Royal Oak

Finished "Heart Of Darkness" this evening. Still don't see what the fuss is about, but it's another one ticked off the "books you have to read before you die" list. Next on my list is Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Should be more like it.

Ali G was something of a revelation here in the UK about 10 years ago, when he was a sketch on a late-night comedy show. After a while, his potential victims had worked him out, and by the time he got his spoof talk show, everyone knew the joke. I'm not much of a fan of Sacha Baron-Cohen. To be fair, he appears nowhere near as smug as the utterly charmless Ricky Gervais, who also got his break on the same show. IMO, of course.

Good luck in recovering the $1.92 million. I wonder how much it cost the companies involved to pursue this action?

One of those books one feels one ought to have read - Joseph Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness". I must admit, I'm struggling to see what the fuss is about - fairly tedious so far (about 45 pages in).

Speaking of Steinbeck: I'm reading In Dubious Battle. They really, really, really, don't write books like this anymore -- which is a great loss for America. You've got me interested in that one Matthew.

Just finished John Steinbeck's "The Pearl". Life-affirming, in a Steinbeck way. I couldn't help thinking about "The Old Man And The Sea" and "The Diamond As Big As The Ritz" when I was reading this.

John Patton Select! - right now, disc 2.

It is here, and a thing of beauty it is too. Just need everyone to go to bed tonight so I can start listening to it!

Jonathan Swift Dean Martin Clarice Starling

McEnroe Connors Becker

I think it came today - got home from work to find a card from the postman, saying he couldn't deliver a package because it was too big for the letterbox. Means I have to go to the main post office to collect it tomorrow.

Just found this thread. I always liked the part where Wolf and Tarantino are mocking Jules/Vincent wearing Tarantino's shorts and t-shirts: Wolf: "How do they look?" Tarantino": "They look like dorks" Jules: "They're your clothes, motherfucker".

It's shipped, so I am now at the mercy of the US Airmail! I must say I'm getting pretty excited, and I'm eyeing the Curtis Amy, the Charles Tolliver and the Carmell Jones.

Just finished "Wouldn't It Be Nice", the Brian Wilson autobiog. I never much cared for the Beach Boys (though I had the obligatory "Pet Sounds") and this didn't do anything to change that.

..the John Patton Select. Rather than pay silly money for the individual CDs, I thought I may as well spring for this set. I fear it may be the start of something.

Another Sonny, Sonny Criss.

California Dreamin' - a Mamas & Papas documentary on BBC4. Cass Elliot was some singer, though I wasn't as keen on the clips of her from the 70s - her voice seemed to have lost something. There was a clip of her singing "Dancing In The Street", a song I've pretty much always hated (due in no small part to the Bowie/Jagger Live Aid debacle of 1985), and she made me like it.

Kenny G Jazzy B Chuck D

Thank you for making me finally buy this record (just ordered it now).

Art Pepper? I don't own much beyond the Contemporary era, but I was struck by the lack of original compositions.

Sister Sadie Father Ted Uncle Fester

Michael Parkinson Russell Harty Grace Jones

Treated myself for my birthday with "And His Mother Called Him Bill" - Duke "1961" - Jimmy Giuffre 3 Especially excited about the Giuffre. I've meant to buy it for ages, but was put off by the thought of spending twenty quid on one (albeit double) CD. I'm the same when buying plants for the garden.

I'm going to try again to read Henry Miller's "Tropic Of Cancer", which I started about 3 years ago (I read about 30 pages). I had a quick look this morning; the signs aren't good.

More chazza shop fare: Albert Camus - "The Fall".