BOOKS : The Last Family in England

By Matt Haig
This was crap. At first it seems OK, but it's when you get a few pages in that you realise all his chapters are only 2 pages long because he can't write - as soon as he ventures to more than 3 pages he waffles and loses my interest.
The story is from the point of view of a Labrador and revolves about the Labrador's attempts to save his family from falling apart; in line with the 'Labrador Pact'. It was supposed to be poignant and full of pathos - well I guess it was pathetic (I've always wanted to say that!)
Anyway, I dog eared (heh) a page about half way through (p158) because I though it epitomized his inability to write. It is a single page chapter where in a doggie friend of the main character insists on telling him about the strange things happening in the park. Over and Over. Until the main character gets called away and we never find out what the strange thing was. Oooh mysterious. Or maybe just crap writing.
The first 15 pages of the last 20 pages (makes sense?) were actually not too bad, but the final 5 pages unfortunately reverted to the crappiness of the preceding book.
What a waste of time.

GIGS : They Might Be Giants

A favorite of the Aussie alternative scene since the debut (along with JJJ) of 'Bird House in your Soul' back in 89/91, they Might Be Giants have a special place in my heart. Today, while trying to describe them to friends at work, I eventually ended describing them as 'wacky folk' (well they do have an accordion). Having heard them tonight that definition expands as their repertoire covers rock and reggae and, well, pop.
Anyway, the Gig was pretty darn good. Everyone sang along, really loud, to the oldies, and rocked along to the newies. There was a bit in the middle where they played songs they'd written while on the current tour, inspired by the venue they were playing in (pretty much just the inspiration of the name really). This was quite fun, and introduced by a 'personality' called Jonathan Ross (kind of big over here). Unfortunately it probably went on a bit long _and_there_wasn't_one_for_the_current_venue.
From a professionalism point of view the first half of the Gig was a bit sloppy. Right up to the point when the boys joked about 'I don't go to their gigs anymore, they're just too slick'. After that they stopped pausing between songs and generally fucking about and the show picked up the pace and felt a whole lot better.
The Lighting operators don't get any marks though, not only were they very dull, the follow spots were hopeless, generally more accurately referred to as 'follow a few feet behind' spots.
Overall the 15 years (20?) of live experience won through - they had a lot of fun with the audience, and the audience had a lot of fun straight back, from anthems, to ballads, to participation, to just plain weird.
(Oh, the support were some uninspiring 2*girl fronted band. Didn't find out their name, don't really care, though the bass player was cute - the singer was too thin)

PLAY : A life in the theatre

Don't remember much of this because it was a while ago that I saw it. I went with Murray and His mate Brett. Brett isn't really a theatre person - and pretty much fell asleep.
Anyway, the play is about an older actor and a younger actor, following their backstage antics as their 'life in the theatre' unfolds. The younger actor starts holding the older actor in high, if not so serious, esteem. He grows beyond the older actor and this is where the Pathos comes from.
The older character was played by Patrick Stewart, who did a pretty good job (he has an amazing body for a not young person!). He largely hit all the marks.
The younger character was played by some kid from Dawson's Creek. He was pretty ordinary, and couldn't really grow the character, or change his style from off-stage to on-stage.
The play lightens the mood by showing some on-stage work. All these 'plays within plays' are not only terribly written, but they are very ham-ily performed by our two actors. This is fine, and fun, my only problem being that I didn't think there was nearly enough difference between the ham acting on-stage and the 'real' acting off. Maybe the director was trying to be subtle, or maybe say that 'we're all acting in real life anyway', but it just didn't work for me. I think it was proabaly down to the younger guy's lesser acting ability.
Anyway, it was fun, but only because of Stewart and Mammet, no one else.

OPERA : 1984

I don't know if I would have liked this opera as much if I didn't love 1984, but there you go.
Having almost arrived late, the curtain raised on an amazing set (These big productions just have such stupidly huge sets - and so many people in the chorus) and a wall or block of people shouting (as much as you can in Opera) at the hate-flicks. And you know, yelling at a TV at the top of your lungs just doesn't sound like a bunch of people singing, no matter how 20th century the music is. But when they end up singing the national anthem of Oceania that's when it comes to the fore.
I think that is a fair summary of the whole opera. The first two acts were pretty by the by; they were alright, but not something that I was that blown away by. The third act (in which Wilston is tortured) was great. The power and tragedy of the breaking of Wilston is torturous to watch, and I found quite effective.
The orchestration was a little mundane. While there were a bunch of cliches in there, some of the nice ones were left out (like themes for characters, how blasé, _but_it_works_!). Most of the music was 20th century, reflecting the abrasive, emaciated 1984 world. Every now and then we had a bit of melodic Prole nursey rhyme, which made me want more melody - especially in the duet. And just to tease us more, the torturer in the third act has a little bit of melodic work which is similar to the Prole stuff, only twisted and manic. It was a nice change, but I don't see why it couldn't be used a little more.
Standing there in the auditorium at interval I was wondering if it was all worth it. Clapping the performers at the end and I had not doubt.

MOVIES : Ong Bak

If the idea of a Tut-Tut chase around the streets of Bangkok doesn't sound like something you want to see, then this probably isn't a film for you.
A fairly standard story line, some ordinary acting with a few extraordinary over-actors thrown in, and 2D characters all round, what could I possibly like about this film? The Muay Thai Kickboxing!
I've long considered Kickboxing to be the most effective street martial art there is, but not a pretty one. Was I wrong! This film highlighted the utterly deadly moves of this martial art, as well as the beautiful forms and stances of a very grounded fighting form. It reminds me of when I went to see the Misfits, they wore these huge boots that started at the knee and went out - imbuing them with a great sense of being 'grounded'. The earth cracking stomps of this film made for the same effect.
The other thing it did was change my view of Capoeira. While C is still a dance/martial art rather than a martial art/dance, I came to appreciate that many of the kicks I consider useless and only for show, can be very effective in the hands of a Kickboxer - so why not me as well?!!
Anyway, this is up there with Drunken Master 3 for me (though not as funny)

BOOKS : Saturday by Ian McEwan

I read a review of this in the Guardian and thought, well everyone likes this guy, I might give him a try, and why not with this book.
What a great decision! I love this book. While the plot isn't anything fantastic, I love the writing, I love the way he moves off on tangents, but never far enough away from the story to make you think 'get back to the story' and I love the underlying tension that pervades, but with no obvious source. (OK, there might be an obvious source, but the maintenance of tension when that source isn't around is well done).
If you ever want to know how my brain works, read this book and realise that the main character thinks very similarly to me, only as a neurosurgeon rather than prog'er. Thing being, I suspect that most people do behave/think like this, it's just no that often put in writing (that I read at least).
Other reasons I am particularly likely to enjoy this book; the main character is father in an atomic family, a family very like mine. His age makes him halfway between my Dad and myself; I can empathise with my father through his thoughts, but I can also imagine myself in his position in the not too distant future. He also likes his sport, but not too much, and allows his competitiveness to get the better of him. Finally, he is a middle class liberal tainted by the ability to see more than one side in an argument.
Haven't really said much about the book, more the character, but I guess that like in Ulysses by JJ the story is the character (BTW, it's called Saturday because the whole book takes place on one Saturday, hence the Ulysses comparison).
Anyway, if you want an insight into my inner workings, give this book a go and you'll come close.

PLAYS : Julius Ceaser

I;ll admit I was a little apprehensive about this production; weighing in at 2 hours 50 I was worried this uncut version was going to drag somewhat. Was I wrong! The first half, all 2 hours of it, was fantastic, drawing you in to the to-ing and fro-ing, the scheming and over all the crowd swaying speeches.
The text was easily communicated, I don't know if this was because of excellent direction or if the language of the play was easier than some of others, but I hardly had to decode at all as I was watching.
The show was on at the Barbican, which seems to like spending stupid amounts of money - there was a cast of some 50 or more chorus, and the sets were enormous and expensive. It's not something I really understand, coming from a relatively minimalist background, but maybe the audiences they are aiming at wouldn't understand it if they didn't see a horse when the actors rode in on one... Of course lighting was excellent and the sound was pretty good if a bit obvious (underpinned by a single, low, droning note all the way through. not too original)
What was the one thing I found missing? Brutus. Sure, the character was there, but his plight, his motivations and therefore his tragedy were not a strong focus. In fact, there were a number of times when I didn't even recognise him, which made some scenes confusing (especially the one where some guy pretends to be him - which I didn't realise because I don't recognise the guy myself!). I ended up having to piece together what was happening to him intellectually rather than the play telling me. This rather detracted from the emotional aspect of his story.
All in all, I came away thanking Jo for distracting me from seeing Electric Eel Shock and Mika Bomb (my two other options for the evening, though I was originally going to Anthony's - makes four things in one night!). I think it was probably better than the King Lear I saw earlier in the year, but not as new as I'm more familiar with the play.

A Dirty Shame

This is John Waters at his less offensive; this film is more in the vein of Serial Mom and Cry Baby, rather than Pink Flamingos. Which is good, because I really like SM and CB. Basically it's about a sex hating middle-class american house-wife who gets a know on the head. Upon being revived by the Jesus of sex she becomes a sex addict; hilarity ensues.
Well, hilarity is an exaggeration, but it was quite funny, and an entertaining night. Probably a video rather than a film.
It didn't really have anything to say, though it did do some nice piss-taking on both the conservative and liberal sides. Certainly not for the 'easily offended,' it's almost purely off taste sex jokes including sex with trees that grown genitals, the 'resurrection' of Jesus by listing a series of 'sex acts' to try to get him excited, though you don't see any rude bits, sorry to say.
Any rate, kinda fun, and 'Go the Bears, aaarrgggghhh'

GIGS : Mika Bomb

Again! And again next friday.
They are launching their latest album, but by the size of the audience last night it won't be very good for them. Combined with the drug induced stupidity of the bass player the overall feel of their set was negative. Which was a pity as I appreciated their music more now that I've listened to their original CD a few more times.
They had interesting support too - Oki Dog were headed by a chinese-uk girl who dextrously swapped from Johnny Rotten yelling to 'proper' singing throughout their songs. I quite liked this, but it was all let down by their crappy drummer who was either unimaginately awful, or overly imaginatively bad.
The middle group, the Copters, were great fun in that camp english way. They even had a robot! The music was very tight, good and heavy, and fresh (for me) sound. I will be looking out for their single.
So I am going to see Mika again next week so I can get their CD and hopefully enjoy a slightly more packed venue.

BOKS : Plot Against America by Phillip Roth

Like Man in High Castle, this story is set in an 'alternate history'; Roosevelt loses the 1940 election to an isolationist who sides with the Nazis.
The story is strangely auto-biographical. It is written from the point of view of the 8 year old Phillip Roth and centers on his political father, strong mother, impressionable brother and hot-headed cousin.
It has a strange feel to the whole book, sometimes clinical in detail and explanation, sometimes warbling in its anecdotes, and with little in the way of 'climax'. In fact, most of the climax is written as a series of 'reports' relaying the infomraiton of what happened, but with little emotion at all.
As the book progresses it becomes more and more clear that the president is starting to install a pogrom to isolate and destroy the jews in America. But cleverly this is all undercurrents, and makes you have a certain sense of foreboding even though nothing overt is happening. Maybe the education camps are benign. Maybe they're not.
The most confusing thing for me was what Roth was trying to say. He certainly conveyed the feeling of unease and fear and suspicion that one imagines was and is felt by all minorities, especially as they are marginalised and assimilated. But why did he write it now? And with such a provocative name? The most obvious group for me that is in a similar position to what he is writing about are muslims in the west - was he writing about them? In which case that's a pretty brave move to use a jewish story, very close to the holocaust, to talk about bigotry against muslims...
All in all I found it an enjoyable, and educational, read. I would think that most people would find it a good book, even without a typical build-to-climax structure.

PROGRAMMING : A few interesting article

If only I could do links!

At Lambda the Ultimate there are a couple of articles on Fortress, a supposed successor to the Fortran language.
http://lambda-the-ultimate.org/node/view/673

Extensive review of all the goodies in the latest MOX at ars technica. Truely, apple are doing some amazing things, and if they keep it up will have an OS that I would want to use (rather than one that is 'best of a bad bunch')
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10.4.ars/1

Oh my god, look at this one! Why has pointed out the 'data:' link type in HTML (which works for everything bar IE :( and uses ruby to dynamically embed a bitmap into a webpage
http://redhanded.hobix.com/inspect/sparklinesForMinimalists.html

I had some other stuff but I've forgotten.