Planarchy Archive - May 2003
Routine
So, after winning the best prize in Su(zi)e's competition (Hurrah!!) 'twas soon time for supper. And if it's Friday that means pizza. And then Top of the Pops for the me and the girls whilst Zee goes and visits her mum.
Routines are important aren't they? Did I ever tell you the story of the Box in the Square? I'll have to dig it out for you and update.
Morbius?
Dee's English homework tonight revealed the good and bad side of Prospero.
"He's like you in some ways, Dad," she said.
"Wise and wonderful? A masterful magician? Surely not Sadistic saddo?" my mind raced through the possibilities.
"You're a bit over-protective of your daughter, too," she said, bringing me back down to earth.
Pah!
I don't know "The Tempest" very well. Though we did do it at school, it was with our shite-est English teacher, so I paid little attention.
But I do know "Forbidden Planet" and that's based on the Tempest, isn't it? Dee's eyes glazed over as I began to describe (in glorious '50's Technicolor) the terrifying "monster from the Id" and the hilarious Robbie the robot (which was surely the same one later used in the TV series "Lost in Space"). Talking of hilarious, amongst Forbidden Planet's stars was a young Leslie Nielsen, hamming it up years before "Police Squad" et al.
Over protective indeed! Wait 'til they start bringing boys home, then they'll see over-protective.
PS: And on a completely different wavelength, I've just been called pedantic on Zoe Ball's Xfm drivetime show. Hurrah!
Hmmm
Today I spent my working hours auditing one of my employer's sites outside of London. Following the audit we walked to a hole in the hedge, though a leetle graveyard and into the ancient local pub for our lunch, I mean, closing meeting. Very pleasant indeed.
Now, whilst normally I'm a "Tired of London, tired of life" type (EnZee emigration not included) I have to say I could today see the appeal of living in a quaint little Suffolk village.
Poll
I have mentioned before (and here and then here) that I don't care for "Best of" Polls, or indeed polls themselves. Once again the great British un-washed have failed to manage to look back further back in time than last year in their list of the 100 greatest Film Stars. I am, nevertheless, grateful to Channel 4 for airing the programme as it was easy and occasionally insightful watching for a couple of evenings. I could shout disdainfully when I learnt that the likes of Julia Roberts were included at all, and then yelp with delight when Nicole Kidman beat her ex-hubby by eleven places. But whilst I have nothing against Al Pacino, indeed I rather like much of his work, I really can't see how anyone can seriously claim he is the greatest film star ever.
Pah!
My only real shock was that Robbie Williams didn't win this one as well.
Riot?
The most disturbing aspect of Thursday's May Day demonstrations for me came some 48 hours earlier when Zee asked me if there was going to be a major riot as she and her mum were planning a shopping trip into the West End.
Hmmm.
Despite living with me for nearly 14 years she is clearly still of the opinion that I am some sort of International Anarchist Riot Coordinator rather than simply a middle-class-cuddly-stay-at-home-armchair-type-anarchist. Easy mistake I suppose.
Nevertheless I told her that I'd heard nothing and that she could safely go to M&S.
So she did. And I was right, wasn't I?
The Real Downunder
Scouring through some old emails t'other day I came across the long missives I sent back from our last trip to Noo Zealandia. So, with nout else that I want to write about at the moment, and by way of a sort of a tribute to Gavin at Nivag Blog (shortly heading off for a 3 month world trip, the lucky blighter) I've started converting them into an extremely long Travelblog.... you'd never read it at one sitting so it's better this way. The first two parts can be found here.... the rest of the EnZee pictures will follow shortly. He says....