2009 — 30 December: Wednesday
I think, on balance, the new production of "Triffids" was a brave attempt, but Mr Izzard was definitely a mistake. Can't win them all; he was great in "Across the Universe".
Yawn. Time (00:10) once again for bed to the soothing sound of gentle rain. G'night.
One has to wonder...
... even if only vaguely, quite why the world needs a new release of the theme music from the film "Ben-Hur". From Bach to Ben-Hur is a bit much for the pre-cuppa brain. It's 07:58 and I shall tune briefly away for the weather forecast. A cold, grey start? Tell me something I can't see for myself.
Speaking of which:
Yet scientists still know very little about our microbial planet. The genomes of only about 1,000 species of microbes have been sequenced. That leaves 99.99999 percent to go. Making matters worse, the genomes scientists have sequenced so far are clustered together in groups of closely related species, leaving vast stretches of the microbial tree of life virtually unexplored. It would be as if all we knew about the animal kingdom were based entirely on a stuffed ferret and a pickled tarantula.
Please tell me nobody has to pickle tarantulas for a living.
I see we recently lost Tim Hart (of Steeleye Span) to lung cancer. And there's a thoughtful piece on cancer here, too. Enough, already.
Breakfast, and then the supplies trail. Need some go-juice for the car, too, and I have ERNIE's minor-league Xmas present to pay in. Every little helps.
And so it came to pass...
... that the ERNIE (almost) filled the tank, and a clump of widower's mite dealt with a batch of groceries. Another proof point, too, for my theory about the basic malevolence of the universe as the rain was at its heaviest only while I was actually out in it. I'm now (10:57) in out of it. What a dismally grey day — again. But I'm assured we get about another minute of daylight compared to last week.
Lunch is lunched, the day seems slightly brighter, and I've heard that my second Humax PVR is satisfactorily installed and working in its new home. It's 13:43 and the BBC's Media Show is reminding us of the MPs' expenses hoo-hah that began on the day my Dad would have been 92.
I see the Safety Elves are out and about in force.
Thanks, Mr Postie
I've now filled in the gap in the comedy saga:
And I'm enjoying the (word)play by Mark Lawson. ("Rape of the soyabean women", indeed!)
It is asserted in Frank Herbert's original novel Dune that "he who can destroy a thing controls a thing." It is asserted in DefCon hacker conferences that "If someone can provide false data ... they own the system." (Source.) Control versus ownership. There's more here.
Later
The book culling continues apace. Pretty quiet evening, actually. A couple of "Seinfelds" took me to the mid-point of Season #6 and BBC radio is keeping me gently bopping along. I have a pair of visitors tomorrow, plus a party to attend. And I'm running the lads down to Verwood on New Year's day as I have for the past two years. Time very definitely keeps ticking along, doesn't it?
It's 21:34 and I'm enjoying a cuppa. And now (22:05) BBC R3 is repeating the excellent Prom that featured the Ukulele Orchestra of GB. Cool!