Welshrogue

From the Publisher

The drinks are on Sunshine State historian/spree killer Serge A. Storms, who’s decided it’s high time he got married. So he’s motoring down to the Florida Keys — the ultimate end of the line — in search of Ms. Right . . .

and finding his doped-up basket case bud Coleman along the way. But for Serge, “”getting hitched”" doesn’t necessarily mean “”settling down”" — not when South Florida is crawling with slimeballs, swindlers, unrepentant jerks, and annoying bystanders whose ranks need some serious thinning.

Any book that stars and I do mean STARS, Serge A. Storms is always going to be going at a hundred miles an hour. Fast paced and more than a little crazy sums up both the book and Serge. With the most inventive murders around, Serge has become the most enjoyable serial killer ever to be found in Florida.

A great book, filled with humour, sickness, sex and just a little violence. Can’t wait for the next one.

When is a bank job not a bank job? That is the plot of a movie about a bank heist that perhaps is not all that it seems. A thriller with more than a few twists. Very enjoyable with a good cast and a few laughs along the way. A movie that would also be a good book. Look forward to the DVD.

A futuristic London where a fascist government rules with an iron hand is the scene for a moving, horrifying and hopeful movie about what happens when the men who are in charge become too controlling.

A masked man unleashed a revenge that lasts a year and during which time, the truth of what has happened to the country is revealed. Innocents are caught up in the revenge, and truths about them change who they are.

I am finding it hard to explain what the movie is about even though I know what it was about and I have already read the graphic novel. I think perhaps because this is a movie with many layers, many sub plots and with very many facets to each. I am sure that some people will watch it and say that it is a social comment on the state of some countries right now. I am sure others will think it a poor relation to the Matrix. All I know is that it is a powerful movie that doesn’t avoid the pain to soften the blow. I loved the movie but I wonder if perhaps many people will simply not get it. I hope they do because this is a very well acted, well written story that was important enough for Alan Moore when he wrote it, even if he doesn’t want his name attached to it now.

Obviously there were changes to the plot, some for speed, others, perhaps to make the story more palatable. In this time of terrorists around the world, this movie perhaps shows the difference between one who is simply a terrorist and someone who is fighting for something more. Its a thin line that often appears differently to different people.

In the end this is a major movie that people should sit up and take notice of.

From the Publisher
WELCOME TO THE DEADLY SKIES
Pam Am Flight 10 is heading routinely from Seattle to Tokyo when one by one its engines explode. Only brilliant work by its pilot saves the 747 and the hundreds of passengers on board….
At Pan Am headquarters, the newly revived airline is facing a serious setback–rumors of financial uncertainty have panicked Wall Street and sent stock prices and bond ratings plummeting….
At the airline”s maintenance facility, a mysterious intruder has left behind evidence of possible industrial sabotage….
Since the new Pan Am has risen from the ashes of deregulation to challenge the big three U.S. airlines, nothing has gone smoothly. Now with threats from all sides, Pan Am”s chief pilot Brian Murphy, its new chief financial officer Elizabeth Sterling, and international financier Creighton MacRae must work together to save the beleaguered airline–if their personal feelings don”t get in the way….

A financial airplane thriller. Not your normal plot by any means but an engaging tale about corruption, airplanes, money and sabotage. Started slowly and for some reason reminded me of Michael Crictons Airframe. Picked up the pace though. I am sure accountants would love this book but I found it just OK.

100 Greatest Rock Guitarists

Criteria: – Guitarists are ranked for their impact, influence, creativity, versatility,
originality, technical skill and lasting popularity in the genre of Rock guitar.

My faves are… probably not in this order though..

1. Jimi Hendrix* – Jimi Hendrix Experience
2. Eric Clapton – Yardbirds, Cream, Derek & The Dominos, Solo
5. Eddie Van Halen – Van Halen
7. Joe Satriani – Solo
9. Steve Vai – David Lee Roth, Whitesnake, Solo
10. David Gilmour – Pink Floyd, Solo
12. Randy Rhoads* – Quiet Riot, Ozzy
14. Paul Gilbert – Mr. Big, Racer X, Solo
21. Eric Johnson – Solo
24. Brian May – Queen
31. Mark Knopfler – Dire Straits, Solo
33. Nuno Bettencourt – Extreme, Mourning Widows
44. Slash – Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver
50. Angus Young – AC/DC
56. Zakk Wylde – Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society
66. Steve Cropper – Booker T. & MG's/Stax sessions
71. Joe Perry – Aerosmith
72. Prince – Prince & The Revolution
97. Joe Walsh – James Gang, Eagles, Solo
113. Ted Nugent – Ambouy Dukes, Damn Yankees, Solo,
118. Andy Summers – Police
129. Richie Sambora – Bon Jovi
153. Phil Collen – Def Leppard
182. The Edge – U2
185. Mick Mars – Motley Crue

And here are a few guitarists that don`t make the list that I believe should…

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter – Doobie Brothers
Steve Clark* – Def Leppard
Kurt Cobain* – Nirvana
Reeves Gabrels – Tin Machine, Solo
Dan Huff – Giant, session player
Mick Jones – The Clash
Hank Marvin – The Shadows
Chris Rea
Snowy White – Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy

IMHO of course

From the Publisher

Rip Cantrell is brought back to give the saucer one last flight. Charley Pine has started flying for a rich French tycoon, and there is believed to be another downed saucer somewhere in the area. Rip can’t quite get over the fact that Charley has dumped him. But when push comes to shove Rip and the United States Government are going to go head to head with this crazy Frenchman in trying to be the first to the saucer.

If written in a different style, Saucer the Conquest would be a great kids book. It has adventure and flying saucers, like kids need more than that. As it is, its a very enjoyable yarn. It isn’t at all like Coonts normal naval works but still keeps the reader turning the pages as they get caught up in the plot.

Whoops my mistake, its Eddie Van Halen……. oh dear.

Another comic adaptation, this one featuring a creature that the Nazi’s called into this world who grows up, and up and files his horns down and is red and has a large right hand………..

The one liners sound as if James Bond is dressed in the red suit. The action is OK, although some of the computer generated fight scenes are a little too computer generated.. It feels like a X men type of story, looks like one, and apart from a fish-man who sounds like David Hyde Pierce, is one. You could replace Hellboy with Wolverine, etc… but don’t take that badly, its still a fun movie, with lots of humourous moments amid the monsters and doom. Very enjoyable and if the rumours are true about Hellboy two, I’ll be there!!

The one thing that I do have to question is Hellboy’s hair, done up in a nice little pony-tail like a sumo wrestlers…. couldn’t he have used some hair product or would that have made him Gel-boy?

A novel about the kidnapping of the president.

Starts slowly, builds nicely but in the end, doesn’t deliver a real knock-out punch. Its well crafted yet puts a questionable love story in the way of what is a half decent thriller. Not bad, not great, but definatly not bad.

Yes, its Bond and he’s back. This time working out why a Russian research facility was destroyed and discovering an old friend along the way.

This was the first Pierce Brosnan Bond and as such its OK. The plot is the usual 007 fare and other than the visual effects, it is pretty good. The supporting cast is probably one of the strongest in years, with Robbie Coltrane, Tcheky Karyo, and Judi Dench all bringing serious acting chops to the usually lightweight cast. Even Minnie Driver appears as a Russian mistress/tone deaf singer. The stunts are as usual spectacular. The only thing that seemed to spoil the whole thing was the visual effects. When the mig crashes in the research facility, it looks like a model plane crashing into a model building… The jump into the plane looks like it has been done against a green screen… When the water is emptying out of the giant dish, there are a couple of scenes where the water is going backwards!!

Other than that, a good movie, Brosnan does well, Famke Janssen is over the top as Onatopp and the bond girl, Izabella Scorupco, is OK as the Russian computer programmer.