Friday, December 16, 2011

And that's why she dumped me...

I was really enjoying Dave's One Night Stand with Stephen K Amos. Zoe Lyons made us both laugh a lot.

The second of the support acts was Joe Rowntree. He was alright .. and then he did a joke about how sperm has anti-depressants in it, and no wonder his girlfriend looks a bit down when he pulls out and ejaculates on her face.

It's been bugging me ever since.

It feels like hate*.

When you have consent for one sexual act, you don't automatically have consent for all sexual acts. This is basically like the 'joke' that rape is 'surprise sex'. I don't know, I just feel sick that it's supposedly funny to perform a non-consensual sex act on someone and their shock or upset about it is part of the funniness. Her enjoyment or lack of it is irrelevant compared with what he wants to do, within the joke.

Now Dave is a channel that mainly shows 'blokey' humour shows from endless repeats of Top Gear to Mock the Week, so you may argue that this is just an 'edgy' example of the same thing and what do you expect anyway? And it's just a joke, and Joe Rowntree probably treats his girfriend (if any) with utmost respect**. And comedy can be cruel and just turn it off if you don't like it, etc etc.

I just find it truly depressing that blokey humour apparently equals variations on rape jokes. It feels like hate. And he's a good-looking, intelligent young man, which makes it worse. If he was some old Jim Davidson it wouldn't bother me half as much.

So I really wish he hadn't done his so-called joke, or that he had ended it with himself getting properly dumped.


On the bright side, the Other Half didn't laugh either.



* Not on my part, on his part.
** Unless within pre-agreed limits, during consensual role-play in the bedroom.

Saturday, December 03, 2011

What makes a puke-athon

I really hate One Direction's song 'What makes you beautiful'.

It's all poppy and catchy and has these stupid stuttery bits where the word 'eyes' (for example) becomes three or four syllables - and that's part of it, but that's not it.

It's basically about a young woman who seems to have zero self-esteem, and you know, that's what he* likes about her. She won't meet his eyes, she's insecure, she doesn't realise how attractive she is.

He really really likes her appearance - the way she flips her hair - and he wants her desperately. But he's no clue what she's like as a person, as I doubt she can get a sentence out.

If she ever gets a healthy sense of her own identity, I hope she'll dump his shallow arse.


* the protagonist of the song

Thursday, November 17, 2011

On matrimonial harmony

I wanted to text the other half to remind him to do something. My phone usually says "Text delivered" with a happy twang, but it didn't this time. So I tried again.

And again.

And again.

And again. Getting a bit peeved now. Stupid phone, why won't you send?

Finally a text message appeared with a twang...

"I get the hint."

Oops.

From gentle reminder to nagging fishwife, courtesy of the wonders of modern technology.

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Per-fuming

I wouldn't usually complain about perfume adverts as they tend to be just blue-pencilled weird and incomprehensible, but my wtf levels are exceeded by the Coco Mademoiselle advert.

Keira Knightly motorbikes to a photo-shoot to the strains of "it's a man's world". She flounces about on a bed, flirting with the camera as a model/actress is supposed to do. The photographer gets horny and he gets on top of her to kiss her. She stops him, tells him to go and lock the door, and when he turns round, she's gone out the window.

So this is the oh-so sexy* tale of an attempted rape, then?


* seriously effed up

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Mooed

I meant to blog about this ages ago, to update.

In April, 2009, I wrote a post about the ad campaign Cow & Gate were running. I also wrote in and complained to the Advertising Standards Agency.

Over the following months, I got the occasionally holding letter from the ASA about their investigation. Other people had complained as well, about the same and slightly different issues with that particular advert.

In September this year, I got the final verdict from the ASA, in which the bit I'd complained about was upheld. I was pleased about that.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Ghastly Facebook memes the 5th

I really truly particularly hate the ghastly FB memes that end with "Please pass this along if you agree or simply delete it if you don't".

So you can clog up my newsfeed with your bigoted craptrap*, yeah, but zog forbid I challenge or call you on it. Don't tell me how to react to your opinion, bluepencilface.

How about I tell you what I think in response, instead of just deleting? After all, you think you're so special I need to know what you think. It's only fair that I get the same privilege, isn't it? I mean, I'm not expecting you to change your mind, I'm not expecting you to be interested even, but if you can spout a lot of old misinformed hooey, then by zog so can I.


* the r is there on purpose.

Flying high

I love flying dreams. I'm never soaring effortlessly 'though, it's more like swimming through air and takes a lot of effort, and I sink to the ground if I stop my stroke. This time I had a companion who I was giving tips to, cos I'd flown before (in previous dreams). It all seemed perfectly reasonable to be swooshing through the sky and nobody who saw us was the least bit phased.

It was a great dream up until the point I forced myself on David Cameron in a swimming pool. Ugh.

Stupid brain.


You spoiled my dream, Cameron, you dough-faced bastard.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Chores for an old ex-leper?

I need my eyes testing. I was flicking up through the tv guide on the screen, and could have sworn I saw a programme called "Household Lepers"*.




* It was actually "Household Helpers".

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Hop to it

'Hop' is a film about the Easter Bunny, so a bit out of season, but anyway...

On Easter Island, EB (voiced by Russell Brand) is the reluctant heir to the Easter Bunnying business, whose father (voiced by Hugh Laurie) is trying to groom him for greatness. But EB wants to be a drummer, he doesn't want this life where he feels all he can do is let his father down. He decides to do a bunk and heads to Hollywood to meet his destiny.

In California, human Fred O'Hare (James Marsden) is a slacker whose family stage an intervention, demanding he gets a job, moves out and gets a life. This 'tough love' instigated by Fred's ever-disappointed dad (Gary Cole) is diluted a bit by his sister Sam (Kaley Cuoco) secretly hooking him up with somewhere to stay and a job interview.

On Fred's way to his temporary home, the two worlds literally collide as his bumper meets EB.

Fred has met his match in rebellious EB and trying to restrain the bunny's excesses gives him insight into his own behaviour, and he starts to see a future to aim for. In the meantime, on Easter Island, EB's distraught dad sends out his royal guard of the Pink Berets to track down EB, while his chick assistant Carlos (voiced by Hank Azaria) schemes to take over.

I found it quite a decent film. It's a combination of CGI and live action, with the bunnies and chicks beautifully created with computer effects - most excellent moving hair and feathers for maximum fluffiness and cuteness. The storyline moved along quite well, with enough exciting and or funny moments to hold the children's interest for the most part. The younger children I took with me (5 & 6) grew somewhat restless mid-way through, and started looking around, fidgeting and even asking when it would be over

I'm a bit fed up of the absent mothers trope in children's films: I mean, there was no sign of Mrs EB senior, and Bonnie O'Hare (Elizabeth Perkins) had minimal lines. I'd like to see more mothers. Preferably ones with lines and thoughts and input.

Kaley Cuoco (best known as Penny from the 'Big Bang Theory') did a nice turn as Fred's sister. She was feisty and capable, a good foil for Fred's flakiness. Gary Cole did the grumpy dad role well, while the voice-actors were all very good. It worked well. I particularly liked Russell Brand's brief live-action cameo

I was seriously annoyed by Fred & EB's behaviour at Fred's adopted sister (Tiffany Espensen)'s school play - entirely unapologetic in the aftermath - and precisely why it was portrayed as ok to treat her that way, I don't know? Because she wasn't a good singer? Because she was a bit rude to Fred at the intervention? Because she was adopted? Because of her race or sex? Events going wrong is one thing, but this was more like a deliberate sabotage. It was just weird, none of the other members of the family got a comeuppance like that and I can't get to grips with the thinking behind it.

I liked the 3 Pink Beret bunnies, I liked how efficient & accurate they were with the blow-darts and it's nice to see female characters with the action role. Unfortunately, their characterisation was limited to one of the trio being asthmatic and a bit clumsy, otherwise they were interchangeable. Every time the others leapt into a pose, she would take the opportunity to have a blast of her inhaler, as a bit of comic relief. It's good to have an asthmatic doing those active things and being very physical whereas often they are depicted in film/tv as sitting on the sidelines or nerdy. I liked that the three female bunnies had this action role and were clearly very good at their job, but they didn't have much, if any dialogue. That annoyed me.

It also seriously irritated me that there was a scene where EB went to the PlayBoy Mansion. I mean, it was clearly a joke aimed at adults, but it wasn't particularly hilarious, and just when did it become ok to make reference to a just-about pornographic mag in a kids' film? Hefner gets a cameo role (just as a voice) in a kids' film. Hey, it's all good fun. FFS.

Also there's a really creepy bit where EB pretends to be a toy rabbit and enjoys a cuddle with Kaley Cuoco - and it's not like an innocent cuddle, he's getting one over on the character of Fred and he's sexually interested in her - he asks Fred if she's single in another scene. I mean, seriously, interspecies attraction? Argh. Really?

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Miracle Day

I've never really watched Torchwood before, but I accidentally caught the repeat of the first episode in a new series, without knowing what it was at first. I got hooked and then, blow me down, Gwen and Captain Jack appeared.

I'll keep watching, although I do struggle with certain issues:

No. 1


There's no forgiveness in my heart for this atrocity committed against the Black Eyed Peas.


No.2
The BBC's obsession with Wales. What is it with Wales? They've sent Being Human there as well as having the alien-research secret organisation of Torchwood based there for how ever many series. Is it really the most likely location in the UK for alien activity and daring-do?


What I did like was Gwen shooting a big gun out the window with her baby on her hip. And my question about the man who blew himself up with the bomb in a world where no-one can die being answered in the same episode.

But dear zog, why was the entire series basically compressed down and shown at the end? I know the theory is to get you to want to watch the rest, but the first episode should (and did, for me) have that effect. The US-style trailering at the end really put me off. Not so much I won't watch, but I'm a whole lot grumpier about it!

Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Collage

I was thinking about the things (memories/tastes) that a person can give you in life, some of them are small and some of them are large. Some of it good and some of it not so much.

Someone important in my early life died recently and I have a sort of collage in my head of what he meant to me. The trivial and upbeat of which I will be sharing.

A minor interest in keeping coldwater fish, a repulsion from eating fish (or indeed any seafood ever), a love of the 'World's Strongest Man' and the music of Johnny Cash.

And finally a rainbow. On the evening I drove away from the hospital there was this fantastic, vivid, perfect semi-circular rainbow. The best I've ever seen. I drove away wondering if it was the last time I'd see him and if I'd always now think about him in connection to rainbows. I don't know whether the latter is true, but the former was, it was the last time.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Mighty Musical Meme

1. Reply to this post and I'll assign you a letter.
2. List (and upload) 5 songs you love that begin with that letter.
3. Post them to your journal with these instructions.


I got the letter X, courtesy of Badger on Fire. (Evilllllll Badger).


First I give you the Smashing Pumpkins with "XYU":



I saw them at a festival or two in my youth. Great memories!

Next, I give you:



They Might Be Giants with "XTC vs Adam Ant". This band remind me of a great friend and this is one of their rockiest tunes.

The Foo Fighters with "X-static". Grunge never died.



Blondie with "X-Offender". Blondie rules.



Now, I'm really struggling... I could go for the obvious "Xanadu" by Olivia Newton John, but I don't really like her, apart from in Grease. So as a bit of a fib, let's go for Black Eyed Peas' "XOXOXO". I do like some of their stuff, but it's mainly my daughter's taste.

Friday, May 06, 2011

Poll-try

Questions from my online polls lately.

- Who at home is responsible for the tv remote control: one of the options being 'we pay someone to do it for us'. Yes, the butler does it, dahhhling.

- All religions are equally valid. With options for strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. What about the option for equally INvalid? Haha.

- Do your friends follow a religion and to tick boxes for which ones. Atheism is included as a religion [head-desk], and there's no option for 'other'. I can understand not including any but the big-name religions, but surely an 'other' option for the happy heathens and ponderous pagans I know?

- Are milking cows male or female? Bloody hell.


And bizarrely,

- Do you think cows laugh?

Saturday, April 30, 2011

heAVy

Why do I only get 'no to AV' leaflets through the door?

Is anyone campaigning for it (they don't seem to be in my local area)?

In which I'm royally indifferent

It was jolly nice to have the children home an extra day, so we went out cycling and doing various things. I had a crisis of confidence in the morning when an opportunity to socialise cropped up unexpectedly, but we headed out early and I just kept moving until we fetched up at the gathering. No time to think, meant no time to chicken out.

People in general seem surprised or that I'm making some kind of point about the Royal Wedding by not having seen any of the footage thus far, but I just have zero interest in it.

I heard a bit about it on the radio in the car, and people were talking about it, and it was all over messageboards & FB, so I know it went on, but it never even occurred to me to watch it.

I don't know why this apparently means I'm a killjoy. Me not watching it doesn't mean I have a low opinion of those who did, or that I'm trying to strangle people's enjoyment, or that I'm making a political statement, or that I'm an inverted snob or something. It just never crossed my tiny mind to watch it.

Puzzled.

Ah well, add it to the list...

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

FEaster

I'm really not keen on Easter, it's a pain in the arse with dairy-allergic son. All organised activities end with chocolate eggs - easter trails and egg-hunts - and if you give son a small present instead of an egg, daughter thinks it isn't fair. I'm not sure she's right, but the moaning begins.

I also have a bit of a problem with the religious meaning of it, although I'm right on board with the springtime & fertility side. I'm really looking forward to MayDay. Maypoles and Morris dancers, the Obby Oss, ahhh, I know how to party.

Apart from the chocolate issue, I had a most excellent holiday with the children. The weather's been gorgeous and we've had a lot of fun.

That is all.


Although I have some words for Bruno Mars*: leave that poor woman alone, she isn't that into you, and it's not a prerequisite for love that you'd die for the other person. Frankly you're a bit of a stalker freak psycho.




* Regarding the lyrics to his song 'Grenade'.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Mari-ohhhh

Me: "WHY is Toad called that, he looks like a mushroom not an amphibian?!"

Husband, patiently: "Because he's a toadstool."


Friday, March 11, 2011

Irrational irritant

OK, this is bound to alienate people who use this expression, and everyone uses this expression, and I know I'm unreasonable and possibly demented, but the phrase "save some pennies" just gets on my nerves.

It's nails over blackboard, it's little unidentifiable floaty things in my drink.

I'm hoping if I just express my irrational frustration with this silliest of trivial matters, it will alleviate the repressed rage.

RAAAAAAAAARGH! Just say money! Money! MONEY! It'll save me some pennies, nnnnnnnngh. Cash, dough, rhino, dosh, (no, not dosh, that annoys me too), moolah, spondulicks (no, no, no), nicker, bob...

Alright, I'm done. And even if you do say this, I still like you. (Well, if I liked you before you said it.)

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

How on earth do you sleep at night?

Matt Baker on the One Show asks David Cameron



What with the Government trying to change the wording of an international agreement to protect women against domestic and sexual violence and talks on privatising blood service, it's a good question.

International Women's Day


100 years of International Women's Day!


In 1918, some women over 30 got the vote.

In 1928, women got the vote on an equal basis with men in the UK.

As late as 1991, the marital rape exemption in the UK was finally officially abolished.


There's still a lot of work to do here and internationally.




From the Equals site.

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Spring

Everything's looking up - sunshine two days in a row. I can't help but feel lighter and happier.

Nothing's actually changed, except the lighting, but I could spring somersaults across the lawn.

... If I could spring somersaults. I don't think I have the strength in my arms and I never could do cart-wheels and all that. I could possibly do a rolly-poly. Or definitely do a telly-tubby roll. That'd be funnier.

... And not across my lawn as it's full of lumps and guinea pig poo, but maybe across someone else's lawn.

... I can't think of a friend or family member who has a nice roll-worthy lawn. All full of dog doings or works in progress, or too small to really get up speed.

I might go to the local country park/stately home and roll across their lawns.

There, that's my plan.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

You ain't seen me, right?

On the way past a military institution today, I saw a guy in camouflage gear at the gate... wearing a high-vis jacket over the top.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

One for the bigamists

At Morrisons today I saw a giant Valentine's card saying "The One I Love" ... on buy-one-get-one free.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Monday, January 31, 2011

By any other name

Watching the Wright Stuff this morning, the panel were discussing the different treatment of women vs men when it comes to famous misbehaviour: Charlie Sheen is in the news again, apparently.

Margi Clark was saying that during filming of Making Out Keith Allen's wild man routine went unremarked, but had any of the actresses acted similarly, there would have been consequences for her. Oddly, she was agreeing that men are treated differently, but was also backing away from naming it as 'sexism', trying to find some other word for it...

It's just bizarre, the resistance to calling a thing what it is.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Reading meme

Meme borrowed from Primitive People.

1. Favorite childhood book?

The Hobbit / Tolkien

2. What are you reading right now?
I'm having real trouble settling to a book right now, which is a pain. I have Margaret Atwood's Year of the Flood open.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None at the moment.

4. Bad book habit?
Don't know.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
Nothing at the moment.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No, don't fancy it much. Currently costs too much and I'm not sure that the ebooks you can get are cheaper. I like the real thing.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
I sometimes start one and move onto another. Sometimes that means I end up not finishing the first, but often I'll finish the second and then go back to the first. I've occasionally had three or four on the go, but at least one will then be non-fiction.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Yes, I've kept a record of what I've read online for five years or so. I find it very useful: to avoid picking up books I've read before and to make me think about trying different genres & authors.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
I'll do this for 2010.
Oh, there's a few candidates: Blood & Ashes / Jane Jordan, The Turning Angel / Greg Iles, The Blue Bedspread / Raj Kamal Jha, Twilight /Stephenie Meyer and Eoin Colfer's And Another Thing. I think on the whole I'll go with the Greg Iles. It really ticked me off.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Again, 2010.
Probably the Terry Pratchett I Shall Wear Midnight.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
I try other things more now I blog my books, so have tried autobiographies, gone back to classics and so on.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Fiction: crime, s-f, fantasy.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yes, but I rarely go on the bus and if I do have children with me, so bit rude to read at them.

14. Favorite place to read?
In bed.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I don't like lending the books I love, in case I never get them back or they come back all spine-broken and dog-eared. I like to think I'm not as precious about them as I used to be, but I probably am! Lending doesn't arise that much.

Books I think I won't read again I'll give away. I prefer to give than to lend.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
See answer above, haha. Noooooooo. Some of my books are much-read and show it, but not dog-eared.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Not since college, and then I don't think I did it much.

18. Not even with text books?
I might, but I don't think I did very often.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English, my French and German are extremely rusty and I have no other languages.

20. What makes you love a book?
It moves me or takes me into its world so I don't want it to end.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I don't really recommend books often, you never know if your tastes will be shared.

22. Favorite genre?
S-F.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
I'd read it surely, if I wished to read it?

24. Favorite biography?
I don't often read biographies, but Shakespeare's Wife / Germaine Greer was fascinating.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Yes, unusual for me, but I did read JSP's Life's too F-ing Short last year.

26. Favourite cookbook?
Probably my battered 35 years of Weightwatchers Favourite Recipes is my most used real cookbook. We do have a couple of shelves devoted to cookery, but they're my husband's really.

I prefer to work from the point of what ingredients do we have and work out what we're going to eat from there, rather than choose what we're going to eat and have to get the ingredients. I mostly find recipes online from the BBC recipe site or Delia or Channel 4, etc. I have a folder with these plus my most used/succesful recipes and ones I've got from friends.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Don't know.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Don't eat while reading, don't have enough hands!

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Twilight and The Da Vinci Code. Only read them to see what everyone was going on about and both were dreadful.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
I don't really read book critics.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I felt a bit awkward when someone signing as 'the author' commented on my blog about a book I'd rather slated, but I don't think I was unfair... And who am I anyway? Nobody.

I think bad reviews are something authors have to cope with or ignore, you can't please everybody and if it's constructive criticism, you might learn something and become a better writer. (I'm not necessarily putting myself in the constructive camp).

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
I don't know. Russian? Spanish?

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
War & Peace?

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Crime & Punishment, I guess. Ulysses. All the clichés.

35. Favourite Poet?
Wilfred Owen.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
3 - 5.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
A few times. Sometimes I get a book home and then I just don't fancy it.

38. Favourite fictional character?
I'm very fond of a lot of Pratchett characters: Vimes, Tiffany, Granny Weatherwax and the Nac Mac Feegle. Yossarian & the chaplain from Catch-22.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Coo, this is hard. Can't think of any.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Crime fiction.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
A couple of weeks.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I give up books I'm struggling with these days. Few you carry on with turn out to be worth the effort. Life's too short and there are too many books! One I wish I'd given up on was Charlotte Gray / Sebastian Faulks.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
If it's good, nothing!

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel?
I liked the Lord of the Rings films, but I'm not a Tolkien purist.

BladeRunner
(director's cut) I like better than the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (which was one Philip K Dick I didn't really enjoy).

I prefer the Harry Potter films to the books, although I haven't seen the newest one. I think they cut out some of the chaff, as Rowling got a bit long-winded once her success kicked in and her editors weren't wielding the scissors as much.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I never expect much from film adaptations. Certainly not of books I love, I'll avoid watching them usually.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
£30. I had a lot of book-tokens. Oh - that probably doesn't count!

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I might read the first page. I won't look through as I don't want spoilers.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
I gave up Loamhedge when there was yet another song. I tend to give up when the story or writing seems so bad, I'm thinking about it rather than able to suspend disbelief. Or I give up when I just can't get into a story and I feel I've really tried. All sorts of reasons really. I like to finish books, but I'm no longer forcing myself through any.

49. Do you like to keep your books organised?
Yes. I have shelves for Terry Pratchett, s-f, feminist, fantasy, classics and specific authors.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I tend to know if I will want to re-read a book reliably, so if it's a book I enjoyed but won't read again, it goes to friends or charity. I only keep books that I'll re-read or that I'm building up a collection of (I nearly have all the books of Pratchett, Gaiman, Sue Grafton, Margaret Atwood. I used to have a lot of Paul Auster and Philip K Dick, but they went missing on a move.) I am also picking up classics for myself to read or re-read and for the children once they get to that stage at school.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
No. It's not like I owe them money.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
Loads! Da Vinci Code, Twilight, The Turning Angel.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Julian Clary's autobiography A Young Man's Passage. I don't really find Clary funny and didn't expect to find him anything but abrasive, but there was definitely more to him.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Charlotte Gray.

55. Favourite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Terry Pratchett. Douglas Adams. Margaret Atwood. Sue Grafton.

Damaged

No shit, Sherlock.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Janu-weary

I've really lost my bloggeration lately. I think it's due to January. January has a lot to answer for.

It might also be due to excessive product reviewing.

I'm about written out once I've reviewed a few things and rated other reviews and all that. It looks like I've earned a £20 voucher, though, so I'm about to go claim that one!

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

Reading Record 2011

My sixth year of recording my book consumption online! Previous lists: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006.

I didn't succeed in my A to Z challenge. I blame L Ron Hubbard (although I was going to be pushed to make it, in fairness) as I started reading Battlefield Earth, the first third of which was a breeze to read and the next part dragged. I was hoping it'd get better but stopped reading altogether for a while. I didn't give up on it but it took a while until I was ready for the final push through. It slowed me right up. But I am going to continue until I get to Z, as trying a new author on a randomish basis has thrown up some interesting books.

January

U is for Undertow / Sue Grafton
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley / MC Beaton

March

Sorrows of an American / Siri Hustvedt
Bad Ideas / Robert Winston
The Attack / Jasmina Khadra

April

Rolling Stones / Robert A Heinlein
M is for Malice / Sue Grafton
Dynamite Kid / Brian Blessed
Year of the Flood / Margaret Atwood

May

Xenogenesis: Adulthood Rites / Octavia Butler
The Lake of Darkness / Ruth Rendell
The Five People You Meet in Heaven / Mitch Albom

June

Waiting / Hai Jin

July

The Thing Around Your Neck / Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

September

The Greatest Show on Earth / Richard Dawkins
Port Mortuary / Patrica Cornwell

October

Good Omens / Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

November

Dave Gorman vs the Rest of the World / Dave Gorman
Snuff / Terry Pratchett

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Odd views

Happy New Year!

I've had a cold the last few days and one of the symptoms has been light-headedness: a feeling that my mind is somehow detached from my body and is riding somewhere to the right above my shoulder with loosely held reins in hand. I weave like a couple at closing time who are not sure whose house they're going to.

It's not bad at all. I could lose the sore throat, but otherwise it's kind of weird and pleasant. An odd view of myself as myself while not convinced that self is my real self!

It's certainly a better view than the odd view of myself I had in the M&S fitting rooms a while ago. Like most shops they've got some flattering mirrors in their cubicles, but there was one to give a side-view, and by crikey it was an 'orrible sight. Obviously they can flatter in two directions, but catch a glimpse of the third and it's like stepping through into a savage reality.

Anyway, it's 2011. Let's hope savage realities are few and woozy joys are many.