Author Archives: James - Page 30
Hell No! I won’t go! – World Poetry Day 2017 [Poetry]
English: The RedBalloon office - an example of an open plan 'Bullpen'-style office. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) World poetry day was yesterday, and it prompted me to write some poetry on the train home. This first draft is provisionally titled "Hell no! I won't go!". The inspiration for this poetry is a proposed series of office moves to bring our teams into fewer buildings. Many colleagues have been grumbling about moving office. This is intended to be a comic take on it and bears no relation to any real reason people may have cited. All this is purely imaginary, and I hope it brings a wry smile. Hell No! I won't go! The bosses have decided. We will be better together, in a new office. The new office is where everyone will be. Enjoying their coffee, except for me, I commute…
Five Steps to Join the Desktop Horticulture Revolution
I've joined the desktop horticulture revolution in the office. I took a bag mixed with potting compost and sand into the office along with a few seeds about a week ago. So far it hasn't sprouted, but I've been taking a picture every day that I've been working in the office and I hope that by the end of the summer I should have a lovely little animation. The Desktop Horticulture Revolution Desktop horticulture 14 Mar 2017 What am I growing? You know, that's a really good question. I ought to be able to give you a really detailed technical answer, but right now I don't have the packet of seeds to hand. What I do know is that there are three seeds in the bag. They're all different varieties of peppers. One of them is a cherry pepper, another…
Tides of Winter by R.T. Lowe [Book Review]
Tides Of Winter by Lowe My rating: 5 of 5 stars Tides of Winter is the third installment in the Felix Chronicles. It's still awesome, in fact I'd say that Lowe is getting better with each book. It's shaping into a series that I'd love to see on screen. A sort of cross between Harry Potter at college and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (albeit without actual vampires, but plenty of monsters are slain). Tides of Winter Review Tides of Winter has a lot of parallels with the worst fears of Americans under their 45th President, although it must have been finished before the outcome of the election was known. There's the same three sided conflict as our previous stories, and this is strengthened. Several attempts are made to kill or woo Felix and Allison. We see a deepening of Felix's…
SS-GB is Archer of the Yard a Collaborator?
Is Archer of the Yard just doing his civil police job or is he a Nazi collaborator? I have a fascination with the moral dilemma of being a collaborator or changing sides in civil wars and occupations. None more so than the situation that Archer of the Yard finds himself in with SS-GB. Let's unpack Archer's moral dilemma a little, and see whether we think he's just doing the job, or whether he's facilitating the worst excesses of Nazism by being a collaborator. Archer as Loyal Policeman The oath of a constable hasn't changed much over the centuries. It's had an update earlier this century to add fairness, but essentially it's the same as the oath of office Archer would have taken when he joined the Met Police. To serve the King and "...to the best of my power cause the peace…
SS-GB [review] BBC Adaptation of Len Deighton’s SS-GB
I watched the BBC Adaptation of Len Deighton's SS-GB last night. I read the book a long time ago, it was probably one of the first alternative histories that I ever read. I've also enjoyed Young Lions by Andrew Mackay which is also set post-German Invasion of Britain. SS-GB Review The bombed-out ruins of Buckingham Palace as depicted in SS-GB. Image © Sid Gentle Films Ltd. SS-GB has a lot of elements that I enjoy. It's an alternative history, it's a police procedural, it has espionage/intelligence aspects and it's set during WW2. It also has another element that fascinates me. When do you remain loyal and when should you change sides? I was always going to watch this programme. The story is set in 1941, fourteen months after a successful German Invasion of Britain. In the opening shots we are…