Star Trek Discovery

The new Star Trek is on our screens and after months of hype from Netflix is it all its cracked up to be or does it continue where Enterprise left of with disappointment ?

Well the first episode did grab me if I'm honest and it is a Star Trek show so expect to see some of the constants that glue the franchise together there. The first officer is a strong character as with other Star Trek shows but unlike Enterprise she doesn't run the ship and the Captain is the driving force.

Another Star Trek trait is to re invent the arch enemy's the Klingons for the STNG they had more pronounced ridges on their heads and were made to look more alien around a human base, with Star Trek Discover this has moved on another step and it works. You will spend a bit of time reading subtitles but its not the heaviest dialogue to follow. They still have the same construct and are the same aliens with just a few tweaks to set them apart from other Star Trek franchises.

Give the first episode a try, hopefully like me you'll think its shaping up to be one of the better series with all the dark energy there to move it forward.

Star Trek, Enterprise

As theres a new Star Trek series on the way I thought now would be a good opportunity to revisit the last one. While I watched The Next Generation, Deep Space nine and Voyager when they were originally aired here in the U.K on BBC 2, Enterprise or Star Trek Enterprise as it was called in the third season escaped me. It had mixed reviews at the time and I'd just started doing shift work so it would have been hard to keep up to date.

While the three series from the late 80's to the early 2000's were at the cutting edge and introduced good actors that had were relatively unknown into their key roles. Enterprise bought in Quantum Leap's Sam Becket to the bridge of the Enterprise and that some how moves it outside of the Star Trek Mould for me and sometimes I wish he would leap in to a new host during as Scott Bakula gives a long steer into the camera lens.

Maybe its because they took the star of a time traveling program and put him in a Star Trek series based heavily on time travel and temporal flux.

Where the other three always had the prospect of some gritty acting and leaders making hard decisions that would effect the galaxy with a little input from there senior staff, Archer always turns to his Vulcan first officer and comes across as a figurehead to her leadership as he stubbles his way across the expanse. Other Captains made mistakes but they went on a crusade to fix them and along the way secured our admiration. Archer makes a cockup and his Vulcan first officer effectively tells him i told you so.

Then theres the enemies, in the next generation there were the Romulans, Borg, Klingons, Ferengi and a whole host of others. In Deep Space Nine there were the Cardasians, Dominion and a very dynamic political situation at times. Voyager had the Borg and Species 8472 along with everyone else they met along the way. Enterprise has some meek enemies and bear in mind its a prequel they're enemies no one has herd of, did we discover them and forget their address ? Its not very good and perhaps should be avoided before the new one starts so we can judge Star Trek Discovery purely on its merits.

Expeditionary Force, Book One Columbus Day By Craig Alanson

Having finished We Are many on audible I used last months credit to download Book one of Craig Alanson's Expeditionary Force Novels.

So you guys can tell I'm in to Sci-Fi hence the reason Audible recommended this title to me and It is good. You can tell right from the start that there was a big universe mapped in the writers mind when he sat down to pen this novel so you have to give it a bit of time to introduce all the elements. But once you're in, You're in and the book picks up pace with you following a US Army sergeant as he adapts to the new universal order thats been presented to him and tries to make sense of the new political dynamics he and the rest of humanity have been thrown into.

The book has been written in the style of a soldier so expect swearing and military acronyms but they are explained as if the character was talking to a friend. The writer has great descriptive skills and as a reader you get a true sense of what its like to be on an alien world surrounded by humanity's greatest threat. The plot twists are good and you never know whats going to happen next.

John Wick

Browsing on Amazon prime for a good film to watch and one of the recomendations Amazon threw in the mix was John Wick. It was a really good surprise and had me hooked from the beginning.

John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a retired enforcer for the mafia, with Ju-Jitsu, cat like reflexes and a knowledge of firearms Wick is dangerous and a man not to be crossed. Whist out to fill his Shelby Mustang with fuel he gains the attention of Russian Mafia who want to buy his Mustang, Wick refuses and takes his car to an airfield to blow off some steam. That night the Russian Hoods break into his home steel his car and kill his beloved beagle and leave Wick beaten.

What happens over the next hour can only be described as a roller coster of action with martial arts and huge shoot outs. John takes a meticulous approach to exacting revenge whilst you as the viewer learn of the depths and the personal struggle he's been through to bring him to this episode in his life.

Its well worth a watch and I can't wait to watch the sequel to see if it lives up too the the first.

Smoking

It hasn't been a fruitless two months since i've been gone, I have given up smoking and its been six weeks since i last smoked. After all the vaping and micro tab products I've tried I went back to a tried and tested method for my self and used the gum.

Theres a little bit of getting used to it but now my breaks at work are spent watching Netfiix or reading. With the added benefit that I can now breath freely and my asthma hasn't risen up at all

Brick Mansions

Brick Mansions, while the death of Paul Walker was a sad thing he was hardly the finest of actors it has to be said. But then he never went for the deep roles and stuck mainly to action films and his highlight was the Fast and Furious brand. This film is a great action film with aspects of Escape from L.A, The Rock and with a nod to some performance driving.

Expect lots of action with a plot that isn't too bad compared to some films I've seen in this genre. with some good driving, free running and martial arts this should keep you going through 90 mins and take you on a good journey along the way.

Its also a Nice advert for the new Ford Mustang which must have been released around this time.

A Walk Among The Tombstones

I came across this one on Prime and while the synopsis lead me to think it was a rehashed Taken it actually turned out to be a very good detective story.

Liam Neeson plays a Ex New York police officer who's now an unlicensed private detective. When a member of his AA group approaches him to take on a case he has reservations, The case is looking for the kidnappers and murderers of his brothers wife. It turns out his brother is a major drug trafficker and after some pleading to his heart he takes one the job and a complex story unravels before you.

A good story backed with great acting this is a great film for a Friday/Saturday night and a thriller that will keep you on the edge.

Death Of My Jaguar

So I had my X-type for about a year and in that year I had some good fun, all be it expensive to maintain fun. I knew she was on her way out and the maintenance bills were getting higher and more frequent but I was hoping for atlas another six months before I bought something more sensible, alas it wasn't to be.

She developed a fault with the EGR valve and even after a replacement she still died. So with a £366 Bill and a dead car it was time to go. I limped her round to my local Kia dealership and traded her in for a Kia Rio, I know its a bit of a step down but I wanted something reliable and cheep to maintain. I would have gone to my local Ford deanship but they're poor at best and I've heard too many stories about them. Kia gives a 7 Year warranty and the servicing costs are reasonable compared to other brands.

I'll write a blog about the Kia and buying it tomorrow so look out for it.

SafeHouse

Umm where to start with this one, there are two good actors in this and I wonder why they signed up for this if I'm honest it must have been a contractual thing.

Its a chase movie in essence but its dire to watch as it repeats its self over and over. Rookie CIA agent tracks and sell out former agent through the streets off Cape Town and thats it. the story struggles on and they don't shoot each other. the tension never builds theres a one dimensional plot.

I wasted an hour of my life struggling through this film so please find something more worthwhile with your time, even reading one of my articles will provide more entertainment and you'll still have 55 minutes left over !

London Terror Attack

Firstly apologies for my absence I've been unwell and I'm back and will update my blog more regularly.

Its a sad day for London and my thoughts and prayers are with the victims of todays attack in Westminster its shocking and horrific that a cowerdly attack could happen. I'd Also like to give my support to the Metropolitan Police who sadly have vast experience dealing with incidents like this and praise them for their swift actions in limiting the scale of the attack my thoughts are with the family of the police officer who put his life on the line to protect the innocent.

Fast & Furious 7

I think its appropriate to start and article about this film with a word about Paul Walker. Paul is a big part of this franchise and with out him there'll big a big whole that can never be filled. From the first film to this he bought great action and entertainment to our screens, your peers speak of you with the highest regard and thats all anyone can really ask as a memorial.

 Rest in peace

Now to the film, Its the seventh in the series so you've been living under a rock if you haven't seen at least one of these films. They are action films centred around cars bending the laws of physics rather a lot to make entertainment. But they are fun to watch, theres great driving scenes and some martial arts thrown in for good measure. Out of these whole genre the Fast and Furious films will always give you two hours of great escapism with a beginning, middle and end.

If i wanted to sit here a poke wholes in them I could spend hours but to do so would be to miss the point. They are fun thats all, we know that cars don't fly and if you wanted to drive out of a window you'd hit the next building between the floors and be killed instantly but you can forgive all these little things because its entertaining. Sit back get some popcorn and enjoy, don't think don't look at them too hard just be absorbed.

2000 Page Views Thank You

Thank you for all your support and taking the time to read my articles, slowly I'm learning how to write better posts and you continued support makes it worth while. 👍🏻

Russell Hobbs Sensor Bin

About a month ago the lid on my kitchen bin broke so as a replacement Marta bought a Sensor bin made by Russel Hobbs.

There are good points and bad points to the bin so rather than writing about it I'll list the pros and cons
Pros 
1, The lid does open when you wave a hand or object over the sensor making it easy to put cooking rubbish inside keeping your hand clean.
2, Its easy to empty and replace a bin bag and theres hardly any suction
3. Its a nice stylish design that fits into a modern kitchen being small and discrete also. 

Cons

1. The bin will open when you walk past it and if you have a busy kitchen this will soon be a pain as the lid claps away.

2. Obviously it requires 4 AA batteries to work the motor and sensor, not sure on the life of these as we've only had it a month. 

3. Its very light and when empty easy to knock over, I added some cat litter to the bottom to act as ballast for ours. 

All round impressions are good and I think it was a good addition to our kitchen. You can turn it off and on with a handy button around the back of the lid. If your thinking about one look at the list above and weigh it up !

Hive Active Heating Bill Comparison

I've had Hive active heating for around a year now and some of you might have come across my post on a previous blog, but now is the time to look at the bills and how they stack up over a year and see if it really made a difference.

I think the bills speak for them selves and even though the price of energy has gone up my bills have come down. Thats come from smart use of

the app and keeping my heating turned off when I'm not at home. Hive sends a reminder to my phone and its just a few clicks to turn it off. When I'm on my way home I can turn the heating on and the hot water if I want a bath after a day at work. Now I have Alexa I can even set the temperature of my flat via voice command. I got my hive on Amazon in a sale so it should pay for its self by December this year, but you can have the option of paying monthly which balances out if you look at the comparison below.

Le Mans (Film) 1970 Steve McQueen

If you've read this blog before you'll know that I'am a Steve McQueen fan, so for this article I'm going to visit the film that he struggled to finish and almost broke him financially and mentally Le Mans.

For all of Steve's acting life he'd be racing cars and bikes at the same time, he took part in the six day trial in East Germany on Triumph bikes and Driven in the 12hours of Sebring in an endurance car. His passion was to combine his two loves and make a movie about motor racing. Having been beaten to the screen by James Garner in Grand Prix a few years before Steve decided on the most iconic race of them all the 24 hours of Le Mans.

Sadly this was a hard task for McQueen his marriage was on shaky ground and his fame was catching up with him and by all accounts he'd developed an addiction for cocaine with could only have made his mental state worse. Having the main director and friend walk out of the shoot declaring "I'm to old and to rich for this shit" John Surtees proved his wisdom as the shoot turned into a working hell of paranoia and last minute rewrites. The braking point happened when solar productions a Mcqueen company had to get a studio to step in and see the production through to the end, Lets look at what they made.

Starting off with a flash back to the previous years race where McQueens character Porsche driver Mike Delaney had been involved in a crash that killed his rival Ferrari driver you're shown the ghosts Delaney carries with him and will have to face in the up coming race. The opening shows the preparations for the race with team bosses watching as their cars are rolled out for the race ahead, drivers going through pre race drills and the crowds flooding to the circuit. French pomp as the national anthem is played over a tannoy system before handing over to your narrator and commentator who's sets the scene further.

Subtly showing the rivalry between the Porsche and Ferrari teams the drivers take to their cars. the camera work is shaky as it moves around the pit area giving you the sense that your there in person. The tension builds until the race starts, with the echo of heart beats until flag drops and the engines roar to life and the fast frenetic action begins.

The cinematography of the racing is brilliant with the high pitch engine notes you can see just where all the production money was spent as cars hurtle past the cameras at 200mph. If you like endurance cars its worth watching just for the action sequences. Watching the early stages of the race and seeing just how close the spectators are to the action the first driver change happens quiet soon and there after some semblance of a story arch emerges as Delaney happens across the widow of last years Ferrari driver. Theres much behind the scenes activity and portrays the drivers in their down time and facing the press.

The weather turns to rain out on the track and cars slip and slide on the slick surface. With the cars kicking up mountains of spray there's yet another driver change and Delaney is back in the Porsche as with each driver change theres a small snippet of behind the scenes and the race moves into night. with the lights of the fairground the camera follows the Ferrari drivers widow Lisa as she takes in the sights and sounds, refusing an invitation for coffee with a driver she is solemn and alone.

Yet another driver change and Delaney is back in the drivers rest area, stopping for a bite to eat he finds Lisa alone and with reverence goes to join her. They make guarded small talk and Lisa asked some probing questions that Delaney struggles to deal with. Before he asks why she has come to the race as it must be hard. Lisa explains she needed to for herself. Morning breaks and its the most dangerous part of the race with tired drivers one slip of concentration will mean a crash and possibly death.

Delaney heads back behind the wheel at the crucial stage, theres a slight mechanical fault with the Porsche uprights but the race continues at the same breakneck speed. As the lead Ferrari enters a bend it losses traction and slides the following Ferrari has a spectacular crash and leaves the track. the slow motion of the driver getting out of the car portrays what it feels like for him as every second feels like a minute and the muscle memory of getting out kicks in. Its a well directed scene and as the driver gets clear the stricken Ferrari explodes. Having made his way past the crash Delaney's Porsche is on the pace as the explosion erupts, distracted just for a second he has to swerve to avoid crashing into a slower car and destroys his own in the process. Coming to rest the camera zooms in to those cold blue eyes of McQueen as his character relives the crash.

With the crash siren sounding the camera cuts to Lisa who appears to be leaving the race. Hearing that it involves a Ferrari and Porsche Lisa heads to the medical centre in time to see a mutilated body.  walking away she's mobbed by press and overwhelmed, Delaney takes her arm and guides her away. A reporter draws synergy between this crash and last years where Lisa's husband died, Delaney walks away speechless and goes to the pits to face his team.

The team are full of concern and the team boss asks about the crash, Delaney is honest and takes full liability. Delaney finds Lisa in the pits tired wet and alone he takes her to his motor home. He spells out the dangers of racing and they debate motor sport and why drivers risk their lives. Its a touching scene The race continues with the remaining Porsches. The driver of the No 21 Porsche is off the pace and the team boss sends for Delaney. Delaney is to drive the car defensively and ensure the No 22 Porsche wins as the Ferraris nip at his heals. He does his job and roles in 2nd and as the crowd celebrate the win he walks towards Lisa looking for forgiveness he knows she can't give. She gives half a smile and thats enough for him. the film ends

Theres not much of a story to Le Mans it has to be said but the action on the circuit is really the focus as it should be, while it only offers a small window into a very hectic race it is a taste of the real thing. If you want true racing drama then watch the real thing in mid June with four different classes on the track at once traveling at different speeds it is a true spectacle of motorsport and full of entertainment.

Rampart

Woody Harrelson is the last of the renegade cops in LA, with a family to support and trying to survive in a modern world that considers him a dinosaur and a relic of the old Los Angels police department.

Set at the turn of the millennium David Brown is a second generation LA cop who clings on to the ways of the past beating information out of suspects and cutting corners to get his job done, he's a womaniser, a bully and a thief. Known by the nick name date rape because of a serial rapist he was cleared of murdering in a shooting incident Dave is out of place in the modern police force.

While out on patrol his police car is T-boned by another car he gets out to see if the driver is ok and when the driver starts to run, Dave takes him down and proceeds to beat the man at first with a truncheon and then with his feet. All this is being filmed and is soon circulating on the news. With his contacts he manages to use one of his fathers police colleges to keep him on patrol all be it with just a support role.

With his superiors trying to force him out of the department to save embarrassment and a pack of lawyers using up his dirty cash Dave plans a robbery with the help of a contact. Just before he's about to storm in to a high stakes card game another crew get in first. Dave tracks down the thieves and shoots one letting the other go with some cash. He uses a gun he has on him to make it look like the man fired on him and calls it in, after hiding the cash.

This gives the DA extra ammunition to use against him and with this added strain his already fragile relationship falls apart and he finds himself homeless. Turning to drugs and booze this film takes on more and more dark turns and leaves you wondering what happened.

Though most of the random films I come across on amazon are good this one is overly complex and hard to follow. With its dark theme its an acquired taste and might not be for all. If you're out of movies and ideas watch but otherwise i wouldn't bother.

Brodsky & Utkin Princeton Architectural Press

A couple of years ago I took some time out to visit the Tate Modern on the South Bank and while rooming around I came across the work of Brodsky & Utkin, I Instantly became a fan and truth be told I sneaked a couple of pictures of their artwork with my phone to reflect on latter.

I recently came across this amazing book on their work by Princeton Architectural Press which contains full page plates of their art with the back story and meaning.

I'd like to take a moment to plagiarise a sample from the opening preface.

Villa Nautilus
Brodsky & Utkin

*"What do you do as an architect living in a country that sets limits on and penalties for architectural design? along with your friends - artists whose works were shown in Moscow park and consequently bulldozed by the government - you find new ways to keep innovative architecture alive. During the Cold War, the brave and inventive architects of the Soviet Union did not cease to advance their cause. They continued to explore their ideas in several ways, including one very simple but dangerous method: they drew what they couldn't build., and thus invented paper architecture. The medium was easy to share and talk about, if one could get ink and paper - a struggle unto itself, particularly when toilet paper was in short supply."

If you take time to search on the net for Brodsky & Utkin you'll find their fascinating work widely available, but in order to get the best of it you truly have to see it on paper. Only then does the work convey the right feeling and scope that the artists were trying to achieve. The plates in this book are stunning and draw you in to the dark but creative world these architects lived in and its not hard to imagine them cramped over a drawing board taking the time to let their ideas flow and take life on paper.

If you appreciate art and the abstract you'll love this book, even if you just take time to look at these fascinating works online you'll be amazed and enthralled like I was that afternoon in the Tate Modern where they hang with a room to themselves.

* Ronald Fieldman representative of Brodsky & Utkin New York

Inferno

If you've watched the previous The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons then you'll be familiar with Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon in the works of Dan Brown and this is the latest instalment in that series.

For those of you who haven't watched the other two movies I'll give you a brief insight. Robert Langdon is a professor of typography and is well known for his construction of ambigrams. As an expert in these fields he's routinely placed in situations where he has to solve complex puzzles in order to prove his innocence of a crime, save the world from some impending doom or rescue a friend. 


The stories themselves all involve religious symbology or that of freemasons and the illuminati. Sometimes very complex in nature but as a viewer you're always guided through the meanings gently and with good explanation. While they are mysteries in the who done it vain and thrillers as each clue leads to the other they are more about the journey and watching Robert Langdon solving the clues and less reliant of you trying to figure out the clues alongside the main characters. 

If you want a good journey with great acting and action then the films in this series are highly recommended. Introduce your self slowly by watching the first film The Da Vinci Code first as the pace builds slowly and eases you into the world of Robert Langdon better than some of the sequels. 

Worth a watch more Friday night thriller than Sunday afternoon chill but with Tom Hanks and along side some great supporting actors you'll be hard pushed to find much to complain about. 

Vaporesso Target Pro

A few weeks ago I delved into the world of vaping in order to quit smoking, there is method in that madness in that I'd cut the nicotine content until its negligible. I started out with the Vaporesso Target Mini and wanted to try the big brother.

The Target pro has a nice ergonomic shape and fits in to my hand nicely and it feels natural. The on and off is controlled by the vaping trigger that falls nicely into place when you first pick up the device. The Target Pro eases you into vaping and can be as complicated or as simple as you chose. With temperature control for most types of coils its easy to set up for your perfect vape. If your traveling you can turn of the flow so you don't end up with a pocket full of juice, just remember that if your new to a tank that can have the flow turned off as you'll end up with a lung full of smoke.

The tank that comes with the starter kit is good but there are some down sides to it, It has a small capacity at only 2ml and if you want to change the coil you'll have to open the tank from the bottom and it can be a messy business but you'll get used to it. The truth is that its only a starter tank and if you want to get something better then the mod itself has the functions to make the most of it.

The screen has a nice bright read out the only major grip is changing the wattage or temp settings as they don't go up in steps but more like a digital radio tuner it starts slow then gets faster, that can be a bit of a pain especially as the Target Mini has nice progressive steps.

The whole package does vape really well and you can produce clouds of vapour with it, so much so I regularly fill my front room much to Marta's consternation. The vapour production is always nice and full, I haven't had one dry hit from it so the package lives up to its advertising.

You will need a battery 18650 high drain to complete your set up, the inbuilt charging circuit is faster than my actual wall charger but if I'm honest my wall charger isn't the best. The micro USB socket is at the base of the mod and it can be stood up while charging which is a plus over the Target Mini.

All in all, its a great mod for the intermediate if you want more power than a starter kit at a reasonable price this is for you and it'll keep pace with most of the sub ohm tanks you put on it. Get one and try it. I use mine all the time and its brilliant.

Virgin Atlantic 787, British Airways 777