It's so hard to love when love was your great disappointment

[alexsarll]

As always happens when I'm ironing, my soundtrack starts with literate pop where being gently active frees me to concentrate on the words; last night it was early Bowie and then Lloyd Cole. As often follows, I progress from there to Alan Moore's spoken-word working The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels*. And then, just as it's reaching its climax, the rain starts, and at first I think it must be something more than rain, must be some form of Promethea-style apocalypse.
Then the CD finishes, and I realise it's just raining. Though I do later see the face of Commissioner Gordon in the patterns on my ceiling.

After Saturday's police van going through a green man, today I saw a traffic warden standing at a pelican without pressing the button. Crucifixion really is too good for them. And why are old people usually so slow? You'd think that having less time left would make them speed up, hurry to get everything done before the last call.

Kevin Smith may not be Silent Bob, but the more I hear about Jason Mewes, the more convinced I become that he *is* Jay.
(Which reminds me, I read culturedgoat's copy of Chasing Dogma over the weekend. A thoroughly entertaining read with great art from Duncan Fegredo, but it's a shame that the ape plot got re-used in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back)

Anyone know any of the work of Scottish crime novelist Denise Mina? Because apparently she's the next writer on Hellblazer. I'm looking at her bibliographies &c, and I'm not convinced.

From NTK: the League of Gentlemen's spoof Dr Who fanzine.

Scanning a list of the year's forthcoming books, I note with some puzzlement that Isabel Allende has written a Zorro prequel. There's also a book called Rat Scabies and the Holy Grail which does exactly what it says on the tin.

*I really should get hold of some more of his CDs; I'd particularly like to hear Angel Passage, the Blake piece.

Comments

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

patters or patterns?

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

D'oh! I'm not actually that synaesthesiac. Edited.

[rentaghost31.livejournal.com]

I was beginning to worry for your lucidity there.

[perfectlyvague.livejournal.com]

I got completely synaesthesic in my delirium last night. I was trying to indicate the difference between hot and cold in notes. I completely forgot that feeling wasn't sound.

[london-imp.livejournal.com]

I presume Jason Mewes is over his heroin addiction now then? I think it's a shame that Smiths has to do a sequel in order to reclaim some popularity.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

He's over his addictions (allegedly) but still clearly a total waster. In fact, being a smackhead actually makes him *worse* than Jay, who is always very clear that he won't inject.

I'm quite glad Smith is going back to the Askewniverse, because Jersey Girl wasn't a patch on any of the films set there.

[london-imp.livejournal.com]

I just wish he did something different. If it's not p*ssing about with his mates making comedy films, it's directing a comic book spin-off which i'm not that interested in.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Do you mean Green Hornet? As he says in that interview, he's not directing it, just scripting.

Personally I just wish he'd finish his Spider-Man and Daredevil comics...

Not all artists have to be versatile. If PG Wodehouse had ever tried to write anything but aristocratic comedies, it would almost certainly have sucked.

[london-imp.livejournal.com]

I've lost interest in keeping up with what he does now. Just wish he'd get on with making Fletch.

[dr-shatterhand.livejournal.com]

Wodehouse did briefly branch out into light Nazi propaganda, but showed no real talent for the genre.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Hush! He just misjudged his tone. He was using the same approach to the Third Reich that he applied to Sir Roderick Spode, without realising that in this instance people didn't think gentle ridicule was enough.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

He also wrote a song that was in the original Broadway production of Showboat ('Just My Bill')

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

He did quite a lot of that sort of work - I think it was where he made most of his money. Similarly, the reason Stephen Fry is actually obscenely loaded, rather than simply wealthy, owes a lot to his early work on the book of a musical, but I forget which one.

[jamesward.livejournal.com]

Me And My Girl I think. I saw that when I was about eight. Les Dennis was in it.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

It was Me and My Girl

[fugitivemotel.livejournal.com]

Mewes is definitely Jay. He cannot act. For confirmation of this, you are welcome to borrow my copy of "RSVP" on DVD any time.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Er...thanks, I think.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Spoof Dr Who fanzine - is that supposed to be funny? Has my disappointment at Sideways reduced my ability to spot humour, or is that actually rather tedious? Bah bah bah.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I must admit I only actually Led OL at the Iris Murdoch gag.

I am puzzled that anyone should pay good money for Sideways, which seems like a quintessential watch-on-TV film and whose trailer is awash with foul anti-Merlot racialism.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

Yes, that raised a wry smirk I admit.

I hadn't seen the Merlot slagging. If that had even been an amusing motif throughout the film apart from a one-off moment of rare laughter I could have dealt with it, but as such it's made me want to buy nothing by Merlot from now on. I mean, PINOT better then MERLOT? What the fvck's he chattin' about?

Although the thirsties are starting to return now. I wonder if I can con anyone from my office for a lunchtime glass of wine. I'll certainly need a post-work wine at least pre-B&G!

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I think he's probably just trying to look clever by being different.

MERLOT 4 EVER.

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

I oppose this "difference" and propose clonking aforesaid peon over the head with a spitoon full of saliva-mixed £2.99 dust-cladden Pinot Grigio!

[culturedgoat.livejournal.com]

My favourite words on the subject come courtesy of Maddox.

xxx

[perfectlyvague.livejournal.com]

Pinot is better than Merlot and I haven't even seen the damn film. But every time I have it people look at me like I have seen the film. And I hate that.

[violentbec.livejournal.com]

it was 3.50 dude. better than watching paint dry.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

See, in North London we clearly have more entertainment options...

[violentbec.livejournal.com]

bite me.
oh wait....

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

This proves my original point! Even in South London you could have bitten each other, which I can't confidently compare to Sideways, but I'm sure beats the paint option.

[666inmyheart.livejournal.com]

Old people need tracking devices and rocket propellled boots. This means I would have less work to do, they'd have a right laugh crossing the road and everyone would be happy.

xx

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I can understand that they walk slowly, that's physical, but stuff like faffing around packing their shopping - YOU ARE ALMOST DEAD! DO YOU NOT HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO AND PLACES TO BE?