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Why didn’t someone say! (ohh someone did).

It’s Friday the 13th, people. Avoid ladders, salt, mirrors, cats of dark hues and cracks in the pavement. If you are reading this from your house GO BACK TO BED. If you are reading this in bed don’t rub it in, ya lazy bugger…

Anyway, if you want me I’ll be hiding under my desk (I may venture out for a cake though, it IS Friday after all…).

bookmark_borderTasty

Art, fashion, design. They are all subjective. But where do we get our sense of style, our own personal tastes? Are they developed over time, moulded by society and our exposure to culture, or is it a genetic inheritance? A bit of both?

Is my love of minimalist – think Scandinavian (no NOT IKEA) and Japanese simplicity – design driven from my slight loathing of mess? Or is it because I grew up with two lovely Geishas looking down on me from the living room wall, tapestries by my Mother which my sister and I have already started fighting over (sorry Mum, I know it’ll be a while yet!).

Everyone knows what they like, and knows what they don’t like. I don’t really need to look twice at something to tell you whether I like the way it looks or not, so can artists please stop telling US what is art. That’s for me to decide and don’t moan if I don’t think that turning up and tipping out a bag of used teabags onto the floor is “art”. By your own definitions, art is experienced differently by different people, so that has to include some people think that you aren’t much of an artist and should stop dumping your crap all over the floor.

Or is it just me? What is “art” to you?

bookmark_borderHHGTTG

Movie info from IMDB
Movie revies from Metacritic

Finally saw the movie of the book that has been twenty years in the making. Initial impressions are favourable but with room for improvement.

The casting isn’t too bad, but I don’t think any of the actors did a particularly good job, although despite my hope Marvin was reduced to a few odd lines and the voice never really seemed to fit properly. I’m guessing the decision to focus on the blossoming love between Arthur and Trillian also had something to do with the odd pacing, with scenes zipping past one minute then slowing to a crawl the next.

If I’m honest I think that they held back too much, I think they could have pushed it a bit more and made it a 15 rating (or 12a or whatever the one in between is) I mean even the TV show featured the carcass of the recently deceased sperm whale. Now I come to think of it that’s more what this reminded me of, a well produced TV movie. It just seemed lacking in punch for a “hollywood” movie.

Still, large chunks of dialogue were kept intact, and there were some funny moments if never really hilarious. I deliberately tried NOT to refer to the book and on the whole I think it’s better than I thought it would be, although it did take me about 20 minutes to warm to it, even if they did miss out one of my favourite lines from the book: “The ship hung in the air much in the same way that bricks don’t.”

There are some nice nods to the aforementioned TV show and overall it’s not a bad movie. However looking at other book to movie conversions, Potter in particular, it does feel like a bit of a let down. If you haven’t read the books then I think you’ll still enjoy it, Louise did, just don’t expect a comedy romp, it’s far too quirkily British and wry to lower itself to that level.

Ohh and for fans of the book please note that: “The producers have stated that this film is not a literal translation of the books (just as the books were not a literal translation of the original radio show), but all of the new ideas and characters came from Douglas Adams himself. The hired writer simply came aboard to improve structure and make the screenplay more coherent.” according to the imdb.

Note: Despite having had advance warning we left as the credits started. A further entry to the guide awaits if you sit tight (or you can just read it here if you’ve already seen the movie)

bookmark_borderJets

A note to “Benny”. I ain’t gonna add you to my MSN contact list unless I know who you are – drop me an email please.

On that note, I’ve had a veritable spate of emails recently from all sorts of different people and places. Fascinating. In my head I have a notion of what/who my audience is, but these emails are proving that I’m much more widely read than I realised. Feel free to massage my ego a little more!

bookmark_borderTipping Scales

Willpower. Anyone got any to spare?

I should check my biorhythms I think as I’m certainly cyclic when it comes to my mood. Not whether I’m in a good or bad mood, but whether I’m in a “get a grip” mood or a “ohh bugger this” mood. That latter is prevalent for the most part because of my sheer laziness and selfish and annoys me no end.

Oh yes I’m aware when I’m being lazy, or selfish, and sometimes just reminding myself of that is enough to get me up off my arse and doing something about it, sometimes I ignore the voice and sometimes it comes from someone else.

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve posted about how I’m going to do x or start doing y, full of good intentions for a short period of time, lacking the conviction to follow the idea through. Story of my life, some might say.

So where do I get this kick start I need?

Well Saturday night was a start. We bumped into an old.. well.. flame isn’t quite the right term, she was more like a leech that once attached itself to my face… let’s say “acquaintance” of mine. She’s nice enough but a bit over the top, and Louise took great pleasure in making sure I ended up stuck with her chatting to her. At one point she turned to Louise, patted my ample stomach and commented that I was being “well-fed”. She’s the kind of girl that would make a comment like that and leave you unsure what she means. Either that I’m fat (obvious), not getting enough sex from Louise (given the history a possibility), or she’s just passing comment without thinking and happens to like patting beer bellies.

It’s only now, several days later, that I’m beginning to realise that it’s that throwaway comment from Saturday night that has me down, malaised and generally unable to concentrate on one thing. Further pondering has me realise that, so far, this year has been a bit of a washout.

I’m going to try and keep her comment in my head and use it to kick start my year. Up until now it’s been flat, week after week after week of “same old, same old” is getting thoroughly depres… annoying. We used to go for walks, go to the cinema every week, meet friends for lunch, I distinctly recall that whilst it wasn’t much I DID have a social life once. I need to get back to that, I’m not sure it’ll solve everything but I’m hoping a few other things fall into place as well.

And it all starts this Saturday.

bookmark_borderSHUT UP!!!

What IS the point of an alarm that keeps going for… checks clock17 keffing minutes!!

If no-one has turned it off by now, then either the burglars have buggered off, or they’re still in there knowing fine well that no-one is investigating the alarm.

OK, if I’m honest I’m hoping that writing and posting this will cause one of those coincidences where, the second I hit the PUBLISH button, the alarm ceases.