the stain

Sometimes I wonder if you're being deliberately obtuse. :confused:

You're life has been a succession of victories because you were born in Weston Super Mare?

I watched Thankyou For Smoking last night. It was quite funny, in places. Little else to report. Before that I watched El Aura, which was a much more satisfying experience. Argentinian film about an epileptic who fantasises about performing the perfect heist, then finds himself caught up in one. Really hauntingly shot and absorbing and completely recommended.

Benny Gordon?

Arthur Russell - Love is Overtaking Me His 'country' stuff. Quite unlike his 'disco' stuff, or his 'experimental cello and echo' stuff. It's quite lovely, even if it goes a little Fleetwood Mac in places.

Wot's all this then..?

The moment they got into an enclosed space I was bricking it.

... on a children's television show. Your suggestions here, please. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_ul7X5js1vE

Bruno's Dream, by Iris Murdoch. I am, it seems, completely addicted to her novels, so it's good she wrote so many. This apparently minor work turns out IMO to be one of her best. As usual with Murdoch, a faintly dry premise (this time an old man deciding who to leave his stamp collection to) develops into a gripping narrative, before unfolding to reveal an almost unbearable load of moral wisdom. Also as usual, the themes and ideas are so many that you could get lost in thinking about it for weeks, or just read it as a cracking story. If Kate Winslet really was her, like in the film, I'd definitely force her to marry me.

Well it took me ages to read but it was worth it. Really really good. It's kind of an historical detective story and I suppose a comparison could be made to The Name of the Rose in as much as it's both that and a philosophical fiction. Set in 16th century Istanbul, it's the story of a murder caused by the clash of two conceptions of art, the Islamic illumination of texts and Venetian portraiture, or the placing of Allah at the invisible centre of the world versus Christian 'idolatry'/secular narcissism. It's beautifully worked and also a pretty gripping drama and contains two of the best death scenes I've ever read.

This is showing over the Chrestive Season, Boxing Day I think. Also on telly over Santaval, The Edukators and Hallam Foe, both of which are well worth staying up for.

Last time I called 999 was... I was walking home in Winchester, slightly stoned, trundling down the hill towards the Records Office (tall, many-balconied building outside the train station). Me and my friend saw some lads up on the top balcony, ****ed and larking about. Then one of them toppled over the side and landed on his back on the pavement. (I thought his brain had fallen ot, but it turned out to be his shoe). Once I got to him, I saw he was out cold with blood pooling out of his head, so I called for an ambulance. With the hospital only about 10 minutes walk away I expected a quick response, but 20 minutes later phoned again. After half an hour the bloke woke up and started trying to get up. Fortunatley at this point a police car came past, quite by chance, and they took charge of the situation. I hope he didn't die.

I don't know what's wrong with Laughing Len's version. S'much better than Son of Buckley's. That said, all classic songs should be massacred by facile pop moppets as a rite of passage, to test their durability.

Yes. [/extravagantly wordy film critic]

Benders.

Did it work?

Just about to start My Name Is Red, by Orhan Pamuk. He won the Nobel Prize, you know. I'll let you all know how I get on.

I was being facetious (and a bit of a pedant). I knew what you meant really

Erm, no such thing as what? Jesus or the bible?

Is that his new pub covers band?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/05/bbc-eurovision "No longer a music contest", he says. What does he know that we're not being told?

No, she went of her own accord.

Smart alec.

Stay please. I consider myself a 'Lowe-quite-likey'

That's frothing madness. 128 million on a back-up for Hart when they already have Caspar Schmeichel?