Chatiryworld

The faces of poetry

Jon and I currently feature on the homepage for BBC Radio 3's Poetry Season.  If that seems completely random, let me explain.  The photo was taken about 10 minutes after we got engaged and I titled it using a quote from Edwin Muir's The Confirmation.  This was one of the poems selected by presenter Mary Anne Kennedy for the season, and when someone from the BBC searched for images using the same quote I used as a title, they got our photo.  I thought the photo might appear on a page about the poem, rather than the general one as it's not really clear why we're there.  Not that it matters, we (and you) know why.

I am finding it very surreal that people start arriving in Edinburgh tomorrow for our wedding.  I'd blog more about it all but I'm finding it all pretty tiring.  Nearly there though when all our hard work will be worth it.

Electrabel advert

'Tis very pretty, and comes from the great land of Belgium.  Via Jon.

Two things

Happy birthday to my brother D, the little baby with the big blue eyes is now 12 (he'd love me for that, if he read this).  We got him a telescope, not a particularly powerful one, but we hope he has fun with it anyway. 

If you've ever suffered with a noisy neighbour read Charlie Brooker's column this week, it's fantastic.  Read it also if you are a noisy neighbour, especially if your name is Gavin.

New Sony Bravia ad!

Bunnies!  Playdough!  Colours!

Watch it here. 

Via swissmiss.

Charlie Brooker is great

And this is why.

Fillums

Been doing another free dvd rental trial and have caught up with a couple of films these past few days.

First up, Confetti, full of very funny people but not as amusing as I thought it would be.  I was disappointed by the ending as the whole film seemed to change tack and stop taking the piss out of people.  You get to see Robert Webb naked though!

Yesterday afternoon I settled down to watch Saved! as seen in the National Secular Society shop.  Bit surprised by it being in the NSS shop as although it is a satire on American right-wing evangelism, the ending is not one that I could imagine the die-hard secularists that seem to populate the NSS news email letters section enjoying.  It's an amusing film but it's still kind to belief.  Nothing wrong with that, just not the 'daring satire' I was expecting.

This afternoon featured A Cock and Bull Story, bit strange but still funny.  Not sure what to say about it but it's a good ensemble piece and worthy of 94 minutes of anyone's time.  Kept making me think about the rabbit and the guinea pig we used to look after in the holidays for my mum's friend, they were called Tristram and Shandy. 

What we could become

Mr Nagl and I dragged ourselves out in the rain to go and see Children of Men.  I'm easily persuaded when Clive Owen is involved.

How glad I am we did go.  Go, go, go and see it (although as it is pretty harrowing might not be one if you're not feeling good about life, the universe and everything, I wouldn't have coped with it a few weeks ago).  It's got a great story and I was gripped the whole way through (not often that my mind doesn't wander, even momentarily).

We came out feeling quite down, obviously (not helped by wandering about in the rain and in Somerfield), and discussed how life here could easily go the way of the film.  If the current anti-immigration feeling continues and indeed worsens, some of the this film could very easily become our reality.  I have no idea what the answer is to that.  I have no idea what we could do to prevent those refugee camp scenes that looked like something out of Auschwitz actually happening.  Apart from ban the Daily Mail, but yeah, like that's going to happen.

Although I think the idea of the human race becoming infertile is plausible, I think it would take a lot longer than 20 years or so.  A world without children seems very strange.

For a fuller review, go and read what the bloke has to say.  I just wanted to put a few thoughts down.  Particularly, that the date given for all the action starting is what will be my 50th birthday.  Let's hope I won't be spending it in a world like that.

Did anyone nominate me?

Digital Spy - Showbiz - 'World's sexiest vegetarian' nominees announced

Technorati Tags: vegetarian, sexiest vegetarian

Oops

The BBC is tackling the sale of large volumes of Blue Peter badges on internet auction site eBay.

I sold mine last autumn, but I didn't think of it as being for people to get in free to tourist attractions etc (I only ever used mine to get in at Jorvik Viking Centre). I sold it, along with the original letter from Biddy Baxter, as a piece of retro tv memorabilia. I don't think I mentioned the free entry element. Also I needed the money as we were moving, although I didn't get over £100...

blue peter badge, eBay

‘We have to teach Tom that censorship is wrong’

I really want to see this episode of South Park.  He he he.  Tom Cruise, you are a fool.

The Chef Gate Petition

Via Boing Boing.

Technorati Tags: tom cruise, scientology, censorship, isaac hayes, south park, chefgate