I’m currently sitting in the livingroom with the xfactor final about to start. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my usual end of year post done.

I present to you my favourite things of 2011

Top 3 Movies

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Attack the Block
Melancholia

Top 3 TV Shows

Community
Modern Family
House

Top 3 Books

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Top 3 Albums

Um, Uh Oh by Say Hi
No Witch by The Cave Singers
Tron Legacy by Daft Punk

Top 3 Songs

Someone Like You by Adele
Devils by Say Hi
Paradise by Coldplay

Top 3 Podcasts

Skeptics Guide to the Universe
Books You Should Read
TEDTalks

Top 3 Games

Bejewelled Blitz (iPhone)
Football Manager (mac)
Words With Friends (iPhone)

Top 3 iPhone Apps

IMDB
Eurosport LIVE Scores
Momento

Top 3 Real Life Moments

Finding out I was to become a dad!
Weeks holiday in Cape Verde
Being an Usher at my mate Duncan’s Wedding

Well whaddayaknow! I finally did it. My task to read the Times Top 20 books of the Naughties has been completed. It only bloody took me over a year! Don’t get me wrong I read other books along the way. I’m slow, but I’m not THAT slow. Also, I’ve pretty much had the most eventful year-and-a-bit of my life during it. I got married, moved to a new house, continued to develop my own business, went on two holidays, been to three weddings, my own stag do in Cardiff and shit load of other stag do’s.

The final book, and therefore the Times’ Number one book of the Naughties, wasn’t a let down. It really is a great book. It’s a hard slog, and almost draining to read. I can’t help but think of the word GRIM. The book is set in the future after the world has experienced some kind of apocalyptic event (we never find out any details) and we are following a father and son as they head south to warmer climate and the promise of something better.

The book’s main subject is centered around the father justifying survival of both himself and his son. Coming to terms with the prospect of ending both his son and his own life. What is there to live for after all? The earth is now a barren, grey, wasteland with no-one except the occisional survivor. There are some disturbing moments in the book. Definitely up there was the moment the dad holds a gun to his son’s head about to pull the trigger completely convinced in his reasoning.

This was a pretty small book. And it had to be. I actually read most of it on a flight to London for my good mate Duncan’s wedding. See pics here.

I do recommend it, but if you can’t stick too much of that kind of tone then give the movie a try.

Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Here is a list of the books I read  as part of my the project. Remember, some of the books were removed from the list as I had already read them; I asked people to recommend books to fill the gap in the comments of this post.

My favourite was Atonement as you can see from the ratings. I have a wee soft spot for Suite Fransaise too. Especially ‘Part 2′ of that book. I highly recommend you check both of them out.

So yeah. It’s been emotional, as a mate in work would say. I have no clue what to blog about now though. haha. I am however, looking forward to reading any book I want. This project has really opened my eyes to books I would never have picked up otherwise. I’ve learned a lot and it has strengthened my love of reading. So, in short, everything that I intended to get out of this hair-brained project.

I was just a passenger to the other lads who were making the plans. They’ve done many before and have a history of the ‘great outdoors’. I was told to get my ass out of bed at 7.00am as we were heading to The Bridge of Orchy to do not one but two munro’s. Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh.

I really enjoyed it actually. It was really hard, but great fun. Being out in the elements with good mates getting some decent exercise. In all we done 11.4k (7.1 miles) and climbed around 3200ft.

Here is a wee diagram I made using info from mapmyrun.com

Also have a ganter at some pics from the day:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

I think I’ll need to get some proper gear if I’m going to be serious (my feet were a bit sore), but I’m looking forward to more.

I’m not one for poems (see this post for details), but I was at another Humanist Funeral on Saturday morning and the speaker read out a poem that I instantly loved. Thought I would post it here:

The Dash by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak
At the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on her tombstone
From the beginning..to the end.

He noted that first came her date of birth
And spoke the following date with tears, 1964 – 1994
But he said what mattered most of all
Was the dash between those years.

For that dash represents all the time
That she spent alive on earth..
And now only those who loved her
Know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own;
The cars..the house..the cash,
What matters is how we live and love
And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard.
Are there things you”d like to change?
For you never know how much time is left,
That can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough
To consider what’’s true and real,
And always try to understand
The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,
And show appreciation more
And love the people in our lives
Like we”ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect,
And more often wear a smile..
Remembering that this special dash
Might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy’’s being read
With your life’’s actions to rehash..
Would you be proud of the things they say
About how you spent your dash?

I’ve also been a bit of an arse when it comes to the bevy. Something has changed. My theory is that it’s to do with FOOD. I seem to forget to eat after a few pints. I need to get my stomach full before going out and, if the session is likely to last more than, say, four hours, then I bloodly-well better have a Gregg’s or something in-between too. (DISCLAIMER: I’m not daft enough not to realise that it might be too much drink!)

Perfect opportunity to try this theory is this weekend where I’ll be hitting Edinburgh with the boys to celebrate the arrival of my mates boy Maxwell. Congrats Andy!!

Payback Yo!

So in-between my panic attacks and drunkeness I’ve been slowly crawling through the next one in my project. The full title is actually Payback: Debt as Metaphor and the Shadow Side of Wealth. Going into this I thought I was in for an economics lesson; learning how banks work, how debt is managed etc. But I should have paid more attention to the sub-title. This book is actually nothing like that. It’s about debt as a psychological principal. Let me try to explain that a bit better:

If you are in debt then you owe someone something; therefore you believe that the person you owe something gave you it in return for something else of equal value. It’s all about Balance. You have to be in dept because you recognise that what you received is a fair trade for what you will owe. What do you say to a bank teller when you want to know how much is in your account? “Can you tell me my BALANCE please?” You know the symbol used in many banks? A two pan balance? This book is about fairness, not just in monetary terms but also from a moral standpoint.

Margaret Atwood goes into great detail on the subject. From debt to your god, original sin (Btw did you know that in the original bibles the actual word used in place of Sin translated to DEBT) to the different types of debt used as a plot device in literature. Such as The Christmas Carol as plot driven by monetary debt and The Godfather as moral debt.

I really enjoyed Atwood’s tone. I found her quite funny at times which was surprising. Sadly though this book was let down by drawing out a topic that could have been adequately summarised for me in a few pages. It’s not that Atwood didn’t find ways to keep it interesting, its just that it isn’t a topic I would find myself wanting to read about in my spare time.

I think I would give her another go; I think that a fiction book by her would be awesome. Sadly, overall, this book didn’t interest me enough to warrant a high rating. Sorry Margaret.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10 stars

I’m near the end folks. Four more to go. The next one in the list (number four of the Times top 100 books of the decade) is indicated as Masterworks of the Classical Haida Mythtellers trans Robert Bringhurst (2002). But I’ve realised that this is actually several different books. Bit of a bummer. So what I’m thinking of doing is either reading one of the books or reading number 21 in the top 200. Need to make up my mind. I’m sure that Kindle availability will have a big say in my decision. Opinions on the matter in the comments if you please.

So much tidier, but I think it’s went a bit too bare looking. Still some work to be done to get it looking awesome. Need to get those old posters of Carrie Fisher out the loft.

Mario.Blog Headquarters

Hey dudes. The last few days when I’ve had a spare minute I’ve been working on this here new look for my blog. I hope you like it. I wanted to have a more modern feel and I’d seen a few sites out there with the ‘noise texture’ look and I really think its sweet, so I built a new theme around this initial idea.

Another big motivation behind the update (and this is sure to attract the ladies in droves) was that the old theme was a total mess behind the scenes. The code was a mish-mash of me just adjusting things when I noticed something. I went back to the basics here and built from scratch. Looking at the difference from the old theme and this one it is almost 30% smaller (and 100% more awesome), so you should expect a faster load time (Calm down ladies!).

Incase you didn’t know, this site is built on top of WordPress. It really is an amazing thing. If any of you dudes out there are looking to start a blog then I suggest this is the first, and last, place you go. Not just for what it is now but because it is getting better and better with every (frequent) update.

Austershitz

There were a few other issues at play here that have all added up to why it has taken me so long to get through it…

I was immediately demotivated my the fact that I couldn’t get this book anywhere in Kindle format. My Kindle has been a great companion to me the last six or so months, so I was gutted when I ended up having to buy this book on ebay for a couple of squid. If you looked at the title of this post you might be fooled into thinking that this is the top 4 book in the Times top 100 books from which I have based my project on, but no, I’ve been putting off leaving my Kindle to the side. Austerlitz is actually number 13. That’s 8 books I’ve read before I’ve had the guts to go back to paper.

Another reason was that I’ve been so busy with Lucid Studio and not had as much time to read as usual. You know what it’s like if you read a book little a bit at a time, sometimes days between reading session. Granted, I would have probably prioritised anything above sticking my nose in this, but I really have been dead busy. Working on my business stuff most nights.

Also, and this might be me getting a bit too personal, I haven’t been 100% the last month or two. Been a bit down so, in my experience, I need to be in the zone emotionally to enjoy relaxing to a book. If I’m feeling down I need to watch telly and veg. Stuff this concentrating palava.

MacBook Pro

Last reason for my book avoiding antics was that I finally got myself a nice shiny new MacBook Pro. You might remember it being on my bucket list. Yes. I finally did it. And as the minutes pass I can’t believe it has taken me so long. Been working on my latest stuff using it and it’s been amazing. I feel so much more productive. I donno what it is about the mac OS, but I just feel it encourages you (subliminally) to do things the right way.

So excuses out the way. What about this god-damn book?

I’m gonna keep this short because the quicker I forget about this the better. Austerlitz is a book written from the point of view of Sebald. It is written as if non-fiction (I’m not sure if it is), and details the life of an architectural historian, named Austerlitz, whom Sebald meets by chance one day in a train station. He portrays this man as an extraordinary human being. Insanely knowledgeable in so many ways. A man who never reached the heights his knowledge should have taken him.

Sadly I found absolutely nothing of interest within the pages. As much as I could recognise the colourful way that Sebald flaunts this geezers knowledge, I couldn’t get through two or three pages without dreaming about giving Angry Birds another shot. I’m not joking here. The WHOLE BOOK is one big paragraph. No chapters. Not one line break. That’s too much for a guy to deal with on the 240 bus at 7:50am.

It’s beyond my intellect to understand how this book made the top 20 of The Times Best books of the decade list.

I’m glad I listened and finished the book for the sake of face, but I’ll be gladly selling this on ebay tomorrow.

Rating: 2 out of 10 stars

I’m so near the end now. I’m going to read something outwith the project next. Back to my amazing Kindle. Then its onto Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth by Margaret Atwood. See ya soon! (promise!)

Goodreads tells me that I started reading this book on the 19th of December. Which means I flicked through the first few pages when I got a chance over the Christmas period. I didn’t really get swept away by this book until the first week in January.

It’s hard to know where to start with the latest book in my project. This really is an extraordinary story both within the pages and outwith. Suite Française was written during the second world war but was not discovered until the mid 90′s when Irène Némirovsky‘s daughter decided to open the pages of a journal that she presumed was her mothers diary. Instead it turned out to be the manuscript of this book, unfinished, but with notes on where the epic tale was intended to head. Unfortunately Jewish born Irène Némirovsky was murdered by the Nazis in an Austerlitz gas chamber in 1942.

As a result the published Suite Française is the first two novella’s of an intended five. The first tells the tales of many interconnected French civilians as they attempt to flee the invading German Army. The second is set after the invasion and centres around the small town of Bussy where the German occupiers are living alongside the French. There are some overlapping characters in each novella but both could be read independently.

The first story is all about chaos. It reminded me of Lord of the Flies: How the breakdown of society can bring out the best and worse in people. Throughout the whole novella we never encounter a German soldier, there is never a moment you would associate with a traditional war story. What we get instead is various situations where people are in disastrous circumstances not as a result of guns or bombs, but of the breakdown of traditional values and the new rules of survival.

France during occupation

The second part is, in my opinion, far superior. Némirovsky gives us a very real look into what it would be like to live in a small town by an occupying force. Instead of these Nazis being the nasty, murderous types we get used to in war stories, we get a group of men who are charming, completely considerate and determined to win over the hearts of the town and its people.

Also, unlike the previous part of the book, we are not bogged down (at least I was in the first book) with countless characters. This part of the book is predominantly about a young woman, Lucile, and her relationship with a German Officer who is living in one of the rooms of her home. It was great to see how, as their relationship develops, Lucile uses this to her advantage to become one of the more able members of the town.

It is soul destroying to see the way Némirovsky painted the German Soldiers only to be killed at the hands of them in reality.

Another great book. It took me away from the madness of my bus journeys through the east end of Glasgow. Would have been great to see where the next three books would have went.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 stars

Next up it’s (rather ironically) Austerliz by W.G Sebald. I ended up having to buy this book on ebay as I’ve been unable to get it for my Kindle. I’ve had enough of war for the moment though so I’m going to read something outwith the project then start this one after.

Had a brilliant Christmas. First as a married man, which was weird, but totally awesome. Got loads of pressies and had [voice of Commandant Lassard] many, many great nights out, including a wedding down in London town.

The Tipping Point

I actually finished this book in the first week of December just before my birthday. That’s how lazy I have been lately (much to the disdain of my business’s clients!). So excuse me if I’m kinda vague when talking about The Tipping Point.

Straight off the bat I can tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a book of the authors theories surrounding what makes something go ‘viral’. From fashion trends to crime rates to Sesame Street, this book gives us loads of great wee anecdotes to support the rules and strategies. It’s the kind of book that you could have in the toilet and pick up any time. Each little section has enough on its own to keep you satisfied.

When I say Gladwell examines what makes something go viral, he actually investigates the people involved (some people he bloody-well meets in person). He analyses the personality of infectious people and what causes ideas to stick where other ones slide disappointingly down the wall.

Gladwell clearly knows what he is talking about and I found it hard to argue with any of the points he brings up.

It’s difficult not make the book sound like a bit of a drag, but I can assure you that the narrative jumps about enough to make the content very interesting and engaging.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 stars

Something I’d like to point out that I’m discovering through the progress of this wee project; apart from ‘The Rapture‘ I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed all the books on the list. But I’m noticing that the further I get into the list the less I am being gripped by the books. I don’t know if this is because the books on the list are becoming more refined as we get to the top. Remember, I don’t consider myself to be a literary guru, so I could very well be missing something. I’m also thinking that it’s because I’m learning my own taste now and would rather get through my own ever growing list of books I want to read. We’ll see how I feel as I get closer to the top.

I’ve already started number 14 on my list which is Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky. See ya soon!