Reading: Good Omens

I know I’m late to the party on this one and if I’m brutally honest, it took me about a year to read this book. The majority of it was finished in the last week. Turns out all I need to blaze through a novel is a commute and an hour for lunch. I don’t know why I was so slow to get through Good Omens because it is an absolutely brilliant read.

I love anything that takes a practically ancient idea and flips it around so that I have to spend some serious time reconsidering aforementioned idea. Good Omens is a humourous novel but still manages to make my head spin when it comes to thinking about Good versus Evil as well as many Christian stories I was raised with. Gaiman’s American Gods did something similar in regards to what a modern person worships and who our gods are in this modern age, so it’s easy to see his hand in part authoring Good Omens. I admit I haven’t read much of Terry Pratchett’s work, but I seen enough to know that he can make me laugh audibly on the train to work like few other authors can.

Good Omens is a story about the end of the world. It is about the Antichrist, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an Angel who owns a bookshop and a Demon who owns a Bentley. It is hilarious and thrilling. The entire book builds up to a destined climax and as a reader the pages turn faster as the story progresses. The large cast of characters are all colourful and fascinating. Watching their reactions to the world going very literally to hell is half the fun of the book.

What Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman have created together is a thoroughly hilarious yet intellectually stimulating story that could only have been woven by two of the finest authors in the fantasy genre. A must read for any fan of the fantastic or lover of a laugh.

Cinderella’s Eyes – Nicola Roberts

Even though the debut solo album by Girls Aloud member Nicola Roberts is laden with melancholy and hurt feelings after many years of being called “the ugly ginger one”, it still manages to be one of the most outstanding and surprising pop records I’ve listened to this year.

Bursting out of the gate with Beat of My Drum and Lucky Day, Roberts’ new album sounds like any other Girls Aloud record – complete with catchy choruses that stick in the head for days on end. They’re great songs but they don’t break any new ground, I believe it’s the meaty centre of the record where the real gems lie.

Yo-yo, Cinderella’s Eyes and Porcelain Heart are all fantastic tracks, the latter of which shows off Roberts’ incredible vocal strength. Listening to this album I am constantly baffled as to why Nicola is banished to the occasional bridge when she sings with Girls Aloud. She clearly has the vocal prowess and flexibility to do a lot more. In this album she stretches her wings and shows off what she is capable of.

Roberts also takes some time to let everyone know what a tough time she has had growing up in Girls Aloud. It’s no secret that she is the member that gets the most verbal and written abuse from every angle. I remember watching a comedy show where two comedians out of three managed to work a stab at Nicola into their act – which received riotous laughter from the audience. I’m not shocked this solo album points often to Roberts being bullied, however if you’re not sympathetic it could become grating to hear her complain about it every other song.

Regardless, Nicola Roberts has taken a chance by stepping away from the uniform pop we’ve come to know from British artists vomited out by the X-factor and other manufacturers. I’m not sure if it has a mainstream audience, but I certainly enjoyed it completely.

Desiring: Jawbone Jambox

The Jawbone Jambox is one of those things that I know deep down in my heart I really don’t need. However once I learned of its existence I constantly find myself thinking, “this would have been a great situation in which to use a Jawbone Jambox”.

The Jambox is a small little rectangular speaker that connects to your bluetooth enabled music player and pumps out your favourite tunes at will. It’s strange for me to want this product at all because already own a set of amazing speakers for my iPod, so why do I need another product that does basically the same thing?

I think it comes down to two factors with this little magic box of sound. Simplicity and portability. I am attracted to products that do one thing really well. The majority of reviews I have read have been positive, the Jambox is not lying to me about it capabilities. It only has one trick up its sleeve, but I want it in my life anyway.

Portability is also really important to me, especially since the Jambox runs on a charge so you can throw it in your bag and take it on adventures with you. I want to use it while I’m in the shower so I can boogie while I get clean. I want to use it in the park when I meet up with friends and have a picnic. I want to use it anywhere outside of my living room and bedroom where it is appropriate to listen to music. Therefore I would not be using it on my commute to work. However knowing I have the option to do so is why right now I am really desiring the Jawbone Jambox.

Takashi Murakami Papercraft

I recently visited the Gagosian gallery in London to see an exhibition of work by one of my favourite artists, Takashi Murakami. I could write multiple dissertations on my love and passion for this artist, but they will not feature in this blog post. Instead I’m going to show you the best free gift offered at the London Exhibit.

At the Exhibition there was a large, cuboid version of Murakami’s eminent Miss Ko2. I had previously seen the regular sculpture of Miss Ko2 at the Brooklyn Exhibition he had a number of years ago. Seeing her now geometricised as part of Project Ko2 piqued my interest as well as cementing lots of ideas I had previously held about Murakami. Then I noticed a small table next to the sculpture with a stack of cardboard packed in plastic.

It was a papercraft version of the large sculpture! I practically squealed with excitement when I saw it. This afternoon after a bit of fiddling and one tiny piece of tape I completed my papercraft Miss Ko2. This exercise demonstrates Murakami’s blending of the high and low art. In a large size made of thick plastic sitting in the middle of a white cube gallery Miss Ko2 is discussed a observed by art enthusiasts. Made of card sitting on my white chest of drawers it is a cute, smiling papercraft toy to enjoy. Is one more important, more artistic or more relevant to the cannon of art history than the other? I wouldn’t think so, but combined the two versions of the Murakami art piece are very important to how the art world is evolving and changing.

Preparing for Pottermore

Pottermore, the up and coming online reading experience from JK Rowling is sending ripples through the Harry Potter fan community as well as the literary community. What does one need to be prepared for Pottermore?

There are a few bullets to note about Pottermore at this point in time:
- Only the first book will be available from the launch, with subsequent novels appearing some months after.
- There will be interactive quizzes and games for users to participate in.
- This will be the only place to purchase ebooks of the Potter novels.

We’ve been told that there is 18,000 words of new content written by Rowling for the site. My first question is whether this is for only the first novel, or all seven? If the latter is true then that works out as just over 2,500 words per novel. This sounds a bit wrong, so we’re going to assume the 18,000 new words are in relation to Philosopher’s Stone alone. This means for each novel there may be a similar, if not higher amount of new content and if things go the way they did with the original books, then there will be more and more with each new novel released on Pottermore.

At this point, these ideas are just speculation on the number 18,000 given to us when Pottermore was announced. However my mind can’t help but wander at the possibilities of more information from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. However with all this new information, what will happen to the books? Will there be a Special Pottermore Edition of the books with the new words slotted in? Most evidence points to no, but along with being a place to sell ebooks, is there a possibility Pottermore will become the one stop shop for official Harry merchandise? We’ll have to wait and see.

“Interactive Reading Experience” is what this new website is being called. However it’s fairly obviously the entire transcript of the first novel isn’t going to be available online for free. Instead there will be games and puzzles furnished with Rowling’s new content. Harry Potter fans are excited to finally find out which house they would be sorted into and which wand they would wield. They are looking forward to brewing potions and more. However I am skeptical as to what other puzzles Pottermore will have in store. The advantage of the first novel is that there is a lot to discover and a lot to find out. As soon as the second novel comes around, there isn’t as much to discover. I am both cautious and curious as to what little games I’ll have to play to read the new content. Needless to say, match two and tic-tac-toe with pictures of magical creatures will not put a smile on this wizard’s face.

I personally bought myself a fresh hardback copy of the Philosopher’s stone when I managed to be one of the one million users to gain early access to Pottermore before it’s official opening in October. I’m still waiting for my actual beta invite (like many others) but with my new book I’m ready for anything it has to throw at me. If I purchase a Kindle in the near future, chances are Pottermore is where I will have to go to get an electronic copy of the book. What this means for publishers and ebooks remains to be seen. However only Rowling’s star power as the world’s biggest living author could shake up the book and publishing industry sufficiently. I look forward to it all.

I Believe in NFC

One of my favourite things about London is my Oyster card. I think it is a wonderful use of technology. I get some strange satisfaction from touching my card off a reader and having the ticket gates swing open for me. NFC stands for Near Field Communication and is a technology that allows a transfer of data via a physical touch. It is fascinating to me that NFC isn’t incorporated into more tech these days. I want that to change. I have hopes that it will. Thankfully there are steps being taken by companies to ensure this happens.

Google are leading the charge of big companies embracing the technology. Most importantly, NFC technology is something we are going to find a part of a large number of Android phones in the near future. The big G are using this technology for Google Wallet, an electronic payment system. Here in the UK, my Barclay Card has similar NFC tech which they call contactless technology. You simply hold your card near a reader and a purchase is made. This is absolute magic to my eyes. Having to type in your pin when paying with your card is extremely laborious, but with the power of NFC – it’s all done in one swipe.

So Google is using NFC in their phones for payments with Google wallet. But what else? Engadget recently posted a news item about NFC being available in the new Google+ App. Allowing a user to share something on their Google+ profile with a swipe of their Android handset. This is one way I can see Google kicking facebook to the curb.

What a wonderful world it would be if you could check-in at your local pub by tapping a NFC tag next to the door as you walk and order a pint. Suppose you make a new friend at the pub? Tap your phones together to immediately add each other on Google+, no taking mental note of each other’s first and last name spelling to remember and search through lists the following morning. Put in the hands of some creative folks with developing skills, NFC and Google+ could do very well for themselves.

However all this wishful thinking comes with a big worry for this blogger. I’m an iPhone kind of guy. With the iPhone 5 on the horizon, the question must be asked; will the new iPhone have NFC tech built in? I really want this dream to come true but many signs point to no. Apple doesn’t tend to be the first out of the gate with new technology, and NFC doesn’t appear to be up to scratch for Jobs & Co just yet. While NFC isn’t exactly experimental, it isn’t something the general public is really aware of, let alone something they are demanding on the newest iPhone.

I could be wrong, Apple could surprise us like they often do and throw themselves into the arena. I believe they will hold off and see how popular it is on Android handsets that boast the technology, if it takes off like I want it to then maybe NFC will be on the iPhone.

I want to believe, I want to live in a world where NFC is commonplace. A world where we swipe and tap our away through our lives and queues are dramatically shorter because of it. A world of the future that should exist today.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini

I’ve had some iPod docks and speakers in my life. They were all terrible. In general I believe iPod docks to be a waste of money, entirely unnecessary and often overpriced. This all changed when I met the Zepplin Mini. I maintain that there are plenty of terrible iPod docks out there, so if you don’t want to be disappointed do some research and make a good investment in a high quality product. For me, the Bowes & Wilkins was that investment. Read on to find out why.

The speakers sound great. There’s no two ways about it. I had the best time going through my iTunes music Library playing all different kinds of music through the Zeppelin Mini. It was like hearing the songs for the first time. There is power and clarity with the dock. The bass is fantastic. It pulses but it doesn’t pound and drown out the rest of the music.

The speakers can fill a room with music with ease. I recently used it for a house party and it performed beautifully. It provided atmospheric background music as well as room shaking dance floor music. If I hadn’t loved it before – I did after the festivities.

The Mini comes with a small remote that can control volume as well as skipping forward and back tracks and of course play/pause. This is handy, albeit sometimes unresponsive. The dock does take a moment to recognise both a newly connected iPod/iPhone and the remote. There is a standby and two volume buttons on the side of the dock, these also can be unresponsive on occasion. This leads me to believe the remote isn’t the slow piece of tech, but the innards of the dock itself. This flaw isn’t a deal breaker but it does mean you may be standing next to the dock hammering on the volume up button for longer than you would like.

The Zeppelin Mini can play music through the iPod connecter as well as through an auxiliary or a USB cable (neither of which are included in the box.) Unlike the latest model of it’s big brother the Zeppelin, the Mini does not have Airplay built in. However with a an Airport Express this can easily be solved and is definitely something I’m going to invest in in the future in order to take complete advantage of the wonderful piece of sound technology the Bowes & Wilkins Zeppelin Mini is.

Benefit b.right Skincare Range

When someone says, “Your skin’s a bit dry.” I am the kind of person that will take it as a personal attack. However now with the help of Benefit I am ensuring such awful insults will not be sent my way. It has a plethora of new skincare products that are leaving me with fresh and shiny face.

The two cleansers are lovely. One is foamy and the other is exfoliating. I use the Foamingly Clean cleanser regularly and it leaves my face really squeaky clean. It is nice and gentle, however compared to other cleansers I have used previously, (from the Body Shop) it feels a bit synthetic. I know this wouldn’t bother most people, it just felt strange to me.

The Refined Finish Facial Polish is the tougher of the two cleansers, and I use it two to three times a week, depending on how my pores are feeling. Like its gentler sister, it leaves my face clean and fresh. The exfoliating beads inside also make sure my skin is nice and smooth. Nose bumps aren’t flattering.

The two moisturisers take over the next step in my new routine. I will admit that I have been using the Total Moisture Facial Cream more often than the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion. This is because the cream is slated as being able to improve moisture retention. So far, it has lived up to this claim – even if I miss a day or so of creaming by face doesn’t return to its previous dusty plain status. The cream is thick and luscious, if a bit oily. Absolutely perfect for a night treatment.

Now that my skin has improved from the cream and the warm weather is approaching, it is time to start preparing for the Sun’s attacks on my skin. That’s where the Facial Emulsion comes in. It has SPF 15 and a lighter consistency than the cream so it’s perfect to slather on as you head out for a day of Pimms and cartwheels in the nearest sunny park.

Finally I got ahold of the It’s Potent! Eye Cream to battle my dark and tired eyes. And while the product is as lovely as the rest of the range I’ve tried, it hasn’t blown me away with its effectiveness. It does leave my under eye are soft and supple, however it hasn’t made any dent in my dark circles. I will use up the little pot, I’m just not sure if it’s a game changing product for those who have permanent purple eye shadow underneath our eyes.

Overall, the b.right range from Benefit is perfect for spring and summer, especially if you’re looking for a new routine. It smells fresh and clean, it has the most beautiful packaging I’ve seen in skincare and it’s making sure no other bitch dares pass comment about my skin.

Thor

Thor ushers in the new summer of comic book blockbusters, to be followed by X-Men: First Class, Captain America and Green Lantern. It also is the second film which makes reference to the upcoming Avengers movie. The Question is, should you care? Sure, you enjoyed the first Iron Man film – but are you ready to commit to the most ambitious collection of films created in recent memory?

I had never encountered the Thor character before this film, so I will say that it did provide an adequate introduction to who Thor is and what his motivations are. The whole thing really felt like a set up, I kept waiting for a real grand finale but it never really happened. Other stuff happened and then the movie ended.

The meat of the film was generally enjoyable. The cast were pretty good, Chris Hemsworth embodies Thor with typical self-importance, broad shoulders and blonde flowing locks of hair. Natalie Portman plays the feisty scientist well, wait no – she was perfect. However my favourite character was played by Kat Dennings. She plays Darcy, an intern to Portman’s character. Not only was every line spoken by her hilarious – it also brought this very fantastic production back to reality. Dennings character reacts exactly like a young adult would in 2011, posting Thor’s picture to facebook. It’s great comic relief, I hope she turns up in The Avengers.

Thor was enjoyable, if you like comic book movies, Marvel or Norse mythology – give it a look. It is a very well done film, with laughs, a bit of action and lots of special effects. I saw the movie in 3D, it didn’t really enhance the experience. I don’t think makes a difference what dimension you view it in.

Also of note, there is a post-credits scene in this film like there is in many (if not all?) Marvel films these days. I would advise you to stick around to see it. It’s extremely tantilising and has gotten me very excited for The Avengers and all the other films that splinter off from its world.

Bubbleology

Bubbleology is a new establishment that has just opened up in the heart of Soho on Rupert Street. What makes this little shop different from all the rest is that it serves Bubble Tea. I’ve asked the help of Mr. Wikipedia to explain what this fancy beverage consists of:

Bubble tea or foam tea, is a sweetly flavored tea beverage invented in Taiwan. Bubble teas usually contain small tapioca balls or pearls called “boba”. These teas are shaken to mix the ingredients, creating a foam on the top of some varieties, hence the name

Basically it is iced flavoured tea with floating pearls that you suck up through a comically wide straw. I had heard about the drink through the magic of the internet, so when Bubbleology opened up yesterday, I had to make my way over and try out this new phenomenon. The Bubbleology café itself is entirely pleasant. Complete with friendly staff, a comfy seating area and a silly sense humour, Bubbleology seems to be the perfect place to pick up your Bubble Tea.

The actual Bubble Tea was interesting. I sampled the Apple and Passionfruit flavours, both of which were tasty and sweet. However the pearls were some of the strangest things I’d ever eaten. I have never had tapioca before, and comparing the taste is difficult for me. I will say that they taste extremely natural compared to the saccharine drink. They have a strange texture, a bit slimy and extremely chewy; they are akin to frog spawn, in the most delicious and appetising way possible.

The entire experience was like none I’ve ever had before. It was hard to take a refreshing gulp of the cold tea without a pearl firing up your throat. At the time of writing I am unsure whether or not I am actually a fan of Bubble Tea. I definitely want to try it once more, sampling the milk tea variety and some of the tasty looking nibbles they had a Bubbleology. I do recommend trying it once, it is definitely something entirely different.