Flight 101.

 This is what should have been last weeks release before I found out that one of my childhood heroes died. 

The Secret Agent on flight 101 is the 30th Hardy boys book here, and 46th in America, its basically the Hardys doing an Elvis and touching down in Scotland for a case involving a stage magician with his own castle and sideline in international espionage.

The two groups SKOOL (good guys) and UGLI (not good guys)  are basically  two sides of the same coin, being counterterrorist and actual terrorist groups. It starts with a magic trick that makes Fenton Hardy disappear and the boys spend half the mystery trying to track down their missing father. 

The other part is about the flight 101, a transatlantic route from the east coast to Glasgow, Scotland, and some pretty exotic planes. The enemies have a STOL at their disposal (helioplane in the original) and the boys have a hot air balloon and a trimotor plane piloted by Angus McHugh rather than Jack Wayne. 

I somehow neglected to add the original US version here but it has some differences, mainly about UK police stuff and Scotland yard. I did make notes of this when it came out, but this is a full pick through with revised notes and some more proof reading. 

You can read the original here.

Necrolog Juan Atkins

 Today we lost one of the heroes of dance music, Juan Atkins, the first creator of Techno. 

One of those people that was supremely talented and seemed quite a quiet and reserved guy. If Derrick May was the Playboy and Kevin Saunderson was the family man then Juan to me was always the professor. In fact I was to learn later, he had a daughter Milan Ariel, who also entered the business as a singer, but to me this was the ideal hero. 

It helped a lot that every track he seemed to make was a banger. No U.F.O.s, Off To Battle, Interference, Starlight, and the Flow which got a video on MTV Partyzone back in the day. It helped that you didn't need to sing to feel music speak to you and as a mindless soulless robot autist, that was key. 

I wanted to post about a new revised edit of Secret Agent on Flight 101 but finding this news just as I was about to leave Twitter (X) was a real kick in the teeth.

So I will say rest in peace guy and know that you have left a legacy of music that will stand for all time. 

Eden and Heaven

 I don't think anyone has covered this, but why is heaven so good when we have the Garden of Eden. Disclosure, I don't believe in god, I'm not some U.S. atheist who was balls deep in the church before crashing out. I was the typical births, deaths marriages type of ex godshagger with a bit of Sunday school thrown in, because my mates went there. 

I say this because I've been musing on such things as late. Why is our supposed destination either Heaven or Hell and not the Garden of Eden, instead. 

Looking at the relevant passages in Revelation, it just details what kind of semi-precious stones the walls and foundations are made of, and blabbers on about gold and angels. There is a total absence of life, an aseptic, sterile, paradise where you'll spend eternity praising god and watching those burn for eternity in Hell. 

At least hell is honest, an eternal punishment in fire and darkness, Heaven is just the same but with wealth and light instead. The Jehovah's witnesses get it sort of right with a mix of building site and petting zoo where the people of all nations get to toil endlessly with Jesus. 

Like I say why not Eden when you die. A garden is something that gives life rather than a city of gold in the sky. We were kicked out for eating the tree of knowledge, but I see that as no barrier. We die, we are reborn and if god is in heaven now, surely this is a place for us.

For me, I always said this, give me all the things I never got in life and set me up there for a normal lifespan and then when I die there, either give me oblivion or reincarnation knowing I shall return there when I'm dead, as a reward for enduring the mortal realm.  

Necrolog. Marmalade.

 You may wonder who this is or even why this gets a blog post. Well the reason is our picture of the cat with the crown added in MS Paint is of Marmalade the cat from the popular channel Cole & Marmalade. 

He always was the goofy one from the show and there's a popular clip of him having his mind blown by a money box. Cole died a few years back and in a weird kind of irony both him and Marm passed away on the same day. There's an official obituary video from their owners, which, as a former owner of a ginger cat, hits hard. 

Me, I hope he's with Cole cross that Rainbow bridge.

I would have entered that tiger's den, but then I took a arrow to the knee. 

Oh, in a related note, a guy was mauled to death by a tiger up north. He was, as in most of these cases a Schizophrenic, but that doesn't stop the Mail from saying that he could have been influenced by playing... Skyrim. It's a tragic case and doesn't help when you have cunts like Trump making AI content of him palling up with a Tiger. 

BTW I've played Skyrim, enough to get a thrall (Lydia) and a demon dog and a place to live in IIRC Stormguard (the big city near the start), all the stuff my autistic ass doesn't have IRL. But, yeah, go with that line about Skyrim being an influence.  Oh and online.

Menorca pt3 The rest of the jam

 So, finally back home after two weeks away and already wanting to go back. The reason why is simple, it feels like home. Seriously if you've ever seen the east coast of England* it reminds me of this. An extensive dune system with a few wetland bits including a lot of Ducks and other waterfowl making their presence known on the beach. 

This is representative of  what you can see

 Got pecked by a bastard of a goose when I went to take its photo and it pecked mum when she was giving out bread. That and the storm was the low light of the holiday, though. 

The upside is that there is a lot of great scenery here, thanks to sensitive dune restoration, they've been stripping out the Carpobrotus that normally infests the shoreline and letting the native plants grow. 

Quite a lot of Clouded Yellow and Hummingbird Hawkmoth flying around which was nice to see as both are rare in the UK, and when it rained we saw a tortoise out for a stroll. 

Alongside the cats here, the most prevalent things as I've mentioned before were chickens. Crossing the road as in the old, unfunny joke. Sitting on the roundabout, but mostly situated throughout the dune scape and at any point in the day you can hear at least one cock crowing. 

A handsome boi

They never venture onto the beach, which is the ducks domain, but elsewhere, pretty much rule the roost.

Nice dual set up with our hotel with the main part holding reception, bar and restaurant and our bit the gym and an abandoned reception and restaurant, which I got to walk around, though not sure I was strictly allowed in. 

We looked out over the football pitch and the outdoor bit of the gym so at any given time some one is either hammering the exercise bikes or playing football. 

Pools were cold compared to the sea but at least walkable for those who are tall enough, with a small pool for the kiddies and such. 

The upshot of this is we are seriously considering going back next year when its the high season.

Menorca pt2

 This is just another stupid update. Weather has taken a turn for the worst, we have a storm, well some flashing in the sky and no thunder. Still hate it, mind but as storms go this is about perfect for me.

Menorca pt1

 You have another low quality blog post until we're back. But, can say, I've been enjoying this holiday so much more than the last. It helps that the last time I was here was 30 years ago.

Memories being limited to seeing a Kingfisher for the first time and my first praying mantis. Apart from that... No recollection at all.

Oh and getting bubble bobble PT 2 for Gameboy in Ciutadella (not a patch on the original).

So far, am really enjoying it. A lot of chickens for some reason and cats.

Would revisit 15/10