Delayed

This time last year, everything in my little garden was in full bloom. Thanks to a particularly cold winter and wet springtime (this May has been the wettest for years), plants are only just starting to grow. Witness my two peonies this morning and compare with one of them, this day last year.

High Spirits

This must, surely, qualify as one of the smallest spirit levels known to humankind lol..?

Reading Gaol Woes

Hopefully this won't be the end of Reading Borough Council's attempts to purchase the historic gaol. A previous bidder had already walked away, leaving RBC as the only contender. I fail to see how this bid could be described as too low when the alternative is it remaining empty for perhaps another 7 years, costing the tax payer who knows how much to maintain!

Reading more here, from Berkshire Live.

Gimme Space

I came across this image on the social media and thought it an innovative (and fun) solution to having limited restaurant space. Do you think it would catch on and become popular?

Precipitation

So much for Spring: We've had so much rain in my little part of the UK, I'm once again convinced we have been twinned with Star Trek planet Ferenginar LOL.

Matured

Found my final batch of home-brew beer. Easily it has to be over six years old; how on Earth did I overlook it?!? If I'm ill tomorrow, you'll be sure to know why LOL.

Without Plot

Many will be aware I'm a big Tom Clancy fan. I've read all his original Jack Ryan novels and a fair number of the posthumously written continuations featuring Jack Jr.

Film adaptations such as The Sum of all Fears and The Hunt for Red October have been fairly pleasing over the years. They've stuck to the plot pretty well and given a good account of the major characters motivations. Obviously you can't do in 90 to 120 minutes what several hundred pages of text might. Amazon have even made a really good attempt with two series (I'm sorry I am not American and won't say season) based around the early years of Jack Ryan. Both series borrow heavily from the source material, while taking a couple of acceptable leaps into the here and now. Fans can still spot without effort the origin stories and certainly won't be offended by any creative liberties the production team have taken.

Now we move to the latest offering, Tom Clancy's Without Remorse starring Michael B Jordan as John Kelly/John Clark, one of the major characters in the so-called Ryanverse. Without Remorse was written by Clancy as a prequel story to flesh out and create a back story of the former Navy SEAL, who acts as the undercover action man in several novels. It's a big book with a heck of a lot going on so it doesn't come as a surprise it had to be trimmed to fit the restrictions of the big screen (although in the end it has been released to streaming services). 

The trouble is, in an effort to no doubt tell one uncomplicated narrative, the writers have moved completely away from the source, to tell their own story. A very simple something happens at the start, there are repercussions and our hero is spurred into action. In the final section a not very surprising twist is revealed and resolved. Queue waving the American flag with some rousing music.  Save the names of a few characters, this film has little in common with Clancy's novel.

Don't get me wrong I have nothing against a black actor (Jordan) being cast in the role described by Clancy as being of European decent. In fact in his earlier novels, Clancy challenges preconceived ideas of race and social standing to great effect- in the book Patriot Games (also a great film adaptation) Ryan's best friend Robbie Jackson is assumed (by Irish terrorists) to be the butler and is therefore overlooked and not thought to be a threat. This proved to be far from the truth and the terrorists ultimate downfall. 

Jordan does a great job as an action hero. Not only that, in the quieter moments, he conveys effectively his characters emotions and motivations.

The issue with this film is trying to legitimise a so-so story by attaching the original author's name to it and trying to pass it off as being a genuine part of the Clancy narrative; when it clearly isn't even the poor cousin visiting from the other side of town. 

Sippin'

Cheers!

 

Jones

A special Covid related message...

Blue Sky

One of the best ever tracks by one of the all time greatest groups; so how come I've not seen this video before..?

95

(This arrived on Friday 9th April but given the announcement of the death of Prince Philip, it didn't seem appropriate to post)

Feast your eyes on this lovely little set issued to celebrate the 95th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: A Royal Canadian Mint $20 and a UK Royal Mint £2. Both in limited edition silver proof, naturally LOL.

You Got Me!

How could I resist, you clever Marketing girls and boys LOL?