In a modest demonstration that it is possible to lose weight by diet alone, I have been unable to swim for the last few weeks due to a minor but persistent case of sinusitus. I am now on antibiotics, which will hopefully deal with it, since in the current situation, I don't want to add to the burden on local medical facilites with mere bacterial ( Read more... )

Since we already have all the current 8 main-line Star Wars films as Shakespearian drama in iambic pentameter, the next step is obviously Star Wars as grand opera. This is practically canon (see Chuck Wendig's Star Wars novels - I hear "The Ballad of Cora Vessora" in my mind as a full scale classical Javanese dance drama). The throne-room scenes at ( Read more... )

Having a holiday in several different places sequentially has had the happy side-effect of making it seem longer. Notable points ( Read more... )

There are, I have discovered, websites dedicated to the speculative analysis of pop lyrics. I found this out when enquiring into the lyrics of the irresistibly catchy 1984 song "Run Runaway". After an unsatisfactory look at various implausible analyses of its lyrics in terms of romantic relationships, inspiration struck and I realised that actually ( Read more... )

In 2000 I saw a performance of the excellent musical version of James Joyce's short story, 'The Dead', straightforwardly entitled "James Joyce' 'The Dead'). Music by Shaun Davey, with Christopher Walken (!) as Gabriel Conroy. Since I had just seen him as the Headless Horseman in the film "Sleepy Hollow", where he never had to emit a noise more ( Read more... )

This version by the Peabody Conservatory Wind Ensemble (there is also a full orchestral version) under Harlan D. Parker ( Read more... )

On Christmas Eve I went to see "The Battle of the Five Armies" with a friend and her family and then we had dinner. It was nice (the dinner too). I enjoyed it and the time did not drag, and it ended in a satisfactory way, leading clearly to the LOTR films. As prequels, I have to say that they were quite good, though less so as adaptations of "The ( Read more... )

I highly recommend The Kipper Family's "Arrest These Merry Gentlemen".