Wallander - Swedish TV Crime Drama

There are some very good crime dramas in the UK and I'm a glutton for them. Especially Inspector Morse, plus the off shoots like Endeavour (set in the sixties when Morse was young) also Lewis set after the death of Morse. There are other dramas too, like Inspector Frost, Prime Suspect and George Gently. These are all great UK crime dramas.

Now we are beginning to see some great stories from other European countries too. One such crime drama is from Sweden and are TV dramatisations of the Henning Mankell's Wallander stories. They are very gripping. I did not like the English adaptation with Keneth Branagh playing Kurt Wallander. I just could not handle Swedish people walking about in Sweden speaking to each other in English.

However, the proper Swedish version with clear English sub-titles really did it for me. It stars Krister Henriksson as Kurt Wallander with the late Johanna Sallastrom as his daughter who is also a police officer in the Ystad police force. The stories are very gripping indeed. I bought the first seven stories on DVD making sure the sub-titles and all were there. I was glued to this real quality drama and ended up buying episodes 8 to 13 over the weekend.

If you like good crime drama then this Swedish production is very superior among such genres. It is definitely on a par with the good Brit dramas and I would strongly recommend this quality TV show.

The Walking Dead (Dystopian American TV series)

 I usually shy away from gory films or TV shows. I like horror, but usually the mind messing type things like the Exorcist and other more mind testing stories. When the wave of zombie films and TV shows came along, I also found my interest still being tickled. It was strange because I'm not a blood and gore fan. However, with the type of world created by a zombie apocalypse, I see the sort of dystopian future that I often enjoyed where scattered groups of people crawl out of the terrible dilemma and pit their wits at survival. 

We've had books and TV shows things like; War of the Worlds, The Day of the Triffids, Survivors, Logan's Run etc. There are so many. Therefore, I think the Walking Dead flicks switches along the same thought provoking line too. Except there is a little extra thrown in some where. Then the gore and horror comes secondary. Eventually the 'walking dead people' (zombies) become a backdrop (like constant rain) to the many other problems our survivors have to confront. There are scattered communities that have adapted all sorts of weird and strange ideologies to survive. Anything remotely kind or normal is regarded with extreme suspicion by all. Any weakness among survivors is exploited by others to survive. Kill or be killed. The surviving groups become competitive against each other and resort to barbaric methods to win. There is no room for compassion. 

I've just been watching series number 5 and i have been compelled and transfixed by how good this dystopian TV show is. No one is safe. You warm to the many characters that come and go during the show and know that no one is indestructible. Anyone can die!

Some major characters do and others come into it too. Some started off week and become seasoned survivalists - their characters hardening as the show goes on. It is splendid and I'm looking forward to the last two episodes of season 5. If you have not seen this horror/dystopian saga; your missing out. It is very compelling.  

Giving You A Great Sci-Fi Story of HMS Thunder Child

Follow the crew of HMS Thunder Child into H.G.Wells' War of the World in this pastiche story of the ship and her crew, building up to the dreadful confrontation in this fun read adaptation from the original story.

Be there and join the crew.

The Kindle download is for USA only.

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Thunderchild (video comic)

HMS Thunderchild from War of the Worlds story. The pastiche of the ship's story is below.

Biker gets up Speed down hill in Valparaiso Chile.

Crazy downhill bike ride in Valparaiso Chile. Nothing like a good bike ride, but for me, this might be a tad on the excessive side. I'm very happy to watch through the camera on the biker's safety helmet. For those who like the adrenalin buzz; maybe Valparaiso is calling?

Check out the motor bike jump in the Facebook link below:

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Weasel and the Woodpecker

From March 15th 2015

My wife, Carole and I went to Hornchurch in Essex today and passed Hornchurch country park on the way to my Dad's house. He lives in Elm Park, Hornchurch. When we arrived, he had the news on the television. There was the usual news of politics and crime but then on a light-hearted note, the news team showed a picture of a weasel attacking a Green Woodpecker. It was one of those charming little aside pictures that an amateur photographer caught perfectly.

Weasels are tiny little carnivorous creatures that are very fierce and territorial. However, they are very small, about the size of a small chocolate bar. This one attacked a Green Woodpecker that flew off in a panic with vicious little weasel upon the back.

We were surprised to hear it was at the very country park we had driven past. Our little patch on national TV. The photographer took loads of shots according to the news and this one was caught wonderfully. 

The woodpecker went down again and as it hit the ground the weasel sped off after his unexpected flight. No doubt leaving Green Woodpeckers off of his menu in future.

Debate on the EU disaster movie.

The heat is turning up in the UK concerning EU membership. It does seem, to me, that the anti-EU are winning the argument concerning the lack of democratic accountability. Every time the media get the pro-EU on to argue with the anti-EU; the anti always seem to walk away with the points from my point of view. Maybe there are things I'm missing, but I think the UK may leave. I also believe there could be civil unrest in some of the southern European countries.