The Angel Falls

Photo courtesy of Sam Javanrouh over at the Daily Dose of Imagery - definitely one for your Google Reader.

An industrious, but easy on the soul day at the Ministry. The Chief was out of the office and it literally is not the same place without him. His absence meant that I got to dominate the company of the practically perfect in every way Miss Sally, which was an absolute gift. Miss Sally was doing some New Year tidying and sorting of the office, and I found her background busy-ness comforting.

This evening I'm spending the evening with Bean, we've eaten dinner and have been chilling out to the Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC 4, another good reason why it's one of my favourite channels. Bean loves the show and delights me with titbits and celebrity gossip about the bands that were playing in the seventies. Tonight's show is profiling California and the sound carries the ease and sun of the state.

I was intrigued by another show on BBC 4 tonight, about teenagers 'borrowing' other people's children. I caught an item on BBC breakfast (you're forgiven for thinking I'm sponsored by the BB Corp at this point) earlier in the week - a sort of 'Is it/Isn't it ethical?' thinly veiled promotional piece about the show. At the time I was inclined to agree with Hicks' example on the movie Basic Instinct:

But you know I saw this movie this year called last year called er, 'Basic Instinct'. Okay now. Bill's quick capsule review: Piece-of-Shit. Okay now. Yeah, yeah, end of story by the way. Don't get caught up in that fevered hype phoney fucking debate about that Piece-of-Shit movie. "Is it too sexist, and what about the movies, are they becoming too dddddddd." You're, you're just confused, you don't get, you've forgotten how to judge correctly.

Take a deep breath huuh, look at it again. "Oh it's a Piece-of-Shit!" Exactly, that's all it is. Satan squatted, let out a loaf, they put a fucking title on it, put it on a marquee, Satan's shit, piece of shit, walk away. "But is it too, what about the lesbian connot.. ddddd." You're, you're getting really baffled here. Piece-of-Shit! Now walk away. That's all it is, it's nothing more! Free yourself folks, if you see it, Piece-of-Shit, say it and walk away. You're right! You're right! Not those fuckers who want to tell you how to think! You're fucking right!

Sorry wrong meeting again. I keep getting my days mixed up. tomorrow, it's the meeting at the docks. Tonight it's comedy entertainment with young Bill. Horrible film. And then I come to find out after that film. that all the lesbian sex scenes, let me repeat that, all the lesbian sex scenes were cut out of that film, because the test audience was turned off by them. Ha. Boy, is my thumb not on the pulse of America.

But these things can suck you in quite fast, can't they? Hicks is right, before I knew it I was thinking: is that right...to take people's children and put them somewhere else........

It's irrelevant, it's already happened, there were consenting adults involved and I don't care. The annoying thing is that after ten minutes, I did care, I was interested. I know these shows are designed with a viewer in middle England who feels entitled to sit in judgement of others - and in this case, the apparently shocking selfishness of teenagers. To whom is this quality news? - but more horrific to me than that is my capacity to be that viewer. I've decided television is toxic and rots my logic. And that I am too weak-minded to go near reality TV. It's like a bad drug.

If you have an hour to spare over a glass of wine at the weekend, call me. Just kidding. I've got stuff to do. Instead, check out these two short films from TED's (Technology Entertainment, Design), he's showing two beautiful films, by Wade Davis and Phil Borges, two photographers, presenting on various topics to a backdrop of their own work. Thanks TED.




Today's MicroView: life in small print

1. For as long as I've been at the Ministry, there has been a solitary Lil-let in the (to the best of my knowledge, broken) 'feminine hygiene' machine in the 2nd floor toilets. Is it the same Lil-let or is someone replacing it when someone uses the last? I think of it as the Emergency Tampon. I could steal it and find out if someone puts it back, but I'm thinking it would disturb the magic.

2. At the Ministry, the trees outside are whipping in the wind. Their ability to yield to the gusts plays a part in making sure they don't fall down. This is a lesson in choosing one's battles carefully, I think to myself, as I watch them the from the window.

3. Moments of arbitrary abuse today made me feel loved. I wonder in the scheme of things how strange it is to feel happy when Shon emails to call me Gillian McStool.