Under the Wave at Waimea by Paul Theroux

Paul Theroux is a jerk. But the most skillful writer I can name.

And he’s had a house in Hawaii for over 30 years.

Under the Wave at Waimea is his 2021 novel. Good insight into surf culture.

Professional Hawaiian surfer Joe Sharkey, the protagonist of Paul Theroux’s superb new novel, “Under the Wave at Waimea,” is in trouble — even before he accidentally kills a bicyclist on a dark, rain-drenched road on Oahu’s North Shore.
Old-timers recognize and are thrilled to meet “the Shark,” as he’s nicknamed.
But to the younger surfing crowd, 62-year-old Joe is “just another leathery geezer in flip-flops.”
In short, he’s feeling old.
“When did it happen?” he wonders. “It wasn’t sudden — no illness, no failure; it had stolen upon him.” …

An aging surfer comes to terms with mortality in Paul Theroux’s superb ‘Under the Wave at Waimea’

The Shark starts to fall apart after the accident. His  38-year-old girlfriend has him tested, but it doesn’t seem to be related to Alzheimer’s.

Joe starts telling the same old stories. Over and over again. I did enjoy the ones about Hunter S Thompson in Hawaii. 😀

Theroux is in his 80’s now. I’m thinking aging is much on his mind.

There’s a flashback to Joe’s school days. How he became a surfer. Hawaiian kids at Joe’s school did not appreciate the Haole. White man.

It could be adapted for television.

BUY only the Cheapest MacBook Air

I’m using a 2022 MacBook Air right now.

M2 chip with 8Gb of memory.

And that’s PLENTY to edit 1080p video from 4k clips.

In fact, the least expensive MacBook Air is plenty enough power for 99% of the population.

The one downside of the cheapest Air is that it ships with a pitiful 30W USB-C Power brick. Recharging the Air is … SLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW. 😕

You can upgrade to a 100W brick for CAD $72 right now.

But I prefer the UGREEN Nexode 100W charger for CAD $68.

Smaller. More compact. And it has 3 USB-C ports and 1 USB-A port which I find enough for most of my daily charging needs.

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Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz

Forever and a Day is a 2018 James Bond novel written by Anthony Horowitz and featuring original material by James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

prequel to the events of Casino Royale, the book recounts Bond’s first mission as a double-0 agent …

Set in the French Riviera in 1950, Bond investigates the killing of the previous man designated 007 …

The Bond girl in this one is impressive – Joanne “Sixtine / Madame 16” Brochet.

Jenny says I’m TOUGHER than I know 😀

One of my bikepacking inspirations.

Jenny Tough does not have a Wikipedia page.

… a writer and adventurer, and an enthusiast for all things endurance challenges, particularly in the mountains.

Whether it be a race or a solo adventure, her desire to push her limits has led her to numerous corners of the world.

In 2021 she completed a global challenge to run, solo and unsupported, across a mountain range on every continent, including three world-first traverses. She’s also competed in long-distance bikepacking races, including becoming the two-time first woman in the Silk Road Mountain Race and first woman in the inaugural Atlas Mountain Race – considered two of the toughest off-road bike races.

Outside of her personal pursuits, she is on a mission to get more people outside and challenging their own comfort zones, particularly women and girls, which she has championed by launching a book called Tough Women: Adventure Stories.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Every City is Every Other City by John McFetridge

I’d never heard of John McFetridge before reading his entertaining 2021 book …

Every City is Every Other City

He’s about my age and has been publishing since 2003.

He writes Canadian crime fiction unapologetically. The setting of this book is Toronto. Canuck pop culture references are continual.

My first highlight is that Gord Stewart, 40 years old, single, living with his widowed father is almost an anti-hero. More a loser than super sleuth. That’s original.

He’s been working in the movie business as a location scout for years, and when there isn’t much filming, as a private eye for a security company run by ex-cops, OBC.

When a fellow crew member asks him to find her missing uncle, Gord reluctantly takes the job. The police say the uncle walked into some dense woods in Northern Ontario and shot himself, but the man’s wife thinks he’s still alive.

With the help of his movie business and OBC connections, Gord finds a little evidence that the uncle may be alive.

Now Gord has two problems: what to do when he finds a man who doesn’t want to be found, and admitting that he’s getting invested in this job.

For the first time in his life, Gord Stewart is going to have to leave the sidelines and get into the game. Even if it might get him killed.

STFU by Dan Lyons

Dan Lyons was a senior editor at Forbes magazine.

I knew him from the days he was anonymously “Fake Steve Jobs” online. Hilarious.

His new book is STFU: The Power of Keeping Your Mouth Shut in an Endlessly Noisy World.

New York Times bestselling author Dan Lyons is here to tell you – and don’t take this the wrong way – that you really need to shut the f*ck up!

Our noisy world has trained us to think that those who get in the last word win, when in fact it’s those who know how to stay silent who really hold the power. 

… Lyons combines leading behavioral science with actionable advice on how to communicate with intent, think critically, and open your mind and ears to the world around you.

Talk less, get more. That’s what STFU is all about.

Prescriptive, informative, and addictively readable, STFU gives you the tools to become your better self, whether that’s in the office, at home, online, or in your most treasured relationships.

So take a deep breath, turn the page, and quietly change your life.

Research shows that — in groups — men talk more than women, and interrupt more than women.

He named some skillful listeners: Tim Cook, Richard Branson, Barack Obama.

The opposite would be Trump, who doesn’t listen to a word anyone else says.

I’m going to try to be more disciplined in future. Sit still. and LISTEN.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan

Book #2 in the Detective Cormac Reilly series by Irish lawyer, Dervla McTiernan.

I found the story line cleaner and easier to follow than in Book #1 – The Ruin.

When Dr Emma Sweeney stumbles across the victim of a hit and run outside Galway University late one evening, she calls her partner, Detective Cormac Reilly, bringing him first to the scene of a murder that would otherwise never have been assigned to him.

A security card in the dead woman’s pocket identifies her as Carline Darcy, a gifted student and heir apparent to Irish pharmaceutical giant Darcy Therapeutics.

The multi-billion-dollar company, founded by her grandfather, has a finger in every pie, from sponsoring university research facilities to funding political parties to philanthropy – it has funded Emma’s own ground-breaking research.

The enquiry into Carline’s death promises to be high profile and high pressure.

As Cormac investigates, evidence mounts that the death is linked to a Darcy laboratory and, increasingly, to Emma herself. Cormac is sure she couldn’t be involved, but as his running of the case comes under scrutiny from the department and his colleagues, he is forced to question his own objectivity.

Could his loyalty to Emma have led him to overlook evidence? Has it made him a liability?

dervlamctiernan.com

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I’m on Cholesterol Medication

Rosuvastatin 10mg

After 2023 annual medical lab tests, my Doctor recommended I try 3 months of a pill to see how it affects my cholesterol levels.

He was surprised to see my numbers as I don’t have other conditions often associated with cholesterol risk.

I’ll TRY as well to change my diet: fewer bad fats; less dairy, red meat, partially hydrogenated oils.

More fruits and vegetables, fish, etc.

The evidence is quite good that simultaneously taking drugs that lower blood pressure and cholesterol reduces the risk of stroke.

My blood pressure meds:

  • Apo-Perindopril 8mg
  • Sandoz-Amlodipine 10mg
  • Apo-Hydro 12.5mg

I’ve never noticed any side effects from any of these medications.

The Midnight Lock by Jeffery Deaver

The 2021 Lincoln Rhyme book is excellent, as are they all. It’s the most recent, as I post.

Another roller coaster of a plot with multiple surprise endings.

A woman awakes in the morning to find that someone has picked her apartment’s apparently impregnable door lock and, terrifyingly, rearranged personal items, even sitting beside her while she slept.

The intrusion, the police learn, is a message to the entire city of carnage and death to come.

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs are brought in to investigate and soon learn that the brilliant, sociopathic intruder, who calls himself “The Locksmith,” can break through any lock or security system ever devised. …

jefferydeaver.com

The Locksmith is a terrific bad guy. AND there is a second villain in this book — an extreme charismatic blogger who’s somehow connected.

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New Tricks – season 1

Randy and Val watched all 107 episodes (12 seasons) of a very popular British TV series.

So far, I’ve managed only the 1st season. Entertaining.

In episode 7, for example, the old timers must do their annual physical evaluation. 😀

I admire British TV for including actors that don’t look like actors. And older actors. These could be real people you’d see on the street.

New Tricks (2004 – 2015) focuses on the work of the Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS) – a fictional division within London’s Metropolitan Police Service tasked with re-investigating unsolved crimes.

UCOS primarily functioned with a senior police detective overseeing the work of three retired police officers who would handle each case, and who could bring in police support when needed.  …

… devised the title of the programme around the proverb “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks“. …

The theme tune of the programme is sung by cast member Dennis Waterman. The song is “It’s Alright” (written by Mike Moran). …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.