Finished The Athenian Murders by José Carlos Somoza. Irritating at first, then intriguing, very impressive by the end. Picked it up in the library thinking it was going to be a standard mock-historical whodunnit like Cadfael or Marcus Didius Falco: this one with "Decipherer of Enigmas", Heracles Pontor tramping round ancient Athens. It is that: pretty decently done, though a little clumsy in some of the mystery mechanics. But it's also has stories on several levels: one told in the translator's footnotes, two others embedded into the text.
From looking at the reviews, a lot of people seem to have just found it just irritating: it's a little too cutesy-clever for some, and the philosophy and history are a bit too shallow for some. I loved it though. Thought it was great that I was totally suckered by a superb red herring.
Definitely well worth reading, and sticking with. One of the more original books I've read in the last year or so.
Author article, review, review.
What I'm Watching
Saw vampire/werewolf action movie
Underworld
on DVD. Pretty good I thought: well-executed, with the plot elements worked
out neatly.
Also got around to watching Sunset Boulevard. Yes, there are an awful lot of classic movies I haven't seen. Liked it a lot. It's older than I expected: for some reason I thought it was 1960s, but it was made in 1950. Hasn't dated too badly apart from the bombastic score, which underlines every witty line and dramatic moment with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Certainly makes you appreciate Norma Desmond's nostalgia for the silent era. Moves crisply along, superb mix of comedy and tragedy. If you're in the tiny handful of people who hasn't seen this, you really ought to. Ebert review, IMDB, Long filmsite summary.
Computer
Minor irritations with the home computer again.
Having some more problems with fan noise: getting an unpleasant metallic rasping sometimes.
Dusted out the insides and the processor fan, but now I think it's coming from the enclosed
power supply fan. Need to get a can of air from somewhere.
Irritating though. I mean: TVs, stereos, even videos must have power supplies and transformers. How come TV designers don't think "ooh, the power supply might get hot: better put a whirry fan inside a metal echo chamber to cool it off"? If they can build silent transformers, why can't PC designers?
Also have managed to hamfistedly strip both the front USB ports. In my defence I think they were a bit flimsy, since didn't have problems with the ports on the last computer and the work computer. Means more tinkering around eventually though. Gah.
Was quite tempted to get a cheap DVD player to watch stuff without the computer. (Last one broke) It's the size of the things that puts me off. Dunno why they're so huge.
Web
It's been a bit disappointing lately, but did like this week's
Angry Flower.
Dimly remember a big argument about this on K5 ages ago. Someone was arguing pistols were safer than rifles to use indoors because they wouldn't penetrate walls. Round penetration in drywall.
Medblogging stuff. NHS blog doctor on giving bad news to patients: looks like you have to ask pretty specifically to get the truth. Dr Flea linked to this interesting flame-thread on "defensive medicine", where they slug it out over whether it's good to order unnecessary tests.
Operation Become Less Fat
CW: 13st 0
SW: 14st 4
Loss: 18 pounds
Weeks: 11
Loss per week: 1.6 pounds
Saturday 11 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, Frosties
Lunch: 2 huge slices bread (approx 400kcal, 12g protein), Tesco Chunky Chicken and Vegetable Meal Soup (210kcal,15.6g protein), 3 cherry tomatoes, grapes, lychees.
Supper: 2 huge slices bread 175g bread (466 kcal, 14g protein), Weight Watchers Ocean Pie (214kcal, 14g protein), 4 cherry tomatoes. Milky Way (114 kcal).
Snacks: 1 cup tea, 1 slice ham, 1 orange
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C-, dumb-bells
Sunday 12 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, 2 eggs (152kcal, 12g protein), 80g bread (213Kcal,6g protein), small portion cheese.
Lunch: 200g potato (144kcal, 4g protein), 1 M&S lamb steak (377kcal, 45g protein), parsnip, carrot, broccoli. M&S "Count on Us" double choc sundae (180kcal).
Supper: Approx 80g bread (213Kcal,6g protein) with soft cheese, 5 grapes
Snacks: 1 Cocodirect drinking chocolate with shot whisky
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C
Monday 13 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, Coco Pops and skimmed milk
Lunch: Small egg, sausage, bacon sandwich.
Supper: M&S "Count on Us" Thai Red Chicken and Noodles ready meal (340 kcal, 31g protein), M&S "Count on Us" strawberry pavlova (150kcal,2g protein).
Second supper: toast, chicken breast (approx 80g 104kcal 24g protein), tomato
Snacks: 2 Ryvita, grapes, lychees
Booze: 2 whisky
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C. Dumb-bells: light 5kg 4x14, heavy 12.5kg 4x14. 3.5 miles walking
Tuesday 14 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee,2 eggs (152kcal, 12g protein), approx 30g M&S half-fat cheese (83kcal,9g protein), small piece toast.
Lunch: Small BLT roll
Supper: 1 M&S lamb steak (377kcal, 45g protein), 280g potatoes, carrot, broccoli. 3 squares chocolate.
Booze: 1 pt London Ale
Snacks: M&S "count on us" Salt and Vinegar Fries (90kcal)
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C, 1.75 miles walking
Wednesday 15 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, large toast with chicken breast, tiny piece cheese.
Lunch: Small beef sandwich, doughnut
Snacks: 2 Ryvita, tomato, small piece chicken breast, 1 hot chocolate
Supper: 1 can chilli con carne (380kcal,36.6g protein), small piece cheese, 2 slices toast, 2 oranges.
Booze: 2 whisky
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C. Dumb-bells: light 6.5kg 3x10, heavy 12.5kg 4x14. 3.5 miles walking
Thursday 16 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, toast, chicken breast, tiny piece cheese
Lunch: Small chicken pesto sandwich
Second lunch: chicken strips with sweet chilli sauce (approx 420kcal,25g protein assuming same as 10 McNuggets) side salad
Supper: Lamb and vegetable soup (234kcal, 11.2g protein), small piece cheese, bread roll. Choc & black cherry dessert (130kcal)
Snacks: 1 apple. 1 orange juice
Booze: 1.5 beers, 2 whisky
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C, 1.75 miles walking
Friday 17 Feb 2006
Breakfast: 1 cup coffee, coco pops with skimmed milk
Lunch: Big Ben burger (burger in a bun with one sausage, fried egg, bacon, mushroom, salad) and chips.
Supper: Beef broth soup (170kcal, 9g protein) 3 ryvita, piece cheese. Apple.
Snacks: 2 ryvita, 4 slices pastrami, 1 orange juice.
Booze: 1.5 beers, 2 whisky
Exercise: 5BX Chart 3 Level C. 3.5 miles walking. Dumb-bells: light 6.5kg 3x12, heavy 12.5kg 4x14.
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