The Men Who Stare At Goats

Finished Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, and it was very funny finishing off not wanting to go Glastonbury Glamping.

My next book is "The Men Who Stare At Goats" by Jon Ronson. The thing about this is on the one hand it is funny because it is so ludicrous, but it is scary because these things really happened.

This is my third post this month which I certainly didn't expect to happen, but have a feeling I will post more this year than last year.

Changed my bookmark from the one I got made for me for reviewing a book on Norse mythology to a freebie I picked up on my last visit to Barter Books (link below).

It is really useful because it is like an old wooden ruler with lots of measurement conversions written on it. Check it out here.

If you want to buy a book my dark poetry is on the link below.

I've included "Make That Handjive Mine" by The Bronte Brothers which is just one of the most life-affirming songs I have ever heard.

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Barter Books - An Amazing Bookshop In A Railway Station In Alnwick
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

Bookmarks

Still reading Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, and charged my bookmark from the one I got made for me for reviewing a book on Norse mythology to a freebie I picked up on my last visit to Barter Books (link below).

It is really useful because it is like an old wooden ruler with lots of measurement conversions written on it. Check it out here.

If you want to buy a book my dark poetry is on the link below.

I've included "Finding My Way" by Rush which when I first heard it on John Peel I thought was Led Zeppelin, but we use bookmarks to help find our way through books.

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Barter Books - An Amazing Bookshop In A Railway Station In Alnwick
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

Still Dumb

Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, is nearly twenty years old but could refer to so much that is happening today, today I discovered that in 2006 there is a robot World Cup that had been going on for ten years. I do not know if it is still going, but Charlie goes on about feeling left behind by Myspace and this new-fangled internet thing. I you want to buy a book my dark poetry is on the link below.

I am l still laughing, this was life fifteen years ago and a lot of the world has got much worse. Lots of other things I thought I had forgotten about have resurfaced, but for me, it is an entertaining read.

The song is "International Robots" by one of my favourite Australian bands, The Saints.

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Brunch 23 - A great Restaurant in Fenham
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

The Evening Of The Dumb

This is my most prolific month in 2023 on Seven Days In with five posts (most months have been lucky to get one), but that is probably because the book I am reading now is an easier read than the last one.

Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, is nearly twenty years old but could refer to so much that is happening today, the idiocy of the majority of people who believe and act on what the media tell them. The attitude that "Science doesn't know everything" but conspiracy theories and stuff you find on Tiktok are totally believable.

I am l still laughing, this was life fifteen years ago and a lot of the world has got much worse. Lots of other things I thought I had forgotten about have resurfaced, but for me, it is an entertaining read.

The song is by the Bonzo Dog Band's observation on the state of democracy.

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Brunch 23 - A great Restaurant in Fenham
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

The Morning Of The Dumb

This is my most prolific month in 2023 on Seven Days In with four posts (most months have been lucky to get one), but that is probably because the book I am reading now is an easier read than the last one.

Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, is great fun sniping at annoying television targets and audiences. Hitting and finding fun in programs like Dragons Den and The Apprentice,

I am l still laughing, this was life fifteen years ago and a lot of the world has got much worse. Lots of other things I thought I had forgotten about have resurfaced, but for me, it is an entertaining read.

No music but the brilliant Apprentice take by Mitchell and Webb is appropriate. Watch it you will love it.

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Brunch 23 - A great Restaurant in Fenham
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

Dawn of the Dumb

I am now well into Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, some light dystopian fun, that is a series of newspaper articles that he has compiled into a sort of anthology like I have done with my books.

While I am laughing, this was life fifteen years ago and a lot of the world has got much worse. Trump was an obnoxious TV show host and lots of other things I thought I had forgotten about have resurfaced, but for me, it is an entertaining read.

The music I have chosen is the almost appropriate "Zombie" by CW Stoneking.

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Brunch 23 - A great Restaurant in Fenham
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

Finally

I have finally finished World of Tiers by Philip Jose Farmer and am now starting on Dawn of the Dumb by Charlie Brooker, some light dystopian fun

I recently found out that my American Amazon Author page has a feed from this blog which you can see here. It only shows on the .com site but not others. C'est La Vie.

No music but just some Charlie Brooker video for you.

Mike Singleton - Vocal Stories

I am not sure if you are aware of my writing on Vocal but these are a few of my stories if you would like to sample them:

1. Brunch 23 - A great Restaurant in Fenham
2. Another Raven - A Take On Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
3. The Cleaner - An Autism-Focused Christmas Special
4. An Owl In A Towel - A Beautiful Book by Lesley and Cheryl
5. Three Reasons Why I Love Settle - Scaleber Force, The Hoffman Kiln and Castlebergh Crag
6. The Accidental Book - Helping a Great Vocal Friend Resulted In Me Publishing My First Book
7. Call Me Les - A Great Friend and An Amazing Writer

Post

Well I'm home after the Liver Biopsy, slightly fragile side and sore shoulders for some reason, but remember the right shoulder being a side effect of the Liver Biopsy.

It's quite amazing that  the rooms now have basic TVs although I was tooled up with my Kindle, my Phone and a Matt Haig book, "How To Stop Time".

So I spent some time reading then binge watched Nathan Barley abd was surprised and the number of name actors in it. Benedict Cumberbatch, Noel Fielding, Ben Whishaw and it's written by Chris Morris and Charlie Brooker and it's thirteen years old and I've only just watched it thanks to All 4,

Again it's been another example of how brilliant and efficient the NHS is despite being under such enormous pressure due to lack of investment.

I also found the 360º Camera app on Facebook on my phone, so that is another plus from today. I now need two days of total rest before slipping back into real life.

Today I was worried I would have my lowest ever step total , but I have hit just over 3K although tomorrow and Saturday will both be very low, then it's a case of trying to catch up.

This morning I was going to share "Hospital" by The Modern Lovers (featuring Jonathan Richman) but that will do for me to sign off tonight. You can hear the Velvet Underground influence in this excellent brooding song, and it's a cool one to sign off with tonight.

Can My Phone Read My Mind?

A friend of mine had posted on Twitter about tge general incompetence if tge contestants.  This called to mind the excellent Mitchell and Webb Apprentice sketch so I thought I would send her the link from Youtube. The recommendations are usually Charlie Brooker and music related. Top of the pile today was a Mitchell and Webb cricket sketch.

It's just coincidence but it would give Derek Acorah a series!!

iPad on a Train

This is the first time I've tried to blog on a train with my iPad and blu tooth keyboard. It's a bit weird as theres a slight keyboard delay and the t key was sticking causing unwanted repetition. The keyboard case I got for the iPad is generally excellent and makes the iPad itself far more productive.

Tablets , by their nature , are good for browsing and watching and research but more difficult to actually do productive work on. While still getting used to the idea of not having a mouse but touching the screen for mousey type actions, I must say the iPad is very usable.

Charlie brooker described it as a "content deiver device" and a "twattometer" before deciding he could do without one.

I'm still in the very early stages of learning about it, but I only have an iPad 2 and its fast , responsive and easy to use. I have lots of complaints and narks about it but I have used it more in the month that I have had it that I did the Advent Vega in the 15 months that I had that.

It's an excellent e-reader and there are lots of free books avaiable , then you have Garage Band the app that persuded me to get one.

It's still early days but so far I am very impressed.

Just need Apple to accept the have faults and rectify them instead of pretending everything is perfect.

Seriously I would recommend one of these to anyone.

I Have an iPad ... And I might just use it

I now now have an iPad and you know I will find something to complain about. First up it comes in a cardbourd box that contains the cellophane wrapped box that actually contains the damned thing. So not very green Apple , are we?

Next up everything is very whitely packages , put you have to put the damned plug together !! Its not even because it's a multiple power socket , it's just to make things awkward!!

Then you have to have an email address to use the damned thing and  need to register , this is part of the Apple Control I detest.

There are other gripes as well but ...

Garageband sold the thing to me and there are some good applications . It's fast and easy to use and it's the software that sells it. It is definitely faster and more responsive than my Advent Vega.

The apps are plentiful , some are rubbish and some are amazing . SOme are usefull and some have  a lifespan of five minutes.

I have succumbed to buying an iPad , because its a good tablett and will be a studio in my had . I wont be buying a Mac or an iPhone though . My Samsung Note will do me :)

It's Late

And I have nothing to post although I was extolling the virtues of Charlie Brooker to my friend Carol today so I will repost Charlie's initial iPad review which was hilarious and stuff about Black Mirror as well.


Oh and the trailer for the excellent Black Mirror

Apple iPhone 5 Is Here - Sorry Make That The Apple iPhone 4S

Apple for the first time in a long time don't have a new product. The much trumpeted iPhone 5 , is in fact the iPhone 4S . It's a major improvement on the iPhone 4 , faster , better camera , and all that but you'll have to wait til next year for the iPhone 5. Can't wait to hear Charlie Brooker's verdict , and I know they'll shift faster than a greyhound in a dragster!! Here's Charlie Brooker's first impressions of the iPad - He ended up buying one and loving it

Anyway you can pre order your iPhone 4S through Orange or T-Mobile on the inks on this page!!

Brookerised and Mugged

I thought I had it sussed. I could read Charlie Brooker on the train without breaking into a guffaw every five minutes. Reading "Dawn of The Dumb" on the way back to Newcastle from Darlington page 66 caused me to laugh out loud. This was made bad as I was sitting next to a po-faced iPod wearing student who made Morrisey look like Jerry Sadowitz (I think that's how you spell it).

That was bad enough but I get home to find that you have to renew the photo on your driving license every ten years , and for this privelege I have top pay £20. What with that and my Passport renewal coming up I'm going to be lucky if I can afford to eat at this rate.

Thank god there's an election coming up. Though let's face it nothing will change . As many people have stated "No Matter Who YOu Vote For, The Government Always Gets In!".

Still Screen Burning

I'm still reading Charlie Brooker's "Screen Burn" , but hitting the home straight, and it's still causing me to laugh out loud on the train. Yesterday , a rather nice lady was having problems fitting her breakfast on one of the miniscule drop down shelves, resulting in much scrabbling about onthe floor for dropped biscuits and the like.

I was already reading and sniggering at whatever I was saying , and thought this could be taken in the wrong way. I then explained why i was acting like the proverbial loony on the bus (or on this case train) and it turned out she was also a big Charlie Brooker fan , so managed to come out of the situation intact.

The reason "Screen Burn" manages to be consistently funny is that it's a series of vitriolic fortnightly observations on the state of television in this new millenium and effectively documents the rise of "Reality" TV and it's despicable spin offs.

Anyway here's where it started , Charlie Brooker's TV Goes Home Web Site here.

Charlie Brooker: Danger Man!

Just coming home I noticed a human derelict on the steps of our local William Hills drinking from what looked like a 2 litre bottle of Strongbow and bumming cigarettes from anyone entering or leaving the establishment , which , for a change , today wasn't me (entering the establishment that is not being the human derelict!). I mention this only as an aside and for the fact that the titular Mr Brooker would have undoubtedly written a decent article based on the situation.

I'm currently working my way through "Screen Burn" and this is a dangerous thing to do in a public place. Before you read Charlie Brooker it helps to have a good dose of misanthropy and disdain for the scum that seem to impinge on our daily lives, and if TV and Charlie Brooker are to be believed make up about 95% of the population. TV is his target , which he hits as unnerringly as Kevin Costner in the undiscarded takes of Robin Hood:Prince of Thieves.

Anyway if you read him in public the people near you are going to thing you are mad as you continually burst out laughing , you have become the loony on the bus, YOU are the one they don't want to sit next to. I managed to sidestep this by warning the person I sit next to that I'm going to be laughing for the next half hour at a very funny book , so at least they are warned.

In the book Brooker admits he's an arachnophobe and no amount of "They're more scared of you than you are of them" will sway him. Charlie , this is the thing with spiders:

• They keep the insect population from getting out of control
• Any creature that's smaller than us and has more legs than us that we can't kill frightens us

That's it!!




Another thing Charlie Brooker hypothesises the Joe McElderry / Rage Against The Machine situation , suggesting that we buy "Ace Of Spades" by Motorhead and make it the Christmas Number One. At the time the competition was from Popstars and Fame Academy. It's a though and you could do worse than downloading it here!