2010 — 12 March: Friday
I've arrived home, somewhat after midnight, from Winchester and the birthday lad's bash, followed by coffee and nibbles with Andrew, and a film ("Prince Caspian" — with its amazing 12 minutes of end credits) at Mike's. There's now a spot of amazing percussion on BBC Radio 3 (Vangelis Karipis and the Nederlands Blazer Ensemble Percussionists) on "Late Junction". This should just leave time, methinks, for a late cuppa and some sleep.
G'night.
A hint of overnight rain...
... to offset the Vivaldi Concerto in B minor, but there's also a hint of sunshine up there behind some thin clouds. A cuppa is at hand, too. It's 08:48 and the morning round of wage slaves has been setting off to do whatever it is they do1 after they've driven their over-sized carts to wherever it is they all go.
I know what I have to do, however. There's the matter of breakfast, and a supply run for the cupboard that keeps emptying — I could really use the miraculous jug I remember from Hawthorne's "Tanglewood Tales"; the one that never ran out of milk. A goose that laid golden eggs would come in handy, too. I also need to have sorted myself out in time for Len's lunchtime visit. On with the show.
Gosh, shucks
I'm an inarticulate moron compared with the mighty-brained ethical giant that is Karl Rove. The BBC tells me he has just written a memoir, Courage and Consequence, in which he defends the two terms of the Bush administration as "impressive, durable and significant". Although that's emetic enough, he goes on to refer to the simulation of drowning used as a "tough" interrogation technique:
Well (in the words of the immortal Mandy [Rice-Davies; let's not ever confuse her with Lord Mandelson]), he would say that, wouldn't he? The younger Bush is said to have endowed Mr Rove with the nickname "Turd Blossom", after the beautiful wild flowers that sprout from cowpats in Texas. Priceless. (Source.)
The other Big Bro
As I await the arrival of my lunching Len, I've just been tipped off that my address has been comprehensively captured by Google maps street view — while I was out. Cheek!
And I've just learned (on returning from lunch) that my cyberspace address connection is being upgraded to a slightly thicker twist of electrical string. Through which electrons (if they exist) will stand some chance of moving up to 35% faster. FAQ me! I shall depart shortly to celebrate with a cuppa at one of Hampshire's finest purveyors of same.
Film reviewing with a difference
Having now read most of Mark Kermode's "memoir", I spotted the Kermode and Mayo film review (on iPlayer) — a programme on BBC Radio 5 Live. I just missed today's "issue" but (now that I've heard last week's with a nice segment from Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon) I shall certainly listen out for this next time round. It's almost enough to persuade me to revisit my recent comments to the BBC Trust to say nice things about this channel. K&M spark beautifully together.