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Thursday 20 November 2008
U And Non-U
Just one of those little moments that raise a smile:
I found myself listening to the Women's Hour omnibus on Radio Four yesterday, and in particular an item about use of language that stemed from a complaint by a parent that their child's teacher had used the work 'toilet' when they preferred the child to use 'lavatory'. This set off a discussion about the distinction between what Nancy Mitford called U and Non-U.
One of the contributors, in an effort to resolve one of the classic dilemmas of this debate, recounted how she'd asked the poshest person she knew whether he would refer to a particular room as a lounge, a sitting room, or a living room, and was left more confused than ever when he replied "None of them my dear, I'd call it a saloon."
The War That Wouldn't Go Away
Tony Blair must surely never have had a worse run of weeks than those he's had recently.
Tomorrow's Observer front page runs yet more coverage of the perceived problems with the legality of the war in Iraq, and the apparent U-Turn of the Attorney General on that status. You all know how I felt about the war in the first place, so I ought to feel a certain amount of satisfaction over all this. But really I find it all rather embarassing. Once again this government seems to be demonstrating that not only is it willing to do whatever it feels like, raegardless of law or consequence, but it's also not even very good at covering it up.
Time To Take A Break?
I'm sort of thinking of putting things on hold here for a while. I haven't entirely decided to do so, but I'm seriously thinking about it.
I have a couple of reasons which are somewhat linked. The first is time - I don't feel that I have enough of it to do enough around this place. I already got rid of every other section of the site but the blog, and I've commented plenty of times over the last few months that I haven't even been very good about keeping this as active as I'd like. I hate the idea of this thing just falling steadily into disuse, with me not posting and no one bothering to visit. It strikes me that a definitive break might be better to have.
The other thing is my general slackening of interest in all things online that aren't just about work. All my other online outlets and communities I've lost touch with over the last four months or so, and in some ways I'm just feeling that I need to do some different things.
I'm not entirely decided on this course of action - maybe I'll suddenly find inspiration *and* time. But maybe not.
Just thought I'd let you know.
Culture
"I've been to the Royal Opera House this evening, darlings! No, not the main auditorium, it's getting far too commercial. We were in the Linbury Studio. Much more intimate, more of a space if you know what I mean.
What were we seeing? Well sweetie, it was this terribly daring, outré little piece called Silence Of The Soul by Walker Dance Park Music. Oh yes, modern dance. Highly imaginative. Challenging? Well yes, I suppose it was just a little."
Seriously though - pretty damn' impressive. And fucking hell were these people fit.
I started out with the typical worry you get with modern dance - Is it going to be an hour of people running into walls and miming being pulled by ropes while someone hits a cymbal every 32 seconds exactly?
And there's a few minutes at the beginning that do trigger concerns. It's a bit abrasive, and the music leans towards the rhythm being more apparent in its absence. But by the ten minute mark they've got you. The whole exercise becomes integrated into yer actual experience, the movements begin to draw you in as you start to spot the cycles and the structure, and you get very glad you're seeing it. And as is often the case, among the tightly-structured overall piece, some of the smallest individual movements make the most impression. Highly sensual, occasionally with too much going on around the stage to take it all in, but with moments of both technical excellence and emotional resonance.
WDPM are an unusual operation in that the composer and choreographer work together to develop each piece from scratch, as a whole entity rather than music coming first and then dance being fitted over the top of it, and then dancers and musicians perform together. Silence Of The Soul is their biggest piece to date, coming in at an hour, but it flies by. The applause at the end was loud and long and thoroughly deserved.
And fucking hell these people are fit.
What's Happened To The Old Neighbourhood?
I suddenly feel like I'm living in the middle of a gritty drama series on BBC FOUR. On Sunday evening, some kids kicked in the main door of my block, and this evening I've come home to find that a scooter has been torched at the bottom of the steps leading up to that same door. There's a vile smell of petrol and smoke hanging around the place that's making me feel quite nauseous.
Things sure have changed here on Walton's Mountain.
The Difference Between Me And Dave
This is it in a nutshell:
Dave spots a new mobile phone: This one, in fact; decides it's pretty*, and makes a call to buy it. It will arrive tomorrow.
Dave shows me the same phone, I agree that it's pretty* and decide that I'd like one too. Then I decide that I ought to wait until I actually *need* to replace my current phone, which after all does everything I need it to do**, and even when I get to that point, I'll do a lengthy comparison of features and cost before making a final purchase decision. So I may have a new phone before the end of the year. Or I may not.
Spot the difference?
*and has a range of useful features too of course.
** make and receive phone calls, basically.
Grrrrrrrr (Again)
Honestly, I really am turning into Angry of Tunbridge Wells.
On the bus this morning was a man reading The Sun, and I just couldn't believe the headline story they were running. (And no I'm not linking it - they don't deserve it.) 'Sick Britain!' was the banner, above a story about how all of these sponging foreigners who are about to swamp Britain will be denied access to benefits but will still be entitled to use the NHS. *SHOCK!*
Well maybe it's just me, but;
And....?
David Blunkett, the Right-Wing Wet Dream That Walked Like A Man (and then tripped over the kerb*) has made the point that 'new-EU' migrants will indeed not have access to benefits, but will be able to work. Which means that they'll pay tax and National Insurance. Which surely gives them every right to use the NHS.
*Sorry, that was very bad of me, but I really can't stand the man.
Gay Marriage Too
The subject that I wrote about last weekend has continued to be an active one throughout the week, with many more people heading to San Francisco, two (failed) legal challenges to the mayor there's action, and now Governor Schwarznegger himself stepping in to put a stop to it.
I'm more exercised about this situation in the US than I am about the pros and cons of gay marriage generally, because as I noted last week 'the defence of marriage' has become a code phrase for 'the attack on gay people' in the US, and the prospect of an amendment to the Constitution which would effectively make it impossible for there ever to be equality of gay and straight relationships is all-too-likely.
Brrrrrrrr
Good lord but it suddenly got cold last night. 1.30 this morning I woke up shivering and I of all people, who've been known to walk around without a jacket in sub-zero temperatures, actually had to go and get an extra cover for the bed. Admittedly the stuff I usually use is the lightest I could find, but even so. Bit of a shock to the system....
Villains And Heroes
So to the shock of, well, probably no one, Verisign have been named the internet villains of the year.
Sounds reasonable to me, not just because of "the domain name system hijacking scandal", but because of the utterly diabolical service they've always acted like it was beneath them to provide to this business we make our livings in. Fuckers.
I'm equally in agreement with Steve Linford's placing as hero of the year, by the way.
A Man Called Mike
First time in yonks, I got together with Mike this evening for a drink and some food, and a catch-up about all sorts of things, but especially what he has going on with Underhand.
In fact, I think it's probably the first time ever that Mike and I have just been out together. Which is a bit odd now I come to think about it. Maybe we should aim to change that.
It's Official
Joss Whedon, John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men in May.
I'm getting seriously hyperventilated here.
Katharine Hepburn
As she was one of those who appeared in the 'Those Who've Died' segment of the BAFTAs, I thought I'd take a moment to share a photo of her I have in the flat - it was given to Chris and I as a housewarming gift in the first place we lived together - it's in a very cool frame, and it's a stunning photo, which this image of doesn't do justice, but I thought I'd share it anyway.
BAFTA Blog 2004
As I've occasionally done with film awards shows before, I'm going to keep a running blog through this evening's BAFTA film awards. This could be quite an interesing set of awards for me, as 2003 ended up being my least cinematically-active year since I first started taking a professional interest in the subject. It will be an unusal occasion for me to have seen so little of what's under scrutiny.
I'll refresh this posting as the evening goes on.
21:12 - I've noted before that Stephen Fry is absolutely brilliant at hosting these gigs, but I don't know that I've ever before noted the other thing that ought to be said of of him: It's that despite coming nowhere near any classical definition of the word 'attractive', he nevertheless manages, by a combination of wit, charm and intelligence, to be a very attractive man.
A bit like me, really.
21:19 - Bill Nighy keeps being touted as a great choice for the next Dr Who, and I've never quite been convinced. Though I find myself open to persuasion based on his Supporting Actor acceptance speech. I'm still not remotely interested in seeing Love, Actually though.
21:25 - I'm hoping that Belleville Rendezvous wins Best Film Not In The English Language, though as I *still* haven't seen Spirited Away, I'm not in the best position to judge.
21:26 - I know nothing of In This World, I'm ashamed to say, but it seems to have been a popular winner. I should check it out.
21:30 - Is it just me, or did Anthony Minghella just give a speech accepting the Best Music award that sounded like he's not expecting to pick up anything else this evening? Why else would he have thanked all the actors as well as the musical people?
21:38 - Now this one I approve of. The Michael Balcon Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Film goes to Working Title Films. Good choice.
21:44 - First award for ROTK - not surprising that it picked up Cinematography - that's a film that couldn't conceivably have looked better.
21:57 - ROTK has won the public vote for the Orange Film of the Year, which is not hugely surprising. There were *loads* of films on the shortlist, including, inexplicably, Johnny English....
You can find out what's yet coming up on the TV broadcast here, by the way.
22:24 - Ah - the first full-on gush of the evening comes from Renée Zelwegger. Mind you - she certainly seems to have been the most entertaining element of the otherwise monumentally-dull-looking Cold Mountain.
22:31 - If I didn't already want to see The Station Agent once it opens here anyway, I would after watching Thomas McCarthy pick up his Best Original Screenplay gong. What a sweetie.
22:47 - Well I knew Peter Weir was going to get Best Director from the BBC News item. Someone who's seen it tell me - Is Master and Commander Etc Etc worth seeing?
23:05 - ROTK is Best Film, which of course is only right. And John Boorman is getting the Fellowship of the Academy, which I can go along with. I think his record's actually a bit patchy, but generally he's a reasonable choice.
Lacking Charisma? Lacking *Everything*
I've been meaning to post for a week about having heard the plot of Angel's 100th episode and the permanent departure of Charisma Carpenter from the show. I wanted to post, because I think that it's a real loss to the show. Since the intruduction of the rather vapid Cordelia in the first episode of Buffy, Ms Carpenter developed a brilliant character who, by the start of Angel was at the emotional heart of the show. The thought of Angel without Cordelia is like Buffy without Xander. I wanted to post to say that I was saddened by her departure, even though I know that she effectively left a season ago.
But more than that, I now need to note the departure of the entire series. It's been confirmed that the WB will not be renewing it past the current fifth season.
So that's it. No more Buffyverse TV in production. No sign of any cinema development on the horizon.
Era. End.
Sad.
Gay Marriage
I was going to add my six penn'orth to Darian's posting on gay marriage, but I thought it would be unfair to monopolise his comments box. Interesting discussion he's set off there though - worth checking out.
In the meantime, I noted at the end of the week that San Francisco allowing gay marriages in contravention of state law. In fact, they've triggered a rush to the city by those wishing to get married.
I'm acutely aware of the significance of these events in an America where 'the defence of marriage' has become a rallying cry for the religious right, though I've always felt that the need for 'defence' is slightly misunderstood when all these people seem to be rushing to support it as a concept by subscribing themselves to it. Think about it - marriage is hardly under attack if even people who aren't allowed into it are fighting for the right to join the club. True, one very narrow definition of the thing might be challenged, but the basic idea, two people pledging themsleves to fidelity and love before man and (if you must) god, appears to be regarded by many as a significant goal. In this light, the ongoing effort to define marriage as being only between a man and woman look more and more like the bigotry they really are, rather than an attempt to maintain respect for the institution.
Let's also note that it's an institution which is doing a pretty good job of dissing itself. Divorce rates aren't exactly dropping, and faithfulness seems to be a somewhat flexible concept among many couples. You'd think the pro-marriage lobby would be happy to have the number of people in the smug club increased by any method available.
I'm not a fan, as you might have spotted.
One of the glib phrases I occasionally use to sum up my position on life is that I'm 'the foe of matrimony'. I don't use this phrase to condemn anyone who becomes connubially blissful, by the way. Just to note that it's not a state into which I can see myself entering. I used to say that the only thing marriage gave a couple was a piece of paper that made it more difficult to split up when they fell out of love with each other. In a lot of ways I still believe that - I'm not a believer in life-long love, but perhaps that's more because I've never had one than for any other reason. I'm certainly not averse to the idea of one coming along - it's just that past experience hasn't made me very optimistic.
But regardless of that, I'm pretty much anti the idea of gay marriage anyway. The idea of what is effectively apeing a heterosexual convention smacks me a bit too much of seeking approval and validation for something that requires neither.
I've joined a couple of couples I've known over the years in what I suppose we'd sensibly call commitment ceremonies, though 'ceremony' is perhaps too strong a word. This I like - standing up and declaring your commitment to one another. But I dislike the equivalent where doing so makes your relationship somehow more legitimate than those of people who haven't.
The only thing that I can see being advantageous to properly-recognised gay marriages would be if all of the rights and priviledges of straight marriage accompanied it. Next-of-kin status for same-sex partners is a huge issue, and one that I'd put far ahead of tax status and other financial recognitions. If I never have to hear about another partner excluded from critical decisions about their other half's life or death at the expense of a family who doesn't know them or rejected them years before I'll die a happier man.
But full-on marriage isn't for me, I don't think. And I don't think it would be even if I was straight but in every other regard still 'me'.
Best of luck to everyone who got married in san Francisco the last few days though. I hope you'll be very happy.
Gaining Knowledge
I've occasionally wondered what it is about the corner on which my flat is situated that makes it so significant. It's just a corner in a residential area, far from any particular landmarks and generally unremarkable.
But every weekend (and every Sunday in particular), a steady stream of bike-riding Knowledges Boys (using the term in a generic, gender-independent way) come along, stop across from my windows, tick off something on their little clipboard, then consult their list and map for the next place they're heading off to.
It makes me feel like I'm right in the heart of things.
Okay, Now I Feel Bad
Having been so unpleasant about Valentine's Day last night, I've received an extraordinarily sweet, thoughtful, heartfelt token of the day this morning.
It's handmade, very personal, and avoids all the commercial crap I despise so much about this day, so fortunately I can appreciate it without turning entirely into a hypocrite.
Seriously - *very* sweet.
VD
The true spirit of Valentine's Day.
My feelings on this most pointless and indeed offensive of 'holidays', having previously been established, I'll only say that Dave has pointed me at the best antidote to all the commercial and over-indulgent crap I've yet come across.
Go on - send someone a VD card....
Reactionary, Moi?
I'm starting to get a little worried. I keep reading news items and finding myself (in an internalised, non-apparent-to-the-other-people-on-the-bus way) spluttering with indignation about them. I'm thinking of rounding up a few over the weekend and offering some thoughts on them, but I'm worried about starting to sound like one of those people who writes to Metro about one thing or another.
Admittedly, a number of these items are in fact in Metro in the first place, which tends to put them in the right-wing, sensationalist, hackles-raising part of the scale anyway, but even so, I do worry about what I'm turning into....
Long Day
Not the last, I suspect, that lie in wait during my time here. Ho hum. Being busy is better than the alternative of course.
In the meantime, returning to a theme I've occasionally touched on: I hate British Telecom. I've been without a working phone at home for almost two weeks now, caused initially by BT's inability to send me an accurate bill, and subsequently by the fact that it's almost impossible to get through to their customer service line without waiting for an insane amount of time, no matter at what point during their opening hours you call. I've been on the line to them for in excess of twenty minutes at a time 'held in a queue' eight times in the last week, and every time I had to just give up because, well, you know, I do have one or two other things to do with my life.
Finally this evening, after I'd come within seconds of reaching the end of my willing-to-wait limit, a human being came on the line. So I'm with phone again. "There will be a charge for getting it working again", said the BT representative. "No," said the aggrieved customer, "there really won't."
Settle An Argument
I think that this is yet another Bluewave team photo that's been appropriated by another website*. Dave agrees with me, but can't spot himself. Barnaby insists it isn't.
Anyone who was in this photo, please feel free to point yourself out. Or if you absolutely must, tell me I'm wrong.
*I'm certain I can see Damien, Sarah, Karen, Rufus, Rosemary and others, but I could be entirely deluding myself.
Julius Schwartz, RIP
I just saw the news that Julius Schwartz died yesterday. You probably won't know who he was, but you're unquestionably familiar with what he left behind. An editor for decades at DC comics, it's not unreasonable to attribute to him the fact that American comics (the superhero branch certainly) ever made it past the end of the 60s. The man who oversaw the shift from campy, TV-style Batman to dark, serious, adult Batman, he likewise edited all of the DC icons at one time or another. If you've seen a Superman or Batman film, or indeed, given his wider impact on the industry, an X-Men or other Marvel hero film, it's not unreasonable to say that it's in some small measure down to Julius Schwartz's efforts over all those years.
He was also Ray Bradbury's first agent, by the way.
His long-time colleague and friend Mark Evanier has his own tribute up, as well as a great deal more summarising reactions from other industry figures. In an industry as given to egos and creative queeny-fits as the comics biz, it seems safe to say that he stood out from the crowd.
Spring Is In The Air
Or more accurately, Spring Cleaning is in the air. Which also means that large amounts of dust is in the air, and I've been sneezing a crazy amount the last two days. I was absolutely determined that this weekend I'd make some inroads into the ridiiculous amount of junk that's been accumulating in the flat pretty much since I moved in. In fact, some stuff has been travelling with me from home to home for the better part of ten years, so the need to clear was pretty extreme.
I've made a solid start, though next weekend will need to see a continuation. I've taken mountains of old magazines to be recycled, taken books, videos, games, CDs and cassettes to the charity shop, and filled bag after bag of miscellaneous junk. Along the way I've discovered far too many little items that were given to me by my 'stalker', which is particularly disturbing, as I thought I'd divested myself of everything she'd given me quite some time ago. Just goes to show exactly how much stuff she landed on me.
I've also saved a pile of music and video that I realised I didn't want to junk but haven't seen/heard for way too long. Which is going to give me something to do in my odd bits of downtime.
I started tonight, as I was going to Alison's for dinner, by taking a couple of old cassettes in the car with me. One of them was Tears For Fears' The Seeds Of Love, which I still really like, though I was struck by how curiously dated it is:
Politician granny with your high ideals
Have you no idea how the majority feels?
So without love, in a promised land,
We're fools to the rules of a government plan.
Kick out The Style bring back The Jam.
I felt like I was driving into a time warp.
Practice Random Acts Of Kindness
I think it was Don't Panic who used to do a t-shirt bearing this injunction. It's one of those nice-sounding ideas that falls down badly in the face of human nature, but every now and then, even someone like me, safely inside the top x percentile on the misanthropic pessimist scale, can lay a slab on the road to hell.
This evening, on the way out to meet Dave and Octavia, I found myself one seat removed from a woman who was struggling to get one carrier bag of stuff (handles broken) inside another that was basically the same size. Because of the matching size and the shape of the contents she was having lots of trouble getting the outer bag around it (I think we've all been there).
So I reached over and helped her get the one inside the other - in truth, I didn't even ask if she wanted any help, just assumed and started helping.
Her gratitude was quite out of proportion to what I did. She was effusive in the extreme, even to the point of wishing me a good evening as I got off the train. And I'd really done nothing.
I make no pretence that I'm not a selfish person. I'm one of the most selfish I know. But occasionally without thinking I find I can offer a tiny bit of selflessness to the world.
Angels In America is on C4 as I type this. I'm sensing a subliminal connection here.
Many Happies
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday dear Gert.
Happy birthday to you.
Pop over to say a birthday greeting to Gert if you have a minute.
Way Behind The Curve
I know I'm out of the loop with this, but much as I've wanted to address myself fully to the situation surrounding 'the crisis at the BBC' and the fallout from Hutton, and though I've tried to do so several times, I've found that I can't. In some ways it's too close. The BBC represents more to me than just what I watch or listen to. I've made programmes for it, worked on websites for it, got albeit tangentially involved in some of its international projects.
So I can't be dispassionate, even though I've tried to be.
I'll try again, probably at the weekend.
But in the meantime, there's one thing I can do; one campaign I can unequivocally connect myself to:
Things I Learned Today
It is impossible for a 6'2" man to get out of a Mini while manhandling a 4'x3' portfolio without looking completely...
... well let's just say that the word 'graceful' isn't anywhere near the end of that sentence.
Here We Go Again
"The victim's partner, Malcolm Sentance, added; "Jane would still be here if it wasn't for the Internet."
What a load of bollocks. Without wanting to minimise the impact of the loss of his partner, Mr Sentance needs to recognise that she would still be here if a human being hadn't decided to murder her. 'The Internet' didn't kill her, and nor did the people who run the sites that Jane Longhurst's mother apparently wants to have shut down, however distasteful they might be. Graham Coutts killed Jane Longhurst. It's his responsibility and no one else's.
Enquiring Minds
Well here we have a fascinating dichotomy:
The Liberal Democrats are refusing to take part in what I suppose we'll need to start referring to as The Butler Enquiry, because its remit will not cover the political use to which the intelligence it examines was put.
Michael Howard, on the other hand, is quoted as saying "I am confident that these terms of reference cover the use made by the Government of the intelligence".
And Jack Straw is "stressing" that it absolutely won't cover political decisions or actions.
17 Years For A Blowjob
That's years in prison, by the way, not actually to get the blowjob done.
Linking on from a comment on Darian's site, I found evijhserf, and the story of Matthew Limon.
Which bears bringing to the widest possible audience.
Questions, Questions
Isn't it interesting that the UK may finally be about to hold an enquiry into pre-Iraq war intelligence.
It's interesting because it continues the model of everything that's happened in the wake of 11th September 2001 in that we do everything the US does, just ever-so-slightly behind them.
Original thought remains conspicuous by its absence in the Blair leadership model....
Gay Democrats For....?
"I hate Bush more than I have hated any politician ever. It makes me physically sick to see him on television"
Whoa!
I know I'm not the only one to have this position, but I simply don't get virus writers. What the hell is the point of taking all that creativity and undoubted skill and using it for something so pointless and destructive?
I wish they'd turn a fraction of the time and energy and use it for something that's actually going to do the world some good.
Deja You Know
Went to Alison's last night for a DVD evening (and consequently have now finally seen Donnie Darko), and while I was scanning through my own collection to try and find things she hasn't seen to take along, I was struck by the absence of some discs that I know I should have.
And as a couple of titles ran throgh my mind, so did the strongest feeling of Deja Vu.
This morning it struck me why, and digging back in the Archives, I realised that oddly, I first noticed that they were missing pretty much exactly a year ago. I really don't know where they can have gone.
