Posted by jukkahoo
'Twas a bit murky day yesterday, so when I managed to write another ittybitty blog post, I looked upon what I had written and thought: "This is shit, I'll sleep now and drink more beer tomorrow". So here we are, a day late, but with better beer!
Two beers: Red Girl Beer-Ginger Mix is basically a regular lager mixed with generous dollop of ginger juice. Made by the Bremen Beer Company, it isn't reeally a beer, but since me likey ginger (Helou Geri!) I decided to have a go. And I both liked and not. The smell of ginger is almost overwhelming, it blocks out any hint of beer. Taste is also very gingery at first, gets a bit soda-like afterwards and finally, in the end there is some kind of hop-like feel to it all, but it goes away soon, leaving a very mixed reaction to the palate, very spicy, very strong. I like the gingerness of it all, but there is a bit too much artificiality in the aftertaste. All ion all, I could drink another one, unless this is ridiculously priced (which I'd wager the came being).
Meanwhile, I decided to try another "mix". Belhaven Fruit Beer is Scottish version of a fruit beer and a decent effort it is, too. This nothing like Belgian fruit beers (kriek, framboise etc), the fruit taste is lot fainter, but well there. The beeriness of it all is much more powerful, and the mixture of fruits and hops make slightly bitter aftertaste in my opinion. A nice drinkable ale-like fruityness.
Two books: Paul Kearney was a bit of a David Gemmell Light for me for a long time. I quite like his Monarchies of God -series about a mercenary captain Hawkwood, good fun with tons of great action, bloodshed and Martinesque slaughtering of prominent characters. The book of his I finally consider of being of Gemmellish heights was The Ten Thousand, a retelling of the Anabasis in a secondary world. Corvus was a surprise sequel to this, both to me and Kearney himself, who got the job by the request from his publisher. It shows a bit, as the 10000 was good, solid self-contained work with a proper ending. Corvus is a good sequel that was born on a battlefield, has a shaky start, but is strong going after that.
This is essentially Alexander the Great in a secondary world, but refreshingly different from the origin-story and with a fantastical edge to it. The main character from 10000, Rictus is an old man and tired of fighting. But when Alexander Corvus comes a-knocking, Rictus takes up the sword once more and gives it a good swing. Third book of The Macht -trilogy is called Kings of Morning and this time we head for the Eastern lands, where Alexander Corvus will meet his fate.
As they say, you know the story, but Kearney manages to make it well interesting enough in order it to be entertaing, solid,exciting and different version of the sameold sameold. Loved Rictus as a character and finally admitted that Kearney can expose the verve and vigour of a battle as good as Gemmell could. It's bloody, violent and filled with death. Gripping stuff.
Two films: Adjustment Bureau (2011) promised to be a properly Philip K. DIckian film, while being very tangentially true to the original short story. It is a fast-paced, fun sf-movie that takes a very Dickish (ahum!) premise and goes away with it. Mysterious men in hats, good performances from always reliable Matt Damon and lovely Emily Blunt meshed with slightly unconvincing romantic subplot and some seriously annoying biblical elements. But I can forgive some of that because the film just keeps trucking on with good pace. Gonna see it again? Dunno, I may wait a few years first.
Somewhat similarly put-together Source Code (2011) is the second film by Duncan Jones of The Moon fame and the Son of the Man WHo Sold the Moon. Now this one IS a ride, fast-paced action in order to stop a disaster, by questionable means. Great on screen chemistry between Jake Gyllenhaal and Vera Farmiga, with a tear-jerking denouement.
These two make a good double-bill and if asked, I'd recommend checking Adjustment Bureau first.
Two songs: Adam Ant is making a comback. New album will be called Adam Ant is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter. Hudaa! Adam's been touring and performing a LOT of the really old material of his, mainly from Dirk Wears White Soxx and Kings of the Wild Frontier. Check them out. However, people have made some interesting covers of his songs, too. Here's two, wildly different ones: Physical, You're So and Press Darlings. Enjoy!
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