This isn’t worth consuming in the same way that Bedknobs and Broomsticks is worth consuming but, if you want some gritty, dark, european cinema then this is pretty compelling if not a little depressing. It’s worth watching mainly for some really good performances that haunt you a bit afterwards. Also some of the scenes are so well observed and shot so well that the tension is almost beautiful.

But Ken Follett is obsessed with ladies breasts! Once you realise this it kind of alters your appreciation of the book as you start to see the pattern that all the good women have big boobs and the badies and non-important female characters have flat chests. Also there seems to be a disproportionate amount of narrative given over to describing what the main female character’s boobs are up to at every given opportunity. It’s still a good book though and there is a good mix of storytelling and interesting factual information. I’m reading the sequel World Without End at the moment which is also good. However I do find it a bit dissapointing that he feels the need to mention the breast size of every female character, also, he’s done a U-turn in this book and the badies have large chests and the goodies have small, firm breasts which just makes me suspect that someone pointed out his underlying obsession in the first book and now he’s tried to over-correct the issue.

Well… I’m still smoking. Although it did say in the intoduction that you might have to read it more than once to make it sink in. I do reccommend it as it has helped a few people I know give up. However, once I noticed all the subliminal “dirty smoking” references I found my focus moved from reading the content of the book to just recognising the NLP running through it. I think I might try getting the audio book of it where this might be less obvious to me.

I bought this on vinyl second hand because I liked the picture and it was cheap. It’s now one of my favourite records. I love it because it’s just so musical (which sounds a bit silly but if you know what ISB sounds like then you might know what I mean) and not at all self-conscious. It just sounds like this is the sound that came out when they sat down and played together and got creative, it doesn’t sound like they tried to sound the way they do, just that it happened this way. It’s just really good!

My brother came home from University in about 1998 with this CD and said I had to listen to it as he thought I’d like it. I did like it a lot! I felt like I’d found a band a bit like me. It also opened up to me the middle ground between folk and indie music. My tastes swing like a pendulum between my ‘dyed in the wool’ folky routes to the strummy, irony bent, floppy haired indie bands of my youngerish days. I like Belle and Sebastian as when you put all their albums together and listen to them they sound like they’ve swung a bit too.

This is my favourite record to put on when I’m washing the dishes. I makes me feel sophisticated and cheerful as if I’m some kind of stylish 1950’s housewife from an advert for sauce pans. It’s also great relaxing music, it’s soothing yet keeps you feeling energetic. In short, if I had a cocktail hour in my house this is what I would put on the record player.

I saw Vetiver live when I went to see Devendra Banhart in September. Usually I can’t wait for the support band to get off the stage so I can see what I came to see and hear but this time I was captivated as soon as I heard them. It’s not just that they are really good, it’s that their music is beautiful and original. I went out and bought the CD the next day. The first track is my favourite, the drums in it are really sexy!

This is the best album I have heard in a long time. I bought it on a whim and i’m glad I did because it’s bloody brilliant! It’s like the Beta Band goes psych-folk. Jenny Again is my favorite track.