Blue Skies

“To Die For” Lucy Siegle. Is fashion wearing out the world? (Yes) Bought at Foyles in Westfield, Stratford City

National Geographic article on part of the Rift valley in Africa. Exotic scary-as-shit places where all standards we take for granted are stripped away. Would love to visit but haven’t got the balls.

bedside reading. Returning to basics. Its fun looking at the building blocks of language. Fireworks outside. Its bonfire night. Like sparks in my head. pop pow wheeeee boom ha!

Just wonderful.

The autobiography of Wangari Maathai. “Unbowed”.

Bummer. lol. The dork protaganist irritated me no end. And the mother I just wanted to strangle. They spoiled the movie for me. The Woodstock re-enactment excellent. The acid trip in the love van brilliant. I felt no sense of embarrassment. Subtle and it worked. But the dork Demetri Martin seemed to remain the same at the end as at the beginning, stiff, awkward and annoying. Who changed? The father. And he was brill.

Bright Star — “The drama based on the three-year romance between 19th century poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats’ untimely death at age 25.” Like watching an episode of Cranford. Some scenes just wonderful. Not slow but… measured might be a good word. But it all worked, the main characters gelled, the dream-like, child-like unknowing of deeper concerns outside the affair I liked. Could easily watch again.

Picked up the Notes first because they seemed interesting. Went to librarian and said do you have the book itself? No. Went home, read some of the notes, got interested and bought the book in Richmond (London) Waterstones. Still to read it. Next in line after Catch looney 22.

Catch 22, by Joseph Heller. Only 50pp in so far, and Major Major is such a sorrowful character. But they’re all surrounded by nonsense and inconsequence in the middle of war. Highlights for me the huge amount of variation in the human race. War is crazy. Life is crazy. With stupid rules and crass-minded idiots in charge. Bit depressing in a way. It’s humour has bite.