Michael Harling's Blog, page 24
June 14, 2016
Distress Signals
This is not a book blog, so I don't often review books here, but I am making an exception for this one.
Distress Signals is the debut novel of Catherine Ryan Howard. It is a solid thriller with an unlikely protagonist and a unique setting. The writing is tight and fast-paced, and the story intriguing enough to keep me reading long after I usually stop.
Distress Signals concerns a disappearing girlfriend (Sarah), her just-about-to-be-a-famous-writer boyfriend (Adam) and his efforts to track her...
Distress Signals is the debut novel of Catherine Ryan Howard. It is a solid thriller with an unlikely protagonist and a unique setting. The writing is tight and fast-paced, and the story intriguing enough to keep me reading long after I usually stop.
Distress Signals concerns a disappearing girlfriend (Sarah), her just-about-to-be-a-famous-writer boyfriend (Adam) and his efforts to track her...
June 7, 2016
Memories
Some of you may recall a post I wrote back in the autumn of 2014 detailing my decision to store my journals in my in-law’s loft. The rest of you, take your Omega 3 tablets and have a look at this. Or not; really, there’s no need to remember everything. Which is sort of the point of this post.
The takeaway topic of that previous post was this: although I was willing to physically part with the journals, I was not yet at a point in my life where I felt ready to throw them away. (Well, that and t...
The takeaway topic of that previous post was this: although I was willing to physically part with the journals, I was not yet at a point in my life where I felt ready to throw them away. (Well, that and t...
May 30, 2016
Retirement Review
I've been retired, this time, for six months now, so I feel it's time to reflect on how it is shaping up.
All my life I have been looking forward to retirement because I have so many other things I want to do. Writing, of course, is the big one—the wet dream of every writer: to have unlimited time to write. Heaven on earth, the ultimate joy, the...well, we'll get back to that.
I also fancied doing a bit of art. I used to draw many years ago, but I stopped because I couldn't fit it into my busy...
All my life I have been looking forward to retirement because I have so many other things I want to do. Writing, of course, is the big one—the wet dream of every writer: to have unlimited time to write. Heaven on earth, the ultimate joy, the...well, we'll get back to that.
I also fancied doing a bit of art. I used to draw many years ago, but I stopped because I couldn't fit it into my busy...
May 21, 2016
Fit For Purpose
There is a saying being bandied about these days that I quite like. “Fit For Purpose,” or, more to the point of this post, “Not Fit For Purpose.”
What it means it that the item or entity in question is not capable of performing the basic function it was designed for. The best example I can think of are the hub caps I recently purchased from Halfords.
Hub caps have a simple job: they cap your hubs. I suppose one could argue that these hub caps do that, because they do cap the hubs. The problem a...
What it means it that the item or entity in question is not capable of performing the basic function it was designed for. The best example I can think of are the hub caps I recently purchased from Halfords.
Hub caps have a simple job: they cap your hubs. I suppose one could argue that these hub caps do that, because they do cap the hubs. The problem a...
May 8, 2016
Living the Dream
Today, I have a guest post, which is something I don’t believe I have ever done before (because, as we know, it’s all about me). But today, I am pleased to host Catherine Ryan Howard.
I encountered Miss Howard years ago on the ex-pats-with-books-about-being-ex-pats circuit. I bought her books — Moustrapped (about her time at Disney World) and Backpacked (about an ill-advised hiking trip in Central America) — and have been following her career ever since.
You see, Catherine had a dream, a big dr...
I encountered Miss Howard years ago on the ex-pats-with-books-about-being-ex-pats circuit. I bought her books — Moustrapped (about her time at Disney World) and Backpacked (about an ill-advised hiking trip in Central America) — and have been following her career ever since.
You see, Catherine had a dream, a big dr...
April 30, 2016
Impressions of America
Now that we’ve got the big stuff out of the way, it’s time to talk about the minutia of our visit.
This happened before we got to the US, but I wanted to share it with you.
Heathrow airport: still the best place to get a 2,45 ($4.16) glass of water.Fist off, we arrived just after the biggest snowstorm of the season. That sounds bad until you consider that they’d had an unnaturally warm and snow-free winter. Still, it was a significant amount, but by the time we arrived, it was all but gone.
That...
This happened before we got to the US, but I wanted to share it with you.Heathrow airport: still the best place to get a 2,45 ($4.16) glass of water.Fist off, we arrived just after the biggest snowstorm of the season. That sounds bad until you consider that they’d had an unnaturally warm and snow-free winter. Still, it was a significant amount, but by the time we arrived, it was all but gone.
That...
April 24, 2016
The State of the Nation
Yeah, we visited my homeland last week, so it is now time for me to report on what I found.
Before I begin, allow me to confirm that Americans are still the most welcoming, friendly and effusive people on the planet. They are large (my god, the amount of sugar those people go through) and loud (but that’s part of their charm) and will give you the shirt off their back (if not the sugar and butter icing off of their cake) if you ask for it, and it is a joy to be among them.
Unfortunately, before...
Before I begin, allow me to confirm that Americans are still the most welcoming, friendly and effusive people on the planet. They are large (my god, the amount of sugar those people go through) and loud (but that’s part of their charm) and will give you the shirt off their back (if not the sugar and butter icing off of their cake) if you ask for it, and it is a joy to be among them.
Unfortunately, before...
April 6, 2016
Now That April’s Here
It’s raining right now. Beyond the droplets on my window pane I see skies the color of dirty cotton, and hear the wind, which I know to be from the north.
Still, I am upbeat because spring — and all that comes with it — is well and truly here. Showery days aside (which, after all, is what defines April), it was intermittently nice yesterday, and this past weekend was lovely.
On our weekend morning walk around the park, the sun was shining, the children were mucking about in the muck and the daf...
Still, I am upbeat because spring — and all that comes with it — is well and truly here. Showery days aside (which, after all, is what defines April), it was intermittently nice yesterday, and this past weekend was lovely.
On our weekend morning walk around the park, the sun was shining, the children were mucking about in the muck and the daf...
March 3, 2016
To Cap It Off
Some time ago, we found ourselves in need of a hub cap.
Riding around with three fully dressed wheels and one naked one is, in the grand scheme of things, a trivial irritation, so redressing this situation was not high on my priority list. Still, I did propose to deal with it one day, assuming it would be a minor task. Yesterday was that day, and it was anything but.
Having the car to myself for the morning, I took it to a well-known auto-parts dealer (yes, I’m talking to you, Halfords) and, ha...
Riding around with three fully dressed wheels and one naked one is, in the grand scheme of things, a trivial irritation, so redressing this situation was not high on my priority list. Still, I did propose to deal with it one day, assuming it would be a minor task. Yesterday was that day, and it was anything but.
Having the car to myself for the morning, I took it to a well-known auto-parts dealer (yes, I’m talking to you, Halfords) and, ha...
February 16, 2016
For What It’s Worth
On the coast, not far from where I live, is the city of Brighton. It has a sort of chequered reputation: known for “Dirty Weekends”, the “Brighton Quickie” divorce and being, at one time, saddled with the dubious title of “murder capital of Europe,” it is also a vibrant, fun and quirky city with an enthusiastic night life and a 365 day carnival jutting into the English Channel otherwise known as “the Brighton Pier.” I recommend a visit. Go there. Right now.
Really, a visit to Brighton is a nic...
Really, a visit to Brighton is a nic...
