sanguine tales of love and beetroot

1. What ever became of Thora Birch?
So, I've been getting a Beanies bag delivered and this week i was given beetroot. Now this was one of primary concerns with getting a Beanies bag- i'd get fruit or veg that i wouldn't a) like or b) have a clue how to use. Unpeturbed i consulting my cooking advisor (Dan) and endevoured to roast them with orange and balsamic vinegar. Whilst the result wasn't bad, it was hardly great- i even tried using the leaves sweating them off with some orange and pepper. I think i cut them too small but more importantly the flavour of beetroot isn't great to start with. I think the lesson there is don't try new things.
outlook- nay!

2. Blogger persona
Was talking to Beth about why she doesn't read blogs and she said it was because the writings on people's blogs seldom match what they are like in the flesh. This started me thinking/getting paranoid about how i come across on this blog, particularly as Pete said my blog says a lot about me (use of bullets etc). I kind of prefer writing to verbal as i can think about saying what it is i want to say rather than doing it on the spot. As i've said before, it'd be better if i had a half hour delay to respond in a conversation but then i really like face to face interaction as well as i can gauge responses etc... but i think we've lost the ability of having 'a cup of tea and a sit down' allowing space to breath in interaction. Instead we seem very much more 'Right. Give me all this information- I'm a very busy person!' but this may restrict the value of time we actually spend together?
Outlook-hmmm!


3. The joy of films
The Showroom has presented me with much gladness and rejoicing for August showing: Dig! Dear Wendy, cafe lumiere, me you and everyone we know, and tokyo story
outlook-yay!

4. Oh Audrey!
Saw, He loves me, he loves me not and really enjoyed it. Tells two different views of a romance showing how each person will interpret events completely differently- lovely stuff

blogger etiquette

Now here is the thing. As i've been a bit bored/avoiding work i've just had a look at some other people's blogs and then realised that i was a bit freaked out that unexpected people read my blog when i look at other people's who may be equally surprised. So on reflection i kind of like that a few people see it! but still feel a bit guilty about reading other people's especially if i have something to offer/commment.

For example a collection of comments that i'd like to make:
- Lost is really good, due to my shady past i've seen the first 20 episodes, but it takes a while to warm up (i think they had to wait to get it recommissioned or something ) plus it stars Chalrie from party of Five
- if you like DC Comics give the rather fine 100 bullets a go (but then 8 bullets may have been a reference to that anyway).
- Ginger hair is actually very fashionable at the moment with people like Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore muses of designers and a model called Lily something or other has striking ginger hair (which only 2% of the population have adding to the exclusivity)

"i've wasted a fortune fucking up my life"

1. Back in school
So after two weeks holiday i have this morning returned to work and am non to happy about it. After some incredible procrastination i have begun trying to write up what i've been working on and i appear to have lost any ability of writing a coherent sentence. I lay in bed until i started to dream about the work i was doing and i couldn't even remember the good sentence that i came out with in it- damn. Then i also decided to clean my room but had to eventually start. Even the sermon last night was related to my topic- i.e. the lines of community- Bishop Jack seems to be quite the complexity theorist.

2. Kinsey
Was really impressed by this partly because it in part glamourises the life of a researcher with loads of time on how to interview etc... but Professor Kinsey's methodology was very American empiricist. It was also interesting to see how people responded to his findings regarding the actual (rather than the assumed) sexual behaviour of men and women in 50's America. The overall response was shock and to discredit the researcher rather than respond and deal with the findings suggesting that people only see what they want.

3. A dead man's wardrobe
The last few times i've been to Oxfam there has been loads of Bench stuff in medium and i', now able to spot this guy's stuff in the shop so i've reasoned that either he has decided to dress smarter or he died. Anyway, it start me thinking about the strangeness of brands and wanting to wear something which advertises me as something to sit on.

4. Empty Vessel
Had a vision of my heart as an empty vessel last night which depressed me a bit with the idea of how can you love someone if you won't let me (God) love you? that was kind of depressing.

5. Sex
Watched the men and women thing on BBC 1 again last night to see if i could find any dating tips and was actually rather happy that very few of the scientist predictions were correct- there are too many variables in attraction. However, apparently height is a very good thing for a bloke but i assume that is one a normal distribution curve so my height is excessive. Also, Same Mendes and Kate Winslet look like each other- nice.

6. Obseqious
Respectful to an excessive degree as seen in Melinda and Melinda ("I'm running out of obseqious banter)

7. Oasis
It shames me to admit but i kind of like their new song (and the video is ace)

89. The Joy of Numbers
Numbering is the new bullet point (it's so fetch). It allows the prioritising of ideas or it just shows the order of my thoughts when i come to write/prattle on about summit and stuff

1000932.
I am yet to stage a successful intervention

oooh men

Been reading the infamous Wild at Heart book and whilst i don't think that it's very good (it seems to be pseudo intellectual as i find many Christian books are), it has made me think a bit about my masculinity and measures of it (I've found that train journeys provide an especially good time to do this). The book seems to have a rather American manifest destiny type perception of maledom which is shown by exploring in a Huck Finn type way. I shouldn't feel guilty that i take interest in clothes or am not a blokey bloke. I think that perception of a man is a bit old fashioned

I also don't like the idea that women need to in some way be won. I always like to see relationships as more of a consensual thing but then that would explain my appalling track record. I find myself looking at some of the couples i know and the male will say something that i know the women would (and does) find rude and i find myself thinking, "why do you go out with him? he's an arsehole" (a touch of jealousy maybe). At the same time i look at some of the hen pecked men i know and think, "why do let soemone treat/talk to you like that?" An example of this is my parents though and this may say something. Linked is my mum's apparent inability to accept that i'm not 7 anymore (but maybe you always are to them).

the captain of your brain ship is drunk at the wheel

Dan showed me an awesome David Elsewhere clip (the guy off 'the best advert ever') and it reminded me of mine and it's David Belle's Parkour one for the BBC from a few years back (www.tv-ark.org.uk/bbccontinuity/bbc1continuity2000s.html) which is called Rush Hour. Check it out- it's great. The other ad i love is called Daytrippers and was for Levi (it was directed by Roman Coppola) and it had a hearse get painted and people messing about to the sounds of the Lillys' Nanny in Manhattan. If anyone can find a link to that let me know!

how come you can remember facts about helicopters and lions, but you can't remember i don't like curry

Things acheived and noted in Scotland:

1. Scottish people are far more friendly than Sheffielders (even the shop assistants are nice and not in a slimy i'm trying to sell you somthing way).
2. Drank Scottish organic ale (nice)
3. Sat a read in a coffee shop whilst eating banana cake (nice)
4. Walked on the beach (nice).
5. I have no sense of direction/ i can't use maps.
6. Following on from Point 5, this is made worse in a city i vaguely know and being slightly hung over and trying to find places recommended by friends and attracive shop assistants.
7. It's windy.
8. Most of the shops are identical to ones you'd find in any other city.
9. Met a blind labrador on the beach and watched him retrieve things which he culd do using smell (dogs are ace)
10. An exception to point 8 is the Fopp which is almost the perfect music shop.
11. The view between Newcastle and Dunbar is as good as everyone says.
12. Made an American women look at me very strangely by laughing at my book (Join Me) at the same time as she was planning a trip to Hadrian's Wall.
13. Thought about whether foreigners are more interested in the history of a place than those who live there.

Gluttony or Pearl Harbour sucked and i miss you

This week on my holidays i've:

1. Made a cheesecake (mmm)
2. Bought three jumpers (with a combined price of under £30)
3. Got a ticket to see the folks for £23 (bargain)
4. Went to the Gerald Scarfe exhibit- made me laugh out loud
5. Had barbecues
6. Bought dvds (Station Agent, Three Kings, Dogtown and the Z Boys and Michael Gondry)
7. Slept in, in a room that is hotter than the sun (but hey, it's sunny-hurrah!)
8. Bought cds (Viva Voce, Jassanova and some singles)
9. Ate a load of ice cream
10. Joined an internet movie rental thing on a month free (first films to watch-8 women and Show Me Love)
11. Lolloped about
12. Made compilation cds
13. Sweated profusly
14. Made a hair appointment
15. Not thought about work
16. Waited for the new issue of ID to come out
17. Tried to use the phrase- "stage an intervention" at any available opportunity in honour of the OC
18. Tried to find a new hat to accomodate my hair (unsuccessfully)

pissing and moaning over my own private universe

Not really, i'm in quite a good mood actually. On holiday for a couple of weeks so should be time to see some movies (i discovered that the Crookes Choices has a far superior selection to the one in Hillsborough) and chill out a little and contemplate the future.

(Don't read if you are yet to see War of the Worlds)
On the subject i saw War ofthe Worlds the other day and wasn't overly impressed. It does have some good intense scenes but it seems fairly stupid (i know this is a sci-fi film but i mean that Cruise et al should be dead multiple times and the conclusion is rather unsatisfactory- oh look they died)

i'm bored

i love scrubs (www.imdb.com/title/tt0285403/quotes)

J.D.: [thinking] Wait, is she into me? Quick, make a bad joke and see if she laughs.
J.D.: You hear about the skeleton who couldn't go to the party? He had noBODY to go with.
Neena: A ha ha ha! That's really funny!
J.D.: [thinking] Oh that's not a fair test, that joke's hilarious.

i just can't get you out of my head

The current ditty infecting my head is an old Longview song called Further which is getting a gospel style re-release. I never noticed it was about God before (God's love will save our lives / It will come shining bright)

As you may have noticed i'm achieving the sqaure root of jack today- my supervisor forgot we were meeting so i've got to mill about in Birmingham until 2. Think i may do some shopping

women, listen to your mothers

1. Community (shudder)
It seems as if the hot idea du jour is community (a horrendous phrase that the church uses in a rather catch all way). At the moment the interpretation is very much geographical closeness with loads of people setting about it in areas such as in Pitsmoor, Hillsborough and Hunters Bar. This is kind of interesting as the emphasis is so geographically small with communities established in an almost village style. I like the idea of being able to just pop in to see people (i never do it at the moment in part due to my feelings of inadequacy one on one which have been well documented on these pages) but if someone lives just round the corner it should be easier to leave when you want, less pressure etc... It is a little sad that we seem to need such physical closenes to forge community (and people that you actually like helps too-whilst i acknowledge it is hard work, it is a lot easier if you have some natural raport). The issue may be how these tight communities can be brought together and how to choose one (can you choose one?).

2. The Horror
I actually find myself in a good mood at the moment and i couldn't work out how it really happened and i think therein lies answer. Someone i don't know commented on the fact that i was thinking hard about what should have been a light conversation and once i got over my grumpiness at him pointing this out i've been trying to take things a little less seriously and relaxing and having a better time as a result- not trying my hardest to have fun and over thinking.

3. Express Yourself
Was talking about learning styles and how when you're younger you're taught using multiple methods but as you get older the more didactic, 'read this' type thing which is odd.

but they're both french

Alas both Mary Pierce and Amelie Mauresmo are out of Wimbeldon. There is something hideously British about supporting two very good players who never actually win on the big day-never mind. Not overly fussed between Davenport or Williams- maybe Davenport. In terms of the men, i know it's boring but i like Federer.

it's ok to have hair

It's worth not shaving just so when you do final bother, you look like a fourteen year old boy.