2011 — 21 April: Thursday
Having just finished re-reading1 the novel "Transit" that I mentioned on Tuesday (and first read in the mid-1960s), this morning's depressing / annoying selection of BBC radio news (obesity, alcohol and drug addiction, nanotechnology to engineer non-fattening chocolate, the monarch's birthday) suggests that it was more than a little over-optimistic in its conclusion about homo sapiens being better suited to "take over" this section of the galaxy :-)
Still, it's another sunny morning. Time to feed my tannin addiction — it's 07:19.
There's something atavistically satisfying about dismantling and then unloading a heap of household stuff at the local tip.2 But now, at 11:56, I feel I've definitely earned a "lemonses" break. It's warm and sunny out there.
Keep watching the skies!
Speaking of galaxies, for those of a certain inclination, it's impossible to look at this beautiful NASA image without also recalling the opening lines of a famous early space opera. Click the pic...
Triplanetary by EE "Doc" Smith, 1948
While trying to nail down...
... my next lunch date3 with Len, in an email he added "preferably on a workday" so (naturally) I felt obliged to tease him by asking him to "remind me which days are work days these days". Came the reply:
I now distinguish workdays from non-workdays by traffic patterns and the composition of the customers in the supermarket.
Fair enough. Meanwhile, Mr Postie dropped off one of the refund cheques for dear Mama (redirected from her old address despite their telephonic assurance that that was actually the one place they couldn't now send it) and a small heap of good viewing, old and new:
- Freeway
While I await Catherine Hardwicke's "Red Riding Hood" this is a worthy variant on the theme - Out of Sight
Glorious soundtrack, excellent source novel, beautiful performances - Sweet Liberty
After mentioning it last Saturday, I had a hankering to watch it again - Body of Evidence
Not based on the Patricia Cornwell novel :-) - After Hours
Marvellous late-night New York nightmare, complete with Linda Fiorentino - Into Eternity
Finnish documentary on nuclear waste (very) long-term storage
A quick trip out to the foody shop — done — and, with luck, I should now be all set for the upcoming festive spasm. Time (15:49) for my next cuppa.
Would anybody like to explain where all the Time goes? It's now 18:09 and I'm faint with hunger :-(