North to Alaska by Trevor Lund

On By Rick McIn books, cycling, travelLeave a comment

North To Alaska: The True Story of An epic, 16,000-mile cycle journey the length of the Americas

I downloaded this book to read while cycling in Iceland’s wind and rain.

I had it easy compared to Trevor. 😀

At age-21, Trevor cycled 1800 miles down the west coast of Canada and the USA on a second-hand bike he had bought for around £20.

10 years later — in 1999 — he wanted more. Patagonia to Alaska .

His companion crapped out after the first few days. Trevor was alone.

His bicycle was terrible. No mobile phone. Very little money.

What’s different about this book compared with other similar adventures, is how honest and vulnerable the author is about all the many, many things that go wrong. You really feel the highs and lows.

 Independently published Jan. 7, 2020.

Alex Cross, Run by James Patterson

On By Rick McIn books, TVLeave a comment

In advance of Cross, an Amazon Prime TV adaptation dropping November 14, 2024, I read another of the many books.

Like most Patterson, this one has a plot full of holes. Real murder mystery writers must laugh when reading (the much more successful) Patterson.

If you can suspend belief, this one is more complicated and interesting than most.

Two serial killers. Or is it three?

Alex Cross, Run is the 20th novel in the Alex Cross series written by American author James Patterson. The novel focuses on the protagonist, detective Alex Cross, who must solve three cases at once with the whole city in a frenzy.

GOAL = Running 5km in 30min

On By Rick McIn health & fitnessLeave a comment

UPDATE ➙ best pace, so far, is 5:35 min. / km.

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Back in Parksville B.C., I’ve been running 30 minutes every morning.

The goal is 5km or further.

I’ve done it a few times in the 1st month.

IF I make 5km — I take the next morning off. A motivator. 😀

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The best I can recall lifetime was a 5km race finished in 25min 25seconds. In dress shoes!

I’ll try to work up to that. An old man, non-runner can dream. 😀

Any morning I miss the run, I — instead — run 10 flights of stairs in the afternoon. An easier workout.

I’ve started to add a Fartlek work-out alternative, as well. 10 sprints of about 70m with a short walking rest in-between.

Paddle Your Own Canoe by Nick Offerman

On By Rick McIn books, humour1 Comment

Hilarious street philosophy.

Nick Offerman has released four semi-autobiographical publications:

  • Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man’s Fundamentals for Delicious Living (2013)
  • Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakers (2015)
  • Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop (2016)
  • Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside (2021).

He has also narrated all four as audiobooks.

Like most people, I love Nick Offerman as an actor, especially as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation (2009–2015).

His writing is just as funny.

When Nick wrote this 2013 book, he wasn’t nearly as famous as he is today.

In 2003, he married Will & Grace actress Megan Mullally. She’s MUCH more famous and financially successful.

Everyone knew Nick Offerman after his fantastic performance in episode 3, The Last of Us – season 1. An Emmy winning turn.

I do recommend this book. And plan on reading all four.

My Favourite Podcasts 2024

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, GOP USA, government, gymnastics, internet, mediaLeave a comment

Looking back on my favourite podcasts 2020 — things have changed.

If interested, search for any of these in your favourite Podcast Player.

These are podcasts I rarely skip:

Next most essential in 2024:

Sadly, most of The Economist podcasts went behind a paywall. I’ll probably buy those again, one day.

For some reason I’ve grown less interested in the TWIT network podcasts. Too much filler, not enough content.

I subscribe to perhaps 70 additional podcasts, but listen to them far less than 50% of the time.

I AM definitely listening to podcasts less than ever. I prefer audio books most of the time.

 Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

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Wow.

Very intriguing plot. Very original format.

The mystery concerns a long-ago triple — or was it quadruple? — suicide in a London cult, involving a leader self-styled as the Angel Gabriel.

The cult was called the Apperton Angels.

Leader Gabriel survived but is in prison for life for another murder.

Amanda Bailey, a terrier-like true-crime author, decides to write a retrospective book focused on the baby in the incident who will soon be turning age-18.

The Angels had believed that baby was the Antichrist. They had planned to sacrifice the child to save the world. Happily, the mother ran off with it.

The story is told using something called the “Dossier Method”.  

It’s simple: background information is revealed about a principal character via two or more side characters looking over written text—tweet, Facebook post, Instagram post, DM, etc. —about said principal character and discussing it.

The book feels more like the outline of a planned book.

It gets even more complicated when a second journalist decides to write a retrospective on the Atherton Angels at the same time.

In any case — it’s recommended.




PHOTOS – Parksville B.C.

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Autumn 2024.

Pretty Parksville.

September is my favourite month. We’ve had great weather.

A selection of my many photos, most of the waterfront at dusk.

Click through the 17 photos in a slideshow.

  • IMG_20240828_061345_462.jpg
  • Screenshot

Cross Country by James Patterson

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The dumbest of the Alex Cross series I’ve read, so far.

The novel has received a mostly negative response, and maintains a 2.5 rating (out of a possible five) on Amazon.com.[2] Several critics have attacked the story’s graphic scenes of violence and torture …

Seems Patterson REALLY wanted to draw attention to atrocities in Africa — so devised a plot to get Alex over there unofficially.

Cross Country (2008) is the 14th novel in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson. 

The bad guy is really BAD. An African warlord known as the Tiger. He trains young boys from refugee camps to become killers.

Why? WHY when the Tiger has plenty of money and access to private jets?

It one of dozens of plot holes.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Jungle – Let’s Go Back

On By Rick McIn Art and beauty, musicLeave a comment

Jungle is a British band closely associated with a dance troupe. Some of their videos, including this one, are one shot. Very cool.

Choreography by Shay Latukolan

Will West is the lead dancer.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Win by Harlan Coben

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Win is a 2021 mystery/thriller novel by Harlan Coben.

Win is the most interesting character in the Myron Bolitar series. An anti-hero.

I was quite keen to learn his backstory.

Following eleven novels in Coben’s series featuring sports agent-turned-crime solver Myron Bolitar, this is the first novel to completely feature Myron’s best friend and sidekick, the wealthy and mysterious Windsor “Win” Horne Lockwood III. …

An elderly man who appears to be a recluse and hoarder is found murdered in his luxury Manhattan apartment.

The FBI contacts Win when two items connected to the Lockwood family – an original Johannes Vermeer painting that was stolen 20 years ago and a suitcase bearing Win’s initials – are found in the apartment.

The FBI’s interest becomes clear when the victim is revealed to be Ry Strauss, one-time member of the underground group known as the Jane Street Six, who were responsible for a fire bomb attack that killed seven people in the early 1970s.

Win runs his own concurrent investigation, as he “has three things the FBI doesn’t; a personal connection to the case; an ungodly fortune; and his own unique brand of justice. …

Win’s investigation has him searching for the four remaining members of the Jane Street Six, with two known to be deceased, while he also digs into family secrets over his father’s objections.

Along the way, a vigilante act Win carried out against a basketball coach and abuser leads to repercussions, nearly costing Win his life.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.