Royal Oak

Fine book! I'm almost entirely ignorant of the wider story of the Russian politics of the time, but I'm enjoying the simplicity of the prose. I've only dabbled in Russian literature (Dostoyevsky, Gogol and some Tolstoy) but I find it speaks to me somehow. All bleak and cold and filled with injustice - don't know what that says about me!

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn - One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich

Finished "On The Road". I neither loved it nor hated it. As a homebound square, there was the vicarious thrill of the "life less ordinary" and all that, but I'm sure Dean Moriarty would annoy the piss out of me.

Run for your life sideshowsteve!

And the British dream dies for another year....

If he wins, this place will be unbearable for the rest of the year. You're not kidding. Wimbledon; the sport for people who don't like sport. Adopts Ron Manager voice: "Wimbledon, isn't it? Henman Hill, strawberries and cream, Cliff Richard, first British winner since Fred Perry etc".

I remember a Scott Hamilton gig in a Northern English town in the mid-90s. One got the feeling his heart wasn't really in it, and at one point he rather pointedly inroduced the tune "What Am I Here For?" I suspect Scott had had a drink or two, and later on he sat down on a chair out front while the pianist took his solo, and promptly nodded off. After several choruses and "what the..." glances between the band, an old man (I think he was the promoter) got on stage with a cup of coffee and woke him up. At this point, Scott shook his fist angrily and shooed the old man away. He put his horn to his lips, then gave a "fuck it" look and fell asleep again. You couldn't help but be impressed by the panache.

Just finished Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest". Now about to start Kerouac's "On The Road"

Funny. I'm a big fan of Gervais as well. Maybe it's because we get smaller doses of the two of them here in the US... Possibly. Don't get me wrong - I loved "The Office" as much as anyone when it came out. He quickly became omnipresent (BBC specials, publishing deals for books of his drawings, weak stand-up shows on DVD) and he obviously believes the hype. Just seeing or hearing him now makes me cringe. I think his American equivalent would be Will Ferrell - I can't think of a more repellent screen prescence. Sorry for getting off -topic.

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.