Archive for February 9th, 2006

Memo to self, when searching the photocopier where you put in the toner for a white tape with numbers, do not, repeat, do not take a deep breath and blow all of the dusty toner out of your way. It tends to swirl, swirl and get in your face, and then you have to wonder do you have an inky face as you return, through the library, to the phone to tell Mr. Toshiba man that No, there isn’t a tape with numbers where I put in the toner.

You’ll be glad to hear, that I didn’t actually have toner all over my face, just a few flecks. But still. I think is a thing to note down for future reference, don’t you agree?

D’internet was down again this morning at work. Which meant I finished my book real early in the day. Hmmm, that doesn’t sound too good, but see I can’t actually leave the desk for long periods of time cause students pop in and out and if there was no one around they might be tempted to indulge in arson, or some such prank. So normally in the morning I surf in between dealing with them looking for books that they don’t know the name of, by authors they’ve never heard of, and for courses that they don’t know the name of. But not this morning, instead I Sodoku’d until I was seeing numbers floating all over the place - Did you ever play Tetris so much that in your sleep you’d be dreaming about moving bricks? Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us I remember playing a playstation game[1] N20 Nitrous Oxide, where you went through these tunnels shooting at bugs, with a great dance music soundtrack and hypnotic backgrounds. Anyways, I played this game so much that at night I’d dream I was going round and round shooting things, and avoiding eggs[2] - where was I?

Oh yes, the internet was down so I did the Sodoku, then read my book, then the papers, and still, nothing to do. Well, that is a lie. I did have all my course reading lists to do, but the catalogue doesn’t work without the internet, so I couldn’t do that. So I wandered around looking for a new book. You’d think in a library I’d find one pretty quickly wouldn’t you? Well I didn’t. But eventually I decided to go with Chekov’s The Shooting Part, and of course the moment I began to read the introduction the internet was reborn.

Typical. Still, think I’ll read it anyways. It looks like one of those books they have in films, you know, old looking :) I always liked the little Chekov we did at college, I know some people think his plays are dreary, but I thought they were funny. Can’t remember if they were meant to be comedies or not…

Linknotes:
  1. yup, a real old one
  2. we had this game back when we had the PS, and then the dog ate it. Yes, really, ate it all. But then a few years later I found it again, and had my PS2 at this stage so could be hypnotised all over again. Hmmm, next time I go home I think I shall collect it.
Tags: photocopier, sudoku, work

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Do you ever come across something and suddenly realise that this is exactly what the phrase “what the fuck” was made for?

Image Hosted by ImageShack.usToday Guinness are testing out their brand spanking new idea[1] which is to release a version of the pint with a lower alcohol content. Fair enough, I don’t drink Guinness so I don’t really care. But then I read some of the reactions in the Irish Indo[2] .

before I quote these wonderful people of Limerick let me just share some links with you: Eight people killed on roads in little over 24 hours (subs) ; Drive and Stay Alive (I won’t comment on the “Southern Ireland” aspect) ; Road Beaths - Behaviour of Drivers must be altered ; On Endless Road safety Reports, und so weiter.

I’m guessing you didn’t click did you? You did get the message though, that road safety is a big issue at the moment in Ireland. So, can you guess what the low-alcohol-Guinness-testers said:

“If I am driving, the drink I would have is a glass of Guinness so having this lower alcohol option is really good for someone like me … I don’t drive but I would certainly be more comfortable getting into a car with someone who has had a glass of this new Guiness than someone on the regular brew.”

Now I’m well aware that one drink will not put the majority of people over the limit, but honestly.

Linknotes:
  1. it failed the last time they tried it
  2. can’t find the article online so cant be bothered to link
Tags: Guinness, road safety ad, wtf!

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9
Feb

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

   Posted by: Fence   in Books

ISBN: 0060987529
Author: Gregory Maguire

First line:
Hobbling home under a mackeral sky, I came upon a group of children.

A retelling, a reimagining of Cinderella, Maguire here attempt to create a more realistic picture, through the eyes of the “ugly stepsisters.” There are no pumpkins turning into golden carriages, and no fairy godmothers, instead we get a mother and her two daughters fleeing England for Holland and the security of their grandfather’s house. But he is dead, and Margerrethe is forced to beg as she attempts to feed her children. When she gets work as a housekeeper/cleaner in an artist’s house, it is only her first step up society’s ladder so that she can ensure her children never go hungry again.

Mostly told by Iris, a plain but intelligent girl, we soon learn all about Clara, the beautiful possible changeling that we now know as Cinderella.

Overall I quite enjoyed this book. Iris is an interesting character, and although none of the others quite seem to match her reality they are all entertaining. Clara is a bit of a mystery, why she never wants to leave the house, why she believes herself a changling.

But in the end it always seems to be wanting to be more than it is, a fairly entertaining story. The book seems to want to say something profound, about beauty, and life. But it doesn’t achieve it.

Salon | Rambles | GregoryMaguire.com | Green Man

Tags: 5 Stars, Cinderella, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Gregory Maguire, historical fiction, Holland, retelling fairy tales

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