Author: Ian France
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Nostalgia?
A Microstory You know that feeling when a song comes on the radio that you haven’t heard in years? That happened to me the other day, when a hit from yesteryear played early in the morning, just as the sun was peeping over the horizon. I’d been up earlier than usual and I was feeling…
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The Shape Of Jazz To Come
Album: The Shape Of Jazz To Come Artist: Ornette Coleman Year: 1959 Genre: Free Jazz Run Time: 38m Rating: 79.71% Review: Ornette Coleman was the father of what he called Harmolodics, a method in free jazz of improvising the melodic line whilst simultaneously harmonising with it. It was certainly a bold move to title this…
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For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)
Album: For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) Artist: AC/DC Year: 1981 Genre: Hard Rock Run Time: 40m Rating: 77.27% Review: You can be fairly sure of what you’re getting with AC/DC. Simplistic lyrics, simplistic chords — a hard rock recipe that’s been around since the dawn of said genre. That doesn’t mean it’s…
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Ambition > Ability Discipline > Motivation
No doubt you will have noticed, if you work in anything approaching a corporate environment – or ever have – that those at the top are not necessarily the ones with the top abilities. It’s that same the world over. Rarely are those who are in charge the ones who know the most, or have…
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Crossing A Dark Bridge
I like this puzzle. 4 people need to cross a rickety bridge after dark. In order to cross it, they must have a torch with them. They all move at different speeds: the first could cross the bridge in 1 minute; the second in 2 minutes; the third in 5 minutes; and the fourth in…
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Quicksilver
This playlist is taken from my Converse radio station series, which focuses on whole-album play-throughs. Quicksilver plays back to back albums from Mercury Prize alumni. Quicksilver / 1: Get a load of some block rockin’ beats with The Chemical Brothers’ masterwork, Dig Your Own Hole (nominated 1997): hard, funky and bass-heavy breaks. Follow that with…
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What You Are Looking For Is In The Library
Title: What You Are Looking For Is In The Library Author: Michiko Aoyama (translated by Alison Watts) Rating: ★★★★★ Review: A beautiful, thought-provoking book, full of inspirational ideas and concepts. The premise of a librarian handing out life advice and tips for self-improvement, but in a round-about kind of way is a wonderful one. The…
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Trainspotting (Music From The Motion Picture)
Album: Trainspotting (Music From The Motion Picture) Artist: Various Artists Year: 1996 Genre: Alternative Run Time: 1h16m Rating: 86.76% Review: This album features a number of tracks heard and referenced in the titular film — and it’s wonderful. Britpop rubs shoulders with techno, and more besides. There are several numbers here not easily available from…
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White Moss
Title: White Moss Author: Anna Nerkagi (translated by Irina Sadovina) Rating: ★★★★★ Review: I mean, just wow! This has dethroned A Prayer For Owen Meaney as my favourite book of all time. There is so much to say here. The book describes the lives of the Nenets, nomadic natives of Siberia, or at least a…
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Like Paper Lanterns In The Breeze
This is my attempt at a sonnet. It was written for my fiancée, Faye. Paper Lanterns In The Breeze There’s a force at work within my life nowAnd none may know its influence on meIt twists and turns and tears my heart – but how!I might never fully, its work to seeBlowing like paper lanterns…
Centred 