J.K.Rowling as a writer you suck!

Once upon a time there lived a woman who lived an ordinary life where not a lot happened. Then one day, as if by magic, she decided to write a book about a wizards adventures which became the biggest selling novels series in the World! Does anyone else think this is just a little too convenient a fairy story?
I have tried so many times to read a Harry Potter novel but I cant. People have urged me to and told me how much I would enjoy them but they just bore me. I also have a big issue with people who create books and then refuse to admit to their influences when its plain to the whole world just where these ideas have come from.

So for me the whole Harry Potter thing passed me by until the films came out. The first was OK, but very much for the kids. It had a ‘Disney-esque’ feel about it and you were just waiting for something to happen amusingly involving some jam or a small dog. Still it was entertaining in an endearing way just as watching classics like ‘One of our Dinosaurs is Missing’ still makes me laugh.

However, this safe start has been rolled to one side as the films, and there stars, mature through the series. Each film has gradually got darker – a trend I guess echoing the books, and this is slightly concerning in one way. With many things as the audience ages alongside a person, film series or band etc… then there is some maturing of themes as the fans are now older and can handle the material. The concern has to be that whilst there has been a maturing of the themes in the books the audience hasn’t in fact aged as fast as the characters in the book have.

Many primary school pupils waited with anticipation of this recent adventure coming out at the cinema. These were the same kids being led out by parents from the screen I was in distraught and visibly upset by the subject matter. This is a trend that can only continue to its ultimate climax in the final movie.

Aside from this, however, the films are getting better. There is now a real sense that some major battle is coming and someone isn’t getting out alive. It doesn’t hold you the way that Lord of the Rings does but it does a fairly good job of keeping you interested in what happens next to these characters.

So with the books now completed we can look forward to the remaining films with some degree of excitement. My original desire to steer clear of this phenomenon has been tempered slightly by the improving films. It may even make me want to read one of the books…Nah!

When did we stop dreaming?

I was sat whilst on holiday listening to my two nephews speaking about their dreams.  They were so excited by what the future held for them even if that was limited to the next 10 minutes.  I thought as I listened ‘At what age did I lose this?’

 At what age did the reality of life step in and remove any molecule of dream from my life replacing it with doubt, worry, responsibility, hassle etc…?

I wish I knew because then I could warn these two and say hold onto to what you dream.

Over the last couple of years I have tried to fulfil some of my dreams that became stagnant regrets over the course of my life.  As a result I now have some qualifications in Archaeology (got an A on Thurs in my AS – very chuffed) and I am about to start a writing course over the next few weeks.  Yet something still feels like its missing. 

I guess you never know how strong the feeling of regret is until you have it.  It seems to intensify as the years go on and the point at which you made the decision that caused the wrong road to be taken goes from being a pin prick of light to a fully blown WWII searchlight.

I have chosen to do a writing course because I belive each of us has some thing to say.  Somewhere in every person is a book or set of poems or life experience waiting to come out – you just needed to search deep enough.

I have come to the conclusion over the past week that we all still have our dreams inside us.  They are tucked away and locked up, hidden beneath the rubbish of everyday life.  Every so often they pop out and remind us they are there. 

Often they come out with regret chasing after them.  In that case they become lost under a stream of missed opportunities and we push them back down under the life we now have.

Just occasionally, however, they come out alone.  When they do we are transformed into children and young people once more.  A glazed look and smile will signify we are somewhere where the world cant touch us.  We are lost in the hazy days of fun and freedom where we can do anything and all things are possible.

When this happens we need to remember the feeling and hold onto it.

Dreams dont come and go you see…they remain waiting for us to fulfil them. wishing us to become what we once wanted to be.

The next step is in our hands…

Heed the warnings

With the major flooding that is taking place right now and has taken place over the past couple of months surely you would think that someone would have an ounce of common sense and think about future building projects in this country…but that would be too much to ask.

Deforestation of much needed trees from areas have led to an increase of water in the system yet we still cut them down.

Urbanisation projects expanding towns and cities and creating new suburbs all over the country have added to the amount of run off of water across the country and overloaded drainage systems that were barely adequate anyway/

This need for more houses has led to areas being drained and built on – they were marshy for a reason! Did no-one think about that!?  The flood plain has now become a building site for all who see potential in the housing boom.

The winners – the builders.  They build the houses then leave.  People buy them and then begin to see damp on the outside of the walls, gardens where water doesnt soak away, large puddles on paths after heavy rain.  Then finally really heavy rain causes the water table to rise and take back its land flooding houses in the process.

ITS CALLED A FLOOD PLAIN FOR A REASON!!!!!!!

SO this will continue whilst we blindly build where we have some flat land and remove that which aids naturally in the fight against flooding.

This is not a problem that will go away soon…

Indiana Jones IV….

Finally its happening.  I have been personally waiting for this for soooo long that the anticipation of the film is something I need to keep in check so as not to become disappointed when its not the greatest movie of all time…though it may be….though I am biased as you could take away all of my hundreds of dvd’s but leave me the Indian Jones trilogy and I would be perfectly happy!

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=21194

Check out the above link for the first picture form the set – taken by Spielberg!

To quote a very good and valued friend of mine (quoting from Indy himself)

“Its not the years honey…its the mileage!”

Ford may be looking a bit jaded but this is a film to be excited about!

A moment of self indulgence..

Well done to the Hampshire Hawks who under the leadership of Shane Warne have reached the Friends Provident Trophy!

25 Years on…

It doesnt seem like 25 years since the Falklands War.  I was a 10 yr old school kid who like every other kid was watching the news for the first time due to the conflict.

The amazing fact I think was the lack of knowledge as to where the Falklands were. I remember that people thought the Falklands were off the coast of Scotland and were panicking about the invasion and what it meant  for the people of this country. 

8000miles away the Argentinians had invaded territory belonging to Britain and we were going down to do something about it.  This is stuff 10 yr old boys dream of.  I was an avid reader of Eagle and other boys comics and bought up on RAF bases with a Grandad who served in the army in WWII.  This was amazing – for about 10 minutes then it became scary and then it was suddenly…real.

For the first time in my life the reality of war hit home.  It wasnt a glamorous thing.  It was dirty and hard and dangerous and people were scared and tired and dying.  The soldiers, sailors and airmen who went out there were there to do a job they were trained for and did it well.  All the training in the world couldnt stop people dying or being injured though and as the days went on the count went up.

The view of a 10 yr old changed dramatically and the realisation hit me even at that young age as to what my Grandad had been through and had to do in order to survive WWII.

All those involved in the Falklands are heroes.  Many were decorated for things done but all were heroes.  They were willing as many have done before or since to put their lives on the line in the call of duty to protect this country and its territories.

25 years on it is only fitting that there deeds have been remembered … lest we forget what happened on a small set of islands thousands of miles away in 1982.

 

Film of the summer…..????

Transformers! 

I am a torn man, split by the desire for this to be film of the summer and the fear it may do a MI:3 or War of the Worlds and be pants.

However, if the trailers are anything to go by (and they have been so sly and sneaky in their creation) this will rock!

Hey Japanese trailer….hmmm

Cant wait….or can I?….No cant wait….AAAAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!!!

Thinking of going away?

Last year we had the opportunity to go to Hawaii for a holiday and it was amazing.

I realise many people are now looking at each other and saying ‘Yeah right’ and coming up with many financial reasons why Hawaii isnt an option but why?

It costs a bit to get there – true  – but when you get there it really doesnt cost the earth…especially with a great exchange rate!

There is so much to do there you wont get bored. Each island has its own identity and the scenery is fantastic

Culturally there is so much to see and explore and its history is fascinating.

Alongside this you can travel to Oahu (the Lost island) and visit Honolulu and Waikiki and shop til you drop!  Take a day out though and visit Pearl Harbour – its really worth it and free as it is a National Monument.

 Finally the geography of the islands is amazing.  The chain is created form volcanic action and this is evident everywhere on all the islands.  You need to go to the Big Island of Hawaii and visit the Volcano National Park and Mt Kilauea.  It is an experience not to be missed as you can get within metres of the creation of land as molten rock hits the ocean.

All in all its an amazing place where heaven reaches down and touches earth.

How far have we come since….

Live 8?

The day was fantastic.  The music was at times great and at other times questionable…Robbie Williams.

But was it all for nothing?

Yes we heard all these world leaders promising to do things and change things and offer money and support and cut debt etc… but have they?

The answer is obviously no. The question is were some of them ever going to do it in the first place?  Political leaders come and go yet the problem remains.  As leaders change so do the policies they incorporated and so the treaty signed becomes null and void.

Some of the leaders there obvioulsy had their fingers crossed and believe that it doesnt count.

Some just dont care.

We have just had a form through from Oxfam asking these same questions.  Things arent moving forward and the tide of public opinion surrounding Make Poverty History and Live 8 has fallen away.  Many people think it has already happened.  I know of people who were shocked when I said to them that it wasnt happening and that many things agreed hadnt taken place and many deadlines set had been missed.

This should never become something that is now a memory. We should never forget or give up until we have acheived the goal of Making Poverty History.

www.makepovertyhistory.org 

Check it out