and it certainly should not continue for a full day.

I googled for answers only to find that the world is full of frustrated router users like me looking for answers in a maze. PC problems are relatively easy to troubleshoot as in most cases they are software based. Router and network-related problems are way  more specific and harder to solve since hardware interfaces are involved in addition to software. Here, the rule is to check and eliminate hardware issues first.

Finally I got a clue from some exasperated users in a Sky TV UK forum (the posts were at least 4 years old). The moderator advised the users to  check the 'splitter' which routes the DSL connection to the modem. On an off chance, I did the same. If you have a phone+broadband connection, you would also have the splitter, a cheap plastic device which splits the MTNL line so you can plug the cable into your phone and modem.

I changed the splitter, as a last resort. And immediately, the internet started working, perfectly.

A big lesson - before you go into forums, start changing DNS server settings on your modem or blaming your ISP (all of which I did), check the basics. Cabling problem need not be caused by a loose cable, it could be a faulty junction point. And keep a couple of splitters handy at home. You never know when you might need them!

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The G Manifesto Tour 2011 Wrap Up

» 10 April 2012 » In G Manifesto, Guide, Style, Travel »

The G Manifesto Tour 2011 Wrap Up

Here is how we finished out 2011:

January: Bogotá, Colombia

February: Miami Beach, Florida

March: Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, Florida

April: Buenos Aires, Argentina

May: Miami Beach, Chicago, Beverly Hills

June: London, England, Mediterranean Coast of Spain, Dublin, Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland

July: North Coast of Spain, Mediterranean Coast of Spain, Barcelona, Spain

August: Newport Beach, San Diego, Beverly Hills

September: Washington, DC, Montreal, Canada, San Diego, Beverly Hills

October: New York City, Hollywood, CA

November: Not really sure.

December: Miami Beach, Florida and Palm Beach, Florida

Michael Porfirio Mason was constructed to celebrate days of glory and nights of excess.

Click Here for The G Manifesto’s Free Gentleman’s Club Report

Click Here for The Power of Conversational Hypnosis

The Rest is Up to You…

Michael Porfirio Mason
AKA The Peoples Champ
AKA The Sly, Slick and the Wicked
AKA The Voodoo Child
The Guide to Getting More out of Life

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  1. The G Manifesto
    10/04/2012 at 11:33 pm Permalink

    Damn man, are you doing business at most of these locations, or do you do only a few months of full time work a year?

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Running down myths on jogging shoes

RUNNERS who buy expensive sneakers could be wasting their money.Researchers at the University of Newcastle have found there is no scientific evidence to support claims that specially designed joggers help prevent injuries.The findings have been published in the latest edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.Researcher and general practitioner Craig Richards, who is a runner himself, said he was inspired to do the study after sustaining a series of injuries in his own expensive joggers."I would have been only running 50 to 60 kilometres a week, which is not a large mileage," he said."I recovered from one [injury] and got another one."Dr Richards and his team found there was no published research that showed running shoes that controlled how much the foot rolled in and had elevated cushioned heels helped prevent injuries.In fact, Dr Richards said there was some evidence that modern runners actually contributed to problems."[Some] shoes are specially designed to make you land on your heel and that's very artificial," he said."That may impair balance and makes you prone to ankle strains, so the acute injuries are relevant as well."He said the research would have implications not only for runners but also health professionals, manufacturers and retailers.Scott Munro, of Scott Munro Personal Training in Broadmeadow, said the cost of a shoe was not a major factor but said proper support and cushioning was important.

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Hot Doggin in Maine: Hot Digity Dog in Kennebunk, Maine

Kennebunk and Kennebunkport are always places Mrs. HDM and I visit on our yearly trips to Maine. This year, we went on a mini Hot Dog Tour of Maine.

Our second stop on our little whirlwind Hot Dog Tour of Maine brought Mrs. HDM and myself to a sharp hot dog truck smack dab in the middle of Kennebunk: Hot Digity Dog

Located on route 1, just before the bridge at 6 York Street, Hot Digity Dog has been serving up hot dogs and other comfort foods since 2001.

Owner Vaughn Mason and his wife Linda (she was off today) have owned the truck since 2008. Vaughn hails from Natick, Massachusetts- that's where we live! He's eaten hot dogs at Casey's many times in his youth. He also managed another Metrowest favorite, The Cedar Hill Dairy Joy in Weston for 13 years- his brother in law owns the joint. After relocating to Kennebunk around the turn of the century, he "cooked around" for a while and landed a job at Hot Digity in 2007. He liked it so much, he bought the truck.

Vaughn serves up grilled Shields Franks on butter grilled, split top rolls. You can also order up burgers, fried clams, clam cakes, chicken, fries, bowls of Vaughn’s home made chili, even grilled cheese sandwiches!

Today I went for a "Boston Dog" which has melted American cheese and bacon on it. I added some mustard and....

We were eating and running today as we had to find a motel before the crowds made it up north.  Vaughn bid us adieu.

EVERYONE gives Hot Digity Dog

If you're in Kennebunk and you're looking for some fresh cooked Shields dogs, or any of Hot Digity's other comfort food items, stop by Hot Digity Dog and tell Vaughn "the Hotdogman sent me."

Check out the video of our visit to Hot Digity Dog on Hot Dog Stories.

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Here' the Hotdogman on Roadside Stories
Have you ever played the Punch Buggy Game? If you have, check out the Official Rules to the Punch Buggy Game. Check 'em out even if you've never played before, it's a classic road trip game for your summer travels!


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Google+ The Introverted Reader: Character Connection: Teddy Daniels

Character Connection: Teddy Daniels

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Shutter Island
Teddy Daniels is a U.S. Marshal and the main character in Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. There's a lot going on with Teddy and it's going to be hard to write about him without giving away spoilers. I will do my best.

Teddy is the strong silent type. He's been sent to Shutter Island, an asylum for the criminally insane, to search for an escaped inmate. A mother of a storm is blowing up, but that doesn't deter him. He has his own reasons for wanting to check out the island and the residents.

His partner is new to him, Chuck Aule. On the ferry ride, Chuck and Teddy strike up a fairly easy camaraderie by doing a quick little check of location and unit served during World War II. I loved their interactions.

Teddy is haunted by memories of his wife. (I can't even remember her name. Dora? Something like that.) Seriously. He's repressing too much around her memory and his psyche is not handling it well. He lapses into thoughts of her at the oddest times and has very intense dreams about her despite trying not to think about her. He just doesn't seem to be able to move on.

di Caprio as Daniels
Teddy realizes that something strange is happening on this island pretty quickly. He's not getting much real help from anyone in his investigation and the escape doesn't make any sense. But Teddy is hard core and goes all out to find out what happened. A hurricane doesn't even stop this man. He's out doing what needs to be done in the pelting rain and roaring wind.

He keeps finding cryptic clues in odd locations. He's a fantastic investigator, making intuitive leaps that you just know have to be right. He's also learned to trust no one and nothing. His constant questioning will have you a little edgy yourself.

And that's where I'm going to have to leave it. I haven't even gotten to the parts that really make him memorable. You have to read his story to believe it.

Leonardo di Caprio did a great job portraying Teddy. He was a little...harder? than I pictured Teddy, but I was still satisfied with the performance.

Who did you connect with this week? Link your post on Mr. Linky, then be sure to go check out the other Character Connections!

Character Connection
Don’t you just love larger-than-life characters? The ones who jump off the page and grab you? Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t be indifferent to them.

I would love to know about the characters who just won’t leave you! Most of you will probably post about how much you love (or loathe) each character, but this is a great place for the more creative ones among you to let go and have fun! Write yourself into a scene with Anne and Diana. Write a love poem in elvish for Aragorn. Draw a picture of Harry obliterating Voldemort. The possibilities are endless.

Be sure to post the book's title and author, and be very careful not to give away spoilers while talking about how much you love your characters.

Mr. Linky will be posted here on The Introverted Reader every Thursday.

I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop's, my local independent bookstore, and Better World Books. I will receive a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase books through links on my site.

  1. I haven't read the book yet but I have it and plan on it. I really liked the movie, though. It sounds like the book makes Teddy more likable, though.

  2. I really enjoyed this book, and most of it has to do with the sudden switching of sides on part of the reader - for a while you're solving the mystery from Teddy's perspective and then you go Oh-oh what just happened here. I think Teddy was portrayed real well and I thought Leo did a fab job too.

Thanks for taking the time to comment! Have a great day!

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Kefir and kombucha: fermented goodness - 2nd Workshop

By popular demand we are running a second workshop.

Join Sam Ryan for an hour-long introduction to the fermented goodness of kefir and kombucha. Included in the workshop are tips on how to get started making your own, kefir and kombucha tastings, and all participants will receive some water kefir grains and kombucha SCOBY to take home.

Bring along a notebook and pen for notes and a couple of jars to take the grains and SCOBY home in.

The Adelaide Sustainability Centre is supported by the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board and Conservation SA.
August 15, 2017 at 5:45pm - 6:45pm
The Joinery
111 Franklin St
Adelaide, - None - 5000
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Diane Salvi · · (08) 7123 2166
$10.00 AUD · Purchase tickets

© 2017 Conservation Council of South Australia Inc
All Rights Reserved

Contact us at the Joinery at 111 Franklin Street, Adelaide, on (08) 8223 5155 or

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How do I cope with a mentally ill spouse?

How do I cope with a mentally ill spouse? post image

“Very controlling, obsessive, delusional and insecure due to lack of education.”

Let me start by saying that you may have a controlling, obsessive, delusional and insecure spouse but it doesn’t necessarily means it’s because of lack of education. How did you come up with that? I’ve known a lot of people with a high school or lower levels of education and they’re not all controlling, obsessive, delusional and insecure like you say. I think you have just come up with your own conclusion based on what you feel is a good reason for their behavior. In my opinion this is the wrong thing to do because it blocks the possibility of finding out the real reason that’s causing this behavior.  I also noticed that you’ve labeled your spouse as “mentally ill” which is completely out of line because someone that’s controlling doesn’t necessarily mean they’re mentally ill, that’s a strong term to use. Now, creating all these negative labels about your spouse might be creating more problems in your relationship than you think specially if you actually use them towards them when you have arguments, and something tells me that you do.

My advice to you is to actually sit down with this person, find out what the real reason for their behavior is but do it with an open mind and really listen to what they have to say and take does reasons into consideration. Forget about all the reasons you have already made up in your own head (controlling, obsessive, delusional and insecure, mentally ill) and put yourself in their shoes, I bet you’ll see things in a totally different way. Look at your own behavior and determine if their expectations are reasonable or not. Some people have had bad experiences in the past and it can be very difficult to overcome at times. In my opinion I believe it is wrong to have to pay for other people’s mistakes and you should really try to seek professional help when it comes to this. It’s not fair to you.

Going back to what you claim to be the reason for their behavior, or the “lack of education” as you claim. At lot of the times just because you have a higher education level you automatically assume the other person if somehow inferior than you and you tend to treat them like their opinion doesn’t count. Just because a person is not educated doesn’t mean their opinion is not valuable is just sometimes harder for them to express it using the right terminology. You show stop being a brick when it comes to this and try to make more sense about what they’re truly trying to communicate to you and just grasp the general meaning instead of trying to get all technical about it. Ultimately you made the decision to be with this person, no one forced you. You should’ve taken the time to get to know this person better and determined if you guys had the same career goals in life before making the decision to marry this person.

With that in mind, you should also take the time to make an evaluation of your whole relationship and determine if this person is really the right person for you. Sometimes couples can become incompatible at a certain point even though at first it may have seemed like they were the perfect life-long partner. This is completely normal because people generally start off with a lot of things in common and really click, but as we go through different stages of life our priorities change and when the other person can not change with you or at least understand what you are going through and be supportive, than you become incompatible at that point. This is when you have to really make that evaluation I was talking about and see if the positive contributions of this person towards the relationship outweigh the negative ones. At this point the right decision might just be to move on and that’s ok. Just look back at this relationship and remember the good things as well as the bad ones and learn from them. Realize the mistakes you made so that in future relationships you don’t make the same ones. Ultimately this might be the outcome of you making poor decisions when selecting a life-long partner and there’s no one to blame here but you. No one forced you to marry this person and perhaps you rushed into things too fast or were too immature at the time. Just take this as a learning experience and don’t make the same mistakes in the future.

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Women's Support Centre: New Beginnings Arts Awards Exhibition

15 September 2016

Now showing in the Art Fund Prize Gallery, we are proud to be supporting the Women's Support Centre and their New Beginnings Arts Awards for the sixth year running. To find out more about the organisation and their aims, we spoke to Helen Emmings, manager at the Women's Support Centre.

Can you tell us a bit about the Women’s Support Centre, and how the New Beginnings Arts Awards started?

The WSC has been in existence for over 6 years and came off the back of a short pilot project which aimed to support women leaving prison and returning to Surrey. During the pilot it became clear that the needs of women more broadly affected by the criminal justice system also needed addressing, and so the service was expanded to deliver support to women across the county who were also on probation or coming to the attention of the police. The Women’s Support Centre has grown and developed over the last 6 years, and now works to support women who might also be at risk of offending or exploitation.

The New Beginnings Arts Awards has been running for 6 years, and is an opportunity to showcase the talent of women across the county who may otherwise not have opportunities to participate in the arts and also to encourage excluded, exploited and disempowered women to explore their feelings and experiences through creative means.

What are the opportunities and benefits for the women who take part?

Many women who use the centre or are in prison have experienced violence, abuse, neglect and social exclusion. They often have incredibly low self-esteem and a lack of confidence in their own abilities. Indeed many will have had negative experiences of school and may never have been praised for anything they have done. The awards scheme makes participation in art accessible and is not intimidating for those women. It gives them a chance to explore talents they didn't know they had and an opportunity to be celebrated for following a project to its completion, which is vital for boosting confidence.

This year’s theme is ‘A Land Far, Far Away’. Why was this theme chosen, and what are some of the different ways that participants have interpreted it?

The theme was chosen partly in recognition of HG Wells' contribution to Woking, and partly because it was an imaginative theme that could be interpreted in so many ways.

The artists took the theme and explored a variety of interpretations - from literal images of beautiful far away places and imaginary worlds, to much darker reflections on their own world of experiences.

What can visitors to the exhibition look forward to seeing?

The exhibition is a fabulous collection of artwork from women across the county who have talent, passion and enthusiasm but who have also experienced some quite unimaginable things. This shines through in their artwork and the exhibition is both interesting artistically but also hugely moving and thought-provoking.

Women's Support Centre: New Beginnings Arts Awards 2016 is on display in the Art Fund Prize Gallery until 16 October.
Free entry | Donations welcome

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After a month on the sidelines it was simply back in the groove for Dwight Gayle.

His two goals the difference between the two teams at Elland Road.

Whilst the finishes weren’t the most difficult of the season for the Newcastle striker, his overall play and movement was exceptional.

Having said that, like all forwards the Newcastle United number 9 will be judged on goals.

Despite playing significantly less than his rivals, Dwight Gayle is now clear in topping the Championship goalscoring stats as we move towards December.

With 13 goals he is three clear of Glenn Murray and Scott Hogan but it is when you look at minutes per goal, you see even more clearly how dominant he has been.

Dwight Gayle has found better than a goal a game (90 minutes), scoring on average once every 85 minutes he is on the pitch.

Next best are Glenn Murray once every 132 minutes (47 more than Gayle), whilst Scott Hogan is third best with once every 153 minutes (68 minutes more than Gayle).

Dwight Gayle (Newcastle United) – 13 goals

Played 1,111 minutes at average of 85 minutes per goal.

Glenn Murray (Brighton – on loan from Bournemouth) – 10 goals

Played 1,322 minutes at average of 132 minutes per goal.

Scott Hogan (Brentford) – 10 goals

Played 1,530 minutes at average of 153 minutes per goal.

Tammy Abraham (Bristol City – on loan from Chelsea) – 9 goals

Played 1,385 minutes at average of 154 minutes per goal.

Chris Wood (Leeds) – 8 goals

Played 1,424 minutes at average of 178 minutes per goal.

Danny Ward (Rotherham) – 8 goals

Played 1,509 minutes at average of 189 minutes per goal.


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Hot Property! Smaug’s Lair For Sale!

December 10, 2013 at 10:59 pm by Kili  -

Erebor for SaleTolkien fans come from all walks of life and most of us can’t resist sharing our passion for Middle-earth. Amid the excitement of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘s release, the creative Natalie Grigson at the real estate blog Movoto has come up with something charming. Looks like Erebor wasn’t all Thorin hoped it would be and he’s selling it to unsuspecting buyers… or could it be that this is all a ploy to have a stranger test the dragon for him?! [See the Listing]

Posted in Creations, Fans, The Hobbit, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Tolkien on December 10, 2013 by
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Slice them up!

Slice them up! If you have smaller mushrooms you can just leave them whole.

One of my co-workers had a really great idea to do a pre-Thanksgiving potluck tomorrow during work! Everyone is bringing a little bit of something and we’re all going to dig in tomorrow. It’ll be lots of fun and I’m looking forward to seeing what people are going to bring. After a long day at work though the last thing I want to do is cook some elaborate dish. So I made a simple side dish that didn’t require too much work and is still very tasty. Also vegan and vegetarian friendly too! Here’s the recipe below!

Roasted Mushrooms
1 lb and a 1/2 of white mushrooms
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon of chopped chives
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Prep the mushrooms. Take a kitchen cloth and rub off the dirt. Then chop up into smaller pieces if you have larger mushrooms. If they are pretty small you can leave them as is.
3. Mince the garlic.
4. Prep a baking pan by spraying it with some oil.
5. Dump the mushrooms in the pan and then sprinkle everything else except the chives on top. Drizzle the olive oil over the mushrooms. Mix it all up with your hands!
6. Place it in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
7. Mushrooms are done when you can see that most of the white is gone. Taste test and add any spices you wish. Sprinkle the chopped chives on top and you have a side dish!

Finished! Sprinkle some fresh chives on top and it’s ready to go for the lunch potluck tomorrow.

I love mushrooms! They are one of my favorite things to eat. Yummy…can’t wait to eat it tomorrow. Trying to decide if it would be better cold or warmed up. I’ll figure it out tomorrow.

What kind of side dishes do you like to make?

  1. cathy
    Posted November 27, 2013 at 7:55 am | Permalink

    Deviled eggs! That’s my go-to potluck item.

    • TeenyGreen
      Posted November 27, 2013 at 8:39 am | Permalink

      Yummy! Someone else is making those for today! I made roasted mushrooms and cornbread. Bought a pumpkin pie from the store, not worth it to make it from scratch. I would just use the canned stuff not from the pumpkin.

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Apple buys more PCBs - MacBook refresh imminent?

More evidence has emerged that Apple's about to refresh its laptop line-up: the company is claimed to have upped its circuit-board orders by 20 per cent.

So say sources cited by Chinese-language newspaper the Commercial Times. That increase is over and above the volume of PCBs Apple is said to have ordered for Q2.

Of course, with no historical data to hand - or provided by the moles - it's anyone's guess whether that 20 per cent increase is anything other than just what you'd expect for the back-to-school manufacturing quarter.

Still, recent pics that popped up on the web allegedly showed a new-look MacBook Pro casing that applies some of the more curvaceous qualities of the MacBook Air to the 15in and 17in notebooks.

That, plus the fact that Apple last revamped the MacBook Pro in June 2007, suggests it's high time for a relaunch. This week's delayed launch of Intel's Centrino 2 platform has certainly given Apple a reason to wait a while. It probably wanted to get the iPhone 3G launch out of the way too.

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Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/03/intel_idf_server_chums/

Intel forces server chums to fend for themselves

Have you heard about Tukwila?

By Ashlee Vance

Posted in The Channel, 3rd April 2008 10:02 GMT

IDF Server aficionados were left wanting at this year's China-flavored Intel Developer Forum. The company kept banging on and on and on about something called a MID, which is neither a PDA nor an ultra mobile PC. The important difference between a MID and something else, according to Intel, is new usage models.

Whatever. They're not 128-way SMPs, so we don't care – except over on HardReg where we do.

Intel's server chip chief Pat Gelsinger did make an appearance here where he re-summarized several months of announcements. In addition, Gelsinger clocked customers and partners with a monkey stick and showed off Tukwila – the upcoming addition to Intel's Drunken Uncle processor line – for the first time. It ran Solaris on top of Red Hat.

With Intel spending all of its time playing with toys, it was up to the partners to do the dirty work.

The FPGA co-processor lads from XtremeData were here. You can see their tri-chip blasting through a batch of Black Scholes.

Shot of XtremeData's FPGA unit with Black Schoels score in background

Take that Black Scholes

Gear from former AMD CTO Fred Weber's shop MetaRAM was all over the place as well. Everywhere we turned, someone wanted to shove a double-stuffed Hynix DIMM at us.

This board shows off MetaRam's DDR3 play with Intel's upcoming "Thurley" platform that will use the Nehalem chips.

Shot of the Hynix/MetaRAM combo

Double-stuffed Thurley

And again.

Woman holding another Hynix MetaRAM system

The touch, the feel of MetaRAM

We'd tell you all about the fantastic other server gear, but sadly, everything else was pretty bog standard. So, we'll leave you with heatsink porn courtesy of Dynatron.

Lots and lots of heatsinks lined up in a row

Heatsink Glory

And the glamor shot.

Close of heatsink

Isn't she lovely

All hail the monkey stick. ®


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Salmon River Guides, Pulaski Ny

Salmon River Guides Recommended Links

Salmon River Guide Cabins - We would love to welcome fishermen, snowmobilers and cross country skiers to our country style efficiency log cabins

Buying & selling houses, camps & land from Lake Ontario to the Adirondacks. Check us out on facebook too!

Cabins/Rooms Rentals

1880 House - Bed & Breakfast Inn 1st class lodging accommodations overlooking the Salmon River in Pulaski NY.

Woodlawn Bed & Breakfast - A little bit of heaven on Route 11

Port Lodge Motel- We are close to the river, the lake, Douglaston Salmon Run, and the marinas in Port Ontario NY.

Fox Hollow Lodge - Lodging,Salmon and Steelhead Fishing,and Snowmobiling on the Salmon River in Altmar, NY.

Cabin Fever Cottage - We offer snowmobiling, fishing and hunting lodging. Located in the heart of the Tug Hill in Redfield NY, along the snowmobile trails.

Oswego Hotels - Clean, Comfortable, Affordable, lodging in Oswego County. Red Carpet Inn, Days Inn and the Scottish Inn.

Steelhead Lodge - Cleaning Station and Smokehouse and lodging open year round.

Cathedral Pines Lodge is your solution for affordable, comfortable lodging near the Salmon River. Call 315-447-6192 for reservations!

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Tackle Shops

Simms Retailor - Whitakes Sport Sport

All Seasons Sports, Inc. -. We provide a wide range of products for Fly Fishing and Lake Fishing. Our product line includes fly tying materials, lures, tools, rods, reels and more. Pulaski, NY

Fat Nancy's Tackle Shop - Rod and reel & wader rentals - open year round.

Port Ontario Tackle Shop - Port Ontario Tackle Shop is a family owned and operated business located in the heart of Salmon Country in upstate Ny

Others of our favorites

Real Deal Decoys - Any more real and these deer would have a pulse!

Salmon Crazy -Salmon River fishing forum

brown trout articles

flyrod articles

Hunting & Fishing Reports - Visit for the latest hunting & fishing reports, as well as news and articles on your favorite spots! Fishing Tackle Superstore - Head over to for all your fishing tackle needs.

Driftboat, Lake Charter & Marina's Insurance - The best insurance rates around! Call at 1-800-260-1204 for insurance rates.

Fish-Rite Driftboat - Custom aluminum drift boats, hand-crafted to assure you a lifetime of boating fun! We, Salmon River Guide, own and operate 2 of these great drift boats!

Covanna Charters - Coe Vanna charters offers Lake Erie fishing charters for walleye, smallmouth bass and yellow perch on the U.S. and Canadian waters of Lake Erie. Lake Erie charter fishing for the experience of a life time. Welcome to Ohio Fishing! The site is here to be a resource for the Ohio Fisherman. - Welcome to Northeast Ohio's Premiere "Online Steelhead Guide", for the Steelheaded Angler! I have been serving the Grand & Chagrin rivers since 2001 with Free Steelhead information. I was a former river guide, over 18 years.

Salmon Eye Charters - Fishing Reports for Vancouver Island BC for the areas of Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Qualicum and Parksville. Updated regularly during the summer months.

Lake Erie Fishing Charters - Chelsea Charters offers Lake Erie fishing charters for walleye, smallmouth bass and yellow perch. Fish aboard our 30 and 34 ft. Lake Erie charter boats for the experience of a lifetime.

Fishy Vacations - Fishy Vacations, your guide to a great catch

Country Heart Candles - The best candles around - triple sented!!

Optics Planet - A buyers guide to purchasing fishing reels - the complete boating

 Top Fishing Websites at TopFishingSites.Com

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Guide - Saltwater light tackle and fly fishing near Orlando Florida. All licenses and tackle provided.

Marine Creations Taxidermy - Fish Replicas for the Catch and Release Fisherman

Orlando Fishing Guide - Mosquito Lagoon - Light tackle and fly fishing charters for redfish, trout, tarpon, and snook less than one hour from Orlando Florida. All licenses and tackle provided. - Fishing Poles, Fly Fishing Rods - Discount fishing poles and fly fishing rods by Shimano, Daiwa, and more.

WWW.DESTINATIONWILD.COM - Hunting Guides, Fishing Resorts, Fishing Charters, Fishing guides, African Safari

A A Fishing Website - Offers information on all types of fishing in all 50 states. -Flyfishing for beginners on the Salmon River NY A fly fishing internet resource guide

We are in the Fishing directory

Fishing Byte - Your online resource for Fishing!

Outdoor Recreation - Outdoor recreation gear for fishing and camping trips! - Features fish & fishing resources for guided or charter fishing, recipes, and other fish or salmon related information.

All Fishing

Fish - where people find experts

Kuuloakai Fishing Charter - Experience heart pounding big game sport fishing. Sportfish Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii - North Shore - with Captain Rusty Spencer, for blue marlin, wahoo, mahimahi and yellowfin tuna with friendly experienced crew aboard well equipped 31-foot Bertram.

Link Helpers - Webmasters helping webmasters develop high value relevant links. Promoting ethical web-marketing using the time trusted pillars of relevance and popularity.

Nautical Jewelry - Magnificent handcrafted Nautical Coin Jewelry. Exquisite collectors pieces layered in gold and silver. Each breathtaking exclusive work of art is hermetically sealed against wear in clear, hard acrylic coating.

Fireweed Lodge - On the west coast of Prince of Wales Island at the base of the Klawock River, the Fireweed Lodge is a full service fishing resort offering guided salt water and self-guided stream fishing packages.

Fish Usa - - Covers the Salmon River, NY and Eastern Lake Ontario regions -- famous for incredible chinook 'king' salmon runs in the fall, steelhead in the winter, and fantastic offshore fishing for chinook and coho salmon, brown trout, lake trout and steelhead fishing during the summer months.

Visit Internet Clipart for great graphics

Hunting And Fishing Gear Reviews - This is the only place you can find comprehensive reviews of hunting and fishing gear submitted by actual users. Search our database of user submitted reviews for all kinds of outdoor equipment

Alaska Salmon Fishing Guide - World-record Alaska King Salmon? Limits of tasty Sockeye? feisty Alaska Silver (Coho) Salmon? Drift Alaska Charters provides the Alaska Salmon, Halibut or Trout fishing experience you are looking for.
Discount Camping/Fishing/Hunting Gear

Hawg Alert Charters
Fishing Lake Erie - Charter boat fishing is our lively hood. So give us a call. Book your Walleye or Smallmouth or Perch trip with our charter boat guide service. fishing, charters, Lake Erie.

Angling Art - Fine art fish prints & fish art stationery depicting coarse fish, sea and game fish reproduced from oil paintings by Matthew Groves.

Fishing Gear - Local reports world wide help anglers learn where the fish are biting, what is working best, and communicate about their local fishing area. Ssarch on fishing locations or types of fish to catch.

Fishing-the-net - Quality discount fishing tackle at super low prices, delivered speedily... right to your door - Boating, fishing. Boat tests, boat reviews. Fishing boats, trailer boat

HindSight Canada Fishing Charter - Experience adrenalin-pounding Canadian Sportfishing action. Master Guide with thirty years experience with gives all out effort. Pinpoints the best time and place to fish.

Aluminum Boats - Rogue Jet Boatworks superior products, a passion infusing superior craftmanship to name a few: full length box girders, surfboard keel-plates, laminar flow intakes, reinforce gunnels and a Lifetime Hull Guarantee

For more information on steelhead fishing in Ny check out or for more walleye fishing information

Food ~

Rooms/Cabins ~ ~

Tackle Shops ~ ~ fatnancy'

Please feel free to give us a call for  more information on how to book a trip. (315) 298-4530

Shane and Jackie Thomas

The River Guide lists web sites at their request and is in no way affiliated with these businesses. Although we may endorse them, it in no way implies any liability on The River Guide.

| reports | guides | salmon | steelhead | walleye | brown trout | bass | rates | past reports | photo gallery | tackle shops | links | contact us | disclaimers |

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Sainte-Dévote Events in Monaco

  January 28, 2009 at 12:18 am by

His Serene Highness Prince Albert II attended Monaco’s annual Sainte-Dévote events on January 26 and 27, 2009.

Saint Dévote, Monaco’s patron Saint and special protector of the Sovereign Family was born in the 4th Century in Corsica. When she died, her body was ordered burned by the Romans to prevent veneration. According to legend, her body instead left Corsica on a boat bound for Africa and washed up on the shores of what is now Monaco during a storm around January 27 circa 303 AD. A still standing chapel was built in Monaco to house the relics. A thief reportedly tried to steal her relics to secure the Saint’s favor and was stopped by the local faithful who burned his boat.

Prince Albert at the Sainte Devote Festival

Click the image to see the photo at Zimbio

The burning of the boat has become an important part of the Sainte-Dévote events and the participating members of the Sovereign family assist in the burning of a model boat during the evening processions which proceed a commemoration mass at the Monaco Cathedral the following day.

Photos of both day’s events are available here.

Filed under Monaco Royals
Tagged , .

2 Responses to Sainte-Dévote Events in Monaco

  1. lailani says:

    loved the pictures

  2. H.R.H Sunni says:

    Interesting, religon just keeps going.

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Blog Subtitle

Image Text Search a SEO Game Changer

As Google continues its attempts to make their search engine results be as accurate and valuable as possible, they’re adding a helpful new feature to’s Search Engine Results Pages (SERP): Image Text Search. So, in addition to alt text and filenames, web images will be searchable via any text that might be presented by […]

The Future is Getting Closer

There was a recent article in infoworld about Google Glass’s hardware specs and this is what I find in particularly interesting about them:

“Google Glass is a headset worn like glasses that has a projector for beaming images into the wearer’s right eye, creating an illusion equivalent to viewing “a 25-inch high-definition screen from eight feet away.” That beaming of images…

First Ammendment Rights are Offline

Last weekend under the auspices of “Operation Protect Our Children” the Feds pulled the plug on 10 domains, claiming child pornography issues with the sites. The plug pulling went quantum when one of the domains was found to host over 84,000 websites;  an assortment of innocent small businesses and individuals, having nothing to do with […]

Make This the Best Year Ever

I take self-help stuff these days with a pretty good-sized grain of salt.  I’ve been reading self-help and business success stuff since I was in high school, so I’ve seen and heard pretty much anything that one could say in these types of books and, well…  there are only so many times I want to […]

Maybe Google is NOT Dead !?!

Last fall I wrote an article for the Theme Zoom blog about how I thought Google was dead, with Facebook moving into the realm of search and Google starting to copy Microsoft, it appeared to me that Google had become “established”, and was quickly falling into the ranks of gigantic corporate America, along with the […]


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OOPLSA 2003 Coverage

OOPSLA (conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications) is the "grand daddy" of conferences that bring together advanced developers and pragmatic researchers.

OOPSLA (conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications) is the "grand daddy" of conferences that bring together advanced developers and pragmatic researchers. About one thousand attendees came, which was fewer than last year. Undoubtedly, the raging wild fires (on Sunday the air outside was thick with smoke), the competing Microsoft PDC conference, and low IT budgets contributed to the reduced size.

OOPSLA brings together leading practitioners and academics and offers a wide range of events (research papers and workshops, tutorials, demos, design fests, and panels). It was great to see collaboration and communication between industry and academia, and to see and speak with so many "gurus". This report summarizes the week's events.

Agile Methods

The conference had a track for agile methods, with a general consensus amongst attendees in favor of this approach. Almost half of all the panels and one third of tutorials were about agile topics. The track addressed effective techniques and how "extreme" to be. The packed room for the panel on Test Driven Development was representative. It was interesting to hear differing perspectives on whether TDD designs are more likely to result in dead ends.

Kent Beck (the inventor of eXtreme Programming) noted that "the simplest thing that can possibly work" didn't mean to become naive and that it's important to build representative tests first, not simple ones. Barry Boehm (Director, USC Center for Software Engineering) claimed that this was a risk for non-functional requirements (e.g., scalability), and implied that TDD should be complemented with some top-level design. Another interesting theme was the idea that one can also test too much and the diversity of testing approaches advocated (such as FIT, test harnesses, visual test tools, even having QA write unit tests).

Emerging Trends

There were a number of topics relating to Aspect-Oriented Programming; there were tutorials on introductory, hands-on, and more advanced enterprise uses of AspectJ. There were also workshops, demos, research topics, and a practitioner's report (of which I was one of the authors) about incremental adoption of AspectJ for a middleware product line at IBM. More generally, aspects were referenced and discussed as a trend in a variety of other topics, including domain-specific aspect languages (e.g., XAspects from Macneil Shonle et al.).

Domain-Driven Development and Model Driven Architecture

There was a conference track devoted to Domain-Driven Development (3D). Many contributors investigated the use of transformations to generate programs from domain-specific models. David Thomas and Brian Barry of Bedarra introduced "domain-oriented programming", an alternative for creating languages accessible to domain experts. There were several related sessions on model-driven architecture (MDA). A panel discussion featured an interesting series of exchanges between David Thomas and the other panelists, with David Thomas (and audience members including Martin Fowler) questioning the applicability, expressiveness, and platform independence of MDA in general and UML in particular.

Another thread looked at how human psychology can make better programming languages. Crista Lopes and others argued for "naturalistic programming." The talk looked at how to create more expressive AOP and promised more natural ways of referring to objects and exceptions in programs. A keynote from Dave Ungar argued the case for the Self programming language which he co-invented in the 1980's. In both cases, the speakers discussed how people read and reason about concepts and suggested language improvements. There were also topics on more resilient programs using acceptability-oriented computing and automated error repair.

Mainstream Technologies

The most visible technology trend was the dominance of Eclipse. It was widely used by attendees and there were a wide variety of interesting plug-ins demonstrated, ranging from a collaboration environment to visualizing behavior of other plug-ins. Some of the work had been funded by Eclipse research grants. The Eclipse consortium was highly visible at the conference, from giving all attendees a copy of "Contributing to Eclipse", to teaching how to create plug-ins, and holding a variety of special events which included three receptions.

Java and .NET

Java was the most commonly used technology by presenters and attendees. From keynotes to tutorials, Java and J2EE were widely discussed at OOPSLA. There were papers about JSPs (in Domain-driven development) and how Tomcat was a motivator for MJ, a module definition and linking language for Java. However, there was an increasing interest in .NET and C# at the conference, such as in the Enterprise Integration Patterns tutorial, especially given that the Microsoft PDC was occurring concurrently.

Service-oriented architectures (Web services) and open source were less visible than at industry conferences, but both of these topics were featured in two of the conference keynote addresses. On Tuesday morning, Lawrence Lessig (Professor of Law at Stanford) talked about the importance of "free culture". He described how recent expansions to the rights of copyright holders will hurt innovation and how people can effectively change the status quo by licensing their works in open source ways such as through the Creative Commons.

Two days later, Tim O'Reilly's keynote focused on the synergy between the Internet and open source "paradigm shifts." Internet-enabled application platforms (e.g., Linux-Apache-MySQL-PHP) are free, and yesterday's applications are now delivered as online services. The three C's of this new world --- software commodities, user customization, and online collaboration --- are now the important factors for service-oriented businesses and software architectures.

There were a number of presentations from technical papers dealing with refinements to OO language design. Many papers addressed implementation topics such as garbage collection and Java performance.

OOPSLA 2003 was a successful conference with many interesting events. It seemed like the conference is in transition, with core OO principles well-established. This year's OOPSLA showcased agile methodology and showed the establishment of the Java and .NET platforms. The increasing awareness of aspects and domain-driven development are trends that are likely to accelerate in future OOPSLAs and, subsequently, in practice.

About the author

Ron Bodkin is the founder of New Aspects of Security, which provides consulting and training on application design and development with an emphasis on application security, Aspect-Oriented Programming, and effective application architectures. Ron is also a member of AspectMentor, a consortium of experts in aspect-oriented-programming. Ron previously worked for the AspectJ group at Xerox PARC, where he led the first AOP implementation projects and training for customers. Prior to that, Ron was a founder and the CTO of C-bridge, a consultancy that delivered enterprise applications using frameworks for Java, XML, and other Internet technologies. C-bridge grew to 900 employees and a successful IPO in December of 1999.

OOPLSA coverage from around the net

Sean's OOPSLA 2003 Trip Report: http://homepage.mac.com/morriss/iblog/index.html

In this report, we get to ride along with Sean through his time at the Conference. He discusses the tutorials that he went on, including topics on Patterns and Test Driven Design, and some BoFs.

Mads Haugb' Nissen OOPSLA Stories: http://weblogs.asp.net/mnissen/

Mads was a student volunteer at OOPSLA. He discusses the panels that he witnessed: Application Servers - One size fits all...or not, UML 2.0, Model Driven Development, Test Driven Development, XP and Agile, and much more.

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Monday, March 13, 2017

Vitalogy-ology, Part 1

93X in Minneapolis is hosting a seven-part podcast about Pearl Jam's history hosted by music writer, Steven Hyden.
Our seven-part series on Pearl Jam begins at the most obvious point: The band's wildly popular 1991 debut, "Ten." Is it possible that one of the biggest selling rock albums of the 90s is actually underrated? Steve delves deep into very early 90s Pearl Jam with Brian Hiatt of Rolling Stone, and then chats about the iconic video for "Jeremy" with the video's director, Mark Pellington.
Part 1: Pearl Jam's "Ten" is now available on Audioboom.  Stay tuned for more to come!


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Forum profile - Andy Prendergast

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Divorced Barbie

Submitted by Lady Godiva

Print this

Monday, 22 November 2010

One day a father gets out of work and on his way home he suddenly remembers that it's his daughter's birthday. He pulls over to a Toy Shop and asks the sales person, 'How much for one of those Barbie's in the display window?' The salesperson answers, 'Which one do you mean, Sir? We have: Work Out Barbie for $19.95, Shopping Barbie for $19.95, Beach Barbie for $19.95, Disco Barbie for $19.95, Ballerina Barbie for $19.95, Astronaut Barbie for $19.95, Skater Barbie for $19.95, and Divorced Barbie for $265.95'.

The amazed father asks: 'It's what?! Why is the Divorced Barbie $265.95 and the others only $19.95?'

The annoyed salesperson rolls her eyes, sighs, and answers: 'Sir..., Divorced Barbie comes with: Ken's Car, Ken's House, Ken's Boat, Ken's Furniture, Ken's Computer, one of Ken's Friends, and a key chain made with Ken's balls.

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Written by Pointer
Print this

Tuesday, 7 April 2009

image for Sar-Cozy Sextext Messages "Guns" Obama
Who is the face behind blackobamamba.sick?

As Eurotrash journalism fell cocks over bull for Michelle "HotMama" Obama, the French President Nicholas Sarkozy rethought his hasty union with starlet and chanteuse, Carla Bruni. Once the hot number among the not ready for real journalism tabloidistas, Bruni looked pretty pretty pale compared to the rich dark chocolate' of the American first lady.

Sources swear that no sooner had Michelle captured the paparazzi and their wordsmith jackals and Bruni was left a neglected wallflower, then Sarkozy was cozying up to the buff black lady. One techspert found no less than twelve sextmessages from Sar-cozy.cum to Michelle's email purported to be: blackobamamba.sick.

Geeks, TEchslleks and flitterbegibbets frantically sought to break the encoded messages from Michelle's Blackblackberry with little success. There were some whispering silly nothings to BBallbama.afreakin. One moleskink swears that he has discovered a faintmail from her phone to a French internet service that has the partial cryptic message: Meat me in St Louis, Louie. The meaning continues to confound the textperts though one geekbulb thinks there's arendezvous beneath the arches for one buff brown princess and a certain debonair French midget.

Make Pointer's day - give this story five thumbs-up (there's no need to register, the thumbs are just down there!)

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Written by Monkey Woods
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Tuesday, 21 April 2009

image for Hull City Shitting Themselves Ahead Of Liverpool Game
A brick

Hull City manager Phil Brown was reported to be in an advanced state of anxiety as he prepared his squad for the visit of Liverpool to the KC Stadium on Saturday, and has said that the Tigers players are "fairly shitten' themselves at the prospect".

Hull are currently languishing in 16th position, having lost 1-0 at Sunderland last Saturday, but it's on their home turf that the Tigers have been at their least impressive, winning only three of their 16 Premier League games there so far.

Brown knows that City will be up against it, and is aware that Liverpool, after their 4-4 draw with Arsenal on Tuesday, cannot afford to drop any more points if they are to maintain their challenge for the title.

Said Brown:

"We're shitten' it. We know their strengths, but there's fuck all we can do about it! My players are cacking it big style! 'Scuse me a minute, will ya?"

The admission came after an insider at Hull said this morning that Brown - lovingly known as Brownie by Tigers fans - had been suffering with loose bowels all week, and had shit a huge brick.

Assistant boss, Brian Horton, said:

"There's no doubt about it, it was a big 'un."

Make Monkey Woods's day - give this story five thumbs-up (there's no need to register, the thumbs are just down there!)

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Written by Princess Poole
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Friday, 24 August 2007

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Happy Kittens

Everyone Knows that the three little kittens have lost their mittens and don't know where to find them. After years of searching Fluffy, Buffy and Bob have given up. But the failure to retrieve the lost kitten-sized mittens is not a total defeat.

The famous kittens announced Friday that they no longer believe the mittens will be necessary. They are counting on Global Warming to keep they their feline footies from freezing. "We have better things to do than search for those stupid mittens," says Fluffy. "Like sleeping and chasing string," says Muffy. "MEEOOOOOW," complains Bob.

Congress has authorized $10,000,000 to study the effects of global warming on other fairy tale creatures, much more than spent studying the possible effects on humans.

Make Princess Poole's day - give this story five thumbs-up (there's no need to register, the thumbs are just down there!)

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#AllLivesDidntMatter Goes After ‘All Lives Matter’ Hashtag

July 13, 2016 | By Garrett Montgomery More

#AllLivesDidntMatter has been trending on social media networks because of Jennifer Lopez, and because it is never a good idea to mess with black Twitter.

On Wednesday, Jennifer Lopez took to Twitter and Instagram where she shared a picture of herself performing, her new single entitled “Love Make the World Go Round” with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda on NBC’s Today.

The money generated by the track will benefit the families of the 49 innocent people killed during the mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub. The story seemed positive until you read the hashtags Lopez decided to use accompanying the picture. The mom of two captioned the snapshot: #AllLivesMatter.

From there on, social media erupted with thousands of messages either bashing the singer/actress, or lengthy explanations as to why she should never use that term again.

Needless to say that the slamming led Miss Lopez to delete her post quickly. Here are few tweets that were sent out to remind the world that #AllLivesMatter because blacks were enslaved, Indians were killed for their lands, women were unjustly treated, and many black men including Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin, and Alton Sterlin.

How to Get Away with Murder actor Matt McGorry said: “saying all lives matter is the equivalent of saying all diseases matter during the uproar of the AIDS epidemic in the ’80s.”

More tweets below:

RIP Jennifer Lopez’s #AllLivesMatter tweet, 7/12/2016-7/12/2016

#AllLivesDidntMatter when you grieved the death of a gorilla but not the death of hundreds of black people due to police brutality.

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A Day Out in Derbyshire – part 3: Chatsworth, Darley Dale and Matlock Bath

As we were leaving North Lees Hall, a man in the car next to us suggested popping to the church for another interesting historical building to view, and there’s the grave of Robin Hood’s buddy Little John to view as well. By the time we actually reached Hathersage, we couldn’t be bothered trying to navigate those narrow streets in order to find the church, and as we both felt like a pit stop would be a good idea, we decided to skip it and press on.

The satnav got instructions to take us to South Wingfield via Matlock Bath, and on the way, we spotted a sign for the Chatsworth Farm Shop. As a sister-in-law had mentioned some kind of speciality tea she had only been able to find there, and we said we’d be going to Chatsworth for a visit at some point and would we mind awfully having a look for it and buy some for her. We didn’t mind at all, and as we saw the sign, stopped by for said pit stop.

Hills as far as the eye can see.

My stop was done quickly, so I went outside to look at the view, waiting for the Squeeze as I was obviously the first one to come out. I took some pictures, because it was a very nice view, and he still wasn’t done. What’s taking him so long? Had the near flip-over of the car taken its toll? I looked at the pictures I had taken, then took some more of the view, looked toward the restaurant bit to see if he was there, but no, started to get worried – and then he came round the side of the farm shop building! “I didn’t know how long you’d be,” he said, and headed to the car with the things he had bought, but suggested I go and see if there was anything I liked, so I found a pack of Derbyshire oat cakes (they look like pancakes but have no milk in them, and are a bit like crumpets apparently – trying some for lunch today!) and headed back to the car … and he wasn’t there, even though he said that’s where he was going to wait. Nope, he’d decided to go after me to the farm shop again, but must’ve come in as I was coming out, because he figured I was heading back to the car when he couldn’t find me. Tut tut tut.

There’s even a church spire in the distance.
After all, it was a Sunday.

The road took us through the Chatsworth House lands, with free-roaming sheep (there were those around North Lees as well), and could spot the House itself amongst the hills, but as we were around 50 minutes from last admissions, we decided not to stop, but in fact make a day of it another time instead.

Darley Dale

Between Bakewell and Matlock is a place called Darley Dale (or “Northwood (Darley Dale)” on the satnav), which I only point out because it’s one of the filming locations for the next adaptation of Jane Eyre. I don’t know exactly where they filmed, because it just seems like a one road town, kind of thing. There’s a carriage museum there, which has provided a number of period dramas with carriages, but that’s about it. We didn’t stop to have a look, but as we came closer to Matlock, rather were semi-stuck in a long queue of traffic that didn’t seem to have any sort of explanation to why it was there.

Matlock is also listed as a filming location for Cary Fukanaga’s Jane Eyre. So will be interesting to see the final result and see if any of the places look familiar!

Instead, we went through Matlock (a “picturesque spa town” according to the sign, twinned with “Eaubonne” in France – what are the odds?) and on to the little town that thinks it’s a seaside resort. In the middle of a Derbyshire valley with a river running through it.

Matlock Bath

For some reason which is yet to be explained to me, Matlock Bath is really popular with bikers. And I mean really popular, they were everywhere and loads of motorbikes on the side of the road. A Sunday in September had less visitors than a Saturday in July, so we did find parking within a reasonable amount of time.

Where all the bikers go.

We’ve been to Matlock Bath a few times and I always look forward to it, even though it is just a one-road little town nestled at the bottom of some very steep tree-covered hills. The shops aren’t even that interesting (although you can get salty licorice in the candy shop, hooray!) and the restaurants are mostly of the fish and chip type. With fish and chip shops, ice cream stands, arcades and an aquarium, it really does a good job pretending to be a seaside resort! Last time we were in town, we had gone to one of the fish and chip restaurants (not just fast food outlets) but we didn’t want to go there again, as we weren’t all that impressed last time. The food was okay but the staff were ancient and it took us about half an hour to get served. Considering we only put an hour on the parking meter and the town was crowded, not worth it. On another previous visit, we had gone to the pub at the other end of the town from the car park, called The Fishpond. We had been happily surprised at the quality of food there, so wanted to have lunch there. Being away from the main throng of town, it wasn’t as busy. They seemed to have got rid of the menu, however, and the only things available were a few snack type dishes – so we went away disappointed and opted for chips and curry sauce from a chippy and an ice cream that was nothing to write home about.

If I like Matlock Bath …
and bikers like Matlock Bath …
does that mean I have to become a biker? :/

Can’t say why I like Matlock Bath, but the old Georgian buildings and the hills just feels like a really romantic setting for some reason. Considering my modern Jane Eyre attempt features a motorbike, I couldn’t help but start to think about having the characters pop there for a visit. Just because. Ah, we shall see. My modern Jane would definitely have hated trying to get down the wrong road outside Hathersage, that’s for sure!

Thus nourished, we decided to get back on the road. There was one more stop left before we could go home. The filming location for Thornfield in ruins, Wingfield Manor in South Wingfield.

The story continues (and concludes) in Part 4: South Wingfield / Filming locations: Wingfield Manor

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Countryside Christmas walk

Have your say

WALK off the Christmas excesses with a bracing countryside stroll.

Hatfield and Thorne Moors - part of the Humberhead Peatlands National Nature Reserve - will be open throughout the festive period to give access to the great outdoors.

The car park at Boston Park, Hatfield, will be closed on Christmas Day only and, even then, out-of-hours facilities will still be available.

For more information visit or call 07766 420 290.

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April 16, 2009

he's like a really tall lanky bald man that should be wearing a purple striped suit and a top hat.

I don't know why it's around this time every year I start getting sick of my hair (rhyming not intentional but TOTALLY COOL). Maybe it's because my birthday be coming up and I need some kind of ~change~ but the main reason is that my current hair is a mix of a mullet/No Country for Old Men/Anna Wintour (not a good thing, srsly)/and like, that really ugly little boy in your preschool that was the biggest bully ever so you eventually hit him for stealing your crayon (or it might've been a block, you can't really remember) and you got in big ass trouble for basically just showing him wut's wut in the wut.
Anyway, last year I wanted to go Twiggy, which ended up not happening, something I now don't regret because she probably used lots of gel or spray or whatever those fancy things are and I refuse to do more to my hair in the morning other than brushing it. Now I'm looking at Edie Sedgwick, who was just awesome.You can't really see her hair in some of these but WHATEVS LET ME FANGIRL.
(This isn't her singing, but MAN wouldn't that be just another reason to love her.)
I also don't know what it is about this time of year that makes me want to be 60's ladies that were crack addicts, but whatevs, if I could I would totez be friends with Edie or Marianne Faithfull.
I guess my ideal hair would be a Grace Jones cut or Bob Dylan but genetics seem to think differently. OR THIS:Yes, this is ideal.
first two, nylon. 3, gnarjen. 4+5, weheartit. 6.


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Lindsay Lohan Is A Serious Actress Now

Here’s Lindsay Lohan arriving at JFK yesterday where she made it a point to cover her face with a movie “script” conveniently labeled “Untitled.” So just assume Dina drank 20 gins on the flight and convinced Lindsay this plan would work because cocaine makes you stupid shit. “Listen… listen… you should listen. Pudtha script allova your face. *hic* People think you’re an actress, ALIANA! Stop eating that celery… makeyoufat.

Photos: Splash News


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What would people say is your focus during the holidays? Quick thoughts

Christmas cookies in Czech republic.
Image via Wikipedia

I get emails from people who think about things that are important to me.  An email came in today from an organization that helps remind me to stay focused on the relationships in my life and gives me gentle reminders around my core beliefs and faith.  Below is an excerpt they shared that comes from an unknown author.  It is a message for Christmas, but could easily be applied to any holiday or celebration that is a tradition to someone.  Tasks have to get done, but how we accomplish them is our choice.

What role and focus would people say you have this week?  Give it some thought.  Blessings . . . .

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just a decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the tree with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on my love for Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.


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LOWELL -- State Treasurer Steve Grossman said Tuesday he had no involvement with his mother's decision to contribute to a super PAC supporting his candidacy for governor.

Grossman said he was unaware that his 92-year-old mother was one of the top donors to the Mass Forward political action committee until the names of donors were made public Monday, as required by a new state law.

"She doesn't consult with me most of the time when she does anything," Grossman said. "She certainly had no conversations with me about this. Yesterday was the first and only conversation she and I ever had about this subject, but I'm proud to have her support."

After the names of the top contributors to the pro-Grossman super PAC were released, Grossman said he called Shirley Grossman on Monday afternoon. The conversation was brief, he said.

"I said, 'Mom, is that you? Did you contribute to this?'" Grossman said. "She said, 'That's me.' I said, 'Well, Mom, that is the first and only conversation you and I are going to have about this subject.' "

Candidates and super PACs cannot coordinate their efforts.

Grossman's mother on Monday told The Boston Globe that there had been no conversations between herself and her son about her donation.

In response to a reporter's question, Steve Grossman said he would have no issue with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance investigating the matter.

"They have always seen me as someone who played it by the book and played by the rules," Grossman said. "I've done that.

I'm doing it now. I will continue to do that."

A new state law requires super PACs, within seven business days, to disclose all donors and amounts contributed. The super PACs must also list their top five contributors at the bottom of TV ads.

The amount Shirley Grossman contributed to the Mass Forward PAC is expected to be known by Friday.

Shirley Grossman's name now shows up at the bottom of a Mass Forward commercial called "Mothers," which depicts four mothers who lost their sons to gun violence.

The advertisement takes aim at one of Grossman's rivals for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination for governor, Attorney General Martha Coakley. It criticizes Coakley for not supporting Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal to limit gun purchases in Massachusetts to one per person, per month.

On Monday, before the ad listed the names of the top five donors to the super PAC, Coakley's campaign called on the super PAC and Barry White, who started the pro-Grossman group with his wife, Eleanor, to come into compliance with the law.

"Now that this legislation is law, Barry White should immediately disclose his donors," said Tim Foley, Coakley's campaign manager, in a statement.

Coakley's campaign has also said Grossman should "call on the SuperPAC to immediately stop these attacks."

"By refusing to sign a people's pledge that would stop unlimited secret money from influencing this campaign, Steve Grossman has shown that he is willing to compromise his values in order to win an election," Coakley campaign spokeswoman Bonnie McGilpin said.

Grossman said Tuesday that Coakley is the candidate who has questions to answer about her opposition to the one-gun-per-month limit proposed by Patrick.

"I think it is going to hurt her, and I think it will cost her any chance she might have to become the Democratic nominee," Grossman said.

Grossman said evidence shows fewer guns and stronger gun laws help save lives. In a press release issued Tuesday afternoon, the treasurer's campaign accused Coakley of refusing to debate him and discuss the issue.

The Coakley campaign said Coakley has advocated for policies and legislation that would address criminal-justice issues in the state.

"Massachusetts already has some of the strongest laws in the nation designed to deter straw purchases, the same problem the one-gun-a-month proposal is intended to address," McGilpin said. "We need to focus on broader solutions that will stem the flow of illegal guns into Massachusetts from states with more lenient gun laws."

Follow Lyle Moran on Twitter and Tout @lylemoran.


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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Heritage listing adds to Kakadu protection

Heritage listing adds to Kakadu protection

Simon Santow reported this story on Tuesday, June 28, 2011 08:21:00

TONY EASTLEY: For more than 30 years, a relatively small parcel of land inside Kakadu National Park had been earmarked as a rich uranium mine.

But a persistent, shy local Aboriginal landowner and a committed band of environmentalists had other ideas.

Overnight in Paris they received the news they'd been hoping for - Koongarra is to be World Heritage-listed.

UNESCO's decision was vigorously opposed by French resources giant Areva but received bipartisan political support in Australia.

Simon Santow reports.

SIMON SANTOW: Traditional landowner Jeffrey Lee travelled to Paris to help convince UNESCO to heritage list Koongarra.

JEFFREY LEE: I came here to France to talk about Koongarra because I was fighting for Koongarra now for very long time and during my younger days, in my teenage years, I had a long struggle on the way and it was very hard to me in those days. But as I was getting older and more mature, I started realising where all this really mean to me.

SIMON SANTOW: Jeffrey Lee still hunts, fishes and lives off the land.

He was worried that Koongarra was in the sights of the resource giants, even though it sits alongside Kakadu National Park.

The French uranium miner, Areva wooed Jeffrey Lee.

JEFFREY LEE: They did offer me a lot, a lot of money but all that came down to that to me is my land so privilege to me and my responsibility is on that land and I don't own the land. The land owns me.

DON HENRY: The company is one of France's biggest uranium mining companies. They have been pressing very vigorously to get the green to mine in this area so the threat was real, it was always imminent. That is now gone and that is something to celebrate.

SIMON SANTOW: Don Henry the executive director of the Australian Conservation Foundation has been helping the bid to save Koongarra from mining.

DON HENRY: Oh, look it is absolutely fantastic news. There is a 30 year battle to have this area saved. It is one of the jewels in the crown of Kakadu and I think the great thing here is the traditional owner, Jeffrey Lee has put it forward for protection. Great courage by him, a wonderful gift for all Australians and everyone around the world.

SIMON SANTOW: With world heritage listing now a reality, the Australian Government is expected to incorporate Koongarra into the Kakadu National Park.

TONY EASTLEY: Simon Santow.


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A CONISTON filmmaker has raised £15,000 through ‘crowdfunding’ to complete a film about her mother’s stroke.

Karen Guthrie and fellow film producer Nina Pope set up a campaign through website Indiegogo to support her documentary ‘The Closer We Get’.

The 40-day campaign ended on January 16 at £15,065, with 321 funders from as far afield as the USA and Hungary.

The filmmakers will use the funding to complete the editing of the film and to produce a website about it.

Shot over several years, ‘The Closer We Get’ is an intimate portrait of Karen’s family adapting after her mother Ann suffers a devastating stroke.

Karen said: “I was very moved by all the messages of support coming in from others with experience of stroke, or of caring for older people.

“These mean as much to us as the funding, as they demonstrate that the issues in the film touch so many and that there is a huge audience for the film when we finish it.

“I know that with Christmas falling in the campaign period, some backers struggled to find the spare cash to donate so it means a great deal to us that they did.”

Karen and Nina will now return to editing the film and submit it to film festivals for a premiere this year, before later releasing it online and on DVD. Contributions can still be made by contacting the filmmakers at www.somewhere.org.uk/contact/.


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A MAN who has ‘dedicated his life’ to helping people cross the treacherous Morecambe Bay sands has been made a freeman of the city of Lancaster.

Cedric Robinson MBE, of Grange-over-Sands, has been granted the highest honour Lancaster City Council can bestow, in honour of 50 years of being a royally-appointed Queen’s Guide to the Sands.

He was recommended for the honour by Coun June Ashworth, as her last act as mayor of the city.

Coming from a family of fishermen, Mr Robinson, 81, spent time cockle picking as a youngster and as a result was asked to consider the guiding role.

He took it on in 1963 and over the years has led more than 500,000 people from one side of the bay to the other.

Groups of up to 500 at a time flock to Arnside, where the walks to Kents Bank begin - and famous faces to have taken part include Rick Stein, Ade Edmondson and Prince Philip, who crossed the bay in 1985 by horse and carriage. Mr Robinson, who has no plans to retire, said: “I have known nothing other than the sands and I love them.”

“They just draw me. As long as I feel good I’ll keep going. People still have a job keeping up with me – I’m not a slow walker!”

Coun Ashworth said: “His dedication and enthusiasm to guiding people across such a unique part of the British Isles has been unstinting, and in doing a job he loves he has helped to raised millions of pounds for charity.

“He does his job for no financial reward, but simply for his love of the sands of Morecambe Bay.”


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IDENTIFICATION rings have been placed on three osprey chicks thanks to the help of two climbers from Electricity North West.

Andy Garnett and Steve Tyson spent the day at the Foulshaw Moss Nature Reserve, near Witherslack, with experts from Cumbria Wildlife Trust to climb the tree and set up a lowering rope system so the chicks could be lowered safely to the ground.

The chicks are the first to be born at reserve.

Martin Deehan, operations director for Electricity North West, said: “We’re delighted that we were able help Cumbria Wildlife Trust and to also get the chance to see these amazing birds up close.

“This work needed to be done quickly before the chicks got too big but we were happy to step in and assist them in climbing the tree safely.”

Charlotte Rowley, senior marketing officer for Cumbria Wildlife Trust, said: "Ringing our first osprey chicks has been a wonderful experience for all those involved at Cumbria Wildlife Trust and we’re happy that the ringing went so well.

"Thanks to climbers from Electricity North West and volunteer bird ringers we were able to take our three chicks safely from the nest and ring them on the ground.

"All three birds were ringed and weighed and were very healthy. We are looking forward to seeing them fledge in the next few weeks and seeing them off on their migration to Africa this autumn."


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Brad Pitt Talks Big Hollywood Salaries: ‘Yeah, That Thing Died’

Brad Pitt said today's movie actors shouldn't count on big salaries

Can A-list talent still expect salaries of $10 million per movie? Brad Pitt doesn't think so.

Getty Images

“Yeah, that thing died," the 48-year-old actor (and perennial A-lister) told the BBC. "That arithmetic doesn't really work right now. That deal's not flying these days."

Budgets may suffer but art doesn’t: In Hollywood, a shortage of funds encourages creativity.

"A lot of the studios have been challenged because of the economic downturn as well so they've been betting on bigger, more tent pole kinds of things,” Pitt said in the interview. "At the same time that opens up a vacuum for really interesting new filmmakers to come in."

Also: 'Killing Them Softly' Trailer: Brad Pitt Delivers as a Bad-Ass Hitman (Video) [nid:50481]

Pitt, who stars in the upcoming “Killing Them Softly,” earned $25 million last year, while his actress-fiancee Angelina Jolie pocketed a cool $20 million, according to the recent Forbes list of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities.

(Noteworthy: Pitt’s ex-wife Jennifer Aniston banked $11 million.)

Tom Cruise, the highest paid actor in 2011, made a whopping $75 million and “Twilight” lead Kristen Stewart trailed with $34.5 million.

Come again, Brad?

"You take the roles for the roles," he said. "And you've just got to balance economics like everyone does."


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Fred Willard, Ed Begley Jr., Michael McKean Join Christopher Guest’s HBO Comedy

Christopher Guest's "Family Tree" will focus on a man investigating his relatives' unusual past

Christopher Guest is enlisting some familiar faces for his upcoming HBO comedy "Family Tree."

Getty Images

Ed Begley, Jr., Fred Willard and Michael McKean have signed on for the series, which centers on Tom Chadwick (Chris O'Dowd), a 30-year-old man who loses his job and his girlfriend and begins investigating his family's unusual past after inheriting a mysterious box of belongings from a great aunt he'd never met.

Also read: Christopher Guest Comedy Ordered by HBO

Begley has been cast as Tom's Uncle Andy, while Willard will play Andy's neighbor Mike. McKean, meanwhile, will play Tom's father, Keith.

All three have collaborated with Guest before in projects such as "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind" and "This Is Spinal Tap."

Also read: Fred Willard Arrested for Lewd Act in Adult Theater

Guest will direct "Family Tree," which was ordered direct to series by HBO, while frequent Guest collaborator Jim Piddock created and wrote the project and will executive-produce.

A Lucky Giant, which is a part of NBC Universal International Television Production, will produce the project. BBC Two will air the program in the U.K.

Hollywood Reporter first reported the "Family Tree" castings.


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Commute reads ~ 2015 so far

I often ponder how it’s possible for weeks and months to pass by so quickly. Is it London life packed from the working week to weekend, or a stage of life where there’s always something to do, people to see or places to go? As I finished my fifth book of the year last week, I realised that we were six months into the year already and it prompted this frequent thought (albeit confused with the fact that we still have the rest of July and August to enjoy a summer which seems to have vanished somewhat recently). At the same time I discovered I was annoyingly short of my target of reading one book a month and I realised that usual distractions of Bloglovin, Instagram, Twitter, Timeout and Stylist on the daily commute had absorbed more time than may be healthy.

Before I move on to the second half of the year, as there is still the promise of a few more weeks of summer left and holidays or sunny weekends to read books still await, I thought I’d pause for a moment and share my commute reads so far (hoping that I might get a few recommendations in exchange…).

So in order of least to most favourite, here they are:

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman– Denis Thériault, Liedewy Hawke

I stumbled across this book when I was looking for inspiration and rummaging around the posts for Poppy Loves Book Club. It’s only 100 pages or so, so I think you can class it as a short story which (if you’re not easily distracted) could be absorbed very quickly. Set in Montreal, it follows the lonely life of Bilodo, a postman who takes to secretly steaming open some of the post from his rounds so that he can delve into the lives of others. When he comes across the letters of what he assumes are between lovers, he becomes more and more involved in their exchange. The letters include a Japanese form of poetry called a haiku and I think the most clever aspect of this book is how the author intertwines the concept of the poem with the structure of the story. It was a good short read, but not one I’d be quick to recommend.

H is for Hawk– Helen Macdonald

I decided to read H is for Hawk after it won the 2014 Costa Biography Award. Award winning books are often guaranteed good reads, but whilst I liked the book overall I did at times struggle to finish what is a relatively short book. On the one hand, Helen explores grief and bereavement after losing a parent, which from having experienced myself I can relate to, and it is beautifully descriptive (the description of frozen puddles as ‘saucers of ice’ was one of my favourite lines). On the other, through her intense relationship with the goshawk, I found myself skimming over the parts of the book that focus on hawking and refer to Terence White’s book on the subject. I did enjoy reading Helen’s memoir, as a genre I don’t usually choose it was a refreshing change, but I think the factual side of it lost my attention.

The Taxidermist’s Daughter– Kate Mosse

I’ve heard so much about Kate Mosse’s books that I’m surprised I never thought to pick one to read until now. Set in 1912, Kate shares the tale of Connie Gifford, daughter to and a practising taxidermist who lives an isolated life at Blackthorn House. Connie begins to unravel the disturbing story behind the accident that wiped her memory many years before after a murdered local girl washes up at the bottom of their garden, and three men (including her father) go missing. With taxidermy as a running theme you can imagine that at times the descriptions can be somewhat gory and uncomfortable, particularly the extracts of the murderess’ diary. But if you like murderous mysteries or you’re a fan of her books, this is a book for you.

The Miniaturist– Jesse Burton

The Miniaturist is a well-publicised book, in fact it may have grabbed my attention on a poster in the underground. But for those who haven’t heard about or read this book, it’s set in 17th Century Amsterdam where strict morals are maintained and punishments provided for anyone who goes against them. Newly married to a wealthy guilder, Nella arrives and is presented with a wedding gift of a miniature replica of the house she now lives in. As the parts arrive to furnish it, the secrets behind the home’s stern exterior emerge and Nella has to decide whether to stay and support her husband and sister, or flee for home comforts. The complex characters and the context of the Netherlands and the sugar trade provide plenty of interest to get absorbed into. Throw in the intrigue of the creepy miniature replicas and you find yourself immersed in a great book.

The Bees – Laline Paull

Whenever I’ve explained the story behind this book, I often receive the comment that it sounds similar to Dreamwork’s film Ants. Whilst it is an easy read, it’s also so much more and overall quite fascinating. Laline tells the story of Flora, a bee born of the lowest kin who rises above her inherited rank in the beehive. Through the humanisation of bees the book explores the themes of motherhood and hierarchy, whilst at the same time describing the minute world of the beehive. You’ll never look at a bee in the same way again after reading this!

So there are the books I have read so far this year. Have you read any of these books? What did you think?

I’ve just started reading Station Eleven after spotting it on Zoe’s brilliant Instagram feed, (she’s also the writer of Conversation Pieces and runs the Blook Club). I’ve got a few more books from a list done at the beginning of the year (and everyone seems to be reading The Girl on the Train) but I definitely need some more lined up to help me catch up on my goal. Do you have any recommendations??

P.S. If you need any more book recommendations, you could read the following posts:

  1. July 16, 2015 / 3:28 pm

    Oooh good selection! I enjoyed Taxidermist’s Daughter but agree, sometimes the descriptions got a bit much for me. I really like Kate Mosse’s books – I think Labyrinth is my favourite but I also liked Citadel. I found the Miniaturist very slow to get going but I liked it a lot more from about halfway.

    I just finished The Book of Strange New Things which I found fascinating but quite disconcerting, so next up I’m going for something much more trashy and reading The Royal We. I also need to read The Girl on the Train!

    • ThisCityLifeLondon
      July 16, 2015 / 3:42 pm

      I think I’ll try a couple more Kate Mosse books, I feel like Labyrinth has become a bit of a classic so I should really go for that one! The Book of Strange New Things looks interesting, I don’t think I’ve read a science fiction book before so it could be a genre I explore next. It’s been good trying a mixture of things rather than sticking to my usual, but sometimes you can’t beat getting absorbed by an easy read.

  2. July 16, 2015 / 8:30 pm

    I loved The Miniaturist but really couldn’t see the attraction of The Bees at all. I haven’t read any of the others though. If I only had a slightly longer commute I might get to read a bit more.

    Lisa | Not Quite Enough

    • ThisCityLifeLondon
      July 17, 2015 / 11:23 am

      I chose The Bees for a light-hearted read after H is for Hawk but agree it may not be for everyone. I used to have a 20 minute commute and read hardly anything for two years. I think more use out of my kindle is one of the few perks of a 45 minute commute via the Northern and Bakerloo line!

  3. July 25, 2015 / 10:54 am

    I’ve never read any Kate Mosse, I probably should! I’m currently reading ‘The Girl with all the gifts’ which despite being the type of book I usually don’t much like (dystopian-future type thing) I’m actually rather enjoying…

    • ThisCityLifeLondon
      July 26, 2015 / 4:51 pm

      Oh sounds interesting, I’ll have to to take a look at the story. It’s good to try new genres, esp when they work out of course! 🙂